Lights for the Little Tree
Nel stomped through the soft deep snow. Mo came slow behind them. Lamps glowed yellow in every village window. Nel stopped by a small bare tree. It had no lights at all. Nel patted its cold brown branches. Mo waited in the snow beside it.
Nel found an icicle by the step. It shone like a drop of lamplight. Nel carried it slow. Mo carried it slower on his shell. Nel hung it on a low branch. It swung. It glowed. "One more light for the little tree," said Nel.
Mo found one on the old woodshed. It was fat and round at the end. Nel reached up high. Nel reached up higher. The icicle came away in their mitten. Nel hung it beside the first one. Two little lights swung together. Mo blinked, slow and glad.
Snow landed soft on Nel's wool hat. Nel found a thin icicle on the sled. It rang like a tiny bell. Nel hung it on a bendy branch. Three lights now. Mo hummed low in his throat. "One more light for the little tree," said Nel.
The last icicle lay on Mo's shell. Nel lifted it off with both mittens. Mo did not mind one bit. It was the smallest one of all. Nel set it near the very top. Four little lights. The tree had all its lights now.
Nel stepped back into the deep snow. Lamplight came through every icicle. The little tree shone gold and wet. The snow shone gold too. Mo looked up a long, long time. "One more light for the little tree," said Nel. But there were just enough.
Nel yawned a big slow yawn. The snow went quiet all around. Nel took Mo's flipper in their mitten. They walked home slow, together. Behind them the little tree kept shining. The village lamps glowed warm and soft. Nel held on all the way.
