Tale of Two Christmas Trees ...... by Alice E. Chase
Inside the forest straight and tall
The biggest evergreen of all
Spread its giant branches wide
And preened itself with snobbish pride
Thinking, "What a sight I'll be
When I become a Christmas tree!
Dressed in tinsel all aglow
With colored lights that come and go
I'll be the Season's biggest hit
There isn't any doubt of it!"
Not far away a little tree
Crouched in deep humility
With scrawny branches, twisted trunk
No wonder its morale was sunk--
It knew it didn't stand a chance
Of rating one admiring glance
It thought, "The kind of shape I've got
I'll never make it to the lot!
And even if I did who'd buy
An ugly little tree like I?"
The woodsman came to cut and fell
The trees they knew would surely sell
Of course the evergreen so tall
Went crashing downward first of all
And when the job was nearly done
A woodsman spied the little one.
"This tree looks like it's almost dead
I'll finish it," was what he said.
The tree came down with just one blow
And lay rejected in the snow.
But by the strangest stroke of luck
Somebody tossed it on the truck
Which took it to the lot to be
Displayed like any other tree.
At first it tried its very best
To straighten up and meet the test
When all the mothers and the dads
Walked past with little girls and lads
But no one looked or seemed to care
Or even noticed it was there.
Meanwhile, the giant evergreen
With head held high had left the scene
Certain it was soon to grace
Some very grand, exciting place
The other trees went one by one
Till finally when day was done
Broken hearted and bereft
The little tree alone was left
Feeling more and more forlorn
It wondered why it had been born!
Then suddenly, as if on cue
A small boy wondered into view
His jeans were ragged, shirt was torn
His shoes were old and badly worn
He looked around and shook his head
"I guess I'm just too late," he said.
And then he saw the little tree
"There IS one left," he cried. "Oh, gee!"
He paid a quarter for his prize
And took it home with starry eyes.
He set it up with tender care
And though its scrawny limbs were bare
Of ornaments and lights and such
It really didn't matter much
Because in that poor home it found
Shining faces all around
And voices raised in childish glee
Saying, "What a pretty tree!"
No longer did it feel forlorn
For now it knew why it was born!
And what about the tree so tall
The one that towered over all?
It really didn't fare too well
Standing in a posh hotel
Because the people passing through
Had more important things to do
Than take time to stop and gaze
And shower it with words of praise
And once divested of its pride
It slowly shriveled up and died.
We'd like to think the little tree
Lived on and on in memory
Because it proved beyond a doubt
What life is really all about
For if we can fulfill a need
We reach the greatest heights indeed!
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