Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees
stood, dreaming of what they wanted to
become when they grew up. The first little
tree looked up at the stars twinkling like
diamonds above her. "I want to hold
treasure," she said. "I want to be covered
with gold and filled with precious stones. I
will be the most beautiful treasure chest in
the world."
The second little tree looked out at the
small stream trickling by on its way to the
ocean. "I want to be a strong sailing ship,"
he said. "I want to travel mighty waters and
carry powerful kings. I will be the strongest
ship in the world!"
The third little tree looked down into the
valley below where busy men and busy
women worked in a busy town. "I don't want
to leave this mountaintop at all," she said.
"I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they will
raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in
the world!"
Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone and the little trees grew
tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first
woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful and it
is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell.
"Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first tree. "I
shall hold wonderful treasures."
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is
strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax the second
tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree. "I
shall be a strong ship fit for kings."
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her
way. She stood straight and tall, bravely pointing to heaven. But the
woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree would do for me."
He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to the
carpenter's shop. But the busy carpenter was not thinking about
treasure chests. Instead his work-worn hands fashioned the tree into a
feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold
or filled with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay
for hungry farm animals.
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took him to a shipyard.
But no mighty sailing ships were being made that day. Instead, the
once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat.
Too small and too weak to sail an ocean or even a river, he was taken to
a little lake. Everyday, he brought in loads of dead smelly fish.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong
beams and left her in a lumber yard. "What happened?" the once tall
tree wondered. "All I ever wanted to do was to stay on the mountaintop
and point to God."
Many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their
dreams. But one night golden starlight poured over the first tree as a
young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could
make a cradle for Him," her husband whispered. The mother squeezed
his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy
wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree
knew she was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing
boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into
the lake. Soon a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He
knew he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely
through the wind and rain.
The tired Man awoke. He stood up, stretched out His hand and said,
"Peace!" The storm stopped as quickly as it had began. And suddenly,
the second tree knew he was carrying the King of Heaven and Earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were
yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried
through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a
man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday
morning when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath
her. The third tree knew that God's love had changed everything.
It had made the first tree beautiful, it had made the second tree strong and
every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.
That was better than being the tallest tree in the whole world.
stood, dreaming of what they wanted to
become when they grew up. The first little
tree looked up at the stars twinkling like
diamonds above her. "I want to hold
treasure," she said. "I want to be covered
with gold and filled with precious stones. I
will be the most beautiful treasure chest in
the world."
The second little tree looked out at the
small stream trickling by on its way to the
ocean. "I want to be a strong sailing ship,"
he said. "I want to travel mighty waters and
carry powerful kings. I will be the strongest
ship in the world!"
The third little tree looked down into the
valley below where busy men and busy
women worked in a busy town. "I don't want
to leave this mountaintop at all," she said.
"I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they will
raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in
the world!"
Years passed. The rains came, the sun shone and the little trees grew
tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first
woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful and it
is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell.
"Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest," thought the first tree. "I
shall hold wonderful treasures."
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is
strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax the second
tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters," thought the second tree. "I
shall be a strong ship fit for kings."
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her
way. She stood straight and tall, bravely pointing to heaven. But the
woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree would do for me."
He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to the
carpenter's shop. But the busy carpenter was not thinking about
treasure chests. Instead his work-worn hands fashioned the tree into a
feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold
or filled with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay
for hungry farm animals.
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took him to a shipyard.
But no mighty sailing ships were being made that day. Instead, the
once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat.
Too small and too weak to sail an ocean or even a river, he was taken to
a little lake. Everyday, he brought in loads of dead smelly fish.
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong
beams and left her in a lumber yard. "What happened?" the once tall
tree wondered. "All I ever wanted to do was to stay on the mountaintop
and point to God."
Many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their
dreams. But one night golden starlight poured over the first tree as a
young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could
make a cradle for Him," her husband whispered. The mother squeezed
his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy
wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree
knew she was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing
boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into
the lake. Soon a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He
knew he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely
through the wind and rain.
The tired Man awoke. He stood up, stretched out His hand and said,
"Peace!" The storm stopped as quickly as it had began. And suddenly,
the second tree knew he was carrying the King of Heaven and Earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were
yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried
through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a
man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday
morning when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath
her. The third tree knew that God's love had changed everything.
It had made the first tree beautiful, it had made the second tree strong and
every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.
That was better than being the tallest tree in the whole world.
Tags:short story, inspirational story, francis j kong, 3 trees, three trees
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