The Little Fir Tree
In the deep green woods, a small fir tree grew. He peeked out from underneath the branches of his mother at the deep blue sky, and wondered about the world. "Mommy", he asked, "where will I go when I grow up?" His mother gently shushed him in the golden evening breeze, and they made pine cones together.
In the deep green woods, grown-up birds came to play. They told him about their Adventures in the world. They had seen tall wooden masts dressed up in soft white sails on sailing ships upon the deep blue ocean.
"Oh, Mommy!," he cried, "I want to go to the ocean and be a mast when I grow up!" His mother softly sighed in the frosty morning stillness, and they threw snow balls at each other.
A man and a boy came then and said, "This one is perfect!" They carried him away on a sleigh. "Mommy!" he called. "I think I am grown up now, and going to the ocean!" He wanted to say goodbye, but she was too far away.
The man and the boy brought the tree to a small white house filled to the tippity-top with joyful sounds. He was dressed up in crisp, red-ripe cranberry buttons, and buttery yellow-crunch popcorn belts. Children hugged him, and sang to him, and danced all around him. He trembled with joy.
The next day, the man carried the tree away.
In a deep dark place, mice came to nibble at his dress-up clothes. They were small and brave, and told him about their Adventures in the deep green meadows.
They jumped at giant jump-meow cats that chased!
They stabbed at sneaky stink-scare bugs that grabbed!
"Oh!", he cried, “I want to go to the meadow and have an Adventure!”
But the mice went away, and he couldn’t come. The tree stood very still in the deep dark place for a long, long time.
One day, the man and the boy took the tree out into the golden evening. The tree saw the sky, and the birds, and the mice. “They are so beautiful!” he thought. Sap tears trickled down his dry trunk.
Near a small white house, the man and the boy built a fire. The boy sat on his father’s lap. “Daddy”, he asked, “what will I be when I grow up?” His father gently hugged him in the golden evening breeze, and they made toasted marshmallows together.
(copyright 2012)
In the deep green woods, grown-up birds came to play. They told him about their Adventures in the world. They had seen tall wooden masts dressed up in soft white sails on sailing ships upon the deep blue ocean.
"Oh, Mommy!," he cried, "I want to go to the ocean and be a mast when I grow up!" His mother softly sighed in the frosty morning stillness, and they threw snow balls at each other.
A man and a boy came then and said, "This one is perfect!" They carried him away on a sleigh. "Mommy!" he called. "I think I am grown up now, and going to the ocean!" He wanted to say goodbye, but she was too far away.
The man and the boy brought the tree to a small white house filled to the tippity-top with joyful sounds. He was dressed up in crisp, red-ripe cranberry buttons, and buttery yellow-crunch popcorn belts. Children hugged him, and sang to him, and danced all around him. He trembled with joy.
The next day, the man carried the tree away.
In a deep dark place, mice came to nibble at his dress-up clothes. They were small and brave, and told him about their Adventures in the deep green meadows.
They jumped at giant jump-meow cats that chased!
They stabbed at sneaky stink-scare bugs that grabbed!
"Oh!", he cried, “I want to go to the meadow and have an Adventure!”
But the mice went away, and he couldn’t come. The tree stood very still in the deep dark place for a long, long time.
One day, the man and the boy took the tree out into the golden evening. The tree saw the sky, and the birds, and the mice. “They are so beautiful!” he thought. Sap tears trickled down his dry trunk.
Near a small white house, the man and the boy built a fire. The boy sat on his father’s lap. “Daddy”, he asked, “what will I be when I grow up?” His father gently hugged him in the golden evening breeze, and they made toasted marshmallows together.
(copyright 2012)
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