December had arrived, and that night brought heavy snow, a reminder of the approaching New Year. Mum, as always, came into the children's room in the morning, and with a habitual gesture of her hand, tore off another page from the calendar hanging on the wall near the entrance, and began to wake up her daughters Lisa and Dasha.
Girls!
Said Mum.
Wake up, or you'll be late for school.
Lisa, the older sister who was already in third grade, jumped out of bed and ran to the window.
Dasha, get up! Look how much snow has fallen!
Mum, is New Year coming soon?
Asked first-grader Dasha.
It's already December 10th on the calendar, and there aren't many days left until the New Year holidays.
Mum answered the girls, and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
The girls washed up, had breakfast, and then got dressed. Mum walked Lisa and Dasha to school, then went to work herself. And in the evening, as always, the whole family gathered for dinner.
Mum, can you imagine! Today in our Environmental Science class, Olga Nikolaevna told us that trees are alive, and that even small damage causes them pain!
Said little Dasha
What does that mean? Does that mean even the Christmas tree we decorate suffers every year?
Yes, trees are indeed alive
Answered Mum Ira
They breathe, drink water, and can even get sick like people.
What should we do then! I really don't want anyone to be sad and suffering while we're celebrating!
Lisa joined the conversation.
But if we don't have a Christmas tree, then the holiday won't come, and Grandfather Frost won't visit us.
The younger sister burst into tears.
And Lisa began to feel sad too
Dasha and I started making ornaments for the tree; we wanted it to be the most beautiful one we've ever had this year. And we wanted Grandfather Frost to bring us the best gifts.
Sighed the older sister.
Then Dad Kostya came into the kitchen.
Why are my girls so sad?
He asked.
It's such a wonderful day, so much snow has fallen! Maybe we could all go sledding together as a family this weekend?
Mum told Dad Kostya everything, and he said encouragingly.
You know, I also feel sorry for the real Christmas trees every year. They need so much strength and time to grow, and people cut them all down in just a few days. Here's what we'll do—tomorrow we'll go to the store. I actually saw that they brought in a lot of artificial trees today, and we'll choose the most beautiful and fluffy one that won't be any different from a real one! And Grandfather Frost will be happy that one more tree will remain in the forest. And he'll bring you the very best gifts.
And that's what they did. They bought a tree that reached almost to the ceiling, decorated it with homemade ornaments, hung garland on it, and the New Year beauty sparkled with colourful lights. No one even noticed it was artificial.
