The Last Christmas Tree
An original Christmas tale to be read aloud to kids from dads.com
I saw a truck of
Christmas trees
And each one told a tale,
The driver stood them in a row
And put them up
for sale.
He strung some twinkly
lights
And hung a sign up with a nail;
"FRESH CHRISTMAS TREES"
It said in red
"FRESH CHRISTMAS TREES FOR SALE."
He poured himself hot cocoa
In a steaming thermos
cup,
And snowflakes started falling
As
a family car pulled up.
A mom, a dad,
and one small boy
Who looked no more than three
Jumped out and started searching
For the perfect
Christmas tree.
The boy marched up and
down the rows,
His nose high in the air;
"It smells like Christmas, mom!
"It smells like
Christmas everywhere!"
"Let's get the
biggest tree we can!
"A tree that's ten miles
high!
"A tree to go right through our roof!
"A tree to touch the sky!"
"A
tree SO big
"That Santa Claus
"Will stop and stare and say,
"'Now,
THAT'S the finest Christmas tree
"'I've seen this
Christmas Day!'"
It seemed they looked at
every tree
At least three million times;
Dad shook them, pinched them, turned them 'round
To find the perfect pine.
"I've
found it, mom!
"The Christmas tree I like the best of
all!
"It's got a little bare spot,
"But
we'll turn that to the wall!"
"We'll put
great-grandma's angel
"On top the highest
bough!
"Oh, can we buy it?
"Please,
mom, PLEASE?!
"Oh, can we buy it NOW?"
"How 'bout some nice hot cocoa?"
Asked the man who owned the lot.
He twisted off
the thermos top,
"Now, THIS will hit the spot!"
He poured the steaming chocolate
In three tiny paper cups.
They toasted,
"Here's to Christmas!"
And they drank the cocoa
up.
"Is this your choice?"
The tree man asked,
"This pine's the best one
here!"
The boy seemed sad---
"My daddy
says
"The price is just too dear."
"Then, Merry Christmas!"
Said the
man, who wrapped the tree in twine,
"It's yours for just
one promise
"You must keep at Christmas time!"
"On Christmas Eve at bedtime
"As
you fold your hands to pray,
"Promise in your
heart
"To keep the joy of Christmas Day!"
"Now hurry home!
This freezy
wind
"Is turning your cheeks pink!
"And
ask your dad
"To trim that trunk and give that tree a
drink!"
And so it went on
All that blustery eve
As the tree man
gave
Tree upon tree upon tree
To every last person
Who came to the
lot---
Who toasted with cocoa
In small
paper cups,
Who promised the
promise
Of joy in their hearts---
And
singing out carols,
Drove off in the dark.
And when it was over
One tree
stood alone;
But no one was left there
To give it a home.
The tree man
put on his
Red parka and hood
And
dragged the last Christmas tree
Out to the
woods.
He left the pine right by a
stream
In the cold,
So the wood's
homeless creatures
Could make it their home.
He smiled as he brushed off
Some
snow from his beard,
When out of the thicket
A reindeer appeared.
He scratched
that huge reindeer
On top his huge head---
"It looks like we've
"Started up Christmas
again!"
"There are miles more to
travel,
"And much more to do!
"Let's go
home, my friend,
"And get started anew!"
He looked to the sky
And heard
jingle bells sound---
And then,
In a
twinkling,
That tree man was gone!
The End
Content from this site may not be re-published without the written consent of the author.
©1992
Howard D. Fencl
This story is collected in the book The Solstice Evergreen, a collection of stories revealing the hidden meanings of evergreen trees in the home throughout history.
READ your kids an original Thanksgiving story