The First Christmas Trees

Very close to Nicholas’ cottage was a thick grove of pine trees, tall, beautiful dark trees that lifted their branches high up into the sky and formed a perfect shelter for the ground underneath. Scattered in among the larger trees were a cluster of firs, brave little trees, which kept their sturdy branches green all through the cold northern winter and came through each heavy snow storm with their shiny needles still pointed towards the sky.

The children used to play in this grove, because no matter how stormy the weather was outside, here they could find a warmer, more sheltered spot away from the bitter winds. In the summer time it was a charming place, with the sharp keen scent of the pine trees and the soft murmuring of their branches in the breeze.

Nicholas loved this little grove, for in order to get there, the village children had to pass his cottage, and hardly a group went passed his door without one or more of them dashing in to say “Good day” to their old friend and to watch him at work at his fascinating toys.

One day as Nicholas glanced out of his window, he noticed a group of children running from the grove. As they became closer he could see that they were frightened and as they ran into his cottage for cover, puffing and panting, Nicholas asked, “What’s happened? You all look so frightened.”

“They’ve got long black hair,” one boy cried out, “And the men wear rings in their ears,” piped in another. “We couldn’t understand a word they spoke.”

“Slow down, Slow down,” said Nicholas, “Who are you talking about?”

“Strange people with dark skin and hair.”

“Did they have horses and carts with them?” asked Nicholas with a knowing look.

“Yes, and big covered wagons. ”

“They sound like gypsies to me,” replied Nicholas, though they don’t usually come so far north. They must have lost their way, and now they’ll camp here until spring. There’s no need to be afraid of them. They are people just like you and me.”

Reassured, the children ran back into the grove to investigate these new people. They soon made friends with the gypsies and discovered that the children played the same games as them, as well as some interesting new ones. As Christmas drew near, they told the gypsy children about Nicholas, and how he drove up on Christmas eve on a red sleigh pulled by eight shiny reindeer and filled their stockings with beautiful toys that he had made.

“Once, when he couldn’t get into Kathy’s house because it was all boarded up, he climbed down the chimney!”

“He can’t visit us,” joked one gypsy girl, “We don’t have any doors, nor do we wear stockings. We certainly don’t carry chimneys with us,” she laughed.

Little Sonya, who wanted everybody to be happy, reported some of these things to Nicholas, and came away from his cottage with a contented mind, for she knew that the wise smile on his face meant that he had a plan in his kind old head.

On Christmas Eve, the reindeer were surprised to find that when their usual sound was over, Nicholas drove them right past his cottage and out towards the forest, stopping on the edge of the pine grove. A dark figure with a wide grin stepped forward. This was Grinka, the leader of the band of gypsies.

“Here you are Grinka,” said Nicholas, giving him a bundle of small white candles. “You go ahead with these and I’ll follow.”

Grinka stopped at every small fir tree in the grove and tied candles to their branches. Nicholas followed behind, covering the branches of each tree with nuts, shiny red apples and of course a sample of every one of his toys. It was almost dawn when the pair had finished, but there was a tree for each family with children.

“Now for the lights,” said Nicholas and they went from tree to tree, touching a taper to each candle, until the whole dark grove was twinkling and glowing like the centre of a warm hearth fire.

“I think that’s the prettiest part of it all,” said Nicholas, “and you must be sure to wake the children before the sun gets through the pine trees and spoils the effect.”

“Alright,” said Grinka, "I’ll go and wake them now, before you go.”

“Oh No!” said Nicholas alarmed. “They mustn’t see me. The children must NEVER see me. It would spoil it all. Now I must go!”

Nicholas jumped onto his sleigh and was off, with the familiar jingling of silver bells and the crack of his long silver whip.

A few minutes after his departure, Grinka had aroused all the children in the camp. Nicholas should have stayed just to see the joy on the thin little faces as they scampered among the trees, each one discovering something new to shout about.

“It’s the lights on these lovely little trees that makes everything so beautiful,” said one child.

“No, it’s the presents! Exclaimed another. “Just look at this pretty little doll I have!”

“It’s the fruit and nuts,” added one hungry child stuffing his mouth with goodies.

“I think everything is so beautiful because it’s Christmas,” decided one wise little boy. “Yes, yes, because it’s Christmas!” they all shouted, dancing around.

“And these are our Christmas trees!”
Source: http://www.thelifestoryofsantaclaus.com/chapters/ch9.htm