The Special Christmas Tree.
A Story by Cathal Dunning.
Clonown N.S. 18/12/99
I am a tree and my name is Woody. My parents were huge spruce trees and they came to a horrible death as they were cut down to make Christmas trees. Now every time I hear the words “Christmas” it sends a chill down my trunk. I ended up living as an orphan in a tree nursery in West Cork called Future Forests. Louise and Mike looked after me very well.
One day a group of teachers came into the nursery. One of them bought me for |six pounds. I was never as scared as I was now. I thought it was the end for me. She brought me home in the boot of the car. It was a very uncomfortable experience.
When we arrived at Clonown N.S.I was left in the boot for a day until finally I was taken out. The sun hurt my eyes because it was so bright. To make things worse I was left in a hall for a week. People rushed past me without taking any notice of me .One of them nearly knocked me over!
The following Monday the teacher brought
me into the classroom. I was scared! Everyone was looking at me! The teacher
said that I was a very special tree. Those words made me feel very warm inside.
She asked everyone why I was a so special. Some said I was very small, others
said that I was very prickly. Eventually one girl said that I was special
because I was alive and that’s true otherwise I wouldn’t be telling you this
story!
They
got some compost and some leaf mould and put them around my roots as they
planted me in a big pot they had got specially. I had never felt so well looked
after!
Next Monday there will be a special
Christmas here and I will be a guest of
honour. All the parents will be invited to it. The senior pupils are
making decorations for me and I will
look handsome. The children will look after me for years to come. They will put
me out n the garden after Christmas and they will remember to water me in the
fine weather. I will grow up to be a big spruce tree like my parents! I want to
stay in this school forever! It is not so bad being a Christmas tree after all!