The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Charles Dickens. Most children have seen a
Christmas tree, and many know that the pretty and pleasant custom of hanging gifts
on its boughs comes from Germany. But perhaps few have heard or read the
story that is told to little German children respecting the origin of this custom.
The story is called the Little Stranger, and runs thus. In a small
cottage on the borders of a forest lived a poor laborer who gained a scanty
living by cutting wood. He had a wife and two children who helped him
in his work. The boy's name was Valentine, and the girl was called
Mary. They were obedient, good children, and a great comfort to their
parents. One winter evening, this happy little family were sitting quietly round the
hearth, the knowing the wind raging outside while they ate their supper of dry
bread, when a gentle tap was heard on the window, and a childish
voice cried from without, Oh, let me in and pray. I'm a
poor little child with nothing to eat and no home to go to, and
I shall die of cold and hunger unless you let me in. Valentine and
Mary jumped up from the table and ran to open the door, saying,
come in, poor little child. We have not much to give you,
but whatever we have we will share with you. The stranger child came in
and warmed his frozen hands and feet at the fire, and the children gave
him the best they had to eat, saying, you must be tired,
too, poor child, Lie down on our bed. We can sleep on
the bench for one night. Then said the little stranger child, thank God
for all your kindness to me. So they took their little guest into their
sleeping room, laid him on the bed, covered him over, and said
to each other, how thankful we ought to be. We have warm rooms
on a cozy bed, while this poor child has only heaven for his roof
and the cold earth for his sleeping place. When their father and mother went
to bed, Mary and Valentine lay quite contentedly on the bench near the fire,
saying, before they fell asleep, the stranger child will be so happy
to night in his warm bed. These kind children had not slept many hours
before. Mary awoke and softly whispered to her brother Valentine, dear, wake
and listen to the sweet music under the window. Then Valentine rubbed his eyes
and listened it was sweet music, indeed sounded like beautiful voices singing to the
tones of a harp o. Holy Child, we greet thee, bringing sweet
strains of harp to aid our seeinging thou, holy child, in peace,
hard sleeping, while we are warhart with our dark keeping blasphe the house,
wearin thou liest happyest on earth to Heaven the highest. The children listened while
a solemn joy filled their hearts. Then they stepped softly to the window to
see who might be without. In the east was a streak of rosy dawn,
and in its light they saw a group of children standing before the house,
clothed in silver garments, holding golden harps in their hands. Amazed at
this sight, the children were still gazing out of the window when a light
tap caused them to turn around. There stood the stranger child before them,
clad in a golden dress with a gleaming radiance round his curling hair. I
am the little christ Child, he said, who wanders through the world bringing
peace and happiness to good children. You took me in and cared for me
when you thought me a poor child, and now you shall have my blessing
for what you have done. A fir tree grew near the house, and
from this he broke a twig, which he planted in the ground, saying,
this twig shall become a tree, and shall bring forth fruit year by
year for you. No sooner had he done this than he vanished, and
with him the little choir of angels. But the fir branch grew and became
a Christmas tree, and on its branches hung golden apples and silver nuts every
Christmas tide, such as the story told the German children concerning their beautiful Christmas
trees. Though we know that the real little Christ Child can never be wandering,
cold and homeless again in our world, inasmuch as he is safe in
heaven by his father's side, yet we may gather from this story the same
truth which the Bible plainly tells us, that any one who helps a Christian
child in distress, it will be counted unto him, as if he had
indeed done it unto Christ himself. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the
least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me. End
of the Legend of the Christmas Tree by Charles Dickens