The firtree: Chapter 1: The tree in the forest.
Just outside a village, there was a beautiful forest. It was full of so many kinds of trees. On the edge of the forest, there was a pretty fir tree. He was still a small tree. He lived in a very nice place. There was a lot of sunshine and fresh air.
Around him, there were many other fir trees. Some were much bigger and others were the same size. There were also many pine trees. They all looked so big. He wanted to be big too. His life was very good, but he did not know that. He did not care about the warm sunshine or fresh air.
Many children came to pick strawberries in the woods. Sometimes, they sat under the little fir tree. They often said, let's sit under that little fir tree. It is so pretty. But the fir tree did not like this. He did not like being little.
Every year, the fir tree grew bigger, but he was still not happy. He looked at other trees around him. He thought, I want to be big like those trees. I want to have big branches with many leaves. I want to stand tall and see many things in the sky. I want birds to build nests in my branches. I want to bend elegantly in the wind. He was never happy.
Two more years went by, and he grew and grew. He was now much bigger. I am getting bigger, he thought. Grow, I must grow taller.
Every Autumn the woodcutters came to cut down the largest trees. The fir tree heard the sounds. Chop, chop, chop. Then there was a crash. The trees tumbled down. The fir tree became very frightened. The fir tree thought, why did the men cut down the trees? Where did they go? What will happen to them?
He saw some swallows and asked them. Yes, I think I saw them, they answered. I flew to Egypt and I saw many ships. On the ships, there were gigantic masts. They had huge white sails and danced in the wind. They were very elegant. You should be proud. This made the fir tree happy. He thought, I want to sail across the sea. I want to be a gigantic mast with dancing sails. I would be so happy.
The air and the sunshine heard the tree and said, don't wish for another life. Be happy now. You have warm sunlight. You have a healthy trunk. But the tree did not understand them.
This year, the woodcutters came before Christmas. They did not cut down big trees. They cut down young trees. The fir tree was very confused. Why are they cutting down such young trees? There were some sparrows sitting in his branches. So the fir tree asked them, where are the trees going? Those are smaller than me. Why did the men cut them down?
This time, then the Sparrow said, we know, we looked in through some windows in the village. The trees will go there. They will be so beautiful. They will wear so many colors and lights. They will be so happy. They will live in a warm room, with many presents under them.
The fir tree was very interested in this. The tree thought, it sounds wonderful. It is better than sailing across the sea. I want to live in such a place. I suffer so much in this forest. Something better must be waiting for me.
Again, the sunlight and the air heard the tree. They said to him, do not be so foolish. Your life in the forest is the best. Be happy with that. But the tree ignored them.
Finally, the woodcutters came. They stood in front of him and said: This one will be perfect. A few moments later, the tree felt a sharp pain. It was the axe. Whack, whack, whack. He fell to the ground. Crash. It was not the happiness he dreamed of. He suddenly felt very sad.
He thought: My home, I am separated from my home. I will never see it again. I will never feel the fresh air or the warm sunlight. I will never hear the birds sing again. I am so sad