The first song that Little Pine heard as he stepped outside was the caroling of his friend, Holly, dancing across the water from the opposite bank of the lake. The melody spilled across the gently rippling waters and rose from them, filling the air with its sound.
He stood still and drank in the clear, sweet notes. They filled his heart with tenderness, and once again he was entranced by the beauty of the world and felt its joy and peace.
He bowed to Holly, and she laughed in delight. He laughed, too, and ran off to see what other treasures the day would hold.
The rows of tall pines stood at attention while chickadees and red-headed woodpeckers played their fifes and drums. And accompanying them, he heard the merry tapping of fairy feet dancing on the decorated drums that the elves had prepared. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and thundered joyfully through the whole forest.
Before long, Little Pine came to the slope where the Queen of the Fields stood, more radiant than ever with her light dusting of snow. “Hello, Little Pine,” she sang to him. “Have a lovely Festival Day!” He stopped to chat with her a bit, telling her how lovely she looked. He asked if she might know how he could find the Snow Queen. He wanted to thank her, he explained, for her beautiful gift of snow.
She told him the Snow Queen herself couldn’t take on an earthly form, but that she would happily pass along his thanks when she spoke with her later.
“Have you been to the ballet yet?” the Queen of the Fields asked. Little Pine told her that he was headed there right now.
As he turned toward Holly Trail, Little Pine came to the great oak that had given birth to his friend Red Leaf, and stopped to thank the mighty tree for that gift, which had so blessed him throughout the past year. From high in the oak’s branches, he heard the happy chatter of the squirrels, who were munching away on their Festival Day breakfast.
Little Pine traveled on, and as he rounded the next bend, he caught his first glimpse of the delicate tree performing her graceful ballet. The elves were right. Her dance itself seemed to create the wondrous music that surrounded her. Her leaves were snow-capped now and glistening as she leaped and twirled, the very picture of grace and joy.
He took a seat by his elf friends who had come to see the show, and they erupted in applause and loud whistles when the little tree took her final bow.
Then, to Little Pine’s amazement, the elves themselves took to the stage and danced a jig so fast and intricate and lively that the whole audience broke into laughter and clapped until they could clap no more.
Just as the clapping came to an end, the howling of a pack of coyotes echoed through the trees, signaling that it was time for the Great Procession of the Animals to begin. Suddenly everyone headed to Holly Trail to take their places. Even the critters who were tucked in for the winter came forth to celebrate Festival Day. Mice and moles, mink and ground hogs, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, beavers, foxes, rabbits, coyotes and deer paraded through the forest singing their praises to the returning Light. It was a magnificent parade, ending at the base of Grandfather Pine, where everyone enjoyed a grand feast together.
By the time the festivities ended, it was growing late. But the elves asked Little Pine to join them as they delivered presents to the birds. Their mother had packed pretty bags full of nuts and seeds for all the cardinals and blue jays, and chickadees and sparrows, and for all the other winter birds who kept the forest singing in the winter. And so they trooped off, the elves whistling their merry tunes.
A light snow was falling as Little Pine turned toward home. What an extraordinary day it had been! He could hardly wait to share its adventures with his mother.
As he neared the door, he smelled the fragrance of the special meal that Mother had prepared, and heard Holly’s evening carol, still wafting from the lake. And his heart was filled with tenderness and joy.