Pine St. Martin
One day before Christmas, the priest of the village of St. Martin in the French Pyrenees, was preparing to celebrate mass, he began to feel in the air a delicious perfume. It was winter, and flowers had long since disappeared, but there was this smell so nice, as if spring was advancing.
Intrigued, he left the church to seek the origin of such a wonder, and eventually found a boy sitting at the door of the school. Beside him was a kind of Christmas tree completely golden.
- But how beautiful tree! - Said the pastor -. To that heavenly aroma that follows, seems to have touched the very heavens! And it's made of pure gold! Where did you get?
The young man did not react with special joy to the comments of the religious.
- It is true that this tree, as you call it, has been weighing more and more as I carried here by walking, and the leaves have hard job. But that can not be gold, and it scares me to think about what my parents say when they see what I bring.
The boy then told his story:
- This morning I went to the town of Tarbes to buy a Christmas tree with the money my mother had given me. But it happened that, when crossing a town, I saw an old lady, single, no family with whom to celebrate the great festival of Christendom, and gave him some money for dinner, confident that he would know then snatch a discount seller of the florist.
"Upon arriving at Tarbes, I passed the big prison, and there were some people waiting for the time of the visit. They were all sad, because were going to spend the night away from their loved ones. I heard that some of these people commented that they had not even managed to buy a piece of cake. At the same time, driven by the romanticism with those of my age, I decided to share my money with those people who needed it more than me. Just would keep a minimum amount for lunch. As the florist is a friend of my family, sure I would give the tree a change that I work for him during the following week, thus paying my debt.
"However, when I reached the market, I learned that the florist who knew there was going to work. I tried by all means someone lend me money to buy the tree in another place, but it was impossible.
"I said to myself, thinking it would get better with a full stomach, so I went to an inn, but I came across a child who looked foreign and asked if I could give you some money, then had two days without food. Imagining that the child also had Jesus ever go hungry, I turned to this other little I had, and I turned for home. On the way back, I broke a branch to a pine tree, and then tried to retouch, and pruning but was thus marking hard, which seems to metal, and does not seem anywhere near the tree Christmas that my mother is waiting.
- Little Friend - said the priest - the scent of this tree yours leaves no doubt: it has been touched by heaven. Let me tell you what is missing from your story:
"As you walked away from that lady, she immediately asked the Virgin Mary, mother like her, that somehow we will return the favor received. Relatives of the prisoners thought it had met an angel, and prayed thanking the angels who managed to buy cakes. And the child with whom you met, meanwhile, thanked Jesus for having satisfied his hunger.
"The Virgin, the angels, and the actual Jesus listened to the requests of all the people who helped. When you broke the branch of pine, the Virgin got her the perfume of mercy. While walking, the angels were playing their leaves, turning them into gold. Finally, with everything already completed, reviewed the work Jesus, blessed, and from now, who touch this Christmas tree will be forgiven their sins and desires will be fulfilled.
And so it happened. Legend has it that the sacred pine is still in St. Martin, but his power is such that reaches his blessing to all who help others on the eve of Christmas, however far they are from this small town of Pyrenees.
(inspired by a Hasidic story)
Paulo Coelho
not ever get tired of doing good. 
