Volume 64, Number 50 Distribute DECEMBER 12, 2020 The Christmas Tree Catastrophe 203250_PT.indd 1 9/11/20 2:22 PM Get Your Own Primary Treasure Every Week! Fun, true stories about kids just like you! Ask your Sabbath School teacher for your Primary Treasure magazine! FREE DOWNLOADS Ending Soon ©2020Pacific Press® Publishing Association. Please contact your ABC for pricing in Canada. For eBooks, go to 2051151038 Adventist-eBooks.com! The Christmas Tree Catastrophe Katee Amen Author’s note: This story is based on events the time we get a tree,” Elaine whined as from my grandma’s childhood in the 1940s during disappointment filled her voice. World War II. Rebecca and Elaine were very close, and Rebecca hated to see her little sister look so ut Dad, why can’t we go get a Christmas sad. After some thought, a plan started to B tree today?” Rebecca asked, feeling form in Rebecca’s mind. grumpy and annoyed. “Don’t worry, Elaine, we will get our tree “Yeah, we have been waiting so long,” and have it up and decorated before Dad gets Elaine, Rebecca’s younger sister, added. home,” Rebecca said. Dad sighed. “With your mom in the “But how?” Elaine asked. “Dad won’t be hospital, you know I need to go to town home until late, and we have to do all the today. I am hoping that she is well enough chores.” that I can bring her home today. I also need “We are just going to get one ourselves!” to pick up supplies. I won’t be home until Rebecca said enthusiastically. late this afternoon. I need you girls to feed “Get it ourselves?” Elaine asked. “But the cows and collect the eggs. We will try how will we chop it down? And won’t Dad be and cut down a tree tomorrow, OK?” Dad upset if we don’t do the chores? We are too hugged each of the girls. “I hate to leave you little to go out into the woods by ourselves.” alone today, but I have to go.” “I’m ten years old!” Rebecca said with The girls wrapped their arms around confidence. “I’m practically a young adult. their dad and gave him a big squeeze. “We Besides, Dad showed me how to use the saw hope you can bring Mom home today too,” when we were getting firewood last month. He Rebecca said. will be so impressed with us when he comes As she watched her dad drive down home and we have a decorated Christmas tree. the dirt road that led to the main highway, And if Mom can come home today, she will be Rebecca sighed. pleased that we already have a Christmas tree Rebecca and her family lived in the t o o.” country on a farm about 30 minutes from the “But what about our chores?” Elaine closest town. Most days Dad worked at home, asked. “We told Dad we would get them done. tending to the fields, chickens, and cattle that Won’t we be disobeying if we don’t do them?” lived on their land. Their mom, who was a “We will have plenty of time to do schoolteacher, was ill and in the hospital in our chores after we get the awesome tree the nearby town. I spotted this fall,” Rebecca said, trying to Christmas was only two weeks away, and reassure herself as well as her younger sister. despite their constant reminders, their dad Elaine thought about Rebecca’s idea had not had enough time to help them find a some more. She didn’t like the thought of Christmas tree. disobeying, but she trusted her sister. “OK, “Christmas will be here and gone by let’s do it!” she finally replied. 2 203250_PT.indd 2 9/11/20 2:22 PM When Elaine saw her coming, she asked, “Are you sure about this, Rebecca? Mom and Dad always say that Jesus doesn’t want us to lie or disobey our parents.” Rebecca sighed with frustration. “Don’t you trust me, Elaine?” she asked. Elaine thought for a moment and then nodded her head. “Then trust me when I say that everything will be fine. We aren’t disobeying because they never told us we couldn’t go get the tree ourselves. Plus, when we get back, we will do all the chores that Dad wanted us to do. That way we aren’t lying.” The girls quickly ran to their bedroom “I guess that makes sense,” Elaine replied to put on their warm coats, hats, gloves, slowly. scarves, and boots. Once they were dressed, “Then let’s get going,” Rebecca said, they ran outside. feeling more confident. “Now what?” Elaine asked. It was a beautiful December day. There “Now we need to grab the sled from was just enough snow on the ground to fill behind the house and the saw from the the air with delightful crunching under their shed,” Rebecca replied. “I will grab the saw boots. The trees seemed to sparkle as the sun and meet you by the sled.” hit their snow-filled branches, and the air Elaine nodded her head in agreement. was thick with the smell of fresh pine trees. Rebecca ran out to the shed, excitement As the girls wandered farther and farther and apprehension building in the pit of her from home, the nagging feeling in their stomach. She knew she shouldn’t be doing stomachs disappeared and was replaced with this, but she wanted that tree so badly. After a feeling of joy and happiness. finding the saw her dad had taught her to use, “I saw a tree this fall that I know would she ran back around the house and found her be just perfect,” Rebecca said. “I don’t think sister sitting on the sled. She could see her it is very far away.” sister was also having second thoughts. After walking for about an hour, Elaine 3 203250_PT.indd 3 9/11/20 2:22 PM started to complain. “I’m tired of pulling this As Rebecca came to the top of one hill, sled,” she said. “How much farther?” she stopped in her tracks. “There it is!” she “Why don’t we take a break from walking shouted. “That is the tree I saw this fall!” and build a snowman,” Rebecca suggested. Both sisters ran down the hill as fast as Elaine’s energy seemed to return as a huge they could, pulling their sled behind them. smile lit up her face. “I love building snowmen!” At the very bottom of the hill, in a small The girls went to work on making their snow-covered meadow, sat a beautiful pine snowman. As they rolled the large balls of tree. It looked to be just the right size with snow and stacked them on top of each other, thick, full branches. they hardly noticed the clouds beginning to “You are right!” Elaine exclaimed. “This cover the sun. They gathered sticks and rocks one is perfect!” to make the arms and a face. “Mom and Dad will be so impressed As they finished adding the eyes and a big with this tree that there is no way they will rocky smile, Elaine took a step back and looked be mad at us,” Rebecca said, trying to sound at their snowman. “He is missing something,” confident. She knew they had been gone she said. “He needs a scarf and a top hat!” much longer than she had expected, and she “Well, we don’t have a top hat, but he can knew they wouldn’t get all the chores done have my scarf!” Rebecca replied, pulling her before her dad got home. “Let’s hurry and scarf from around her neck. cut it down, so we can get it home.” “But won’t you be cold?” Elaine asked. Rebecca untied the saw from the sled. “We will be too busy cutting down our Together they started to cut down their tree for me to notice the cold. We will just perfect tree. But it was much harder than pick it up on our way back,” Rebecca replied Rebecca had thought it would be. The reassuringly. She wrapped her bright-red trunk was thick, and after working for 30 scarf around their snowman, and both girls minutes, they were only halfway through agreed he looked much happier. the tree. “Now let’s get back to finding our tree “I don’t think we can do this,” Elaine before Dad realizes we are gone,” Rebecca finally said. stated as a guilty feeling returned to the pit Rebecca realized Elaine might be right. of her stomach. She also realized that the saw was stuck in The girls gathered their sled and took off the tree and that it was snowing harder and up a hill. As they searched, small snowflakes getting colder. started fluttering down from the sky, and the temperature started dropping. Continued next week. Published weekly by Pacific Press® Publishing Association, a Seventh- day Adventist 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission. Scriptures marked NCV are taken from Publisher, 1350 North Kings Road, Nampa, ID 83687-3193, USA. Single sub scription the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. rate in the United States and its possessions: $39.35 for one year. To other countries: All rights reserved. The Bible picture story (p. 13) is written by Linda Porter Carlyle. The $47.35. All prices at US exchange. Periodicals postage paid at Nampa, Idaho. For Sabbath School lesson (pp.