city after all and maybe have a part in Christmas. When the cutters came to him, one o f them said, “How about this one? He almost forgot to grow.” The man, who was bundling the trees, said, “Sure, take him ; we’re supposed to take them all. Tie him in as straight as you can. He may straighten out some by the time we get to the city.” The little twisted tree won dered all the way what it would be like in the city and was disap pointed when the men parked the truck on a vacant lot for the night. His twisted limbs ached from the long ride. He longed to see what a big city looked like. He could hardly w a it! The noises o f the city were strange to the little tree and the night seemed terribly long. Morn ing finally came and with it more noise, and the excitement o f un loading and standing the trees on the lot. Limbs were allowed to fall naturally again. Some trees were put on bases so the shoppers could see them better. All o f the finest, straightest tr e e s were placed at the front, o f course. The little twisted tree was put away to the back of the lot, in the comer. He was beginning to think he’d never be seen back there, but one lesson he had learned in his hill side home was patience. So he tried to be happy just watching and listening. It was a busy morn ing ; many people came and went and soon the little tree was com pletely lost in the spirit o f Christ mas that was all around him. One of the loveliest and biggest o f the trees was to go to a chil dren’s home where lived boys and girls who had no parents. Many of the trees were to be placed in school rooms. Some went to stores to lure and to please the shoppers. By noon, the front lot was almost bare. As the men who were sell ing the trees sat on a bench at the back o f the lot eating their sand wiches for lunch, they wondered if the supply o f trees would last until the day was over.
JUNIOR KINGS BUSINESS
The Twisted
Little Christmas Tree
by Sylvia K . Johns
T h i s i s t h e s t o r y o f a twisted little Christmas tree, who at last was sure that he was the hap piest o f all the trees on the Christmas tree lot. The twisted little tree grew from a seed that found itself planted under a rock. It was a real struggle for the little tree to get started growing at all. He finally grew out from under the rock but he was all bent and crooked and not beautiful at all. Even so the winter breezes played through its branches and the birds found resting places there as in all the other trees o f the for est. That was no comfort to the lit tle twisted tree. All o f the seed lings had been planted especially for Christmas trees and surely everyone knew that Christmas trees should be straight and tall. He wanted very much to be like the others. As the trees around him grew, they became straight and tall and it seemed as if they didn't even know he was there. He couldn’t reach them ; he could only brush them feebly with his crooked lit tle branches and then not hard enough really to get their atten tion. Because the twisted little tree couldn’t get better acquainted with the trees around him, he made friends with the bugs and
small animals in the Christmas tree forest, whom he learned to love. For as long as he could remem ber, the little twisted tree wanted more than anything to go to the city with the other trees. He often dreamed about how wonderful it would be to be taken to a lovely home where he would stand all dressed in tinsel and lights, with h ap py children d a n c in g all around him. But when he could see that he wasn’t going to grow straight and tall, he became very sad because he was sure he wouldn’t be taken to the city at all. What would become o f him? He would be so lonely all by himself. W ith all the other trees gone, he couldn’t furnish enough shelter for his bug and animal friends and likely they would all leave. That was too sad a thought to keep for long, so he just decided he w ou ld grow as tall and straight as he could, and wait to see what happened. Surely the God who made little trees had a plan for him as well as for the others, even though he was short and twisted and bent. When the day finally came for moving the trees, the little twist ed tree was very happy when he heard the grower tell the men to take all o f the trees. That meant that he too was to go to the big
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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