Christmas Story

[C Cauvel <CCauvel@AOL.COM>]

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From:  CCauvel@AOL.Com

Dear LM_NETTERS,
     Sorry I am late sharing this story, but I was afraid to wait until next
year.  It is also available in book form by Hunt.   It makes a wonderful gift!
Enjoy!!
      Connie Cauvel   Heritage Elementary School Library.   Murrysville, Pa.



<< The Tale of Three Trees
  - a traditional folktale

  Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees stood and dreamed of
 what they wanted to become when they grew up.
  The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling like
 diamnonds above him. "I want to hold treasure," he said. "I want to be
 covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I will be the most
 beautiful treasure chest in the world!"
  The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by
 on its way to the ocean. "I want to be a strong sailing ship", he said.
 "I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. I will be the
 strongest ship in the world!"
  The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy
 men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave this
 mountaintop at all," she said. "I want to grow so tall that when people
 stop to look at me they will raise their eyes to heaven of think of God. I
 will be the tallest tree in the world!"

  Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone, and the little trees
 grew tall.
  One day, three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
  The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree
 is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his axe, the first
 tree fell.
  "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first
 tree. "I shall hold wonderful treasure!"
  The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This
 tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his axe, the second
 tree fell.
  "Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree. "I
 shall be a strong ship fit for kings!"
  The third tree felt her heart sank when the last woodcutter looked
 her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.
  But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will
 do for me," he muttered. With a swoop of his axe, the third tree fell.
  The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought him to a
 carpenter's shop, but the busy carpenter wasn't thinking about treasure
 chests. Instead his work-worn hands fashioned the tree into a feed box for
 animals.
  The once-beautiful tree was not covered with gold or filled with
 treasure. He was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm
 animals.
  The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took him to a shipyard,
 but no mighty sailing ships were being made that day. Instead, the
 once-strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat.
  Too small and too weak to sail an ocean, he was taken to a little
 lake. Every day, he brought in loads of dead, smelly fish.
  The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into
 strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.
  "What happened?" the once-tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted
 to do was stay on the mountaintop and point to God."

  Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot
 their dreams.
  But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a
 young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box.
  "I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered.
  The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on
 the smooth and sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said.
  And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest
 treasure in the world.
  One evening a tired traveller and his friends crowded into the old
 fishing boat. The traveller fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed
 out into the lake.
  Soon a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He knew
 he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through
 the wind and rain.
  The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hands, and
 said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.
  And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of
 heaven and earth.
  One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams
 were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried
 through an angry, jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a
 man's hands to her.
  She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
  But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled
 with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed
 everything.
  It had made the first tree beautiful.
  It had made the second tree strong.
  And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think
 of God.
  That was better than being the tallest tree in the whole world.
  >>


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From: C Cauvel <CCauvel@aol.com>
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Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 13:38:09 EST
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The Tale of Three Trees
 - a traditional folktale

 Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees stood and dreamed of
what they wanted to become when they grew up.
 The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling like
diamnonds above him. "I want to hold treasure," he said. "I want to be
covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I will be the most
beautiful treasure chest in the world!"
 The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by
on its way to the ocean. "I want to be a strong sailing ship", he said.
"I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. I will be the
strongest ship in the world!"
 The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy
men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave this
mountaintop at all," she said. "I want to grow so tall that when people
stop to look at me they will raise their eyes to heaven of think of God. I
will be the tallest tree in the world!"

 Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone, and the little trees
grew tall.
 One day, three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
 The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree
is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his axe, the first
tree fell.
 "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first
tree. "I shall hold wonderful treasure!"
 The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This
tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his axe, the second
tree fell.
 "Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree. "I
shall be a strong ship fit for kings!"
 The third tree felt her heart sank when the last woodcutter looked
her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.
 But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will
do for me," he muttered. With a swoop of his axe, the third tree fell.
 The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought him to a
carpenter's shop, but the busy carpenter wasn't thinking about treasure
chests. Instead his work-worn hands fashioned the tree into a feed box for
animals.
 The once-beautiful tree was not covered with gold or filled with
treasure. He was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm
animals.
 The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took him to a shipyard,
but no mighty sailing ships were being made that day. Instead, the
once-strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat.
 Too small and too weak to sail an ocean, he was taken to a little
lake. Every day, he brought in loads of dead, smelly fish.
 The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into
strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.
 "What happened?" the once-tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted
to do was stay on the mountaintop and point to God."

 Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot
their dreams.
 But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a
young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box.
 "I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered.
 The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on
the smooth and sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said.
 And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest
treasure in the world.
 One evening a tired traveller and his friends crowded into the old
fishing boat. The traveller fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed
out into the lake.
 Soon a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He knew
he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through
the wind and rain.
 The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hands, and
said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.
 And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of
heaven and earth.
 One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams
were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried
through an angry, jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a
man's hands to her.
 She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
 But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled
with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed
everything.
 It had made the first tree beautiful.
 It had made the second tree strong.
 And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think
of God.
 That was better than being the tallest tree in the whole world.

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