HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-12-04, Page 35Ilis �iV1�� the
By Corinne Horton
It was the day before Christmas. Already
the snow was beginning to pile high on the
branches of the pine trees, who wanted to
look their very best. Soon a troupe of
children would be rushing up the mountain-
side in search of fat, strong glistening trees
to take home with them] For tomorrow
would be the most special day of the year.
This was the Christmas for which the little
pine tree with the twisted branch had been
waiting. Now he was just the right size. And
he could hardly wait until some starry-eyed
youngster would rush up to him and point
and say, "Here's mine!" Then he would be
hauled down the mountain and into the
valley. There he would be set up in front of
someone's window and decorated gaily with
bells and bangles and baubles.
The little tree did not mind that one of his
strongest branches was twisted. It had been
stepped on and nearly broken by one of the
curly -horned sheep that roamed the moun-
tainside. He was just a sapling at the time,
and he was proud of having grown so strong
in spite of the accident.
Soon joyful cries began to ring out over
the countryside. Through the snow plowed
an army of children, laughing and talking
and throwing snowballs at one another. The
little tree really couldn't see just which child
he would like to go with. He shook himself to
make sure that all of his branches stuck out
full and straight. And he held the twisted one
so that it poked up cheerfully in the air.
The children were in the midst of the trees
now, looking carefully at each one. First one
child and then another would cry joyfully,
eatest part of unristmas
Page 11
uK; ,_ ,, "This is the one T want." Then he would
march off proudly with his own special
Christmas tree tucked ander his arm. The
tip of the tree left a little path behind in the
w;es snow as it slid along.
The little tree tried to attract one of the
youngsters. He even nodded the tip of his
• .,,. twisted branch just a bit in order to attract
.... attention. But this got him nowhere.
Finally one child pointed to him and said,
"Here's a real fat one. I think I'll take him."
Another child came over and looked at the
little tree. "Ah, can't you see," he said,
"that one's got a broken limb.'L.
So they went away and found another tree
not nearly so strong as he was. They march-
ed down the mountainside and out of sight.
It grew darker, and there was no sound
but the falling snow. All of the children were
gone."The little tree.tried to understand why
his crooked limb would not be beautiful in
the eyes of a child, but there was no answer.
He drew up his branches even higher to keep
the snow from weighing them down. He
prepared to sleep until the spring rains
came and washed away the hurt of not being
wanted that he felt inside.
Just, as he began to go to sleep he heard
the voices of a man anda boy coming up the
mountainside. The child held his father's
hand tightly and had to move slowly through
the snow.
The little tree looked and looked. Why, he,
too, had a broken limb! He could not walls as
fast or as well as the other children who had
come earlier.
The boy and the man shuffled through the
Turn to page 21,6
•
•
COUPLE
OF THE YEAR!
The votes are in — and it's
Rodney and Rhonda Reindeer
by a nose! Give this happy
bean-bag couple a holiday
homecoming by placing
them under your Christmas
tree. $mall $3.95, medium
$6,50, Targe $12.00.
For Christmas
come to Sandy's -
Clinton's One -Stop
Hallmark Shopping
Centre
•GREETING CARDS AND
STATIONERY
*GORED CHRISTMAS CARDS
"CHRISTMAS PARTVWAR! - PAPER
PLATES, SERVIETTES, ETC.
•STUFFED ANIMALS
•COFFEE MUGS
•GIFT WRAP
•CANDLES *PICTURE FRAMES
•NOVELTIES
�ttnbu.'s 1inppe
9 ALBERT STREET, CLINTON
Open: Monday to Saturday 9 am - II pm; Friday meanings till 9 pm
Op.n 'till 0 pm .tortinp Monday Mc. 99
a ter i + f i
r'
..Made specially for you. Orders are being taken
now. Free delivery with'n 25 miles of Clinton.
HAVARTI CHEESE
Reg. $3.69 lb.
Reg. $6.13 kg. gale
Specials In effect until closing Sat., Dec. 7th
SHOP EARLY!!
t QUALITY FOODS
& FRIENDLY SERVICE
Janet Buchanan 482347
11 Albert St., Clinton
P