|
A magpie in his black and white tailcoat is flying between the treetops. He is looking down at the snowy ground. His head is turning left and right and his wing joints are creaking. Who is that little old man there between the fir trees, an axe on his shoulder? On the lands of Santa Claus, in the forest around the Korvatunturi mountain! I must go and ask! “Who you think you are?” the magpie croaks. “Me?” says the elf “Don’t you know, I am Forest Elf and I am going to bring a Christmas tree for the Christmas party of Korvatunturi. And a beautiful Christmas tree it will be, apples dangling on the branches and the top star gotten from Old Man Moon. A jaybird has promised to fasten the star up on the top of the tree.” The magpie seems to be interested – he has a habit of sticking his beak into others’ businesses. The forest elf knows that and asks “Do you want to know more?” The magpie forgets all his suspicions and sits down on the elf’s shoulder. The elf strides onwards and begins to tell. “The Christmas tree of Korvatunturi is big and furry. It is brought from the forest the day before Christmas Eve - that is today. It is put first on the porch of Santa’s house. There it will thaw. Early in the morning of Christmas Eve it is carried to the large drawing room and placed into a polished special brass stand. The tree is tall as a flagpole and almost reaches the ceiling. - Oh, how the fresh green branches smell! - In the afternoon, when everyone has come back from sauna, the Christmas tree is decorated. White candles are fixed to the branches. There will also be a lot of red, waxen-sided glossy apples, gingerbread figures, and glittering Christmas balls that reflect your funny stretched image. A little flock of laughing jaybirds will then come and bring a star from the sky to the highest tree top. There it glows and glimmers like an ice diamond!
The Christmas tree brings Christmas into the big drawing room of Santa’s house. Songs are sung and there is dancing around . Its little, shining candles are reflected as lights of joy and happiness from the eyes of the celebrants. |
|
In his royal appearance the Christmas tree looks at the Christmas party, like a benevolent king. When the evening turns into the night, the Christmas tree remains in its position like a guard, in the midst of extinguished candles. The candles will be lighted many more times, of course, but at last Christmas is over and it is the Twelfth Day. Then all rush to rob the Christmas tree, it is an old habit! The apples and the gingerbreads disappear into the mouths of cheery robbers. The fir tree is soon in its naked form - and if that’s not enough, it is thrown behind the woodshed. But in the woods of Korvatunturi new Christmas trees, big and furry, are growing for next and many more Christmases to come”.
The elf stops on the foot of a fir tree, a tree that stretches out towards the starry sky. “This is it” says the elf. But the magpie has gone. He has flown away to tell the inhabitants of the forest about a Christmas tree that has gold and crystals on its branches and a giant diamond growing on its top. |
