“The Polar Forest is so beautiful,” the Nasty North Wind jeered the Christmas Frost King into a fierce argument.
The Nasty North Wind blew against the Christmas Frost King’s Ice Palace in the tundra of the Arctic. He had been blowing so hard against the Palace that many in the King’s household thought it would soon topple.
“With one little icy breeze, your forest will never again serve you,” the Nasty North Wind taunted. “Let me test them!”
“Fine, you may test the trees of the Polar Forest to see who is full of love and compassion,” the Frost King decided.
“None of the trees will care about the animals of the forest,” the Nasty North Wind ridiculed the King.
“You have my permission to test the trees, but not to kill them, and only for the winter season,” the King reasoned.
“If the trees of the Polar Forest love me, then they will also love my animals,” the King continued. “And I know they do.”
“I know you believe that your forest is good, but none of your trees are truly pure in heart,” the North Wind cackled.
“The Spruce Tree, the Pine Tree, and the Little Juniper Tree will stand tall against your wind,” the Frost King threatened, slamming his ice scepter again the palace wall, sending rays of light into the North Wind, causing him to shrink.
“Do not mock me,” the Frost King outraged, sitting on his throne. “I know my forest is fallen, but it still loves me. Be gone, and do not return until the test is complete. I already told you that I know which trees are upright. If I’m wrong, then you can have my throne. If you’re wrong, then you’ll be banished into the Antarctic never to return to the North.”
“We shall see who is right and upright,” the Nasty North Wind roared. “And we shall see who is crooked and deceptive.”
The Nasty North Wind set out through the Polar Forest, sending the worst storms in years with sleet, rain, snow, and ice. Tree branches were freezing and snapping off the trees like twigs. Tree hollows were filling with snow and icicles.
Of course, animals like the Gray Wolf and the Brown Grizzly Bear were able to hide in the mountains and caves. However, a creature like the Littlest of Little Birds could not even fly fast enough to escape the wind to shelter.
“This is how I will win this battle against the Christmas Frost King,” the Nasty North Wind snapped through the air.
“No one will even care what happens to the Littlest of Little Birds,” the Wind derided, trapping the Bird in a downward spiral.
At first, the Birch Tree caught the Littlest of Little Birds in his arms, hiding the Bird for a few hours, until the Nasty North Wind laid bare its branches of leaves. With the Wind biting at the branches that held the Little Bird, the Birch Tree let the Bird go back into the winter storm.
Within minutes, the Oak Tree took the Little Bird into his arms, but the same thing happened as with the Birch Tree. The Nasty North Wind plucked it branches of leaves and tormented the tree until it released the Littlest of Little Birds back into the freezing storm. By this point, the Little Bird was fearing death.
“I can’t take anymore suffering,” the Bird cried. “What did I do to deserve this? Why will no one save me?”
Then, the Willow Tree, which was known to weep openly, grabbed the Bird and hid it until the Nasty Wind blasted its branches so hard that it could not keep the Bird in its shelter any longer. It ushered the Bird back into the forest with tears.
“Where are these grand trees that you mentioned Christmas Frost King?” the North Wind called, almost killing the Bird.
The Little Bird had lost most of its feathers by now, had a hard time flying, and could no longer sing with its sore throat.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of a spruce, pine, or little juniper tree,” the North Wind lied, almost crushing the Bird.
With that, the Spruce Tree, Pine Tree, and Little Juniper Tree picked their roots from the ground and walked forward through the Polar Forest, past the Birch Tree, Oak Tree, and Willow Tree, and shielded the Littlest of Little Birds.
“I offer my thick branches to protect you, Little Bird,” the Spruce Tree affirmed, putting his roots down and refusing to move.
“I will give my life for the smallest animal in the forest,” the Pine Tree vowed, standing between the Bird and the Wind.
“My needles will be your nest, and my berries your food, even if I am small,” the Little Juniper Tree proclaimed to the Bird.
The Three Evergreen Trees, who are green in every season, spread kindness in the Polar Forest, causing all the other evergreen trees of the Polar Forest to defend every large and small animal throughout the wintertime storms.
Although the Nasty North Wind blasted gales and gusts, which were deathly typhoons, the Evergreens stood tall. The harder the Wind blew against the Evergreens, the more resolute the Three Trees became to defeat him.
“I lived to see the springtime,” the Little Bird cheered, singing a song in the sunshine. “I can sing again! Sing a love song!”
When the Nasty North Wind returned to the Christmas Frost King, the Wind could not believe that he had lost the wager.
“For the rest of your days, you will not touch any spruce, pine, or little juniper trees on Earth,” the Christmas Frost King announced.
“I banish you to the Arctic, except for the winter season,” he declared. “Each fall when the season turns to winter, you may wreak havoc on the other trees, especially the birch, oak, and willow trees. If you must, pluck their leaves and leave them naked. You will, however, never pluck a needle from the Evergreens of the Earth. You will also never attack my palace again. Be gone! Never return to me, foolish, arrogant tempest! I hope you get tired of freezing the world and bring warmth instead.”
“I bow to your greatness, Christmas Frost King,” the Nasty North Wind whimpered, departing for the Southern Hemisphere.
“Find me the Littlest of Little Birds,” the Christmas Frost King charged his servant. “I need her song in my court.”
Just before the Little Bird was about to fly away into the spring sky, the servant found the Bird resting in the Spruce Tree.
“Your presence is requested by the Christmas Frost King,” the servant explained, gathering the Little Bird into his arms.
“Thank you, my lord,” the Littlest of Little Birds sang, singing a melody which humans called “In the Bleak Midwinter.”
For the rest of her days, the Little Bird sang in the court of the Christmas Frost King, winter, spring, summer, and fall.
Copyright 2016 Jennifer Waters
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