Tall Tales and Short Stories : Chubby Gets Chosen by Carolyn 'Deaton' Stephens |
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At the edge of the forest stood a big and tall Oak tree. All the other trees had named him 'The King'. No matter how much the other trees kept growing and growing they could never get quite as tall as King Oak.
The wind had whipped a message to the King that harvest time would be coming soon. King Oak told all the other trees to get ready for some would be chosen to go to the saw-mill. The humans that would choose them were called loggers. They would put them on a big truck and they would have an exciting ride. At the saw-mill they would be made into long beautiful boards and would be used in many ways. Some would be made into Houses for humans to live in. Some would be made into Tables or Chairs or Beds or maybe curvy, shiny, and lovely Stairways. You just never knew what you would be, but one thing for certain, once you were chosen it would be for something wonderful. All the trees were so excited, they had grown and grown just waiting for this day. The King reminded them that all of them would not be chosen, only the ones that were very straight and very tall. Some would have to wait for another year or maybe more. But there was one tree that was very unhappy about harvest time. He had waited every year for a long time to be chosen and he finally just gave up. He had hidden in the middle of the forest where he could not be seen. He was not tall... He was not straight But he was very, very big! His trunk was all twisted this way and that. Some of the other trees laughed at him and they called him 'Chubby'. The wind had whispered 'Good Luck' but Chubby just knew he would never be chosen for the harvest. Chubby was very sad, and he was feeling very, very sorry for himself. When harvest day came he could hear the saws making a happy buzzing sound as they cut the chosen trees. He could hear them hit the ground with a thud of laughter, just as if someone was tickling them. It sounded like a very happy day. Chubby thought, 'for every one but me'. As the loggers moved through the forest picking trees from here and there they tied a ribbon on each tree, just like a ribbon for their hair. Chubby could hear the loggers coming closer and closer. He tried to stand straight, he tried to stand tall, but nothing seemed to work. He was short and very big around, no matter what he did. All at once the loggers were there. They were face to face with Chubby. He expected them to laugh at him because he was so short and big around. But that did not happen. He heard Mr. Logger say "this is the perfect tree". "We will need a long, long ribbon to tie around him because he is so big." Chubby didn't understand how the logger could call him the perfect tree and then say he was so big. Maybe big wasn't so bad after all, thought Chubby. The ribbon was tied snuggly and Chubby felt so good inside. He was chosen, he was a perfect tree. But now he began to wonder, What will they make of me? What could I possibly be ? When the happy buzzing saw made a notch in Chubbys' trunk it tickled and tickled. He laughed and crackled and groaned with glee. And then Chubby heard the long awaited for sound, 'Timber, Timber', and Chubby came to rest on the ground. He was loaded onto the special truck and away they went to the saw-mill. All the trees were unloaded and it wasn't long before Chubby was the only tree left on the truck. Chubby was beginning to think that he had been forgotten, or maybe they changed their mind, maybe they wouldn't use him at all. Maybe...... Just then the driver came back. They traveled down a long highway and finally stopped at a large factory. The sign above the door read 'Pencils, Pens, Spoons and Book ends'. Chubby was so happy, He could hardly believe this great adventure was happening to him. He was made into long pencils, short pencils, wooden toys and spoons and so many things he lost count of them. But his very favorite thing to be was short little pencils and on the side his name was written 'CHUBBY'. He could hardly wait for the day to come when he would fit neatly into a little child's hand who was holding a pencil for the very first time. Chubby, the perfect tree, for the perfect pencil, for the perfect little 'Chubby' hand.
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Carolyn 'Deaton' Stephens
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