The Juniper Tree

PHILIP PULLMAN

Illustrated by Dan French

wo thousand years ago, or a very long time anyway, there lived a rich man and his good and beautiful wife.

They loved each other dearly.

There was only one thing they needed to complete their happiness, and that was children.

ut as much as they longed for a child, and as much as the woman prayed both day and night, no child came...

and

no

child

came.

ow in front of the house was a courtyard, where there grew a juniper tree.

ne winter’s day, the woman stood in front of the juniper tree peeling an apple, and as she did so she cut her finger...

...and

a

drop

of

blood fell into the

snow.

h!” she sighed.

“If only I had a child as as blood and

white as

snow!”

red

s she said that her heart lifted, and she felt happy.

She went back into the house, feeling sure that everything would end well.