When Semyon was born to me five and a half years ago, I decided to collect for him a library of the best children's books. At that time, Russian publishing houses had not yet republished foreign classics so generously and willingly. And this very foreign children's classics had to be obtained abroad.

And then one day the book The giving tree flew to us from America.

An American friend of mine sent it for Semyon and wrote to me that this book is one of her favorites. And that it is a must have in the children's library.

Semyon was still too small then and preferred not to read books, but to gnaw.

Therefore, I started reading The giving tree on my own. Fortunately, my level of English just allows me to read English-language children's books.

Hug and cry!

You know, my first reaction after reading this book was ... uh ... not quite adequate ....

I just burst into tears.

And now, five years later, I am holding in my hands this book, already published in Russian. You know, I'm amazed. I was amazed that the Melik-Pashayev publishing house decided to publish this book. In the sense that this is a very good book, but not one of the simplest, brightest and frankly childish. This is a parable that can be interpreted this way and that, from which you can think hard or become very sad.

There are very few words in it.

And black and white pictures. And in general, not everyone will be able to calmly read it aloud.

At least such melancholic people like me will definitely not be able to.

A separate respect to the publishing house for not printing a close-up photo of the author, as on an American dust jacket. For the author was a very colorful man. Look, what a handsome man.

My Semyon, when he was younger, was afraid of him. And now he puts the book, like a mask, to his face and screams, frightens me. Fear, fear, mother, Shelah Silverstein!

However, I digress, we are now - about prose.

About the “Generous tree”.

Congratulations, Tree, you have a boy!

What exactly is the book about?
It's about a tree. And the boy. The boy comes to the tree and plays with it. And the tree is happy.

Then the boy grows up, and he is already bored with playing. He needs something all the time. Pocket money. Pleasure. Home for wife and children. A boat to sail away on a journey.

And the Apple tree, in order to satisfy the growing needs of the boy, gives him everything it has: apples, branches, trunk ... ..

In the end, Apple tree has nothing left. And from the Apple tree itself, almost nothing remains, except hemp. But even this stump feels happy when he manages to fulfill the boy's next request.

When you read this book, an analogy immediately comes to mind: an apple tree is a mother. Well, who else will tolerate the ugly selfish boy for so long? Who will give everything that he has, if only this ugly boy was happy? Who will rejoice at the very existence of this boy, without receiving anything from him in return, simply knowing that somewhere out there he is alive and well and satisfied with life? Only my own mother.

As the book progresses, the boy grows, now he is already a teenager, a man, an old man ... And the Apple tree is getting smaller, getting smaller and smaller…. But even being a stump-hemp, Apple tree tries to give her old boy what he needs right now. And she feels happiness because she could, again could please him, her beloved boy….

Well, how could you not burst into tears while reading ???? Such generous, such selfless, such sacrificial love!

That's what I thought five years ago.

And now she changed her mind.

Love. Strong, 100 degrees. Do not thin!

I'll tell you what! I used to feel sorry for Apple tree. And now I'm angry with her! You can't live like that! You can't be such a tree, really! The apple tree all the time looks at the boy as a dependent child in need of care, although the boy is changing, growing, growing up, getting old. But Apple tree all the time waits for him to do childish actions, to which she was used to. And all the time he tries to give him what he asks for. It is rightly said that for parents we always remain children.

Now, after rereading this book, I think that Apple's love is destructive and does not bring good to anyone. A kind, generous tree gave all of itself to its boy. So what? What do we end up with?

Two old tree stumps.

What's left of Apple tree's life? Zilch! Life is devalued. In addition to rare meetings with the boy, there is nothing in this life that would make Apple tree happy. All that was enough for her was not to say at the end the words: “I devoted my whole life to you, and you….”, As some parents say to their grown children ...

And the boy? He could not achieve anything on his own. He grew up, but, in fact, did not mature ... For everything he needed, he immediately ran to Yablona. And she should have refused him at least once, so that he could learn to earn money on his own - for pleasure, for a house, for a boat, or whatever. But no, she gave generously, and he eagerly dragged everything away.

Don't hide your fears in the closet!

“The generous tree” is a parable that can be read in the same way as I do, and in a completely different way ... It is about saving, boundless love - and about destructive, excessive love. It is about how to raise children correctly - and how not to. It is about the fact that there are too many interesting and beautiful things in life to dwell on only one thing or one ...

This book is about all of us. We all once hid in the shadow of our parents, and demanded love, and gave love in return ... And then we grew up and left. Or didn’t leave. Or they left, but then came back. Each has its own script, its own story, its own apples and leaves ...

This book clings to the quick. And it makes you think.

After all, five years ago I did not hide a book in a closet, I hid my fear - the fear of the future, the fear of being left alone, of being abandoned and of no use to anyone. The fear that this baby sleeping in his arms will someday grow up and stop feeling the need for me…. And how am I then ????

Now I see that I have already outgrown that fear of mine. Maybe because Semyon is almost six years old and he is already so separate, so different, with his hobbies and occupations, that I understand: we are very different, we have different interests and different paths along which it is interesting for us to walk, and the further, the more these paths take us in different directions. Children grow up, yes. This must be accepted. And although they forever remain the most important and important thing in life for us, nevertheless we should not look for in them and only in them a support for ourselves and the only reason for happiness ...

Generous tree

Generous tree

A wild apple tree lived in the forest. And the apple tree loved the little boy. And the boy every day ran to the apple tree, collected the leaves that fell from it, weaved a wreath from them, put it on as a crown and played at the forest king. He climbed up the trunk of the apple tree and swayed on its branches. And then they played hide and seek, and when the boy got tired, he fell asleep in the shade of her branches. And the apple tree was happy: But time passed, and the boy grew up, and more and more often the apple tree whiled away the days alone.
Once a boy came to an apple tree. And the apple tree said:
- Come here, boy, swing on my branches, eat my apples, play with me, and we will be fine!
“I'm too old to climb trees,” the boy replied. - I would like other entertainment. But this requires money, but can you give it to me?
- I would be glad, - the apple tree sighed, - but I have no money, only leaves and apples. Take my apples, sell them in the city, then you will have money. And you will be happy!

And the boy climbed onto the apple tree and picked all the apples, and took them away with him. And the apple tree was happy.
After that, the boy did not come for a long time, and the apple tree became sad again. And when one day the boy came, the apple tree trembled with joy.
- Come here quickly, kid! - she exclaimed.
- Sway on my branches, and we will be fine!
- I have too many worries to climb trees, - replied the boy, - I would like to have a family, have children. But for this you need a home, and I don't have a home. Can you give me a home?
- I would be glad, - the apple tree sighed, - but I have no home. My home is my forest. But I have branches. Cut them down and build yourself a house. And you will be happy.

And the boy cut down her branches and took them with him, and built himself a house. And the apple tree was happy.
After that, the boy did not come for a long, long time. And when he appeared, the apple tree almost
numb with joy.
“Come here, boy,” she whispered, “play with me.
“I’m already too old, I’m sad and not up to games,” the boy replied. - I would like to build a boat and sail far, far away on it. But can you give me a boat?
- Cut my trunk and make yourself a boat, - said the apple tree, - and you can sail far, far away on it. And you will be happy.

And then the boy cut down the trunk, and made a boat out of it, and sailed far, far away. And the apple tree was happy. It's not easy to believe, though.
It took a long time. And the boy came to the apple tree again.
“Sorry, boy,” the apple tree sighed. “But I can't give you anything else.
I have no apples:
- What are the apples for? - answered the boy. - I have almost no teeth left.
“I have no branches left,” said the apple tree. “You can't sit on them.
“I’m too old to swing on the branches,” the boy replied.
“I have no trunk left,” said the apple tree. “And you have nothing else to climb up.
“I'm too tired to climb,” the boy replied. - I'm sorry, - the apple tree sighed, - I would really like to give you at least something, but I have
nothing left. I am now just an old tree stump. Sorry.
“And now I don’t need much,” the boy replied. I would now only have a quiet and peaceful place to sit and relax. I am very tired.
- Well, - said the apple tree, - the old tree stump is just right for this. Come here boy, sit down and rest.
And so the boy did. And the apple tree was happy.

Shal Silverstein

A wild apple tree lived in the forest. And the apple tree loved the little boy. And the boy every day ran to the apple tree, collected the leaves that fell from it, weaved a wreath from them, put it on like a crown, and played the forest king. He climbed up the trunk of the apple tree and swayed on its branches. And then they played hide and seek, and when the boy got tired, he fell asleep in the shade of her branches. And the apple tree was happy.

But as time went on, the boy grew up, and more and more often the apple tree whiled away the days alone.

Once a boy came to an apple tree. And the apple tree said:

Come here boy, swing on my branches, eat my apples, play with me, and we'll be fine!

I'm too old to climb trees, ”the boy replied. - I would like other entertainment. But this requires money, but can you give it to me?

I would be glad, - the apple tree sighed, - but I have no money, only leaves and apples. Take my apples and sell them in the city, then you will have money. And you will be happy!

And the boy climbed onto the apple tree and picked all the apples, and took them with him. And the apple tree was happy.

After that, the boy did not come for a long time, and the apple tree became sad again. And when one day the boy came, the apple tree trembled with joy.

Come here quickly, kid! - she exclaimed. - Sway on my branches, and we will be fine!

I have too many worries to climb trees, ”the boy replied. - I would like to have a family, have children. But for this you need a home, and I don't have a home. Can you give me a home?

I would be glad, - the apple tree sighed, - but I have no home. My home is my forest. But I have branches. Cut them down and build yourself a house. And you will be happy.

And the boy cut down her branches and took them with him, and built himself a house. And the apple tree was happy. After that, the boy did not come for a long, long time. And when he appeared, the apple tree was almost numb with joy.

Come here boy, she whispered, play with me.

I am already too old, I am sad and not up to games, - answered the boy. - I would like to build a boat and sail far, far away on it. But can you give me a boat?

Cut my trunk and make yourself a boat, - said the apple tree, - and you can sail far, far away on it. And you will be happy.

And then the boy cut down the trunk and made a boat out of it. And he sailed far, far away. And the apple tree was happy.
... Even though it's not easy to believe.

It took a long time. And the boy came to the apple tree again.

Sorry, boy, ”the apple tree sighed,“ but I can't give you anything else. I have no apples.

What do I need apples for? - answered the boy. - I have almost no teeth left.

I have no branches left, ”said the apple tree. “You can't sit on them.

I'm too old to swing on the branches, ”the boy replied.

I have no trunk left, ”said the apple tree. “And you have nothing else to climb up.

I'm too tired to climb, ”the boy replied.

Sorry, - the apple tree sighed, - I would really like to give you at least something, but I have nothing left. I am now just an old tree stump. Sorry.

And now I don’t need much, ”the boy replied. - I would now only have a quiet and peaceful place to sit and relax. I am very tired.

Well, said the apple tree, the old tree stump is just fine for that. Come here boy, sit down and rest.

And so the boy did. And the apple tree was happy.

Translation. V. Ramses
Moscow, "Children's Literature" 1983

* "The Generous Tree" is a picture book by the American writer Shel Silverstein, published in 1964. The parable of love and self-sacrifice has become one of the most famous works of Silverstein, it has been reprinted many times and translated into dozens of languages. There are two Russian translations of the book. The original edition of the book contains black and white illustrations by the author and a color cover. A parable that has become a classic. She is included in the school curricula of many countries around the world.
Based on the fairy tale, a 10-minute long (USA, 1973) was created, the text is read by Silverstein himself, who also composed music for the cartoon and acted as a producer.

A wild apple tree lived in the forest ... And the apple tree loved a little boy. And the boy every day ran to the apple tree, collected the leaves that fell from it, weaved a wreath from them, put it on as a crown and played at the forest king. He climbed up the trunk of the apple tree and swayed on its branches. And then they played hide and seek, and when the boy got tired, he fell asleep in the shade of her branches. And the apple tree was happy ... But time passed, and the boy grew up, and more and more often the apple tree whiled away the days alone.

Once a boy came to an apple tree. And the apple tree said:

- Come here, boy, swing on my branches, eat my apples, play with me, and we will be fine!

“I'm too old to climb trees,” the boy replied. - I would like other entertainment. But this requires money, but can you give it to me?

- I would be glad, - the apple tree sighed, - but I have no money, only leaves and apples. Take my apples, sell them in the city, then you will have money. And you will be happy! And the boy climbed onto the apple tree and picked all the apples, and took them away with him. And the apple tree was happy.

After that, the boy did not come for a long time, and the apple tree became sad again. And when one day the boy came, the apple tree trembled with joy.

- Come here quickly, kid! - she exclaimed.

- Sway on my branches, and we will be fine!

- I have too many worries to climb trees, - replied the boy, - I would like to have a family, have children. But for this you need a home, and I don't have a home. Can you give me a home?

- I would be glad, - the apple tree sighed, - but I have no home. My home is my forest. But I have branches. Cut them down and build yourself a house. And you will be happy. And the boy cut down her branches and took them with him, and built himself a house. And the apple tree was happy.

After that, the boy did not come for a long, long time. And when he appeared, the apple tree was almost numb with joy.

“Come here, boy,” she whispered, “play with me.

“I’m already too old, I’m sad and not up to games,” the boy replied. - I would like to build a boat and sail far, far away on it. But can you give me a boat?

- Cut my trunk and make yourself a boat, - said the apple tree, - and you can sail far, far away on it. And you will be happy. And then the boy cut down the trunk, and made a boat out of it, and sailed far, far away. And the apple tree was happy. ... Even though it's not easy to believe.

It took a long time. And the boy came to the apple tree again.

“Sorry, boy,” the apple tree sighed. “But I can't give you anything else. I have no apples ...

- What are the apples for? - answered the boy. - I have almost no teeth left.

“I have no branches left,” said the apple tree. “You can't sit on them.

“I’m too old to swing on the branches,” the boy replied.

“I have no trunk left,” said the apple tree. “And you have nothing else to climb up.

“I'm too tired to climb,” the boy replied.

- Sorry, - the apple tree sighed, - I would really like to give you at least something, but I have nothing left. I am now just an old tree stump. Sorry…

“And now I don’t need much,” the boy replied. I would now only have a quiet and peaceful place to sit and relax. I am very tired.

- Well, - said the apple tree, - the old tree stump is just right for this. Come here boy, sit down and rest.

And so the boy did. And the apple tree was happy.

Shal Silverstein