“It’s Festival Day! Today is the day that the sun’s northern visit comes to an end, and it turns southward again,” Little Pine thought as he drifted awake from his dreams. That was how the elves explained it to him.
He felt a soft wave of peace in his heart and thought some more. It was kind of beautiful the way that all the creatures on the earth got their share of the seasons. For some parts of the great world, the elves said, the seasons’ changes were dramatic. In other parts they were hardly noticeable at all. But when you looked at the whole of it, everything balanced out.
Here in his woodland world, Little Pine thought, the hours of darkness would be at their longest today. Now the creatures of the north would get their winter rest, and those of the south would be moving into their most playful cycle.
It was just like the Angel of Peace and Joy said, Little Pine thought. ‘This peace holds a perfect balance.’ And Kimberley Kindbear was right, too. No matter how this Festival Day unfolded, it would be perfect and beautiful.
As he lay there, feeling the peace of the dawn, Little Pine heard a lovely song drift across the pond. It was his friend, the holly tree, greeting Festival Day with her clear, high, welcoming song. Its beauty echoed inside Little Pine even as it crept out to every corner of the woods, waking the trees and the critters.
Little Pine rose from his sleep, calm and happy, and greeted his mother. Together they ate breakfast, listening to the holly tree’s singing. Mother Pine helped her son fasten his golden star to his crown and, kissing him on the forehead, said, “Do well, Little Pine, and have an excellent day.”
As he stepped to the edge of the pond, the holly tree’s song came to its end and there was a moment of hushed silence. Then Little Pine raised his boughs high and sang out, “Let the Festival begin!”
And all at once, the woods were filled with drumming and a flock of a hundred doves soared into the air. From the far end of the woodland, the mice began the Grand March down the long and winding trail that would take them at last to the clearing at the base of Grandfather Pine. As they went along, all the animals of the woods joined in the Grand March, the smallest first, then the middle-sized ones, and finally the deer, who were the largest of them all. After the deer, the Festival guests fell in line.
First came Grandmother Bear, and behind her the flower fairies and the dancing pony, and Marvin Monkey, who somersaulted along. Then came Marty Moose with the whistling elf boys dancing on his back, the Gingermans, with Mother Elf, and finally, the dozens and dozens and dozens of bears.
Through the woods they all marched, and the squirrels and chipmunks and woodpeckers drummed and drummed. As they reached the clearing at Grandfather Pine’s feet, the creatures formed an enormous circle, the wee ones in front, the larger ones behind them. Overhead all the woodland birds gathered, singing, and finding places to sit in the trees surrounding the clearing.
When the two big brown bears brought up the last of the March and took their places, Little Pine raised a bough in the air and the singing of the birds and the drumming stopped. Little Pine waited for the chipmunks and squirrels and woodpeckers to arrive from their drums, then he threw a whole basket of fun bubbles into the air.
They burst into music that captured the happiness in everyone’s heart and turned it into streamers of colorful light and song. Then Sugar Bear stepped into the center of the circle and raised her wand, and choir of bears began to sing. And their song filled the entire woodland with joy.
When their singing was finished, the dancing pony took center stage and delighted everyone with her prancing. Then the mice sang, and the elves told stories, the monkey tumbled, and the flower fairies danced.
After the last of the performers finished his act, everyone exchanged gifts, all of them receiving exactly what would do their hearts the most good.
The bears sang again, this time a whole range of songs. And when they were finished, the great feast began.
When everyone was full and happy, Grandfather Pine spoke, saying that the entire Festival was to honor the sun, and the Sun behind the sun, which gave life to their bodies and light to their souls that they might live with joy.
And when he concluded his remarks, he asked that everyone applaud Little Pine for all the work he had done to make the Festival a success. And a great cheer rang through the forest.
Then Little Pine spoke, saying that everyone’s contribution mattered, that everyone is a note in life’s symphony of love. And he released the rest of the fun bubbles into the air, and they showered everyone with laughter and light and song. Then everyone danced and danced until the bright moon was high in the sky.
When Little Pine fell asleep that night, after hugging all the guests good-bye, a tear of happiness rolled down his cheek and a soft smile rested on his lips. And when he was deeply into the land of dreams, another angel appeared to him.
“I am the Festival Angel, Little Pine,” she said to him. “And I have come to thank you, and to tell you, ‘Beautifully Done!’”