| Why the Evergreens Never Lose Their Leaves by Florence Holbrook |
Winter was coming, and the birds had flown far to the south, where the air was warm and
they could find berries to eat. One little bird had broken its wing and could not fly with the
others. It was alone in the world of Frost and Snow. The forest looked warm, and the little
bird made its way to the trees to ask for help.
First, it came to a birch tree. "Beautiful birch tree," it said, "my wing is broken, and my
friends have flown away. May I live among your branches till they come back to me?"
"No, indeed," answered the birch tree, drawing its fair green leaves away. "I can do nothing
for you."
"The birch is not very strong," said the little bird to itself, "and it might be that it could not
hold me easily. I will ask the oak." So the bird said, "Great oak tree, you are so strong, will
you let me live on your boughs till my friends come back in the springtime?"
"In the springtime!" cried the oak. "That is a long way off. Birds are always looking for
something to eat. Why, you might even eat up some of my acorns."
"It may be that the willow will be kind to me," thought the little bird, and it said, "Gentle
willow, my wing is broken, and I could not fly to the south with the other birds. May I live
on your branches till the springtime?"
The willow did not look gentle then, for it drew itself up proudly and said, "Indeed, I do not
know you and we willows never talk to people whom we do not know."
The little bird did not know what to do. Its wing was not yet strong, but it began to fly
away, as well as it could. Before it had gone far, a voice was heard. "Little bird," it said,
"where are you going?"
"I do not know," answered the bird sadly, "I am very cold."
"Come right here, then," said the friendly spruce tree. "You shall live on my warmest
branch all winter, if you choose. Here is the branch where my leaves are thickest and
softest."
"My branches are not very thick," said the neighboring pine tree, "but I am big and strong
and I can keep the North Wind from you."
"I can help, too," said a little juniper tree. "I can give you berries all winter long and every
bird knows that juniper berries are good."
So the spruce gave the little bird a home, the pine kept the cold North Wind away, and the
juniper gave it berries to eat. The other trees looked on and talked together wisely.
"I would not have strange birds on my boughs," said the birch.
"I shall not give my acorns away for any one," said the oak.
"I never have anything to do with strangers," said the willow. The three trees drew their
beautiful green leaves closely about them.
In the morning, all those shining, green leaves lay on the ground, for a cold North Wind had
come in the night and every leaf that it touched had fallen to earth.
"May I touch every leaf in the forest?" asked the wind in its frolic.
"No," said the Frost King. "The trees that have been kind to the little bird with the broken
wing may keep their leaves."
That is why the leaves of the spruce, the pine and the juniper are always green.
they could find berries to eat. One little bird had broken its wing and could not fly with the
others. It was alone in the world of Frost and Snow. The forest looked warm, and the little
bird made its way to the trees to ask for help.
First, it came to a birch tree. "Beautiful birch tree," it said, "my wing is broken, and my
friends have flown away. May I live among your branches till they come back to me?"
"No, indeed," answered the birch tree, drawing its fair green leaves away. "I can do nothing
for you."
"The birch is not very strong," said the little bird to itself, "and it might be that it could not
hold me easily. I will ask the oak." So the bird said, "Great oak tree, you are so strong, will
you let me live on your boughs till my friends come back in the springtime?"
"In the springtime!" cried the oak. "That is a long way off. Birds are always looking for
something to eat. Why, you might even eat up some of my acorns."
"It may be that the willow will be kind to me," thought the little bird, and it said, "Gentle
willow, my wing is broken, and I could not fly to the south with the other birds. May I live
on your branches till the springtime?"
The willow did not look gentle then, for it drew itself up proudly and said, "Indeed, I do not
know you and we willows never talk to people whom we do not know."
The little bird did not know what to do. Its wing was not yet strong, but it began to fly
away, as well as it could. Before it had gone far, a voice was heard. "Little bird," it said,
"where are you going?"
"I do not know," answered the bird sadly, "I am very cold."
"Come right here, then," said the friendly spruce tree. "You shall live on my warmest
branch all winter, if you choose. Here is the branch where my leaves are thickest and
softest."
"My branches are not very thick," said the neighboring pine tree, "but I am big and strong
and I can keep the North Wind from you."
"I can help, too," said a little juniper tree. "I can give you berries all winter long and every
bird knows that juniper berries are good."
So the spruce gave the little bird a home, the pine kept the cold North Wind away, and the
juniper gave it berries to eat. The other trees looked on and talked together wisely.
"I would not have strange birds on my boughs," said the birch.
"I shall not give my acorns away for any one," said the oak.
"I never have anything to do with strangers," said the willow. The three trees drew their
beautiful green leaves closely about them.
In the morning, all those shining, green leaves lay on the ground, for a cold North Wind had
come in the night and every leaf that it touched had fallen to earth.
"May I touch every leaf in the forest?" asked the wind in its frolic.
"No," said the Frost King. "The trees that have been kind to the little bird with the broken
wing may keep their leaves."
That is why the leaves of the spruce, the pine and the juniper are always green.
| Please don't send this whole page in an e-mail message format. If you'd like to share it, please just send the link. The link to this page is: http://www.thepastwhispers.com/Evergreen.html |