Why The Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves
: The Book Of Nature MythsWinter was coming, and the birds had flown far to the south, where the
air was warm and they could find berries to eat. One little bird had
broken its wing and could not fly with the others. It was alone in the
cold world of frost and snow. The forest looked warm, and it made its
way to the trees as well as it could, to ask for help.
First it came to a birch-tree. "Beautiful birch-tree," it said, "my wing
branches till they come back to me?"
"No, indeed," answered the birch-tree, drawing her fair green leaves
away. "We of the great forest have our own birds to help. I can do
nothing for you."
"The birch is not very strong," said the little bird to itself, "and it
might be that she could not hold me easily. I will ask the oak." So the
bird said, "Great oak-tree, you are so strong, will you not let me live
on your boughs till my friends come back in the springtime?"
"In the springtime!" cried the oak. "That is a long way off. How do I
know what you might do in all that time? Birds are always looking for
something to eat, and you might even eat up some of my acorns."
"It may be that the willow will be kind to me," thought the bird, and it
said, "Gentle willow, my wing is broken, and I could not fly to the
south with the other birds. May I live on your branches till the
springtime?"
The willow did not look gentle then, for she drew herself up proudly and
said, "Indeed, I do not know you, and we willows never talk to people
whom we do not know. Very likely there are trees somewhere that will
take in strange birds. Leave me at once."
The poor little bird did not know what to do. Its wing was not yet
strong, but it began to fly away as well as it could. Before it had
gone far, a voice was heard. "Little bird," it said, "where are you
going?"
"Indeed, I do not know," answered the bird sadly. "I am very cold."
"Come right here, then," said the friendly spruce-tree, for it was her
voice that had called. "You shall live on my warmest branch all winter
if you choose."
"Will you really let me?" asked the little bird eagerly.
"Indeed, I will," answered the kind-hearted spruce-tree. "If your
friends have flown away, it is time for the trees to help you. Here is
the branch where my leaves are thickest and softest."
"My branches are not very thick," said the friendly pine-tree, "but I am
big and strong, and I can keep the north wind from you and the spruce."
"I can help too," said a little juniper-tree. "I can give you berries
all winter long, and every bird knows that juniper berries are good."
So the spruce gave the lonely little bird a home, the pine kept the cold
north wind away from it, and the juniper gave it berries to eat.
The other trees looked on and talked together wisely.
"I would not have strange birds on my boughs," said the birch.
"I shall not give my acorns away for any one," said the oak.
"I never have anything to do with strangers," said the willow, and the
three trees drew their leaves closely about them.
In the morning all those shining green leaves lay on the ground, for a
cold north wind had come in the night, and every leaf that it touched
fell from the tree.
"May I touch every leaf in the forest?" asked the wind in its frolic.
"No," said the frost king. "The trees that have been kind to the little
bird with the broken wing may keep their leaves."
This is why the leaves of the spruce, the pine, and the juniper are
always green.
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