The Digglers

The little fir tree lived in a wood with his mum and dad. They were surrounded by lots of other trees and nearby a track that led through the wood. He thought it was a lovely place to live and how it changed through the seasons. He enjoyed watching all the different animals and he would talk to the birds that flew down and perched on his branches.

However, there was one thing that spoilt this idyllic life. Every so often a truck arrived and two men would inspect the trees. Most of the trees in the wood were fir trees but there were some oak and sycamores. It was always the fir trees that the men were interested in. After a while they painted a mark on some of the trees, they then left. A few days later they returned carrying a chainsaw and the little fir tree watched in horror as they began to cut the trees that had the marks on them. He asked his mum and dad what was happening and they explained that the trees were being used for poles. The poles were stood in the streets and they carried wires. The little fir tree watched as the men cut the branches from the trees and then loaded the bare trunks onto the truck which then disappeared down the track. He listened as he heard the noise of the chainsaw coming from another part of the wood.
'I don't want that to happen to me,' sobbed the little trees.
'Don't worry,' said his mum, 'as yet you are too small.'
He still however, was worried because his mum and dad were the same size as the one he had just seen cut down and he didn't want to lose them.

The seasons continued and the little tree watched as the oaks and sycamore shed their leaves in autumn. He was glad he kept his needles all year round and he thought the oak and the sycamores would be cold in winter.

One cold rainy day the men returned to the wood and the little tree watched in horror as they painted a mark on his dad. He began to sob.
'Don't worry, son,' said his dad. 'The birds will find me and they will let you know how I am.'

A few days later, just like before, the men returned with their chainsaw. The little fir tree couldn't understand why the trees in the wood couldn't be left alone. It was a horrid place to be when these men came to spoil everything.
He couldn't bear to watch as his dad was cut down and loaded onto the truck and disappeared down the track. When these men came, the wood changed. Everything became quiet. Animals disappeared and the birds stopped singing. At least he still had his mum. Little did he know that he would be the next to go!

Autumn rapidly turned to winter. The little tree had watched as the squirrels had hidden their nuts for their winter store. The leaves had fallen into piles under the oak and sycamores and now many of the animals were preparing for their winter sleep.
The first snow of winter finally arrived and the wood became a silent wonderland under the blanket of snow. The little tree could see some animal and bird tracks circling both him and his mum.

All of a sudden, he heard a roaring noise. It was the men and the truck!
'Surely, they can't be coming to cut down a tree,' thought the little tree. He had never heard the noise of the chainsaw in winter. He watched as the truck stopped on the track and the two men went to inspect the trees. To his horror he saw them looking at small trees. He began to shake as the men got closer. One pointed at him and they walked over.
'I'm too small to be a pole!' shrieked the little fir tree.
It didn't make any difference a mark was painted on his tiny trunk. The men got back into the truck and it disappeared down the track.
The little tree had shook so much, there was no snow left on his branches!
When he had finally calmed down, he asked his mum what would happen to him.
She explained that she had been told by the birds that people in winter liked to have tiny fir trees in their houses and dressed the trees with all kinds of decorations. The little tree didn't care what they did, he just didn't want to leave his mum. How he wished trees could move, all he wanted to do was to run away and hide!

A few days later, the men returned. This time they did not have a chainsaw but a spade. He watched as they went to the small trees and began to dig them up and put them into the truck. The little tree tried to hide the mark on his trunk with one of his branches but it was no use. He was spotted and over they came. The little tree was in shock as they dug away at his roots which they put in a pot and he was lifted into the truck. He shouted a forlorn goodbye to his mum and the truck began to leave his beloved wood.

At first it was a very bumpy ride and he was tossed up and down bumping into the other trees. At last they reached the main road that led to a town. The little tree noticed the other traffic and people walking by the side of the road. He also noticed that the snow was not white and looked rather dirty. The truck stopped outside a shop and the trees were lifted down and placed outside a big window. The two men then drove away and the trees were just left there. The little tree had been placed behind all the others.
Over the next few days, the pile of trees got smaller but no-one had the little tree. At last he was the only one left.
'No-one wants me!' cried the little tree. 'I could have stayed in the wood with my mum!'

Just as he was feeling fed-up, a lady pushing a pram and a little boy went past the shop. The boy stopped and pointed to the little tree. His mum came back and looked at the tree. They both started to smile. His mum disappeared into the shop. When she came out, she picked up the little tree and as the boy pushed the pram, they took him home. When they got home, the little tree was put in the garden. It was quite a large garden and the little tree quite liked it although, it wasn't as nice as his wood.

The next day, he was taken inside and put in a large room next to a big cardboard box. The tree watched as the boy, his mum and the baby began to put coloured balls on his branches. How grand he looked when they had finished! A star was on his top branch and last of all a string of tiny lights were wound round all his branches. The tree was placed in a corner next to the window and his lights were switched on.
'If only my mum could see me now,' thought the little tree. 'She would be very proud.'

As the days passed, the tree got to know the family and he enjoyed watching all the activities. He watched the wrapping of presents which were then placed under his branches next to the pot that held his roots. He had not been in his new home long before he heard a tapping at the window. It was one of his bird friends from the wood. It was lovely to see some-one he knew. The bird visited every day, bringing news from the wood. The little tree told the bird to tell his mum that he was ok.

The little tree enjoyed the excitement of Christmas. Watching them opening their presents, and playing games. He wondered if he would stay like this for ever. Alas all good things come to an end and the large cardboard box was brought into the room and one by one the decorations were taken from his branches and put back in the box. The little tree wondered if he would stay in the corner by the window but they took him back into the garden. This was to be his new home.

Every year in winter he was taken back inside and decorated once more. Each year they needed more decorations because he had grown more branches. Occasionally, they bought him a new pot with more soil.
'Life after all is not too bad,' muttered the tree who wasn't little anymore! 'It certainly beats being a pole!'

The End