Chapter 2: A very sad life.
The fir tree was put into a large room. He looked around the room curiously. Soon after, many servants and young girls came in. They started to decorate the tree. They hung many colored decorations on the tree. On the top, they put a large golden star. The tree looked at his branches. He was dressed in many colors. He looked very beautiful. Now my life will be wonderful, thought the tree. I will live my life in this warm room. The sunlight and the air were all wrong. Maybe the sparrows will come to see me. Maybe they will tell other trees about my Grand life. He was so happy now. He felt very good about his future.
A few moments later, the door to the room opened. Many children came in. They ran to the tree and stopped. Just after them, the adults walked in. Together, they all admired the beautiful tree. The tree felt so happy.
It was very noisy in that room that night. The children screamed joyfully and danced around the tree. Later, all the people sang christmas carols together. The tree enjoyed watching all of this. He thought, this is all for me. I will enjoy this every night. He was very content.
The next morning, the tree wanted to see the children, but they did not come to see him. Instead, some servants came into the room. He thought: Yesterday the servants decorated me. Today they will decorate me again. But this did not happen.
The servants pulled the tree down. They took him out of the room. Then they took him up many stairs and put him into a dark room. He was forgotten.
Many more lonely nights passed. One night there was a sound. Squeak, squeak. They were little mice. The curious mice wanted to know about the tree. The tree told stories about the forest. They were amazed. They said: Your life is interesting. You were very happy in the forest. The tree replied: Yes, I was happy there. But my life is not interesting anymore.
At night they went to hear his story. He told them many stories about christmas eve. This continued for a few more nights.
Finally, the tree had no more stories and had to tell the same stories over. The mice thought: Maybe the stories are not very interesting after all. So the mice did not go to the tree at night.
It became very lonely in that dark room. Why don't the mice come to visit me, he thought. It was better when the mice came to listen to me. I must enjoy those happy times more. I will be careful next time. When I leave this room, I will really enjoy everything. But when will that be?
One day, the door to that dark lonely room opened. Many people came in. At last, thought the tree. They come to give me a new life. One man came and pushed the tree down onto the floor. Ouch! The tree landed very heavily. Then two servants picked up the tree and took it outside.
Now the tree was lying in the sunlight. This is wonderful. My new life is beginning. It is spring now. They will plant me and I will grow. The tree really enjoyed the fresh air. He looked around at the garden. It was so beautiful. There were roses and carnations. He saw many birds flying in the garden. It was a wonderful day for the tree.
The tree relaxed in the sunlight and spread out his branches. Just then he discovered something terrible. He couldn't move his branches. He looked at them and was shocked. They were all yellow. His branches were weak. He was a very sad tree now.
Some children were running around the garden. They cried: Look! It is the christmas tree. It is so old and ugly. But look! It still has the yellow star on top of it.
One of the children took the star from the tree. The children didn't care about the old tree. There was nothing beautiful about the tree anymore.
This is terrible, he thought. I really am an old ugly tree. I want to go back to my dark lonely room. My life in the forest really was the best. I wasted my life. I always wished for something more interesting. I never enjoyed the simple things in my life. Now it is over. There is nothing I can do.
Soon the gardener came with an axe. This really is the end, thrown the tree. He chopped the poor fir tree into many pieces. Then he placed each piece into a fire. The poor tree burned in the flames.
As he burned, he could see the children playing. They were playing with his golden star. But is was too late for regrets now