The Birch and the Star, and Other Stories

About two hundred years ago Finland had suffered greatly. There had been war; cities were burned, the harvest destroyed and thousands of people had died; some had perished by the sword, others from hunger, many from dreadful diseases. There was nothing left but tears and want, ashes and ruins.

Then it happened that many families became separated; some were captured and carried away by the enemy, others fled to the forests and desert places or far away to Sweden. A wife knew nothing about her husband, a brother nothing about his sister, and a father and mother did not know whether their children were living or dead. Some fugitives came back and when they found their dear ones, there was such joy that it seemed as if there had been no war, no sorrow. Then the huts were raised from the ashes, the fields again turned yellow with golden harvest. A new life began for the country.

During the time of the war a brother and sister were carried far away to a foreign land. Here they found friendly people who took care of them. Year after year passed and the children grew and suffered no want. But even in their comfort and ease they could not forget their father, mother and native country.

When the news came that there was peace in Finland, and that those who wished might return, the children felt more and more grieved to stay in a foreign land, and they begged permission to return home. The strangers who had taken care of them laughed and said, "Foolish children, you don't realize that your country lies hundreds of miles away from here."

But the children replied, "That does not matter, we can walk home."

The people then said, "Here you have a home, clothes and food and friends who love you; what more do you desire?"

"More than anything else we want to go home," answered the children.

"But there is nothing but poverty and want in your home. There you would have to sleep on miserable moss beds and suffer from cold and hunger. Probably your parents, sisters, brothers and friends are dead long ago, and if you look for them you will find only tracks of wolves in the snow-drifts on the lonely field where your cottage used to stand."

"Yes," said the children, "but we must go home."

"But you have been away from your home for many years, you were only six and seven years old when you were carried away. You have forgotten the road you came on. You can't even remember how your parents look."

"Yes," said the children, "but we must go home."

"Who is going to show you the way?"

"God will help us," answered the boy, "and besides, I remember that a large birch tree stands in front of my father's cottage, and many lovely birds sing there every morning."

"And I remember that a beautiful star shines through the branches of the birch at night," said the little girl.

"Foolish children," said the people in the foreign land, "you must never think about this again; it will only bring you sorrow."

But still the children always thought about going home, not because they were disobedient, but because it was impossible for them to forget their country, impossible to cease longing for father and mother.

One moonlight night the boy could not sleep for the thoughts of home and parents. He asked his sister if she were asleep.

"No, I can't sleep. I am thinking of our home."

"And so am I," said the boy, "come let us pack our clothes and flee. There seems to be a voice in my heart that says, 'Go home, go home,' it is the voice of God I know, so we are doing nothing wrong."

"Yes, let us go," said the sister. And quietly they went away.

It was a lovely night, the moon shone brightly and lit up the paths. "But dear brother, I am afraid we never shall find our home," said the little girl after they had walked a while.

The brother answered, "Let us always go toward the northwest, and we shall surely reach Finland, and when we are there, the birch and the star shall be our sign. If we see the star shining through the leaves of the birch, we shall know that we are at home."

"But don't you think wild beasts may devour us or robbers carry us away?" cried she.

"Remember, sister dear, the hymn which our mother taught us long ago--'Though you suffer in a foreign land, God will lead you by the hand.'"

"Yes," said the little girl, "God will send his angels to protect us in the foreign land."

And they went bravely on. The boy cut a stout stick from a young oak tree in order to protect his sister and himself, but no evil befell them.

One day they came to a cross road where they did not know which way to go. Then they saw two little birds that were singing in a tree by the road on the left-hand side. "Come," said the brother, "this road is the right one. I know it from the song of the birds. Perhaps these little birds are sent by God to help us along."

The children went on, and the birds flew from branch to branch, but not faster than the little ones could follow them. The children ate nuts and berries in the woods, drank water from the clear brooks, and slept at night on soft beds of moss. They seemed to be cared for in a most wonderful way. They always had enough to eat, and they always found a place where they could spend the night. They could not tell why, but whenever they saw the little birds, they said, "See, there are God's angels, who are helping us." And so they walked on.

But at last the little girl grew very tired from wandering about so long, and said to her brother, "When shall we begin to look for our birch?"

And he answered, "Not until we hear people speak the language which our father and mother spoke."

Again they walked towards the north and west. Summer was gone, the days in the forests began to grow cold and again the little sister asked about the birch, but her brother begged her to be patient.

The country through which they now wandered gradually began to change. The land which they had left and through which they had walked for weeks and months was a level land, now they had come into a country with mountains, rivers and lakes. The little sister asked, "Tell me brother how shall we get over the steep mountains?"

Her brother answered, "I shall carry you," and he carried her.

Again the little girl asked, "How shall we cross the rapid rivers and the great lakes?"

The boy answered, "We shall row across," and he rowed across the rivers and lakes; for wherever they came, they found boats, which seemed to be there just for their sakes. Sometimes the brother swam with his little sister across the rivers and they floated easily on the waves. At their side flew the two little birds. One evening when they were very tired, the children came upon the ruins of burned down buildings. Close by stood a large new farm house. Outside the kitchen door stood a girl peeling vegetables. "Will you give us something to eat?" asked the boy.

"Yes, come," answered the child, "mother is in the kitchen, she will give you supper, if you are hungry."

Then the brother threw his arms about his sister's neck. "Do you hear, sister? This girl speaks the language that our father and mother spoke. Now we may begin to look for the birch and the star." The children then went into the kitchen where they were received with much friendliness, and were asked where they came from. They answered, "We come from a foreign land and are looking for our home. We have no other mark than this--a large birch tree grows in the yard in front of the house. In the morning birds sing in its branches, and in the evening a large star shines through its leaves."

"Poor children," said the people, full of pity, "thousands of birches grow in this country, thousands of birds sing in the tree tops, and thousands of stars shine in the sky. How will you find your birch and your star?"

The boy and girl answered, "God will help us. His angels have led us to our own country. Now we are almost at home."

"Finland is great," said the people, shaking their heads.