On the morning that Jack Frost sparkled the woods, Little Pine set out to visit his cousins at the far end of the forest.
As he neared their neighborhood, he heard a deafening, buzzing sound unlike anything he had ever heard before. It frightened him a little, but his curiosity drove him onward.
Just as he got to the edge of the neighborhood, he heard humans loudly yelling. He stood absolutely still, remembering the First Rule was never to let a human see you move.
Then, to his amazement, one of his cousins fell to the ground, making a mighty crash. Looking around, he could see that others had fallen before him, large and small, young and old. The humans were fastening giant chains to the trees and hoisting them on a big truck. They laughed as they worked and steam came in great clouds from their mouths and noses.
As soon as the humans left, Little Pine ran back home to tell his mother what he had seen. He was confused and dismayed.
Mother Pine told him that this happened every year. She told him that Grandfather said that he learned from the birds that the humans took the fallen pines into their homes. They hung tiny, brilliant lights and decorations from their branches and laid gifts at their feet. It was the way, he said, that some humans celebrated the return of the Light.
That night, when Little Pine fell asleep, a snow owl came to him in his dreams.
“It is a great blessing, dear child,” the owl told him, “to be an evergreen tree. With your bright needles, you sing to the world that life can endure the days of cold and of darkness. You are a messenger of comfort, and hope, and promise.
“Those cousins of yours who gave their lives to be part of the humans’ celebrations receive special honors as their spirits return Home. They expressed love beautifully through their earthly forms, and they offered them with thanksgiving.
“And while none of us knows in advance how long our earthly stays will be, or how our adventures will end, what a privilege it is to be one of those who gets to visit here. Let your heart be glad, Little Pine, and your days filled with joy. For we are all children of the Great Yes, and we are all dearly loved.”