It has become winter in Kullerbü and Christmas is just around the corner. For days a wonderful smell of cookies has been in the air and Paul's mom has festively decorated the whole house – with fir branches, candles and homemade stars on the windows. One morning when Paul looks out of his room his mouth falls open in amazement: outside everything is covered with a fine white layer – the trees in the garden, the roofs of the houses and even the streets. "Hooray, hooray, it's snowing," Paul cheers, "Finally I can go sledding with Pauline, Kalle and Kati!" Right after breakfast Paul calls his cousin Kalle and his cousin Kati to arrange to meet them. By noon all of Kullerbü is wrapped in a thick white blanket of snow and it doesn't stop snowing. "Look what a great snow angel I can make," Kati calls to the two boys. But Kalle and Paul don't really listen because they are busy with a wild snowball fight and romp back and forth through the garden. Paul has just dodged a flying snowball once again when he suddenly hears a sad sobbing nearby. Curious, Paul approaches the property next door and there he discovers his neighbor Pauline. "Hello Pauline," Paul calls. "Your snowman looks great!" She looks at him briefly with wide eyes and then finishes her work by sticking the carrot nose into the snowman's face. "What's the matter? You don't like it?" Paul asks.
"Yes, yes," sniffles Pauline. "I'm sad for a different reason: our Christmas tree is gone! It was huuuuuge and beautiful." "What? Gone? That can't be!" Paul exclaims in shock. By now Kalle and Kati have also run to the garden fence. "Yes, unfortunately," Pauline replies with a trembling in her voice. "My dad only bought it fresh yesterday – and when I looked out into the garden this morning, it was gone!" "Well, I'll be," Kalle says. "Who would steal a Christmas tree?"
"That's really outrageous," Kati now scolds. "What a mean thief. We have to do something! Is there any hot lead yet? Footprints in the snow, for example?" "No, unfortunately not," Pauline sobs. "Come Pauline, don't you want to come over to play?" Kati asks. "We'll make snow angels and have a snowball fight." Pauline hesitates a bit, but then she joins in with great enthusiasm. The friends romp around the garden together and time flies. Soon it begins to get dark and Paul's parents call the four inside the house. There they have hot fruit tea and delicious cookies. Shortly afterward Pauline's parents also arrive. "Everyone come outside," Pauline's dad finally says. "We have a surprise!" At last everyone heads outside. Together they walk down the snowy street to the market square. There stands a beautiful, huge Christmas tree with big red baubles and many shining lights. Pauline is especially surprised: "Th... that's our Christmas tree!" Excitedly she tugs on her father's sleeve and then whispers in his ear: "But... why did the Christmas tree thief bring our tree here and even decorate it?" Then Pauline's dad smiles: "Our tree wasn't stolen. I brought it here myself this morning – very early, before it started snowing. Unfortunately this year the Christmas tree delivery for our town didn't arrive in time. So we thought: our tree is so big and beautiful that we can put it on the market square – that way everyone can enjoy it."
"But... but... then we still won't have a Christmas tree," Pauline says disappointedly and a big tear rolls down her cheek. "Yes, of course," Pauline's dad says and gently strokes his daughter's head: "This year we'll all celebrate together at Paul and his parents' house. With a Christmas tree, presents and everything that goes with it."
