The Little Tree

Monday Mission - a children's story or poem. Guess who is dreaming about spring!

There was once a little tree that sat by itself on a small patch of lawn. In the winter time the little tree was covered in snow and ice. Under the snow and ice the little tree slept and it dreamed about butterflies. Lots of butterflies, gold ones and orange ones and yellow ones, dipping and drifting in the summer breeze. Once and a while the little tree would wake up, just a bit, but when it saw all the snow it would go back to sleep again.

Then one day the little tree woke up a bit more than usual, and the snow and the ice were almost all gone.

'Oh, my goodness', it said. 'The sun feels warm, and my roots aren't frozen and cold any more. I will have to do something to celebrate!'

And so the little tree sucked up some water from the newly thawed soil and it made some little green buds. Then it waited.

Soon the sun got much warmer. The last of the snow went away and green grass shoots started to push up out of the mud around the little tree's patch of lawn. A robin perched on the very tip of the little tree and sang its spring song.

'Wow', said the little tree. 'It's really spring. I will have to do something to celebrate'.

And so the little tree sucked up lots of nice warm rain water from the soil and it made some flower buds. Then it waited.

The little tree kept waiting until just the right day came along. The sun was very warm, and a lovely breeze was blowing just right.

'Whee,' said the little tree. 'It's time for me to bloom!'

And so the little tree pushed very hard on the buds that it had made and POP, out came beautiful purple blooms that had a wonderful perfume. Then the little tree waited.

The lovely smell of the flowers drifted along on the breeze. Soon a handsome yellow butterfly smelled the perfume.

'Oh, my', it said. 'That smells delicious. I bet there is some sweet nectar in a flower that smells so good.'

And away it flew, following the perfume, to the small lawn where the little tree waited.

'Hello, butterfly', said the little tree. 'Come and have a drink of my nectar. I've been waiting for you to help me celebrate spring!'

'Oh, thank you, lilac tree', said the butterfly.

And he did.

More butterflies came. Yellow ones and orange ones and gold ones. There were enough flowers for them all to have a drink. And the little lilac tree was very happy.