Twiglet 1 - Part One...

The story of “Twiglet” the Little Christmas Tree is a story of discoveries*, miracles*, and friendships*. Read along with us as we follow the lives of Twiglet and the Oliver twins!

A long time ago on a Christmas tree farm there was a little itty, bitty, Christmas tree named “Twiglet”. The Christmas tree farmer was a bent old man who had a grandson named Bright.
Well...as the old farmer was planting the Christmas tree seeds, one seed fell as he was walking from his barn to the field. This one little seed lay there on the ground until one of the old farmers’ horses, ridden by Bright, picked it up in his hoof.
Unknowingly, Bright saddled up Star and rode all over the mountains, valleys, and streams on his Gran’pa’s place. All the while, the poor little seed was driven deeper and deeper into Star’s hoof!
When Bright finished riding, he started cleaning Star’s hooves just as his Gran’pa had taught him. He found the little seed! On his way to show his Gran’pa, Bright lost the little seed and no matter how much he looked for it, he could not find it!
Later, a little tree with a white top-notch showed up just on the outskirts of the Christmas tree farm. For this tough little seed fell into fertile ground and as the years went by the little itty, bitty Christmas tree grew. However, he did not grow as fast as the other trees planted by the old farmer, Gran’pa Shepherd, and his grandson, Bright Starr.
Well...it was time to harvest the trees and “Twiglet” joined the others in the wagon. The old farmer and Bright hooked up their horses, Star and Blaze, to the wagon and hauled the trees to the nearest town, a town called “Snowflake”.
They took the trees to a lot east of town where they sold them at a low cost, to make many children and their families happy. The trees were a reminder that it was Jesus’ birthday and that it was more important to give gifts than it was to receive them!


Meanwhile, about half way to Snowflake, something happened to Twiglet! He was so small and was on the very top of the load. With all that bouncing, Twiglet bounced right off the wagon and landed by the wayside! Gran’pa and Bright continued on their way to Snowflake unaware that Twiglet was gone!
That afternoon near dusk, two small twins gathering wood and twigs came across Twiglet. They were Rueben and Rachel Oliver. They had come to live with their Grandpa and Gramma Oliver when their parents had sailed to South America as missionaries.
Where would they put the tree? They had Brown Sugar, the old brown mare and their Gramma’s sleigh with them, but the sleigh was full of wood and twigs.
To their delight, the tree was small enough that they could put it on top of their load of wood and twigs to carry it home! They lived in a little old cabin, down a little old lane, among the tall pine trees with their Gramma O. Christmas would not be the same this year because they had lost their mother and father to the fever on the ship bound for South America. The twins were supposed to have joined their parents once they settled.
On the other hand, Gramma O was very thankful for Rueben and Rachel. She loved them
both very much and worried about what would happen to them if something happened to her. She was very old and was trying hard to provide for Rueben and Rachel, but was having a hard time since Grandpa Oliver had passed away shortly after the twins came to live with them. Gramma O was truly thankful that the little old cabin belonged to her. The children were thankful that they had Gramma O and her small home to live in. They tried to help her as much as they could.
Well...the twins took Twiglet into the little old cabin and told Gramma O how they had come upon the little itty, bitty Christmas tree. Gramma O rejoiced with them and said that the white top-notch was a good sign and that they must try to decorate the little Christmas tree!
Gramma O popped popcorn and used the twine she had saved from the old flour sacks that she bought from Jacob’s Mercantile. While Gramma O was popping the corn to make popcorn rope, Rueben and Rachel took Brown Sugar and the sleigh back into the fields behind the cabin to gather holly leaves and berries, pine boughs and pinecones, and mistletoe. They filled the sleigh as they shouted and sang because great was their excitement in having a tree for Christmas this year!
Darkness had reached them before they could get home. Gramma O lit the old kerosene
lamp and by the lamplight, they decorated the tree, the parlor, and sang as Gramma O played Christmas carols on the old upright piano.
Twiglet gave them much hope and joy. Each of them began to think hard on what they could find or make as a gift for the others. Gramma O started knitting some mittens for the twins and decided to make homemade fudge and taffy. They were giving thanks to God that Twiglet had renewed their Christmas spirit. Just as they were about to go to bed, they heard a faint knock at the door.

Copyright 2003 ~ All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 0-974561-51-7 ~ Illustrations by Phyllis Mae Richardson Fisher