Good evening,
This is Tara.
Welcome to sleep story meditation.
Tonight I'm going to be reading to you The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
In a comfortable spot,
Perhaps lying down,
If you like placing an eye pillow over the eyes.
Just start to notice your body.
Move in any way that feels comfortable.
Adjust any clothing or blankets so that you can start to minimize any distraction.
And as you begin to settle,
Start to let go of the need to make anything happen in this moment or desire anything to be different than it is right now.
And notice your breath,
Feeling the gentle ebbs and flow as you breathe naturally.
Trying the body to progressively relax,
Grow heavier and heavier with each breath.
And simply just listening until you fall asleep,
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
Once there was a tree and she loved a little boy and every day the boy would come and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and eat apples and they would play hide and go seek.
And when he was tired,
He would sleep in her shade.
And the boy loved the tree.
The boy loved the tree very much and the tree was happy.
The time went by and the boy grew older and the tree was often alone.
And one day the boy came to the tree and the tree said,
Come boy,
Come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade and be happy.
I am too big to climb and play,
Said the boy.
I want to buy things and have fun.
I want some money.
Can you give me some money?
I'm sorry,
Said the tree,
But I have no money.
I only have leaves and apples.
Take my apples and sell them in the city.
Then you will have money and you will be happy.
And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away.
And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time and the tree was sad.
And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said,
Come climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy.
I am too busy to climb trees,
Said the boy.
I want a house to keep me warm.
I want a wife and I want children.
And so I need a house.
Can you give me a house?
I have no house,
Said the tree.
The forest is my home.
But you may cut off my branches and build a house.
Then you will be happy.
And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house.
And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time.
And when he came back,
The tree was so happy she could hardly speak.
Come,
She whispered,
Come and play.
I am too old and sad to play,
Said the boy.
I want a boat that will take me far away from here.
Can you give me a boat?
Cut down my trunk and make a boat,
Said the tree.
Then you can sail away and be happy.
And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away.
And the tree was happy.
But not really.
And after a long time,
The boy came back again.
I am sorry,
Said the tree,
But I have nothing left to give you.
My apples are gone.
My teeth are too weak for apples,
Said the boy.
My branches are gone,
Said the tree.
You cannot swing on them.
I am too old to swing on branches,
Said the boy.
My trunk is gone.
You cannot climb.
I am too tired to climb,
Said the boy.
I'm sorry,
Sighed the tree.
I wish that I could give you something,
But I have nothing left.
I am just an old stump.
I am sorry.
I don't need very much now,
Said the boy.
Just a quiet place to sit and rest.
I am very tired.
Well,
Said the tree,
Straightening herself up as much as she could.
Well,
An old stump is good for sitting and resting.
Come sit down.
Sit down and rest.
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.
The end.
