很久以前，有一棵高大的苹果树。一个小男孩每天都喜欢到这棵苹果树下玩耍。他爬树，吃苹果，在树阴下打盹。他喜欢在这棵大树下玩耽，时间就这样流逝了。

随着时间的流逝，小男孩长大了一些，不再到这棵树下玩了。但有一天，他回到了苹果树下，看起来很伤心。

“来和我玩吧。”苹果树对小男孩说。

“我不喜欢这样玩了，我想要玩具，但是我没有钱。”

对不起，我没有钱，不过……你可以摘下我所有的果实拿去卖，这样你就有钱了。”男孩听了很高兴。于是，他摘下所有的苹果开心地离开了。

自那以后很长时间再也没回来过，苹果树很伤心。直到有一天，男孩又回来了，苹果樹很高兴，“来和我玩吧。”

“我没有时间陪你玩。我得工作，我得养家糊口。你能帮我吗？”

对不起，我没有房子，不过……你可以砍下我的所有的枝条来建一所房子。”于是他砍倒了一切，并高兴地离开了。看到他开心，.apple tree 也感到欣慰。但是自那之后很多年过去，也没见过他的身影。apple tree 因为孤单感到难过。

一个炎热夏日，male child 再次出现，在 apple tree 的眼中，是个老朋友。“Come and play with me.”

“I don't feel like it, I'm getting old. I want to go sailing for a while. Can you help me?”

对不起，我没有船，不过……you can use my trunk to build one. Then you can go sailing, become happy again.” so he cut down the trunk and built a ship. He set sail far away, never coming back.

After many years of absence, male child finally returned. Apple Tree said: “Sorry, I have nothing left to give you anymore... No more apples for you to eat.”

“I also don't have teeth anymore... I can't bite into anything.”

“You've got no branches left for me to climb on.”

“I'm too old now... I can't climb anymore.”

"I really wish i could give you something but all that's left is this almost dead stump."

Apple Tree was crying as it spoke.

"You're tired? You just rest here against me." The man sat down and the apple tree smiled tearfully in happiness.

This is the story that happens to each of us... This apple tree represents our parents when we were young - they cared for us, played with us until we grew up and moved away only returning when we needed their help again despite them not expecting anything in return from us.

Perhaps one might think the boy was cruel to the apple tree but this is how we treat our parents.

The story continues as follows:

经典励志故事：追求梦想

经典励志故事：坚持信念

经典励志故事：面对挑战