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began to try to help something. When a frost came, each tree spread out its branches as far as it could reach and they sheltered grass and ferns from the bitter cold. When a snow storm came, the little pine trees called to the snowbirds and said, "Come, little snowbirds, we have seeds for you to eat, and our arms shall protect you from the snow."
When the wind heard this, he flew back to Judea and told the ChristChild how the pine trees were helping.
When the Christ-Child heard this, he was glad and came Himself to the little pine trees and blessed them. He said, "Dear Uttle pine trees, you have tried to help others, and now you shall have the joy of always making happiness for little children. Every winter you shall have many beautiful things given you, to give away to Uttle children, if they have tried throughout the year to be loving and good."
Then the little pine trees were glad, for they had learned how blessed a thing it is to give happiness. That is the way the pine trees became Christmas trees.
Still another legend tells us about the Christmas tree originating in Europe in the 1 6th century. A peasant and his wife were very poor. They lived in a hut in a lonely part of the country. One Christmas Eve there was a big blizzard and the wind blew the snow into huge drifts in front of their door. As they sat down to their simple supper they heard a knock at the door. When they opened the door, they found a small child standing there. The child was cold and hungry and the peasant and his wife gave their
fig^ December, 1946
porridge to the child. After he had eaten they made a bed for him near the fireplace.
In the morning when they awakened the child was gone, but where he had slept there stood a tree. It was loaded with glistening stars and with gifts. The peasant told his wife that a miracle had happened, that their visitor must have been the ChristChild and that the tree was the Tree of Life. The story goes that every year after that on Christmas Eve, he comes again; and that from that time forth, trees were put up in every home at Christmas time.
Many legends are told about how the Christmas tree, as we know it, all decorated in tinsel and gold, originated. A very old and oft repeated legend tells us that Martin Luther was wandering under a starry sky, through a snow covered country, one Christmas eve. As he looked up at the stars through the trees, he was struck by the wondrous beauty of the winter forest, snowflaked and frost jeweled. He told his family about it, upon arriving home.