Before every Christmas, Annie’s mother baked several kinds of cookies, cleaned up, prepared decorations all over the apartment, and even took Annie for walks and to the hill behind the house to bobsled. But this year everything was different. The whole family will be moving to a different house. Annie will spend Christmas with her parents and little brother Alex in a new, big house in the village.
Even though the children were looking forward to seeing their new friends and the nature behind the house, they were sorry that this year’s Christmas was not what they were used to. Quiet and sweet-smelling. And when a box full of beautiful Christmas glass ornaments fell out of Daddy’s hand during the moving.
Alex cried and Annie hid under the cover, crying quietly. But Mummy knew her children well and knew how to cheer them up. She dressed them and led them to the edge of the forest. Then she gave them the task of collecting the most beautiful things from nature that they could find. They picked rose hips and frosted rowan trees, found two acorns, and even a forgotten chestnut tree. Alex brought two pine cones and a nut.
Mummy put everything the children had brought in a bag and they went home. The children asked questions, but they did not find out why they were taking the things they had collected home. What was their surprise when they saw the tree in their room on Christmas morning, with rosehips, rowan trees, chestnuts, acorns, and a peanut instead of glass ornaments. And on top of that, an orange and a lemon cut into slices, and even two whole apples!
Christmas was saved and everyone had a wonderful time together in the new house. On Christmas Eve they unwrapped presents under the tree, sang carols, and enjoyed how beautifully the tree was decorated. You too can look around in nature to see what ornaments you can hang on your tree.
