Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-12-22
The Runaway Christmas Tree.

very nluCn eXClIeu.
Tomorrow we shall be cut down, I"
they cried, "and then we shall be car
ried to the big city"
Now, none OF the little fir trees knew
what the city was like, but they murmur-
ed and rustled and whispered of the
wonderful things that they should see.
But there was one little tree that asked:
"Do we all go?"
Eyes" said The other trees; "tomor-
row we start on our travels"
Then the little tree sighed and said:
"But was promised to the children OF
the lumberman."
"The lumberman IS poor" said big
oak, land these are hard times. This
year they must 90 without tree"
The next morning, very early, the chill
dren came trudging through the snow
and stood under the branches Of the little
fir.
"This is our tree" said one OF them
proudly. "On Christmas it will be lighted
with candles, with an angel on the top
most bough."
"Such a dear little tree" said another;
chow we shall love it,"
And the little tree trembIed as it heard
them, but the children thought that it was
the wind that shook it.
Then they went away, and later came
men with axes and cut down all the young
trees and laid them on a great sled to be
carried away.
And in the evening, when the sun
made red path OF light on the snow,
the children came again. and when they
saw that the tree had been cut down thev
cried: "Where is our own little treeP'
And the little tree that lay on the top OF
the sled answered loudly: Here | am,
here am," but the children did not un-
derstand, they rubbed their eyes with
their rough red hands and sobbed.
whats the matter?" asked their faith
ed, as he came tramping through the
wood.
"Oh, our little tree, our own little tree, "
walled the children. at is cut down and
piled with the other trees that are to DE
sent TO the city"
1--WE are too poor TO have tree this
year." said the tired man, sadly, and the
children went away mourning.
And the sun went down and the moon
came up, and showed the dark forest and
all the little fir trees lying on the great
sled. and presently the animals OF the
forest began to creep, creep among the
new white stumps.
so you are going TO the CITY," said
the whte-tailed deer, ni5bliug the moss
beneath the snow.
eyes," whSpere all the little trees.
excitedly. But the little fir cried: 81
don't want to CO."
"Why not?" asked the white tailed
deer, and the little fir told Of the children.
And the deer came closer, and for a
long tin2 the two whispered together,
and presently big gray rabbit joined
them. and a white owl flew down and
added wise counsel, and after while the
deer and the rao5itan ,he owl Wentaway,
and the little tree lay very, very still until
midnight.
Then when all the other trees slept II
rolled from the sled into the snow. and
the wind, which blew through the forest,
asked, "What are you trying to do, little
tree?" And the little tree said, "HelN
me to stand" So the wind blew under
It until it was upright on its stem, and
then the little tree went hoplty-hop, hop
ty-hop, until came to a sheltered valley,
anc there it lay down and went to sleep.
It lay there sleeping and waking in the
sunshine until the men came and carried
off the sled tuIl of young trees, but no
one noticed that the little fir was gone.
And the night before Christmas the
wind blew and blew again until the little
fir tree stood upright on its stem, and the
little fir we hopity-hop, hopIty-hop,
until it came to the house where the
children lived.
Thenout from the forestcame the white
tailed deer and the big rabbit, and the
little white owl, and the deer pushed
softly against the door OF the cottage, and
the owl pecked at the lock, a ] the rat-
bit hunched ana hit with his hind feet
until the door was opened And then
the little fir tree bent its head and went
in and stool in the corner of the room,
and the three wild things OF the forest
went softly from room to room. and came
back with things to hang on the tree.
And last Of all the little gray owl flew to
the topnoSt branch and hung there the
pink wax angel with golden wings.
"They arr good children" said thH little
white owl, ashe llew downagain. when
the winter is cold, they hang scraps OF
meat for me on the trees.
"And they put carrots in the path, "
said the rabbit, "and cabbage, so that
may not 90 hungry"
"And behind the barn they drop arm
fuls OF sweet, juicy hay" said the deer,
that nay cone in the night and feed. "
And the little fir tree said: They are
good children, and would rather be here
than in the big, big city. And then IT
whispered, Goodnight" and the wild
things went away.
And in the morning when the children
came, they cried, ooh, father, father,
look at the beautiful tree!" And the lum-
herman came in and cried in astoniSh-
ment, "Who brought it here?" And the
little FIR tree whispered and sang:
al ran away. from the forest. ran