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the firtree by hans christian andersen what brightness what splendor the whole place echoed with rejoicing i wonder thought the tree if i shall take root here and stand ornamen ted winter and summer out in the woods stood a nice little firtree the place lie had was a very good one the sun shone on him as to fresh air there was enough of that and round him grew many large- alzed comrades pines as well as flrs but the little fir wanted so very much to be a grownup tree he did not think of the warm gun and of the fresh air he did not care for the little cottage- children that ran about and prat tled when they were in the woods looking for wild strawberries the children often came with a whole pitcher full of berries or a long row of them threaded on a straw and sat down near the young tree and said o how pretty he is what a nice little flr but this was what the tree could not bear to hear at the end of a year he had shot up a good deal and after an other year he was another long bit taller for with firtrees one can always tell by the shoots how many years old they are o were i but such a high tree as the others are sighed he then i should be able to spread out my branches and with the tops to look into the wide world then would the birds build nests among my branches and when there was a breeze i could bend with as much stateliness as the others neither the sunbeams nor the birds nor the red clouds which morning and evening sailed above him gave the little tree any pleasure in winter when the snow lay glittering on the ground a hare would often come leaping long and jump right over the little tree o that made him so angry but two winters were past and in the third the tree was so large that the hare was obliged to go around it to grow and grow to get older and be tall thought the tree that af ter all is the most delightful thing in the world in autumn the woodcutters ftlways came and felled some of the largest trees this happened every year and the young fir- tree that had now grown to a very comely size trembled at the sight for the magnificent great trees fell to the earth with noise and crackling the branches were lopped off and the trees looked long and bare they were hardly to be recognized and then they were laid in carts and the hones dragged them out of the wood where did they go to what became of them in spring when the swallows and the storks came the tree asked them dont you know- where they have been taken have you not met them any where the swallows did not know anything about it but the stork looked muling nodded his head and said yes i think i know i met many ships as i was dying hither from ejypt oa the ships were magnificent masts and i venture to assort that it was they that smelt so of flr i may congratulate you for they lifted themselves on high most ma jestically o were i but old enough to fly across the sea but how does the sea look in reality what is it like that would take a long time to explain said the stork and with these words off he went rejoice in thy growth said the sunbeams rejoice in thy vigorous growth and in the fresh life that moveth within thee and the wind kissed the tree and the dew wept tears over him but the fir un derstood it not when christmas came quite young trees were cut down trees which often were not even as large or of the same age as this firtree who could never rest but always wanted to be off these young trees and they were always the finest looking re tained their branches they were laid on carts and the horses drew them out of the wood where are they going to asked the fir they are not taller than i there was one in deed that was considerably short er and why do they retain all their branches whither are they taken we know we know chirped the sparrows we have peeped in at the windows in the town below we know whither they are taken the greatest splendor and the greatest magnificence one can imagine await them we peeped through the windows and saw them planted in the middle of the warm room and ornament ed with the most splendid things with gilded apples with ginger bread with toys and many hun drcd lights and then asked the fir- tree trembling in every bough and then what happens then we did not see anything more it was incomparably beau tiful i would falp know if i am destined for so glorious a career cried the tree rejoicing that is still better than to cross the sea what a longing do i suffer were christmas but come i am now tall and my branches spread like the others that wero carried off last year o were i but al ready on the cart were i in the warm room with all the splendor and magnificence yes then something better something still grander will surely follow or wherefore should they thus orna- ment me something better somethtngstili grander must fol low but what o how i long how i suffer i do not know my self what is the matter with me rejoice in our presence said the air and the sunlight re joice in thy own fresh youth but the tree did not rejoice at all he grew and grew and was green both winter and sum mer people that saw him said what a fine tree and toward christmas he was one of the first that was cut down the axe struck deep into the very pith the tree fell to the earth with a sigh he felt a pang it was like a swoon he could not think of happiness for he was sorrow ful at being separated from his home from the place where he had sprung up he well knew that he should never see his dear old comrades the little bushes and flowera around him any more perhaps not even the birds the departure was not at all agreeable the tree only came to him self when he was unloaded in a courtyard with the other trees and heard a man say that one is splendid we dont want the others then two servants oame in rich livery and carried the firtree into a large and splendid drawingroom portraits were hanging on the walls and near the white porcelain stove stood two large chinese vases with lions on the covers there too were large easychairs silken sofas large tables full of picture- books and full of toys worth hundreds and hundreds of crowns at least the children said so and the firtree was stuck up right in a cask that was filled with sand but no one could see that it was a cask for green cloth was hung all round it and it stood on a large gaylycolored carpet o how the tree quiv ered what was to happen the servants as well as the young ladies decorated it on one branch there were hung little nets cut out of colored paper and each net was filled with sugarplums and among the other boughs gilded apples and walnuts were suspended looking as though they had grown there and little blue and white tapers were placed among the leaves dolls that looked for all the world like men the tree had never beheld such before were seen among the foliage and at the very top a large star of gold tinsel was fixed it was really s p 1 e n d i i beyond description- splendid this evening said they all how it will shine this evening o thought the tree if the evening were but come if the tapers were but lighted and then i wonder what will happen perhaps the other trees from the forest will come to look at me perhaps the sparrows will beat against the windowpanes i wonder if i shall take root here and winter and summer stand covered with ornaments he knew very much about the matter but he was so impatient that for sheer longing lie got a pain in his back and this with trees is the same thing as a headache with us the candles were now lighted what brightness what splendor the tree trem bled so in every bough that one of the tapers set fire to the foli age it blazed up splendidly help help cried fhe young ladies and they quickly put out the fire now the tree did not even dare tremble what a state he was in he was so uneasy lest he should ches and as they burned down they were put out one after the other and then the children had permission to plunder the tree so they fell upon it with such violence that all its branches cracked if it had not been fixed firmly in the cask it would cer tainly have tumbled down the children danced about with their beautiful playthings no one looked at the tree except the old nurse who peeped between the branches but it was only to see if there was a fig or an apple left that had beei forgotten a story a story cried the children drawing a little fat man toward the tree he seated him self under it and said now we are in the shade and the tree can listen too but i shall tell only one story now which will you have about ivedyavedy or about klumpydumpy who tum bled downstairs and yet after all came to the throne and married the princess ivedyavedy cried some klumpyd u m p y cried the others there was such a bawl ing and screaming the firtree alone was silent and he thought to himself am i not to bawl with the rest am i to do noth ing whatever for he was one of the company and had done what he had to do and the man told about klumpy dumpy that tumbled down who notwithstanding came to the throne and at last mar ried the princess and the chil dren clapped their hands and cried out o go on do go on they wanted to hear about ivedy- avedy too but the little man only told them about klumpy- dumpy the firtree stood quite still and absorbed- in thought the birds in the wood had never related the like of this klumpy- dumpy fell downstairs and yet he married the princess yes yes thats the way of the world thought the firtree and believed it all because the man who told the story was so goodlooking well well who knows perhaps i may fall downstairs too and get a princess as wife and he looked forward with joy to the morrow when he hoped to be decked out again with lights playthings fruits and tinsel i wont tremble tomorrow thought the firtree i will en joy to the full all my splendor tomorrow i shall hear again the story of klumpydumpy and perhaps that of ivedyavedy too and the whole night the tree stood still in deep thought in the morning the servant and the housemaid came in now then the splendor will begin again thought the fir but they dragged him out of the room and up the stairs into the loft and here in a dark corner where no daylight couid enter they left him whats the mean ing of this thought the tree what am i to do here what shall i hear now i wonder and he leaned against the wall lost in reverie time enough had lie too for his reflections for days and nights passed on and nobody came up and when at last somebody did come it was i met many ships as i was flying from egypt on them were magnificent masts that smelt of fir lose something of his splendor that he was quite bewildered amidst the glare and brightness when suddenly both foldingdoors opened and a troop of children rushed in as if they would upset the tree the older persons fol lowed quietly the little ones stood quite still but it was only for a moment then they shouted so that the whole place reechoed with their rejoicing they danced round the tree and one present after the other was pulled off what re they about thought the tree what is to happen now and the lights burned down to the vtry bran- pitntutei by kli only to put some great trunks in a comer out of the way there stood the tiee quite hidden it seemed as if he had been en tirely forgotten tis now winter outofdoors thought the tree the earth is hard and covered with snow men cannot plant me now and there fore i have been put up here under sheer till the springtime comes how thoughtful that is how kind man is after all if it only were not so dark here and so terribly lonely not even a hare and out m the woeds it was so pleasant when the snow was on the ground and the hare i felturel syniiklu a hare would often come leaping along and jump right over the little tree 0 that made him angry illustrated by a s packer leaped by yes even when he jumped over me but i did not like it then it is really terribly lonely here oqleak sqceak said a o little mouse at the same moment peeping out of his hole and then another little one came they snuffed about the firtree and rustled among the branches it is dreadfully cold said the mouse but for that it would be delightful here old fir wouldnt it i am by no means old said the firtree theres many a one considerably older than i am where do you come from asked the mice and what can you do they were so extreme ly curious tell us about the most beautiful spot on the earth have you never been there were you never in the larder where cheeses lie on the shelves and hams hang from above where one dances about on tal low candles that place where one enters lean and comes out again fat and portly i know no such place said the tree but i know the wood where the sun shines and where the little birds sing and then he told all about his youth and the little mice had never heard the like before and they listened and said well to bo sure how much you have seen how happy you must have been i said the firtree thinking over what he had himself re lated yes in reality those were happy times and then he told about christmas eve when he was decked out with cakes and candles o said the little mice how it is a very stupid story dont you know one about bacon and tallow candles cant you tell any larderstories no said the tree then goodby said the rats and they went home at last the littie mice stayed away also and the tree sighed after all it- was very pleasant when the sleek little mice sat round me and listened to what i told them now that too is over but i will take good care to enjoy myself when i am brought out again but when was that to be why one morning there came a quantity of people and set to work in the loft the trunks were moved the tree was pulled out and thrown rather hard it is true down on the floor but a man drew him toward the stairs where the daylight shone now a merry life will begin again thought the tree he felt the fresh air the first sunbeam and now he was out in the court yard all passed so quickly there was so much going on around him that the tree quite forgot tt look to himself the court adjoined a garden and all was in flower the roses hung so fresh and odorous over the balustrade the lindens were in blossom the swallows flew by and said quirrevit my husband is come but it was not the fir- tree that they meant now then i shall really en joy life said he exultingly and spread out his branches but alas they were all withered and yellow it was in a corner that he lay among weeds and nettles the golden star of tinsel was still on the top of the tree and glittered in the sunshine the little mice sniffed and rustled about the tree how fortunate you have been old tree they said fortunate you have been old fir- tree i am by no means old said he i came from the wood this winter i am in my prime and am only rather short for my age what sdcllghtful stories you know said the mice and the next night they came with four other little mice who were to hear what the tree recounted and the more he related the more plainly he remembered all himself and it appeared as if those tlm had really been happy times but hey may still come they may still come klumpy- dumpy fell downstairs and yet he got a princess and he thought at the moment of a nice little birchtree growing out in the woods to the fir that would be a real charming princess who is klumpydumpy asked the mice so then the fir- tree told the whole fairy tale for he could remember every sin gle word of it and the little mice jumped for joy up to the very top of the tree next night two more mice came and on sun day two rats even but they said the stories were not inter esting which vexed the little mice and they too now began to think them not so very amus ing either do you know only one story asked the rats only that one answered the tree i heard it on my happiest evening but i did not then know how happy i was in the courtyard some of the merry children were play ing who had danced at christmas round the firtree and were so glad at the sight of him one of the youngsters ran and tore off the golden star only look what is still on the ugly old christmas tree said he trampling on the branches so that they all cracked beneath his feet and the tree beheld all the beauty of the flowers and th freshness in the garden he be held himself and wished he had remained in his dark corner in the loft he thought of his first youth in the wood of the merry christmas eve and of the little mice who had listened with so much pleasure to the story of klumpydumpy tis over tis past said the poor tree had i but rejoiced when i had reason to do so but now tis past tis past and the gardeners boy chopped the tree into small pieces there was a whole heap lying there the wood flamed up splendidly under the large brew- ing copper and it sighed so deep ly each sigh was like a shot the boys played about in the court and the youngest wore the gold star on his breast which the tree had had on the happiest venlng of his life however that was over now the tree gone the story at an end all all was over every tale must end at last rpiie decking of a christmas tree like 1 the burning of a yule log is a custom that spread around the world from scandinavia it is fitting therefore that the most loved story of a christmas tree should be by a scandinavian hans christian andersen his talc the virtree ap pears here in full translation from the original danish the illustrations are by an artist of our time who is well known for his work in magazines