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Home My WebLink AboutDecember 23 and 30, 2004 - A very 'Seedy' Christmas The Suffolk Times • December 23 and 30, 2004 v e r � � � ee rl s m as , � , , � ,, � " �� ,�y �"�"`�.� �k"� �� stor is oin to b� about?You're ' p ''� " �� ,�, obby ancl Grin livcd by a Y g g �� , , � " ,��" � W � �N� w �, � ��c�„�c , � great evergreen forest where right.It's about a special little seed " � , ' nothing but Christmas trees whose name was Seedy.You may � k ' ��; " , N, ' ' grew.This story is about a not think it could be much of a , ��'�,� ial seed whose life started Christmas story if it's about a seed, ��'u„�� u,� � "� �� r, very spec .� „ �;, r in that evergreen forest.Did you but you wait and see. � know all trees have seeds of one Our story starts with Seedy living .,iri ti4 kind or another?The seeds of an inside a cone high up in the top of , oak tree are its acorns.The seeds of a tall evergreen tree.How he loved Very few seeds and nuts ever mature into a hickory tree are its nuts and the it up there,swinging back and forth seeds of a Christmas tree are the in the wind.There was only one trees, because mice and squirrels are tiny seeds inside its cones. thing he was afraid of,and that was constantl looking for them. A seed is a falling out of his snug little home �, at was oin on.Head over beautiful thing, and getting hurt when he hit the g g �OC►V$ for it carries all ground.His fear of falling came heels he fell until.he hit the ON the necessary true,for one winter's night there ground.Luckily there was a lot of was a terrible,howlin snowstorm. snow and he fell softly into it. NA„�,V RE parts of what g Next morning,he looked around that seed is going It thrashed the trees about so to see whPre he was.He couldn't by Paul to be.Can you badly that Seedy was shaken out o m�ve because seeds don't have Stoutenburgh tell now what his home and thrown out into the — this Christmas swirling snow. He didn't know legs and arms like you do,so all he could do after the storm stopped was look around.He saw that other seeds had been blown out of their cones as well.They were d �, — , , sprinkled all around and were �' �""'' ' buried in the snow just like he was. , , , � � � ,„'°� � �'"" " ' Through the days that followed, iAw� , - "�.�a��'�� ,��. e� , M' � '�,�1 � ,��; � �;� , „ all went well until around + �;, n �� ti° . ��,,'�� '��m'� � Christmas time,when Mrs. " '.t �` � "'��" �;`"' "��` ��" � , � Fuzzytail,the `��>} ��;� � ''`� �� ;; � °�`,� ; , �� „ �� ,,, gray squirrel, Chl'�St1118S �'^ �'` �.�'�Y k � .*�; came around �� , , , � was a day ''� � �""�� `G+� �� µ`n r'� � , �� , looking for nuts � �` '�� ' ' �`� � �' �� "` and seeds for a �edY WI�� .� � �� ,��M1� � ,N , '� � Christmas bas- 11@V@I' f01"gC�. � '�',� 1 h �e9rp n.�'�� D< ��'��;` ,�. ' � � � �r � . il � ��-�:, � ket she was ��9 ` �� , :�,, � �� -, �� ` making up for her sick mother S e ,,,,,�,�„,� �;�� d ' ' F t�,' �� found very few,for most of the ��' r�'�� ^�"°'� �� seeds had been taken earlier by ,, . „ �r '' � " Squeaky the mouse,so seed pick- , - , . • � � � �t, � � ;�� , --s, b , �, ' � ing was pretty poor. (Aren t you � � �� glad Mrs.Fuzzytail didn't see our � ��'� � ��,'; ��,r, � � � . � � �K,�� friend Seedy?) , . ,.,� „ ,� � � �„�,,��`� ` W�� .` � ti. �� T'here was nothing he could do ,,,, ��, '-��` - ,�,,� < �� ; � � but just lie there and wait for � � 1 in�ics/I3eview photos by Barbara Stoulenburgh Spl'lrig to COme 110rig.EaCll C�ay You'll be surprised to find out what happens to one little seed from inside the there were fewer and fewer seeds cone of a �hristmas tree one stormy winter night. around because all the little forest folks who were hungry would come by looking for nuts and seeds to eat. Seedy waited and waited. He was luck because he just hap- pened to be partially hidden un er and a girl came into the forest.He �ere were all kinds of presents, a piece of dcad wood that fell remembered it was just a few days because Erin and Robby had been down in one oP the winter storms. before Christmas.The girl was car- especially good.Seedy wondered So,when anyone came looking for rying a shovel and the boy was what was in all of the presents,but ushin a wheelbarrow alon i he would have to wait until morn- nuts or seeds,they never found p g g n in when the ot u Sure enou h Seedy. front of him.They had come to dig g y g p• g � As time went on,Seedy saw the up a Christmas tree. in the morning Erin and Robby got ice melt and the snow go away and Each year Robby and Erin up and ran into the living room, it got warmer and warmer.Then, W�uld go into the woods and find but there wasn't a single present. one warm afternoon,he felt some- the perfect tree.Not a big one,but Erin looked at Robby and a big one the could brin back to the tear rolled down her cheek,"Did thing inside of him start to move. y g Santa for et us?"Robb knew that What could be house.They had to be very careful g Y to et all of the roots and dirt so it couldn't be,so he started looking As years went moving inside g around,but still he couldn't find a by� $�Qdy of him? It was could be planted later.Erin was a root and it very particular about the size and single present.Then he looked out greW t0 be a started to work shape of the trec shc wanted.The on the patio,and there under the went from onc tree were all kinds of beautifully �8lltlfll�� itself down into wra ed boxes with bi red bows. strong tree. the warm tree to anoth- PP g earth.Each day er,back and That was a day Seedy will never the root went down deeper and forth,and forget.He was very proud of being then Erin a part of it.Every night people deeper.Then something else start- sto ed and came to visit and sing carols,and ed to move inside of him.It wig- pp ever one would sa `What a beau- gled and twisted and,lo and said,"There's Y Y,` the one I tiful Christmas tree!" behold,Seedy put out brand-new r,�,ant. And Trees can't stay out of the green shoots. round with their roots balled u He looked around and saw that she pointed g p 10 or 12 other seeds had made it her finger forever,but what was Seedy to do? through the winter,and each one right at He'd just have to hope they knew Seed he needed a drink of water.It had new green shoots.Just when «WhaYs rained one night,but it wasn't Seedy thought everything was oin on?" much.Erin and Robby had forgot- going all right,another problem �ried Seed ten that trees,bushes and plants came up. It was those big—no, y' need water. giant—animals called deer.They "I'm being du u "Sure When came along,nibbling away at any g P• Robb 's tender new shoot they could find. enough,with Y Seedy was afraid he was going to Y g g ,Robby grandfather man runts and roans � du u the tree and wra ed its who was a be eaten up.But luck was with roots n burla It took the two of great farmer, him,and the deer passed him by. P• them to ut the tree in the wheel- came over to He couldn't blame the deer.They P « visit,he said, were hungry.T'haYs just the way barrow.Seedy said to himself, It felt funn when Robb cu y "You'd bet- things are in the forest;deer have y y t m ter lant that always nibbled and browsed on roots,but then it didn't hurt that P � much•it was a funn feelin " tree and give hushes and twigs. It s just like you � y g' it lots of wilen you find something good to Back at the house,Seedy was pu eat. IYs all part of life.You eat veg- out on the patio of Robby and water,or it's etables,don't you?You eat fruit, Erin's new home.That afternoon dgoing to don't you?And so the deer have to they put a whole bunch of brightly eat too. colored lights all over Seedy's So Robby ' branches. How roud Seed was! got his shovel As years went by,Seedy grew to p y and du a be a beautiful,strong tree,almost �ere must have been a hundred g as tall as you are.It took eight �'more tiny li hts all throu h his hole in the branches and,when the were front yard,where Seedy could years for him to grow that ta1L It Y turned on,peo le came from all grow as big as he wanted,and seemed every year there was some- p lanted him in it.It was the erfect thing happening to him.Once around just to see the newly light- p P place,right outside their big pic- there was an ice storm.The ice ed tree. ture window.From that Christmas formed so thickly on his little On Christmas Eve Santa came and,of course,sto ed at Robb on,tree lights were put on Seedy's branches that they bent him right pp y branches and it was one of the down to the ground.He thought he and Erin's house.But when he rettiest Christmas trees on the wou e broken in two,but no,th tried to go down the chimney,it p was too small,and besides,the block. sun came out and melted the ice y So ou see bo s and irls,a seed and he popped right back up.By had put a metal cap over the top of Y � Y g the chimne to kee awa that that started out small,just like you, now he had grown into the most y p y rew into a beautiful Christmas perfect small tree in the whole far- pesky raccoon.Now what is he to �ee.To this da ever Christmas est.He didn't think much about it do with all their presents?You Y� Y Tuessed it! He ut them out on the people come and see the lighted until one winlry da when a boy €� P patie� uncicr Scc�lv's li�hlcd trcc. trce that started with a little seed called Seedy.