The second little tree watched the stream that ran between them on its way to the ocean. "I want to be a big and strong sailing-ship", the tree said. "I want to sail over wide oceans and carry mighty kings. The strongest ship in the whole world - that's what I want to be!"

The third little tree looked down into the valley, where men and women worked in a village full of life. "I don't want to get away from this mountain at all", the tree said. "I want to grow so great that people will stop and look at me, and when they do they will look up at the sky and think of God. The greatest and hihgest tree in the whole world - that's what I want to be!"

The years went by, as they often do. The rains came, the sun shone, and the three small trees grew up. One day three woodcutters came trudging up the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree, and said:

"A beautiful tree. Suits me perfectly!"

And he cut down the tree.

"Now I will be a beautiful chest", the tree thought. "I will hide a wonderful treasure!"

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree, and said: "A strong tree. Suits me perfectly!" And he cut down the tree.

"Now I will sail over wide waters", the tree thought. "I will be a magnificent ship for kings!"

The third tree was alarmed when the last woodcutter came towards it. But it stood tall and straight and pointed at the sky. The woodcutter didn't even look up. "Any tree suits me", he mumbled. And he cut down the last tree.

The first tree was delighted when the woodcutter took it to a carpenter's workshop. But the carpenter was not going to make a treasure chest. Instead, the tree under his callused hands became something useful for a stable. The once beautiful tree was not adorned with gold or filled with jewels. No, it was planed and joined to become a crib, filled with hay to feed hungry animals. The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took it to a shipyard. But that day noone built a big sailing ship there. The once big and strong tree was changed to a simple fishing boat. That boat was too small and fragile to sail a sea, or even a river, so it ended up at a lake. Every day it took ashore boxes with dead, stinking fish. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter chopped it up to powerful, sturdy logs and then took it to a timberyard. "What does this mean?" the once high tree wondered. "All I ever wished for was to stay on that mountain and point at God..."

Many days and nights came and went. The three trees had almost forgotten their dreams.

Then came a night when a bright star began to shine down on the first tree, and a young woman put her newborn child in the crib. "I'd like to buid him a cradle", her husband whispered. The woman took his hand, and smiled as the starshine fell on the smooth, sound wood. "It's a beautiful crib", she said. And in that moment the first tree realized that it held the most valuable treasure in the world.

Then came a night when a tired wanderer and his friends crowded in the small, old fishing boat. The wanderer was very tired, so he fell asleep as soon as the second tree calmly set out on the lake. Suddenly there came a fierce storm, with howling winds, rain and thunder. The small boat shivered. It knew that it could not carry so many passengers safely through a storm like that. Someone woke the wanderer. He stood up, put out his hand, and said: "Quiet! Be still!" And the storm was gone as quickly as it had come. In that moment the second tree realized that it carried the king of both heaven and earth.

Then came a morning when the logs from the third tree suddenly was jerked from the forgotten pile. It trembled when it was carried on strong shoulders through a screaming, raging crowd. The third tree had become a cross, and shivered when soldiers nailed a man's hands on it. "I feel so hard and cruel", the tree thought. But it could not stop from being fascinated by the man who was going to die. He seemed to care more about others than of himself. "The world is far too cruel for such a man", the tree thought, and sighed from relief when the man died and it was all over. But only two days after, on a morning when the sun rose and the ground trembled with joy under the third tree, it realized that the crucified man had returned to life. God's love had changed everything.

Even if it hadn't been as the trees had envisioned it, God had made the first tree to a beautiful treasure-chest, and the second to a strong ship for a king. And whenever people thinks about the third tree, they also think of God.