Shel Silverstein-My Favorites

I hope that every adult read Shel Silverstein as a child. My mom had the tapes for the car and the books at home. There isn't an author who consistently captured the imagination of children like Shel. For example, the little thoughts you have as a child, like swallowing seeds and growing plants out your ears, remember thinking that? Shel understood kids and the silly little things they imagined. Below are some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them. Melinda Mae, The Giving Tree, and Alice. 

Melinda Mae

Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,

Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would,
So she started in right at the tail.
And everyone said,"You're much too small,"

But that didn't bother Melinda at all,

She took little bites and she chewed very slow,

Just like a good girl should...

...and in eighty-nine years she ate that whale

Because she said she would!

The Giving Tree

Once there was a tree....and she loved a little boy. And everyday 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....very much. And the tree was happy. But time went by. And the boy grew older. And the tree was often alone.
Then 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?"

"I'm sorry," said the tree, "but I
have no money. I have only leaves and apples.
Take my apples, Boy, 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, Boy, 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," he said.
"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 house,
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, Boy," 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, Boy,"
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, " said the tree.
"You cannot climb - "
"I am too tired to climb" said the boy.
"I am 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, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.

Alice 

She drank from a bottle called DRINK ME.

And she grew so tall,

And she ate from a plate called TASTE ME,

And down she shrunk so small.

And so she changed, while other folks never tried nothin' at all.