Out in the woods stood a nice little Fir Tree. The place he had was a very good one: the sun shone on him: as to fresh air, there was enough of that, and round him grew many large-sized comrades, pines as well as firs. But the little Fir wanted so very much to be a grown-up tree.
The Fir Tree was a young one, new in this world by tree standards, and he heard the tales the birds sang about his brethren in the world, what Man had done with them and he wanted nothing more than to do the same joyous things.
Hans Christian Andersens fairy tale about the fir tree that wanted more have been told since 1844, when it was released alongside The Snow Queen in New Fairy Tales in Denmark. Andersen himself read the story at the Christmas party of Count Bismarck-Bohlen, where Wilhelm Grimm was awestruck by the tale.
In 1979, the story was adapted into a short film by Martin Hunter, with Jeff Kahnert as the voice of the Fir Tree. Debbie Osmond of The Osmonds had her first public appearance in this film, alongside the director of The Wild Pony, Kevin Sullivan, in his only acting role to date.
The Fir Tree has become a real Christmas Classic in many homes over the years and is really worth the read, for even if it might seem depressing at first read-through, you will leave with a sense of content for what you have and the caution to take care of the moment and not let it fade away without enjoying it. As with most of Andersens works, The Fir Tree has fallen into Public Domain and can be read here or ordered as hardcover here.