The Little Spruce Tree
In the middle of the woods lived a little spruce tree. It was surrounded by bigger trees… pine trees and cedar trees and fir trees.
The little spruce tree was sad because it was so small and its needles were not as full and beautiful as the bigger trees around it. At night, sometimes, it would cry feeling sorry for itself.
One evening the fairy of the forest came and asked the little spruce tree why it was crying.
“Because I am so small and my needles are not as beautiful as the other trees,” it sobbed.
“If I made your needles special, would you be happy?” the fairy asked.
“Yes, oh yes!” the little spruce tree exclaimed. “Oh, please do!” So, the fairy touched the little spruce tree with a magic wand and its needles turned to crystal glass.
When the morning broke, the sunlight shone through the little spruce tree’s needles and rainbows of color were spread all around the forest. The other trees were amazed, if not a little jealous.
But that afternoon a thunderstorm rumbled through the forest and a strong wind blew and all the crystal glass needles fell off the little spruce tree, leaving it bare. As night fell, the little spruce tree was crying over its lost needles and the forest fairy visited again.
“What is wrong, little spruce?” the fairy asked.
“Oh, fairy,” it sobbed. “My crystal needles were so beautiful, but a storm came and blew them away!”
“Crystal needles are beautiful, but they are not made for storms,” the fairy observed. “What would you like me to do for you?”
“Please,” the little spruce pleaded, “could I have beautiful needles of a different but precious sort?”
“Yes, you may,” the fairy replied, and touched the little spruce tree with the magic wand. Where its branches were bare there grew new needles of silver and gold.
When the morning broke, the sunlight struck the little spruce tree’s prized needles and reflected richly in all directions. The other trees were amazed, if not a little jealous. But that afternoon some hunters came through the forest. When they saw the little spruce’s silver and gold needles they exclaimed, “We are rich!” and they proceeded to pluck and pick off all the precious needles leaving the little spruce tree bare again.
As night fell, the little spruce tree was crying again over its lost needles and the forest fairy visited a third time.
“What is wrong, little spruce?” the fairy asked.
“Oh, fairy,” it sobbed. “I loved my silver and gold needles, but men came and took them from me!”
“Silver and gold needles are beautiful, but they are not made to last,” the fairy observed. “What would you like me to do for you?”
“I think that the needles that I was born with are the best needles for me,” the little spruce tree decided.
“You have grown wise, little spruce,” the fairy said as she used her magic wand and proper spruce needles appeared where the branches had been bare. “The bigger trees around you took much longer to learn that each should be content to be the tree they were made to be.”
And that knowledge made the little spruce tree feel content and beautiful.