The Giving Tree in American Sign Language

Translated by Dyan Kovacs
Produced by Elsie Stecker

Original author: Shel Silverstein
http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Giving_Tree.html?id=IEOtbwAACAAJ

Transcript by Tess Silva

There was a tree, whose leaves were falling. It stood through rain, and once the sun came would grow apples. One day the tree sees a boy walking towards the tree. It asks “ do you want to play?” The boy happily agrees. The tree gives its branch a shake and its leaves begin to fall. The boy makes a headband of leaves. The boy asks to climb the tree. The tree happily agrees. As the boy climbs it, he tickles the tree with each step. The boy sits and swings on the tree. He begins picking and eating apples from the tree. The boy leaves, the tree is wondering where he has gone. The boy was hiding. “ There you are” says the tree. “You found me” says the boy. The boy says “I am tired.” The tree suggest that he sleep at the ground near the tree. The boy falls asleep and the tree provides him with shade to keep him cool. The boy awakes and gives the tree hug. The tree happily hugs him back. The boy beging carving into the tree, a heart with “Me+T”. The boy walks away. Time passes the tree sees the boy walking towards it. He is has gotten big. He is with another person. “Who is that” questions the tree. They both sit down by the tree, kissing. The tree is happy. Suddenly the boy starts carving into the tree. It hurts. Again he makes a heart with “Me+Yl” in the middle. They leave. Time goes boy and suddenly the tree sees the boy again. This time he is even bigger, with muscles. The tree asks him “Do you want to play?” The boy says he’s to big now. The boy continues on to say “I want money.” The tree thinks and finally says “You can take my apples and sell them in the city.” The boy begins to climb, tickling the tree in the process. He starts picking the apples. It hurts the tree. The apples fall, the boy collects them and heads off. The tree reflects on how it longer has apples, but at least the boy is happy but it is happy too. Some more time passes, and the man with a beard comes towards the tree. It’s the boy, the tree excidetly asks if the he wants to play. Just as before the boy declines. “ I don’t have time I have to build a house” he says. The tree thinks and offers the boy is wood from it branches. The man happlily takes his saw and cuts the tree. He gathers the wood and is off again. Leaving the tree as a tall stump. Once more the tree reflects , “If he is happy, then I am happy.” Time passes, an old man hunched over comes walking towards the tree. Again it is the boy. The tree if he would play. The boy declines “I want a boat to travel the world.” The tree takes a moment and offers him some of his stump. The tree is now shorter than the flowers growing around it. The boy takes his axe and cuts the tree. He leaves. The tree is happy. Time passes again and the tree sees a very old man coming, he is hunched over with a cane. The tree has nothing to offer him, but the old man just wants to rest. The tree happily offers him a seat If he is happy, then I am happy.”

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