Christmas Stories And Legends | Page 7

were stately; they
sailed right gloriously!"
"Oh, how I wish I were tall enough to go on the sea," said the fir tree.
"Tell me what is this sea, and what does it look like?"
"It would take too much time to explain, a great deal too much," said
the stork, flying quickly away.
"Rejoice in thy youth," said the sunbeam; "rejoice in thy fresh growth,
and in the young life that is in thee."

And the wind kissed the tree, and the dew watered it with tears; but the
fir tree regarded them not.
Christmas time drew near, and many young trees were cut down, some
that were even smaller and younger than the fir tree, who enjoyed
neither rest nor peace with longing to leave its forest home. These
young trees, which were chosen for their beauty, kept their branches,
and were also laid on wagons, and drawn by horses far away out of the
forest.
"Where are they going?" asked the fir tree. "They are not taller than I
am; indeed, one is not so tall. And why do they keep all their branches?
Where are they going?"
"We know, we know," sang the sparrows; "we have looked in at the
windows of the houses in the town, and we know what is done with
them. Oh! you cannot think what honor and glory they receive. They
are dressed up in the most splendid manner. We have seen them
standing in the middle of a warm room, and adorned with all sorts of
beautiful things;--honey cakes, gilded apples, playthings, and many
hundreds of wax tapers."
"And then," asked the fir tree, trembling in all its branches, "and then
what happens?"
"We did not see any more," said the sparrows; "but this was enough for
us."
"I wonder whether anything so brilliant will ever happen to me,"
thought the fir tree. "It would be better even than crossing the sea. I
long for it almost with pain. Oh, when will Christmas be here? I am
now as tall and well grown as those which were taken away last year.
Oh, that I were now laid on the wagon, or standing in the warm room,
with all that brightness and splendor around me! Something better and
more beautiful is to come after, or the trees would not be so decked out.
Yes, what follows will be grander and more splendid. What can it be? I
am weary with longing. I scarcely know what it is that I feel."

"Rejoice in our love," said the air and the sunlight. "Enjoy thine own
bright life in the fresh air."
But the tree would not rejoice, though it grew taller every day and,
winter and summer, its dark green foliage might be seen in the forests,
while passersby would say, "What a beautiful tree!"
A short time before Christmas the discontented fir tree was the first to
fall. As the axe cut sharply through the stem, and divided the pith, the
tree fell with a groan to the earth, conscious of pain and faintness, and
forgetting all its dreams of happiness, in sorrow at leaving its home in
the forest. It knew that it should never again see its dear old
companions, the trees, nor the little bushes and many-colored flowers
that had grown by its side; perhaps not even the birds. Nor was the
journey at all pleasant.
The tree first recovered itself while being unpacked in the courtyard of
a house, with several other trees; and it heard a man say, "We only
want one, and this is the prettiest. This is beautiful!"
Then came two servants in grand livery, and carried the fir tree into a
large and beautiful apartment. Pictures hung on the walls, and near the
great stove stood great china vases, with lions on the lids. There were
rocking chairs, silken sofas, large tables covered with pictures, books,
and playthings that had cost a hundred times a hundred dollars; at least
so said the children.
Then the fir tree was placed in a large tub, full of sand; but green baize
hung all around it, so that no one could know it was a tub; and it stood
on a very handsome carpet. Oh, how the fir tree trembled! What was
going to happen to him now? Some young ladies came in, and the
servants helped them to adorn the tree.
On one branch they hung little bags cut out of colored paper, and each
bag was filled with sweetmeats. From other branches hung gilded
apples and walnuts, and all around were hundreds of red, blue and
white tapers, which were fastened upon the branches. Dolls, exactly
like real men and women, were placed under the green leaves,--and the

tree had never seen such things before,--and at the top