The Little Christmas Tree

Once upon a time, three trees grew on a hill. One tree was big. One tree was not so big, One tree was little.

The snow fell softly on the trees. It was very cold on the hill. The trees liked the cold. They laughed when they saw the snow on their branches. They said to each other, 'Christmas is coming! We shall be Christmas trees."

A poor little bird was lost in the snow! How cold he was!

He went to the big tree. 'I am lost,' said he. May I sit on your branches? The snow is so cold. 'No,' said the big tree proudly. 'I cannot have little birds on my branches. I shall be a Christmas tree."

The little bird flew away sadly. He got colder and colder. Then he went up to the second tree. 'I am lost," said the little bird, May I sit on your branches? The snow is so cold." "No, you may not,' said the-not-so big tree proudly. 'I do not let little birds sit on my branches. I shall be a Christmas tree." 

The little bird flew away sadly. He was colder still. At last, he flew to the little tree. 'I am lost,' said he, 'Oh! I am so cold May I come close to you and sit on your branches?" Oh, yes, said the little tree. You may sit on my branches. Come close to my trunk so that you may feel warm."

The little bird went close to the trunk of the little tree. He began to feel better. Suddenly, there was a sound of bells. Then he saw Santa Claus coming over the snow in a sleigh.

The sleigh did not stop at the big tree or at the second tree. It went up to the little tree, then the sleigh stopped and out jumped Santa Claus, Santa Claus has come,' said the little bird.

Seeing the bird, Santa asked it what it was doing on a cold Christmas evening sitting on a tree branch. The little bird told him how it has lost its way and how the tree had helped him after the first and second tree had said no.

'What a pretty little kind tree,' said Santa Claus. "You gave shelter to the little bird when no other tree did. You shall be a Christmas tree. So Santa Claus took the little tree in the sleigh. He took the little bird too. Then with a sweet sound of bells, off they flew in the sleigh.