The Little Fir Tree

The Little Fir Tree

A Young Tree The young, pencil-thin fir tree stood admiring his neighbors. The tall oak made him want to be taller and grander. The other evergreen trees seemed to laugh at him for being so small. He watched, year after year, as bigger trees were taken away each winter. He was sure that wherever they were going must be a magical place. It seemed that each tree taken away was special. The little fir tree's greatest hope was that he could be special, too.

He just knew there was more to life than birds' bothersome flitting through his branches, the sun's overly bright rays shining on the meadow, and the moon's waxing and waning each month. Every year, when the snow came and the oak tree had no leaves, the fir tree watched as happy people chose special trees. A bird told the fir tree a wonderful tale of seeing evergreens in warm homes, dressed in finery. The people would laugh and sing around the tree. The fir tree thought this was the grandest image. He imagined it every day as more and more seasons passed, and he grew taller still.

A Winter Adventure The fir tree was sure this would be the year he was chosen. His branches trembled as he waited. The snow came, and then the happy people came. Group by group they chose evergreens from the forest. As he trembled, the snow fell from his branches. As the sun nearly faded away, a group of laughing people gathered at his trunk. He tried not to tremble too much. He didn't want to drop snow on them. He wanted them to think he was the grandest tree in the forest.

At last, they took out an axe and chopped him down. The happy people had taken the fir tree from his roots. The fir tree's trembling didn't stop as they strapped him to a shiny, red car that moved like the wind. A short while later, the fir tree was carried into a warm home. They stood him upright in some kind of stand. The happy people tightened screws around his trunk. They talked about his fine needles falling all over the floor. Hearing this, the fir tree vowed to stop trembling. He didn't want to shake off his needles because the happy people might not want him anymore.

Later that night, the people took boxes down from closets. First, they placed shiny bulbs in every color of the rainbow in a string around him. The bulbs winked and twinkled at the fir tree. This made him glow inside and out. Next, the children placed ornaments of wood upon his boughs, while the adults placed those of glass. Strings of popcorn, cranberries, and sprigs of holly followed.