ONE LONELY CHRISTMAS TREE
Every year, the Snowman Trail booklet has a wonderful Christmas tale to tell. This year we find out about a magical Christmas tree...
High up in the Yorkshire dales lays the small town of Niddervale. Just outside the village is a lonely Christmas tree that each year the villagers decorate. The tree seems to live a charmed life and there is a saying that anyone who cuts it down will be struck down!
Many years ago, a team of lumberjacks were sent up to clear the area of timber. They worked throughout the spring and summer cutting down the prime timber and as it got to autumn there was very little left to remove. As they worked on, one tree remained and that was a lonely Christmas tree, which Paddy had earmarked for his family.
Many years ago, a team of lumberjacks were sent up to clear the area of timber. They worked throughout the spring and summer cutting down the prime timber and as it got to autumn there was very little left to remove. As they worked on, one tree remained and that was a lonely Christmas tree, which Paddy had earmarked for his family.
With the first fall of snow, Paddy went to check the tree was still there and it was. He knew a prime tree like that would look great in his lounge bay window, so when December arrived, off he went to get his prize tree. Upon arriving at the site, thick dense fog descended, and he could not see a thing. To make matters worse, his battery-operated saw battery had become flat. He was not to be outdone, so he took out the spare battery and prepared to fell the tree. As he crouched down, the saw started up and smashed straight into a rock shattering it into a thousand pieces. Paddy would not be beaten, out came his trusted axe, one swing later the head flew off and splosh as it landed in the ice-cold water of the pond and was lost forever. Paddy rubbed his chin, as he looked up the clouds parted and a shaft of sunlight descended on the tree. Paddy fell to his knees and made the sign of the cross. swearing it was a sign from God.
He packed up his things, headed back into the village and called at the nursery to buy a six-foot tree for thirty pounds!
The tree was saved, but that was not the only strange thing to happen involving the tree. On another occasion in thick ice a mother and her two children driving into town in their family car skidded on Pond Road, the car spun around and was heading for the water, when the car straightened out, sliding sideways into the tree.
He packed up his things, headed back into the village and called at the nursery to buy a six-foot tree for thirty pounds!
The tree was saved, but that was not the only strange thing to happen involving the tree. On another occasion in thick ice a mother and her two children driving into town in their family car skidded on Pond Road, the car spun around and was heading for the water, when the car straightened out, sliding sideways into the tree.
The only tree on the road and as if by magic it had stopped a certain accident and the almost certain death of the family. As they sat there shocked a beam of light appeared to surround the car.
Again, something strange happened when two poachers arrived at dusk to shoot the ducks. As they parked up and got out of their car it rolled into the pond, along with their guns and the car was never seen again, but a strange light was seen and quickly the poachers disappeared across the fields telling people they had seen a ghost!
More incidents took place, but the most famous one was when the village school bus just before Christmas, plunged into the pond and as luck would have it a tractor appeared as if pre-arranged. The farmer jumped down and tied the rope around the tree, as he could not get the tractor near enough to the water’s edge, and he rescued all the children. Cold and wet they sat there, but again the strange light appeared, and it led the village folk to the scene of the accident. With great excitement people asked what had happened and who had saved them? They all replied, “The man in the tractor, where is he now?” He had not gone into the village and neither had he gone down the road. Was it a miracle, no one will ever know, but from that day forth the lonely Christmas Tree was protected.
Again, something strange happened when two poachers arrived at dusk to shoot the ducks. As they parked up and got out of their car it rolled into the pond, along with their guns and the car was never seen again, but a strange light was seen and quickly the poachers disappeared across the fields telling people they had seen a ghost!
More incidents took place, but the most famous one was when the village school bus just before Christmas, plunged into the pond and as luck would have it a tractor appeared as if pre-arranged. The farmer jumped down and tied the rope around the tree, as he could not get the tractor near enough to the water’s edge, and he rescued all the children. Cold and wet they sat there, but again the strange light appeared, and it led the village folk to the scene of the accident. With great excitement people asked what had happened and who had saved them? They all replied, “The man in the tractor, where is he now?” He had not gone into the village and neither had he gone down the road. Was it a miracle, no one will ever know, but from that day forth the lonely Christmas Tree was protected.
To this day if you ever go to Niddervale around Christmas time you will see the tree fully decorated and preserved for all to see. Sometimes if you are very lucky you will see the light which appears at the top of the Christmas tree, but to this day no-one knows when it will appear and what powers it!
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