Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect. Richard H. Schneider

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      Why

       Christmas Trees

       Aren't Perfect

      RICHARD H. SCHNEIDER

      ILLUSTRATED BY

       ELIZABETH J. MILES

      Abingdon Press

       Nashville

      Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect

      Text copyright © 1987 by Guideposts Associates, Inc., Carmel, New York 10512.

      Adapted from a story by the same name in The Guideposts Family Christmas Book: The Gifts of Christmas, copyright © 1981 by Guideposts Associates, Inc.

      Art copyright © 1988 by Elizabeth Miles

      All Rights Reserved

       Tins book is printed on acid-free paper.

      Book design — J. S. Laughbaum

       Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      SCHNEIDER, DICK, 1922 -

      Why Christmas trees aren't perfect / Dick Schneider, p. cm.

      Summary: Even though its kind sacrifices for the animals of the forest have marred the perfection of its shape, Small Pine is selected to be the Christmas tree in the Queen's castle, demonstrating that living for the sake of others makes us most beautiful in the eyes of God.

      ISBN 13: 978-0-687-45363-4 (alk. paper)

      [1. Trees—Fiction. 2. Christmas trees—Fiction. 3. Kindness—Fiction. 4. Christian life—Fiction.] I. Title.

      PZ7.S3624Wh 1987 [Fic]—dc19 87-20571

      Printed in China

      07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15—20 19

      But long, long ago all evergreen trees were perfect. Each one took special pride in branches that sloped smoothly down from pointed top to evenly shaped skirt.

      This was especially true in a small kingdom far beyond the Carpathian Mountains in Europe. Here the evergreen trees were the most beautiful of all. For here the sun shone just right, not too hot, not too dim. Here the rain fell just enough to keep the ground moist and soft so no tree went thirsty. And here the snow fell gently day after day to keep every branch fresh and green.