The Little Christmas Tree
Once upon a time, in a land of ice and snow, there was an enormous forest filled with Christmas trees. There were firs, pines, and spruces, tall and stately trees, short and
bushy trees all in every shade of green. This was the Christmas Forest, where the best, most beautiful Christmas trees could be found each and every December. And every year
people would come, from tiny villages and big cities all over the world, to find a Christmas Tree.
The tall and stately trees went first, with their long and graceful branches, fit to grace the palace of a king. Next to be chosen were the big trees, with straight trunks and sturdy
branches, ready to bear the heaviest of ornaments with then the short and bushy trees would go, perfect for houses, followed by the skinny trees, and tiny trees for cottages and
bungalows. One by one all the trees would be chosen to be someone's Christmas Tree.
All the trees that is except for one. Poor little Rudi was not big and grand nor did he have strong and sturdy branches. His trunk was a little crooked, his branches stuck out
too much in some places, but not enough in others. He wasn't the picture perfect sort of tree people wanted to bring home with them, in fact, he even leaned a little to one side.
But more than anything in the world, Rudi wanted someone to bring him home to be their Christmas Tree.
Rudi would eagerly await December every year, hoping that this would be the year he would be chosen .But every year when people came to the Christmas Forest to pick their
trees, poor little Rudi was passed by. Rudi would shake all the snow off his branches, and try to straighten his crooked trunk and bristle his uneven branches, silently pleading "Oh,
please,please, pick me!" But no one ever did.
Even if someone did stop to give Rudi a second glance they would soon walk away. He was too small, too crooked, his branches were too uneven, and little Rudi was left by
himself again. The other trees all laughed at Rudi when he tried so hard to look like a proper Christmas Tree. They proudly spread their strong branches and shook off the snow
onto Rudi. "Who on earth would want such a scrawny tree?" asked a lush blue spruce. "He's a disgrace," a Douglas fir chimed in. "Not a Christmas tree at all" the trees agreed.
Poor Rudi just huddled closer to the ground and tried not to lean over so much.
Christmases came and went and still Rudi hadn't found a home. Rudi became very disheartened, "What if no one ever wants me?" he wondered. Then one cold and wet
December a man came to the Christmas Forest with a sharp, shiny axe and a big red sleigh. He wandered around the forest chopping down trees and put them in his sleigh. It was
almost dark by the time he got to the corner of the forest where Rudi lived. Without much hope, Rudi shook off the snow, straightening his crooked trunk, and bristled his uneven
branches trying his best to look like a proper Christmas tree. Much to Rudi's surprise the man began chopping at his trunk. Rudi was overwhelmed with excitement. Finally he would
get to be a Christmas Tree!
The man put Rudi in his sleigh and drove off to a small town where he put up a sign that said 'Fresh Christmas Trees For Sale'. Rudi lay there trembling with excitement, one
step closer to becoming someone's tree. Lots of people came by, pointing at all the beautiful trees, many stopping to buy one from the man with the sleigh. But as the day wore on
and most of the trees disappeared, no one looked twice at little Rudi. Poor Rudi sat there as the snow started to fall, watching all the other trees go home with happy families
wishing that someone would bring him home. Rudi was so lost in thoughts of yet another Christmas spent all alone that he did't notice the young man who came to look at him. All
of a sudden Rudi felt himself being lifted in the air as the young man carried him away. At last,Rudi thought joyously, someone wants me! But instead of carrying Rudi to his house
the young man brought him to a little workshop and laid him on a table. "What a nice little tree",said the young man as Rudi's branches perked up in hope. "But not big enough to
be a Christmas tree" he mused. Rudi's heart broke into a hundred million pieces. If trees could cry, Rudi might have flooded the town. All Rudi had ever wanted was to be a
Christmas Tree and stand proudly with beautiful decorations hanging from his branches, and presents for the children nestled safely by his trunk. And now he would never be a
Christmas Tree.
Rudi was so lost in his heartbreak that he didn't notice as the young man got to work, carefully removing the uneven branches and laying them aside before he began to cut
and carve the crooked trunk. In fact, Rudi was so upset he did'y notice anything until he heard the young man say "There! Its perfect" What's perfect thought Rudi moodily? How
can anything be perfect when I'm not a Christmas Tree? The young man gently placed Rudi in a box and wrapped it in pretty paper. Then he carried the box through the streets of
town to a little house with candles in the window and a bright and beautiful Christmas Tree. The young man placed the box under the tree and tiptoed away. The next thing Rudi
knew someone was opening the box he'd been put in. "Oh, he's wonderful !" cried a young girl as she picked Rudi up, and cradled him in her arms. As the delighted little girl spun in
a circle Rudi caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror. No longer was he a small, and crooked tree with uneven branches, but a beautiful wooden toy! Rudi's heart nearly burst with
joy, because this was even better than being someone's Christmas Tree! He was someone's Christmas Toy!!!
That Christmas was the best Christmas of Rudi's life. And every Christmas after that when his little girl spun him in circles as she danced around the Christmas Tree Rudi knew that
nothing in the whole wide world could be better than this.
The End.