THE LITTLE PINE TREE WHO WISHED FOR NEW LEAVES
Reading edition
It is very foolish to wish to be different from the way we were made. The wise course is to improve the gifts we have, and to be content.
A little pine tree grew in the forest. It was not happy because it did not have leaves like the maple, oaks, and other trees that grew near.
“Why must I have only green needles on my branches?” it sighed. “How I wish that I might have leaves of shining gold and be different from all the other trees in the forest.”
Now, the angel of the forest heard the little pine tree, and that night while it slept, its wish came true. The next morning the little pine tree had leaves of shining gold, and was very happy.
“How beautiful I am!” it thought. “What must the other trees think of me now!”
How foolish was the little pine tree! In the night a man came to the woods. He picked every one of the gold leaves and put them in a box.
“What shall I do?” cried the little tree. “I see now that it will not do to have leaves of gold. If I could only have leaves of glass, I should be happy again.”
The angel of the forest, who was listening, again granted the little tree’s wish, and the next morning when it awoke its branches were covered with leaves of clear, shining glass. Again the little tree was happy, but not for long. After a while the sunbeams hid and clouds gathered in the sky. Lower and lower they hung, and by and by the rain came. How the wind did blow! The glass leaves shook in the wind, and struck against the branches and against one another. Soon the leaves were shattered, and little bits of glass covered the ground. Not a leaf was left on the branches!
“Ah, me!” sighed the little tree again. “Perhaps I should not wish to be better than the other trees. If I could only have green leaves like theirs, I should be happy.”
A third time the angel of the forest granted the little tree’s wish. When morning came it was covered with big shiny green leaves. By and by a goat came along and ate every one of the nice juicy leaves for his dinner.
“Dear me!” said the little tree. “Perhaps it is best after all that I have only my green needles! If I could only have them back!”
While it slept that night the angel of the forest touched it and the next morning it awoke to find long green needles covering its branches. “I like the needles better than the gold or the glass, or the green leaves,” said the pine tree. The little pine never complained again. The birds were happy, too, for in the winter it was the little pine tree that kept them safe and warm.