The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-03-12
The Little Pine Tree.


The eye could reach not another Of its
kind couIi be seen. The naples. birches
and oaks. besides many other trees and
shrubs, were covered With beantiful green
leaves, while the little pine tree bad
nothing but needles.
In the spring they put on their robes
Of delicate green, which faded and fell
away in the autumn, and in tine winter
they stood naked and gray, knee-deep
in the snow, bat the little pine tree never
changed.
ALAS all my neighbors and friends
have pretty green leaves alone am
covered with ugly needles No one can
love me. No one can touch me with
on, being hurt" said the little tree with
a Inournful sigh
Then, by way Of pastime. it set to
thinking about what it would ike, in
case its wishes could be granted, as
sometimes happened to people in the
fairy tales
"Td have leaves Of solid gold said
the little tree,--aloud that's what I'd
have"
When the little tree awoke next morn
ing, its needles had all disappeared, and
from top TO bottom it was covered with
fine golden leaves, When the sun peep
ed down among the trees, ne scarcely
knew il. Il was 90 changed, not only
in outward appearance which Is not al
ways reliable, but its very heart was
changed, too, and instead of modesty
and sadness, was filed with pride and
vanity.
How beautifully am, said the little
tree, drawing itself to its foil height
and looking down upon itself admiring-
ly. ~ln the whole forest there is not
another tree with golden leaves"
And il fairly spurned the green moss
at its foot, as setting altogether TOO
common for so rich and fine tree.
So it stood all day, growing prouder
every hour, till darkness again settled
down upon the forest
In the dead Of night, when all were
sank in sleep, there came a wicked rob-
Der, who no donbt had seen the treasure
by daylight, stealthily through the
wood. He wore a long white beard and
carried great sack upon his back, into
which he thrust all the golden leaves,
when he had stripped them from the
tree. Then ne hurried from the wood
as stesithiIy as he came.
When the little tree awoke in the
morning it found itself poor and naked,
for the robber had not spared a single
leaf Shrinking from the sight Of its
neighbors, it bemoaned its fate IN pite-
Gus accents.
Gladly would it have fed from the
spot or sunk into the ground for very
shame, if il hld been possible. Often
during the day, when the naples and
chessnuts whispered to each other, AZ
they had been accustomed to, the little
tree imagined they could be whispering
Of nothing else than its own folly and
misfortune, and hung It's head and was
very miserable.
At length it bethought itself Of anoth,
er wish, and concluded that nothing
could be nicer than leaves Of glass.
Sure enough, IN the morning its
branches were covered with leaves ol
glass. clear as crystal. Nothing could
have been prettier.
Oi.en in the winter the trees had been
covered with ice but they had never
presented so brilliant an appearance
and the little tree could not restrain il:
delight.
"Iiow bright | am. and how my leave:
sparkle in the sun there isn't in the
whole forest tree as brilliant as / am,
said the little tree.
Pretty soon there came a cloud over
the face Of the sun-a great slorm ol
wind and rain was gathering its forces
and came toward the forest. The wind
caught the trees by their strong arms
and tried to wrest them from the earth.
They bent and swayei, and tos sed their
arms 10 and fro, but kept q firm footing
in the ground.
The little birds in their nests among
the branches felt quite safe, while they
were rocked in the tree-tops. and he'll
the dainty eggs close pressed under their
pretty wings.
Strong oaks that bad withstood the
storms of centuries and ssubbornly re-
fused to bend, crsaked in their giant
branches, and when the storm has pass
ed stood as stately as before.
But, alas FOR the little tree. with its
leaves of glass they lay scattered and
broken upon the ground, every one.
Then, though it lifted up its voice and
lamented its sad fate, the little tree said
y see nov did wrong in wishing
for leaves of gold and glass, because
wanted to be finer aud richer than my
ueighbors, and / have been severely
punished. If l only had green leaves
Ike the rest, should be perfectly con-
tent
Next morning, sure enough, its branch
es were covered with tender green leaves
and the little tree. which expected to be
very happy because it wore a dress Of
the prevailing fashion, laughed for joy,
It's delight, however, was OF short du-
ration, for before night there came an
old goat through the WOODS with her
two hungry kids at her side. She was
looking for something for her supper
and, spying the little tree, with its ten
der green leaves. she hurried to the spot,
and without as much as saying BY your
leave" she ate il of to the stump.
That night, when the little tree went
to sleep. it wished for nothing so much
as TO have its own needles back again.
Everything else brought oaly trouble
and sorrog.
Once more It's wish was gratifed, and
it looked in the morning. arrayed in all
its pine needles, exactly as though moth
ing had happened.
Some Of the trees laughed and tossed
their heads, and the little pine tres
laughed too. and the birds sang. and tbs
squirrels chased up and down the tres
trunk in their mad frolic, Light breeze:
stole on tiptoe through the woods. bright