Buttercup was excited, Pumpkin was excited because Buttercup was excited, and PJ was always excited for just about everything. The excitement came about because they were all going Upstate to get a Christmas Tree.

The trip was planned since summer ever since Buttercup heard the story about some bunny rabbits that had a Christmas tree with presents under it and stories were told while you put it up and all about hugging and friends coming over and all the exciting things about Christmas Trees. The one thing that they tried to work out before they left on the long drive Upstate was for Buttercup to say ‘Christmas Tree’.

“Shrishmush Tree!’ she uttered as her Papa picked her up and listened to hear how close she came to pronouncing it correctly.

“Close...very close...” said her Papa, “maybe we can practice some more on the way to the Christmas tree farm.

“One more time Papa!” said the little black and white bunny, as she closed her eyes and tried very hard, “Shhhrishhh-mush...tree!”

Her Papa had to wipe his face after his little girl’s strong effort.

The ride Upstate was very long and both PJ and Pumpkin fell asleep many times. They woke up sometimes when there were big bumps in the road. Buttercup was just too excited so she sat next to her Papa and watched everything there was to see on that long road to the Christmas tree farm.

There were so many trees on the farm that Buttercup just didn’t know which one to pick. There were tall ones and short ones and ones with branches going this way and ones with branches going that way.

They walked around and around until they saw a very special tree which everyone loved and decided that this was going to be their Christmas Tree.

The tree was taller than Buttercup and taller than Pumpkin and...well almost everything is taller than little PJ. But the tree was not as tall as their Papa. It was just the right height for a Christmas tree to take back home in their cozy apartment in the attic.

“This is going to be our...Shrishmush tree!’ shouted Buttercup and she hugged Pumpkin and little PJ and they all ran around the tree very happily.

Their Papa spoke to the man who owned all the trees on the farm who came over to them smiling.

“That is a very nice tree for a happy bunch of kids like you.” Said the man who had a big axe in his hand.

“This is going to be our Shrishmush tree!” shouted Buttercup as she looked up at the man who had a fluffy white beard. “What’s that!” she asked pointing to the big red axe which the man carried in his hand.

“This is my axe which I use to get your tree out of the ground for you to take home.” He said as he looked down at Buttercup.

“Oh.” Said Buttercup quietly.

Their Papa gave the man some paper bills which he quickly put into his pocket and then he walked up to the tree.

“OK little rabbits stand way back there.” The man pointed to a spot far away from the tree. Their Papa picked up all three little rabbits and they watched the man getting ready to chop the tree down. The man walked up to the tree and put the axe close to the bottom of the tree and then he took a big swing.

Buttercup looked at the big red axe and then she looked at the tree and then her little brown eyes started looking all the way up the tall green tree.

“Oh Papa we’re going to have such a happy time with that nice tree in our apartment back home aren’t we?” whispered the happy little bunny. Her eyes reached all the way to the top of the tree and then she saw the man’s axe ready to make its first chop. Just then a little yellow bird landed on the top of the tree. Buttercup jumped up in her Papa’s arms. She saw the axe coming toward the tree and she yelled out loud.

“Stop!”

Now you may imagine how small a bunny rabbit Buttercup is, but you would never have guessed how such a little bunny rabbit could shout the word ‘stop’ so loud.

Buttercup shouted so loud that everyone on the Christmas tree farm looked over to see what was happening.

“What’s the matter little girl?” asked the man who was still shaking from her loud shout.

“There’s a little birdie on the top of our Shrishmush tree!” said Buttercup as she pointed to the top of the tree.

Everyone looked to the top of the tree and there was the little yellow bird presently having a scratch behind her ear.

“Oh that’s just a little Yellow-bellied sapsucker, she’ll find another tree to sit on.” Said the man who got ready to swing his big red axe at the tree one more time.

“No she wouldn’t...that’s her favorite tree it looks like!” said Buttercup.

“Oh but look at how many other trees she has to sit on.” said the man as he swept his arm across the field of green Christmas trees on the big farm. He got ready once again to swing his big axe. Buttercup looked at the little yellow bird on the top of the tree who stopped scratching her ear, looked at the three bunny rabbits on the ground below her, and began scratching her other ear.

“But this is her special favorite tree!” said Buttercup. PJ looked up at the yellow bird and waved his little hand at her. The little bird looked at PJ and gave a nice big yawn. Then she closed one eye, then the other and took a nap.

The man who was very tired from swinging his big axe wiped his forehead with his handkerchief.

“Well then I guess you’ll have to pick another tree.” Said the man who put down his axe and waited for Buttercup to pick out a new tree.

“We don’t want another tree...this is our tree right here!” said Buttercup who loved their tree very much.

It was settled that their tree would always be their tree and that it would stay where it was, and never be chopped down.

Soon it was Christmas Day and it was snowing since the night before on the Christmas tree farm. Coming up a narrow path leading to the little bunnies’ Christmas tree were the three little rabbits being carried by their Papa. Under their Christmas tree there were no presents but Buttercup told PJ and Pumpkin a story about the happiest Christmas tree that ever lived that got its wish to stay in the ground so it could have the snow fall on its face and feel the bright sunlight on it's branches. As they sat under the tree a breeze came over and dusted some of the snow off the top of the tree. The little bunnies looked up and saw three little yellow birds cuddled together under a small branch. The little birds looked down at the bunnies and PJ smiled at them. The bunnies hugged each other when they saw the little birds sleeping so snug on their tree.

That Christmas day no one got any presents but everyone got hugs and somehow it turned out to be the best Christmas that they ever had...the bunnies, the birdies and the Shrishmush tree.

Buttercup couldn't save them all. If you were to walk near that Christmas Tree farm Upstate you may hear quite a different song, a sadder one, when the Wind rushes through the farm because this tree is not at home to make the beautiful music that trees make with their leaves to delight those little animals all over the Earth. bushtr