Once upon a time there was a carpenter, his wife and their two children, Jessie and Jarlath, who lived in a village by the forest. Each year at Christmas time, when the children were small, he would be sent out to cut down a tree for the Christmas, and each year they would decorate it and when the pines began to fall, he would take the tree outside and chop it up for firewood.

One year when Jessie and Jarlath were old enough, they insisted that their father allow them to accompany him to take the trail into the forest to select a Christmas tree. They wanted a special tree they said, and they told him that only they knew the best tree in the forest to pick. Their father agreed and their mother told them to be careful, to stay warm, that when they returned, she would have mince pies baked for them. She, too, looked forward to having a Christmas tree that would adorn their little cottage.

As they made their way into the forest Jessie and Jarlath were so excited that they could only talk about how they were going to decorate their particular tree. They would make special ribbons in various colours and hang them on the branches and would place silver tinsel all around to make it look like snow, and on top they would place their special golden star which they stored in a special box for the occasion.

Their father led them deep into the forest where the best trees grew. They came to a clearing and stood in awe gazing at all the wonderful trees they saw. There were so many beautiful trees they could not decide which one to pick. They even walked around as many as they could trying to make up their mind as to which tree would be the one to cut down and bring home to their cottage.

Their father was becoming impatient, for the sun was going down and they would have to be home before it got too dark.

“Come on, you two, you have to pick one,” he said.

And just as he said this a single beam of light streamed through the forest and shone on one particular tree. The beam of light shone in such a way on the tree that it seemed that each branch was covered in sparkling frost and a soft breeze passed through that sounded like music Jessie and Jarlath had never heard before.

The children and their father stood in such amazement before the tree that they each said at the same time.

“This tree is so beautiful it would be wrong to cut it down”.

“But what are we going to do?” asked their father, “We have to pick one.”

“Let’s choose another,” the children said.

Then a remarkable thing happened. No matter which tree they came to it lit up just like the other, and at each one a golden star seemed to come down from the heavens and hover above it.

“We can’t pick any of them.” Jessie and Jarlath said. “We have to leave them here. It would be wrong to cut down any of them.”

“But what are we going to do? Their father asked. Christmas would not be the same without a Christmas tree in their cottage.

“Let’s go back home and ask Mother what we ought to do,” he said.

When they arrived home their mother was delighted to see them returned from the forest safely, but asked where was their tree.

Jessie and Jarlath told their mother what they saw, and how it was so difficult to pick one tree over another and how it would be wrong to cut down anything so beautiful.

“But what are we going to do? Jessie and Jarlath asked their mother.

She, just like Jessie and Jarlath, wanted to have a Christmas tree in the cottage, for how can you celebrate Christmas without a Christmas tree?

As they sat down for their hot mince pies and cream their mother suddenly said. “I know what we will do!”

And so, it was agreed that on Christmas morning they would gather up all the presents that Santa Claus brought and then they would bring a hamper of food which would include turkey and pudding, as well, of course, as their mother’s mince pies, and load it all into their cart and have a Christmas picnic around their favourite Christmas tree.

All agreed that it was the best Christmas they ever had, and that it was such a wonderful idea that from that year on they would celebrate their Christmas day with a picnic among the Christmas trees in the forest.

Jimmy O’Connell