SOLVED. The Extended Version of the Littlest Christmas Tree - Does anyone remember a version with a not-so-happy ending? [s]

[Deanne]

Okay, I will admit that this might sound a crazy, and the fact that I am new here isn't going to help, but I am hoping to find someone else who remembers the Littlest Christmas Tree story book, only with a not-so-happy ending.
We read in this book in elementary school. Must have been first or second grade because it was illustrated. This would probably have been in the early 70s.
The story was about the little evergreen tree who wishes madly to become a Christmas tree. He (not sure of the gender of the tree, so I'll say "he" so to move things along) tells the forest creatures about his dream to be loved by a family, but they are like, "Nah, it ain't like that. You maybe ought to think this through." But the little guy is undeterred, and one day his wish comes true: he is chosen by a family. They take him inside and decorate him, and stand around him in a circle, singing. He's looking out the window, grinning at the bunnies and raccoons and all the other naysayers. They look back and sort of side-eye each other and shake their heads.
Then, the day after Christmas, the dad takes down the little tree and drags him outside by his trunk. And sets him on fire. And all the forest creatures gather round and are sad, but still have a little of the "tried to tell you" attitude.
Oh, and in case you forgot, this was illustrated, and that image is still engraved in my psyche. I am pretty sure it is the reason I never over-accessorize.
I have always thought that was the actual story. That is, until I saw the book many, many years later, and was appalled that kids were still being forced to read it. The people I was appalled in front of were equally appalled by my appalled-ness, so I fast-flipped to the end of the book to show them the appalling part...only to find that a few pages and a lot of subtext had been left out. This book ended right before Dad took the tree down.
Now it's my mission to find out if anyone else remembers this book. Did it actually exist, or did my teacher put acid in our Kool Aid that day?

[Melanti]

The Fir Tree

http://hca.gilead.org.il/fir_tree.html

Nearly every story by Hans Christian Andersen ends with the main character dying.
It's not uncommon for the endings of his stories to be changed to something happier.

Heaven was HCA's idea of a happy ending. His non-human characters were just SOL.

[Deanne]

Are you kidding me? All these years of Googling "Littlest Christmas Tree +Alt Ending/Depressing Ending/Not-Safe-For-Children Ending" and it was a fairy tale? (No doubt a dumbed-down version because we weren't all that bright.) I just Googled "The Fir Tree" and that is it for sure. I only read the last paragraph, and that was more than I needed--the Heaven part must have come in at another part of the story. At least now I know why I couldn't bear to get rid of my first live Christmas tree. I kept it until late February, after all the needles had fallen, and even then...I still weep.
All silliness aside, thanks so much for your quick answer. I'm happy to know my teacher didn't drug us during lunch.

[Deanne]

PS: I think this can be filed under Solved, which I will do once I find the instructions.

[Kris]

Done. On the desktop website, there's an "Edit" link after your Topic header. Glad you found your book.

[Deanne]

Thanks! Now I want to help someone else find theirs...but you all are pretty sharp:)

[Melanti]

Deanne wrote: "the Heaven part must have come in at another part of the story...."

I meant in general. Trees don't have souls, so there's no happy ending in heaven for the little fir tree. That's what I meant by non-human characters being SOL.

Glad I could help!