Let’s have a show of hands for those who cried (at least once) while reading Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. C’mon, be honest now. A kindergarten teacher left her students crying in a different way after she failed to screen this video, which she assumed was a straightforward reading of the book. She couldn’t have been more wrong, although this video starts off all innocent-like with a direct-from-book delivery.
The teacher made the grave mistake of not screening this entire video before playing it for her students. She proceeded anyway during snack time, where she was otherwise occupied opening milk cartons and juice boxes. At approximately 1:22, some risqué language starts in with a frenzy. Shortly thereafter, the character known as “The Boy” picks up a hatchet and goes all American Psycho on the tree. Blood spurts everywhere, and let’s just say this teacher is lucky to still have a job. She used Reddit to tell the tale:
I saw a suggestion for The Giving Tree. I asked my students if they have ever heard of this book and they said no. Hooray! I get to be the one that introduces them to one of my favorite books!
So I click on the link and continue walking around, doing my snack time duties. After about a minute into the video I think to myself, “Huh … I don’t remember this part.” Then, the bomb drops at 1:22. I rushed to the computer to turn it off, but it was too late. Some students were screaming, some were crying and I was ready to sign a letter of resignation. I called all the parents that night and told them about the mistake. Fortunately they took it well, but I’m pretty sure I ruined The Giving Tree for my students.
Well, this is probably a very modern retelling of the classic, which can only be explained away as an existential mediation upon our contemporary violent society. Or maybe someone just has a sick sense of humor. Either way, this teacher definitely learned her lesson.