The second little tree looked out at the small stream
trickling by on it's way to the ocean.
"I want to be a strong sailing ship," he said.
"I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings.
I will be the strongest ship in the world!"

The third little tree looked down into the valley below
where busy men and women worked in a busy town.
"I don't want to leave this mountaintop at all," she said.
"I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me
they will raise their eyes to heaven and think of God.
I will be the tallest tree in the world!"

Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone,
and the little trees grew tall.

One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.
The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said,
"This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me."
With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.
"Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first tree.
"I shall hold wonderful treasure."

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said,
"This tree is strong. It is perfect for me."
With one swoop of his shining axe,
the second tree fell.
"Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree.
"I shall be a strong ship fit for kings!"
The third tree felt her heart sink when
the last woodcutter looked her way.
She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.
But the woodcutter never even looked up.
"Any kind of tree will do for me," he muttered.
With a swoop of his shining axe the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when
the woodcutter brought him to a carpenter's shop,
but the busy carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests.
Instead his work-worn hands fashioned the tree
into a feed box for animals.
The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold
or filled with treasure.
He was coated with sawdust and
filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when
the woodcutter took him to a shipyard,
but no mighty ships were being made that day.
Instead the once strong tree
was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat.
Too small and too weak to sail an ocean or
even a river, he was taken to a little lake.
Everyday he brought in loads of dead, smelly fish.

The third tree was confused when
the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and
left her in a lumberyard.
"What happened?" the once tall tree wondered.
"All I ever wanted to do was stay
on the mountaintop and point to God."

Many many days and nights passed.
The three tress nearly forgot their dreams.

But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree
as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box.
"I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered.
The mother squeezed his hand and smiled
as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood.
"This manger is beautiful," she said.
And suddenly the first tree knew
he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening, a tired traveller and
his friends crowded into the old fishing boat.
The traveller fell asleep as the second tree
quietly sailed out into the lake.
Soon a thundering and trashing storm aroused.
The little tree shuddered.
He knew he did not have the strength to carry
so many paseengers safely through the wind and rain.

The tired man awakened.
He stood up, stretched out his hand and said,"Peace."
The storm stopped quickly as it had begun.
And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying
the King of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when
her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile.
She flinched as she was carried through angry, jeering crowd.
She shuddered when the soldiers nailed a man's hands to her.
She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.
But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and
the earth trembled with joy beneath her,
the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything.

It had made the first tree beautiful.

It had made the second tree strong.

And every time people thought of the third tree,
they would think of God.
That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

~ Retold by Angela Elwell Hunt ~