The prophecy was fulfilled. The Great Man had come at last.
Nathaniel Hawthorne [Adapted]
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE
In a forest in the far, far East grew a great many pine trees. Most of
them were tall trees, higher than the houses that we see, and with wide,
strong branches. But there was one tree that was not nearly so tall as
the others; in fact, it was no taller than some of the children in the
kindergarten.
Now, the tall trees could see far, far out over the hilltops and into
the valleys, and they could hear all the noises that went on in the
world beyond the forest, but the Little Tree was so small and the other
trees grew so high and thick about it that it could not see nor hear
these things at all; but the other trees were very kind, and they would
stoop down and tell them to the Little Tree. One night in the winter
time there seemed to be something strange happening in the little town
among the hills, for the trees did not go to sleep after the sun went
down, but put their heads together and spoke in strange, low whispers
that were full of awe and wonder.
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