The Story the Starbeam Told

December 1915

One cold winter night the snow was gently falling on the pine trees of the forest. These tall, stately trees stood very straight and still on this cold night. By and by the tallest and the oldest of them said:

"How happy I shall be when at last I am strong enough and tall enough to be cut down by the wood cutters. I hope when they do cut me down that I may be good enough that they will want me for some great ship, and then I shall have a chance to sail the seas."

"What do you know about ships and the seas?" asked a little pine tree who stood at the foot of the tall one.

The stately tree bent his branches a very little and looked down at the small tree, at his feet.

"I have heard many stories of the seas, and the ships that sail on them, for the birds sit in my branches and sing to me all the time of the beauties and wonders of the world. Then, too, the starbeams, who are much older than the birds, have some truly wonderful tales to tell of things that they have seen in their trips around the world. There is the Starbeam of the Brightest Star, just peeping over the hilltop. He can tell some truly wonderful tales."

The little pine tree trembled for very joy. This was his first winter in the forest, and these things were all new to him, just as was the snow that was covering his roots, and making them all warm with its white blanket. "Won't you please ask the Starbeam to tell us a story?" asked the little pine.

"Let us ask him to tell us again the Christmas story," said another of the older pines, "the one he told us last year."

So, when the Starbeam came over and rested gently on the tallest pine, he asked it to tell again the Story of the First Christmas.

"I love to tell this story best of all stories that I know," said the little Starbeam.

"Once upon a time a long time ago, long before even the oldest pine trees here began to grow, a beautiful woman, named Mary, and her husband, Joseph, went on a journey to a little city called Bethlehem. All the people in that country went to this same city, to pay their taxes, and when Mary and Joseph got there, they found so many people, that there was no room left for them at the inn. The only place where they could find shelter was in a stable, and here they went. That night a little babe was born, and its mother, Mary, laid him in a manger on some nice clean straw.

"Away off in the East, the Brightest Star appeared. He had never been seen before, and some wise men who knew that this was the time for the babe to be born, saw the Brightest Star as they started out to find the babe. All their long journey the Brightest Star kept just in front of them to show them the way to go, and when they rested at night, the Brightest Star would rest too, and wait for them. At last they reached the city of Bethlehem, and found the little babe in the manger with his mother by his side.

"These wise men had brought some very costly gifts to this babe, and it is the birthday of this babe that is celebrated every Christmas, and it is in his memory that gifts are given to the poor.

"That is all of the story, and it is time for me to be going," and the Starbeam went gayly on, dancing over the tops of the trees.