Once upon a time in a deep forest, there stood a small, skinny pine tree. All the big, beautiful pine trees made fun of him and called him names.

You're not big enough to be a toothpick!

You little twig!

The little tree was so lonely and sad. All he wanted was to be liked by the other trees. One cold winter day, a group of men came to the forest and began marking the best and fullest trees.

"What are they doing?" questioned the tiny, raggedy tree.

The biggest and most beautiful of all the pine trees answered with a loud and thunderous voice.

"They're marking the finest trees for Christmas trees."

"You won't have to even think about it," another tree chimed in. All the trees laughed and poked fun at the sad little tree.

Nobody would want you!

You couldn't hold a candy cane!

All day long the tiny tree watched as the men marked the other trees with X's. He hoped and prayed that they would mark his trunk, but no one paid him any attention. He listened as the other trees made plans for Christmas.

I'm so big I might go to the president's house!

I want to go to a house with lots of children!

I'll bet I get a lot of presents under me!

All through that cold, starry night, the tiny tree stood and thought. How he wished to have ornaments dangling from his branches and brightly colored lights hugging him! To hear the sound of children's laughter and excitement on Christmas morning! As he imagined these wonderful thoughts, tears filled his eyes. The tears that rolled down his cheeks froze and turned to ice and glistened in the light of the full moon.

When the tiny tree opened his eyes the next day, he found to his amazement he was all alone. He looked in every direction; all the other pine trees were gone. He had been passed over. Nobody wanted him. He had never felt so lonely in all his life. The tiny tree just stood and cried.

The day passed very slowly for the tiny tree. He was all alone, and soon night approached. As the moon rose high overhead, the tiny tree stood shivering in the cold, still night.

When the tiny tree awoke the next morning, he heard voices. Not the voices of grown men, but soft voices, kind voices mixed with laughter and song. Two small children appeared before him. He tried hard to stand straight and tall.

The children looked at the tiny tree. They stood for a long time staring at him.

"Please, please take me," thought the tree. "I'll be a beautiful Christmas tree. Just give me a chance, please."

One of the children turned to the other. "Let's take this one. It's just the right size."

The tiny tree was so happy! The children carried him to a small house at the edge of town. There they placed him in a small funny-shaped hut. The tiny tree was confused. "Why didn't they decorate me?" he wondered. He looked around. It was quiet and the hut was very plain. No tinsel. No lights. No ornaments.

He stood confused and sad.

He wanted so much to be a Christmas tree.