The Tree

A man had an apple tree.

Each year,
it gave more apples
than he could use.

Most fell to the ground.

One morning,
he told his neighbors.

They came
and took some.

After that,
more people came.

They took more.

Branches bent.
Some broke.

Still, people came.

They reached higher.
They pulled harder.

By the next year,
the tree gave less.

But people came anyway.
They took what was left.

Eventually,
the tree gave nothing.

People stopped coming.

The man stood by the tree.

Nothing fell.