the girl who reads...

Once there was a tree...

and she loved a little boy.

Once there was a mom...

and she loved a little girl.

And every day the boy would come

and he would gather her leaves

and make them into crowns

and play king of the forest.

And every day the girl would come

and she would bring books to read

and dress up in cowgirl boots and crowns

and play princess of the house.

He would climb up her trunk

and swing from her branches

and eat apples.

She would climb up on her lap

and listen to story after story

and eat anything she could find.

And they would play hide-and-go-seek.

And when he was tired,

he would sleep in her shade.

And they would read together day after day.

And when she was tired of listening,

she would wander away to the Land of Make-Believe.

And the boy loved the tree...

very much.

And the tree was happy.

And the girl loved the mom...

very much.

And the mom was happy.

But time went by.

And the boy grew older.

And the tree was often alone.

But time went by.

And the girl grew older.

And the mom was often concerned 

because the girl did not read on her own.

The mom prayed 

and loved the girl...

and prayed some more.

They played with sight-word flashcards

and worked through phonics books.

The mom read and read and read some more.

And the girl listened.

Until one day, when the girl said,

"Mom, can I read this to you?"

and climbed into the chair with the mom 

and read...

Once there was a tree...

and she loved a little boy.

and the mom was happy.

...joining in with Emily for Tuesday Unwrapped and Brenda's gratitude challenge and celebrating the answered prayer and the girl who reads.  All italics direct quotes from The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein... the first book the girl read on her own.