A Christmas Legend

Winter was coming, and the birds had flown far to the south, where the air was warm and they could find berries to eat. Yet one little bird sat alone. It had broken its wing and could not fly to warmer weather with the others.

“Beautiful birch, may I live among your branches till spring?” it asked.
“We of the great forest only help our own. I can do nothing for you.” said the birch.

“Great oak, you are so strong, will you not let me live on your boughs till springtime?” “Springtime?” questioned the oak. “That is a long time. Birds are always looking for something to eat, and you might eat up some of my acorns.”

Its wing was not yet strong, but it in desperation 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?”
“Indeed, I do not know,” answered the bird sadly.

“Come here, then,” said the spruce tree, for it was her voice that had called. “You shall live on my warmest branch all winter if you choose. I haven’t food, but here is the branch where my leaves are thickest and softest.”

“My branches are not very thick,” said the pine, “but I am big and strong, and I can keep the North Wind from you and the spruce.”

A small juniper tree was hardly of notice. “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.
“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.
And the trees drew their leaves close about them.

In the morning all those leaves lay on the ground, for a cold North Wind had come in the night, and every leaf that it touched fell from the tree.

“May I touch every leaf in the forest?” asked the wind in its frolic.

“Yes,” said the Frost King. “But spare those trees that have given to one in need. For they will always have life in abundance.”

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
– Matthew 25:40

Copyright 2005 by Ken Sapp

Christmas Collection

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