Sitting behind a tree, Cottontail chewed on his late afternoon snack. The delicious carrot was gone in an instant, leaving him  wanting more. “I’ll just have to wait until suppertime, I guess,” he said, as he cleaned his whiskers. A sudden sound startled Cottontail. He froze. Waited. The sound came again. Slowly, keeping his ears down, Cottontail leaned around the tree. In the distance, he saw Mr. McGregor with an axe. “What is he doing  with that axe?“ Cottontail wondered.

Then the sound came again as Mr. McGregor swung the axe against a large fir tree. The tree fell to the ground. Mr. McGregor drug it all the way to his house. Curious, Cottontail followed from a safe distance. Then Mr. McGregor nailed some wood to the bottom of the tree and carried it into the house, placing it in front of a large window. Cottontail watched as the family put shiny objects, popcorn, berries, lights, and tinsel on the tree. Suddenly, the tree glowed with light. “Ooooh,” Cottontail gasped. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “It’s magical!”

 

                               

“What does it mean? Why a tree in a house?” Cottontail questioned as he hopped on home to his hollow tree.

 

It was nearly Christmas and Santa would be there soon. He couldn’t forget to put his slippers outside by the door on Christmas Eve. His Mom always put out a large basket for the food that Santa would bring. His brothers and sisters would put out their slippers, too.

 

Santa would leave lots of food: berries, nuts, lettuce, and carrots. (What the bunnies did not know and their Mom did, was that Santa was really Mr. McGregor. When he saw Peter and Cottontail in his garden awhile back, Mr. McGregor noticed that Cottontail never went into the garden. So from then on, the bunnies always got food from him.)

 

“Mom”, Cottontail called, stomping his feet before going inside his house.  “I saw the most wonderful thing!”

“And what was that, my dear?” his Mom asked.

“Mr. McGregor was in the woods and chopped down a fir tree and took it to his house and put all sorts of things on it and then the tree was so bright and it was magical!”
“Oh, Cottontail, come up for air.” Mrs. Rabbit laughed.

“That was a Christmas tree. Around this time of year most humans put a tree up in their house. Santa comes and delivers presents under the tree. People will buy live trees for Christmas, decorate them and then after Christmas they replant them in their yards or around their house. This not only makes the yards around their house look nice, but it also saves the trees.”

“Oh, Mom. It looks like you have to come up for air, too,” laughed Cottontail.

“How come we have never had a Christmas tree?” he asked.

“Because they wouldn’t fit. They’re too big for our small house.”

“If I find  a tree, can we have one?”

“Yes, of course, dear,” his Mom said.

“OK. Where can I get an axe? I’ll need an axe,” Cottontail questioned excitedly.

“Cottontail, I’m afraid that is something we have never had. Even if we had one, how would you carry it?”

Cottontail hung his head, looked at his feet and paws, and a tear rolled down his cheek.
“Well now, there just may be a way,” replied Mrs. Rabbit. She did not like to see her son look so sad.

“Go to the pond where the beaver dam is and ask them to help you cut down the tree. They are very good at that sort of thing.”
“Oh, Mom, you are right!” Cottontail gave her a big hug.

Off he went in search of their very first Christmas tree. But as he neared the fir trees he saw how so very tall they all were.  He had to lean his head way back in order to see the tops of them.

Then in a small clearing, he spotted a little fir tree. But it was all scrawny and covered with snow.

                         

 

“Well, it will just have to do,” he thought. Marking his path, he headed back toward the pond.

“Mr. and Mrs. Beaver!” he called. “I need your help. It’s Cottontail.”

Two large beavers stuck their heads up out of the water. “Now what could a rabbit need with us, honey?” Mr. Beaver asked his Misses. “I’m sure I don’t know, dear,” she said. “Perhaps we’d better find out.”

They crawled up onto the dry land and over to Cottontail. “Now my friend, how can we help you?” Mrs. Beaver asked.

Cottontail approached nearer. “Have you ever seen a Christmas tree?”

 

And then he told them of the wonderful tree in Mr. McGregor’s home. How his Mom said they could have one, too, if he could find one small enough. “But I need you to cut it down for me, so I can take it to our house,” he said.

“Well, lead on, Sonny. We could use some exercise today.”

 

The three of them followed Cottontail’s markings until they came to the little pitiful tree. “Oh, my,” remarked Mrs. Beaver. “If we cut that tree down, it will surely die. What do you want to do with it once you get it home?”

“I want to decorate it like Mr. McGregor’s. Only we will have to use food and stuff.”

“Why don’t you just decorate it here? All of the creatures could enjoy it and it will live and maybe grow bigger.” Mr. Beaver suggested.

“That’s a great idea. And maybe Santa will bring all of them Christmas presents!”

 

By this time, the birds, deer, other rabbits, squirrels, and mice had come forward. “We can help!” they all cried at once. So off they went hunting for things to put on the little fir tree. Soon other creatures came bringing treasures they had found.

The deer, foxes, raccoons, skunks, and opossums brought hay and holly berries. Squirrels, mice, turtles, and chipmunks brought nuts and holly leaves. The elk and bears brought mistletoe.

“How will we get all of these things on the tree?” Cottontail asked.

“With a little magic and this vine we found,” the birds sang.

So with a little magic and the help of all the creatures of the woods, the presents were soon strung on the vine. The birds then took the vine and twirled it around the little tree. The elk scraped away the snow and put the hay around the roots to help keep them warm. Before the creatures left, they all agreed to meet at the little tree on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve soon came and the creatures of the woods were very excited. They had never had a Christmas tree before. At midnight, they all appeared around the little tree.
Then up in the night sky, a bright light shown on the Christmas tree, surrounding it with tiny glistening stars.

The little pitiful tree was no longer bare, but had grown into a tall full fir tree. The simple gifts of the creatures of the woods had turned into a miracle of love.

 

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