The Fir Tree Short Story & Audiobook

The Fir Tree

Once upon a time a little fir tree grew in the woods.
This little fir tree couldn’t wait to grow big.

Sometimes children used to play near him. They would often say what a pretty little fir tree he was. But he wanted to be a great big tree!

Winter came and the snow lay glittering on the ground. He had grown so well that he was now the perfect size for a Christmas tree!

Some men came along with wheelbarrows.

Next thing, the fir tree felt a tickling down at his feet. He was being dug up by the roots!

Then his roots were all cosy as they were tucked into a merry red pot.
“I wonder what happens next,” he thought.

He was put into a wheelbarrow and gently carried into town.

He felt a bit homesick for the forest. But he thought that this was such a big adventure for a tree like him.

As you can imagine, he had never seen a town before.

Through the window of a house, he saw a tree about the same size as him. This tree had lights, sparkly decorations and toys on it.

It looked so beautiful and he wished he could look like that.

“I wonder what happens now,” thought the fir tree, “to be decorated like that tree I just saw would be so great.”

Next thing, the tree was in a yard with other trees. Then he heard a voice say, “That’s the one I want, what a perfect tree!”

Then he was carried into a lovely big room.

“Now things really are getting exciting,” he thought to himself.
When the children and the family put tinsel on his branches it tickled a bit.

But he didn’t mind that at all.

When they finished, the family stood back and looked at him.

“I’ve never seen a prettier tree,” said a little boy.

That made the tree very happy.

Then a grownup got a little ladder and fixed a gold tinsel star to the very top of the tree.

Then presents were put all around the tree’s big red pot.

“We’ll turn on the lights when it gets dark,” said a grownup.

“Then it will glitter and look magical!” said another grownup.

That evening the tree had a real surprise. Suddenly, he heard a click and all his lights came on!

“Beautiful!” said one of the grownups.

The tree was so happy to hear that and was very proud.

“Maybe I will be here all year round, all covered with decorations and lights?” thought the tree.

The next day was Christmas Day. Children came into the room and danced all round the tree. Then it was time to open all the presents.

When night time came the tree looked forward to the next day when his lights would sparkle again.

The days went by until Christmas was over and the New Year had come.

“I wonder what happens next,” thought the tree.

But one day, he got the surprise of his life. Some grownups started taking off all his beautiful decorations. This made him very sad.

“It was such a good idea to buy a tree in its pot,” said a voice.

“Yes, that means we can enjoy the lovely tree every year,” said another voice.

One of the children said, “That was the best tree we have ever had and it made us all so happy!”

Then he was carried, pot and all, outside to the garden.

He felt a little bit lonely. But he soon cheered up when he felt a little mouse scurrying about in his branches. And then another little mouse came.

“Do you mind if we make a winter nest here?” squeaked the mouse.

“Please do,” said the tree, “you will keep me company.”

“Tell us a story,” said a mouse, “you see, we are town mice and we’ve never been in the countryside, like you.”

The tree began, “I come from a wood where the sun shines and where the little birds sing.”

And then he told them all about his growing up.

The little mice had never heard anything like it before. Then one of them said, “But how did you get here?”

The tree told them how he had been dug up and carried into the house. He told them how he had looked so amazing in all his decorations.

One of the mice said, “You really are a lucky tree, you know.”

“Yes,” said the other mouse, “they will bring you indoors and decorate you all over again.”

Springtime came and then Summer and the tree still sat in his big red pot.

Flowers grew and butterflies and bees flew all around him. It was a lovely time.

But then it got colder and colder.

Winter had come.

Next thing he knew, the tree was taken back inside. The Holiday had come round once again!

Then he was decorated with lights and tinsel and knew that he would have a happy time, just like this, every single year.

And when a grownup put his gold tinsel star on, he was the happiest fir tree ever!

The End