Susie nodded. She climbed up the steep, blue rugged staircase. She returned downstairs with her brother's pillows and blankets. She snuggled on the sofa with her brother, and both small children fell asleep.

When the Smith family was sleeping, their Christmas tree came alive. Not only with lights, but the ornaments came alive, the tinsel and the garland and the tree, and the lights too. Great chatter filled the tree. (For many years the Smith family had gotten an artificial tree, but now they had a real one.)

The chatter stopped when the angel at the top of the tree called for everyone's attention. "Please, listen up!" the angel said gently. "I have an important announcement. The tree is not producing so much food this year, because it is real."

Usually the tree (real or artificial) produced sweets, ice cream cakes and candies, but this year only the salad-like pine needles could be produced, and very few of them.