O Christmas Tree
Steve's Christmas Tree Lot, Nine o'clock PM
"I like this one!" Mort shouted, pointing to a tree that was only about twice his height.
Skipper laughed. "That's a little small, don't you think, sad-eyes?"
"But it is small like me! I love it sooooo much!" Mort tried to give the tree a hug. His eyes widened. "OUCHIE!"
"Mort, stop being stupidy," Julien sighed, walking around a very large tree. "I want this one!"
"Isn't that a little too big to get back to the zoo?" Private asked.
"Yeah, Private's right," Marlene commented. She ran around a blue spruce before smiling at Skipper. "I'm glad we decided to all share the most important tasks this year. This is fun."
"Well, Julien wasn't going to let someone else go without him, and after what happened last year…" Skipper rolled his eyes. "That spruce looks nice, but I think we can find something grander…" He rubbed his flippers together. "Hey Rico, turn on the music. I'm getting into the spirit!" Rico nodded and switched on the stereo in the little hot-cocoa shop.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, Thy Leaves are so Unchanging
"Perfect!"
Mort continued to stare at his little tree, ignoring the others. This tree was the most perfect thing he had ever laid his big eyes on, and he just had to take it home. While Kowalski and Maurice were discussing how long the needles would stay on various tree types, Mort somehow got a hold of a huge saw and cut the little tree down, hoisting it over his shoulder.
"Look at this one, Skippah!" Private called out. The others all ran over to behold a nine-foot tree, with dark green needles and a heavenly scent.
Not only Green, when Summer's Here, But also When, 'Tis Cold and Drear
"It's lovely!" Marlene sighed. "What kind is that?"
"Ah, the Pseudotsuga menziesii, otherwise known as the classic Douglas Fir," Kowalski said. "So named after the Scottish botanist David Douglas when—"
"Oh, for the love of jingle bells, she asked for the type of tree, not its life story!" Skipper said, exasperated. "But it looks like we've f0und 'the one'. Let's load it onto the truck." The others all agreed.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, Thy Leaves are so Unchanging
No one noticed that Mort had dragged his own tree back with them. When safely home in the zoo, he set up his little green treasure in the lemur habitat, by the smoothie bar. He sat in front of it.
"Welcome to home, tree! I will name you Alvin, because I like gumballs and clouds are pretty. Are you ready to be decorated?" Mort paused. "Okay, I will get the bestest cheap plastic decorations for you!" He ran around the habitat, gathering various ornaments and strings of garland, as well as a few of his gumballs, pennies, and bendy straws that he had found around the zoo. He put all this stuff on his special evergreen, singing to himself while he worked.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, I Love You More than Julien's Feet
Mort paused.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, I Love You Almost as much as Julien's Feet
Your Needles Are, So Ouchie Sharp, But I still Love You, Deep in my Heart
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, I Love You Almost as much as Julien's Feet
As he finished his verse, he stuck a glowstick he'd discovered under a bench in the top of the tree. It made a perfect star, in his world at least.
He gazed at it for a moment, captivated, before Julien's voice caught his attention. Mort scrambled to the lion column and looked out in the middle of the zoo, where the others were decorating their big tree. Julien was singing.
O Christmas Me, O Christmas Me, How Lovely is the King
"Julien, those are not the words and you know it," Marlene said, but she was smiling.
"Hey Big Gray, looks like we're ready for the star!" Skipper remarked. Burt lifted the star with his trunk and set it on the very top. "Perfect! Light it up, Kowalski!" The tree lit in sudden, dazzling rainbow lights, filling Mort with excitement. Alvin needed to have sparkly lights too!
Quickly Mort snatched a string of them from the stools by the smoothie bar and wrapped it around Alvin, not noticing that he had unplugged it.
Mort tilted his head. "Why are you not lighting up all happy, Alvin? Is it because you are angry with me?" His pupils grew and his ears drooped. "What will make you happy?" Suddenly Mort had an idea. Whatever the others were doing was making their tree happy. Maybe it would work for Alvin too. He climbed back up to the lion column to look down on the huge tree. All the animals were standing around it in a circle, admiring it.
"It's positively lovely, isn't it?" Private sighed.
"Yes, we have truly created a masterpiece," Kowalski agreed.
That must be it! All he needed to do was to say nice things about the tree, and it would light up. Mort scurried back to Alvin.
"You are the greatest Christmasy tree ever, and your greenish color is greenish, and I will be your friend forever and ever!"
The tree didn't light up.
Mort sniffled, then began to cry. "I made Alvin diiiie!" he wailed, sobs growing in intensity. The other zoosters heard the noise and came to see what was the matter. Kowalski quickly discovered the problem and plugged the string of lights back in. Mort stopped sniffling. "You saved Alvin's life!" His eyes widened. "Thank you, brainy penguin!" He gave Kowalski a tight hug.
"It… was just unplugged," Kowalski explained, slightly uncomfortable.
"Whatever you did, thank you for making Mort be quiet again," Julien said. "Now can we get back to admiring our tree?"
"C'mon, Mort, come see what we've done!" Private coaxed, taking the little lemur's hand. They all went to the zoo square together to gaze upon their big tree, singing a bit off-key.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, Thy Candles Shine so Brightly
Mort thought about Alvin all through the song.