Tannenbaum's Dream
On a crisp, cold Winter day, a baby fir tree stood beside his Mother watching people trudge through the snow searching for just the right Christmas tree. Tannenbaum knew they would not choose him, because he was still a sapling and only 2 feet tall.  Mr. Grumble didn’t sell trees to people until they were just the perfect size.

A boy stepped on Tannenbaum, and almost broke off one of his little branches. “Ouch, ouch!” said Tannenbaum. “You’ll be alright, son” his Mother told him. “We all get a branch broken sometimes. People don’t often teach their young to be careful of us, because they don’t know that we have feelings”.  Darkness came, and Tannenbaum dreamed of growing tall and becoming a Christmas tree.

“When will I be big, Mother?” asked Tannenbaum. “I want to be as big as you.  No, I want to be even BIGGER!”  His Mother smiled. “Someday you will be bigger, little one. You might become a child’s Christmas tree some day. Growing to just the right size takes time”. And every night, Tannenbaum dreamed of becoming a lovely Christmas tree.

Many Winters went by and Tannenbaum did grow bigger. Each year, as the people came into Mr. Grumble’s woods searching for just the right tree, somehow Tannenbaum never seemed to be exactly  what they were looking for, and they passed him by.  One family thought Tannenbaum was too tall, another thought he was too short, and still another thought he was too fat.  Still, he dreamed of one day being a Christmas tree.

Poor Tannenbaum was feeling very sad. His Mother tried to make him feel better by telling him stories.  She told him about the little girl who wanted her for a Christmas tree long ago, and how Mr. Grumble let the little girl tie a red ribbon on one of her branches. The little girl said she would come back for her tree, but she never did, and Mr.Grumble would not let any one else buy the tree.  “That’s why I’m still here, Tannenbaum”, said his Mother, “but many of my seedlings have become wonderful Christmas trees for the people who come into Mr. Grumble’s woods”.  Tannenbaum still dreamed.

And so, as the Winters passed, Tannenbaum tried to make the best of it.   By now he was SO BIG that he thought no one would ever choose him as their Christmas tree.  He just knew he wouldn’t fit inside anyone’s house! Occasionally, Tannenbaum dreamed that he would be a Christmas tree.

Then, one Winter day a lady came into the woods with a Little Boy.  She looked all around, as if she was trying to find something.  “Is it here, Bamma?” asked Little Boy. “Hmmm, I just don’t know. Everything looks different to me now. It was so long ago” the lady said. She stopped in front of Tannenbaum, and looked up at his branches. “What do you think of this one?” she asked the Little Boy. The Little Boy had to lean way back to look up to Tannenbaum’s top. “It’s a beauty!” said the Boy, “Let’s chop it down!”

Tannenbaum trembled in anticipation. “Oh, no. That isn’t what I had in mind” Bamma told the Little Boy.  “No, no, that won’t do. We will have Mr. Grumble dig this tree up and plant it in the front yard at my home” said Bamma. The Little Boy could not believe his ears, neither could Mr. Grumble.

Soon, a strange sound was heard coming through the woods. It was Mr. Grumble’s Handyman, driving the digger, and he was going to dig Tannenbaum’s roots up. Then Mr. Grumble came with a long trailer behind his farm truck.  The creatures of the woods ran as fast as they could away from all the noise. Tannenbaum was so scared his branches shook. “Goodbye, Mother, I don’t know where they’re taking me” Tannenbaum cried. “Goodbye, my Son. You’ll be a beautiful Christmas tree, I just know you will !” said Tannenbaum’s Mother.
Bamma and the Little Boy climbed into their car and headed home. Mr. Grumble and Handyman followed, the poor old farm truck pulling a long trailer with Tannenbaum safely tied down with lots of rope wrapped around his trunk and his root ball.

At last, Tannenbaum was planted, and mulch piled all around him. Little Boy’s Papa came out of the garage with a big box of lights. Little Boy and his Papa put many, many lights on Tannenbaum, and Bamma brought out hot chocolate for them to sip as they looked at the sight of the big tree all lit up. Soon it was dark, and a family of rabbits found shelter in the mulch under Tannenbaum’s lowest branches. Then some birds snuggled into his middle to get out of the cold. Very silently, an owl swooped down and perched on his topmost branch. Tannenbaum was afraid he might be dreaming.

Just as Papa and Little Boy were getting ready to go inside, some neighbors came by, singing Carols. Bamma went inside and made LOTS more hot chocolate. Tannenbaum’s dream had come true. He did grow very tall, and he did become a beautiful Christmas tree. The neighbors sang “O, Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, how lovely are your branches.”   “I wonder how they know my name?” thought the Tree. His Mother would be pleased. Tannenbaum was always going to be a Christmas tree - always.

Little Boy rested his head on Papa’s shoulder and was fast asleep before his Mom and Dad arrived. The moon was shining on Tannenbaum as the snow fell on his branches, and it made his lights twinkle.  Bamma looked out the window and smiled. Everything was so beautiful on this Winter night. “How strange” Bamma thought to herself. “The Christmas tree looks, well, I think it looks happy.”