從前有一棵樹，她好愛一個小男孩。每天男孩都會跑來，和她玩耍、爬上她的樹枝、在她的樹蔭下睡覺。樹好快樂。然而，男孩逐漸長大，漸漸不常到她身邊。每當長大成人的男孩來看她時，樹都高興地顫抖。但是，男孩越來越不快樂，他開始想要更多的東西，而樹總是這麼回答：「來阿，孩子。摘我的果實。拿我的樹枝。砍我的樹幹去吧……」

　　以《失落的一角》著名的Shel Silverstein，特別擅長以極簡的線條和情節，醞釀出深厚的意境。在這則關於愛與被愛、施與受之間的故事中，可以暗示著不同的人際關係，也觸動著現代人孤寂的靈魂。

　　'Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy.'

　　So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

　　Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

　　This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.