perhaps not even the birds. Neither was the journey at all pleasant. The tree
first recovered itself while being unpacked in the courtyard of a house, with
several other trees; and it heard a man say, “We only want one, and this is
the prettiest.”
Then came two servants in grand livery, and carried the fir-tree into a
large and beautiful apartment. On the walls hung pictures, and near the
great stove stood great china vases, with lions on the lids. There were
rocking chairs, silken sofas, large tables, covered with pictures, books, and
playthings, worth a great deal of money,-at least, the children said so. Then
the fir-tree was placed in a large tub, full of sand; but green baize hung all
around it, so that no one could see it was a tub, and it stood on a very
handsome carpet. How the fir-tree trembled! “What was going to happen to
him now?” Some young ladies came, and the servants helped them to adorn
the tree. On one branch they hung little bags cut out of colored paper, and
each bag was filled with sweetmeats; from other branches hung gilded
apples and walnuts, as if they had grown there; and above, and all round,
were hundreds of red, blue, and white tapers, which were fastened on the
branches. Dolls, exactly like real babies, were placed under the green
leaves,-the tree had never seen such things before,-and at the very top was
fastened a glittering star, made of tinsel. Oh, it was very beautiful!
“This evening,” they all exclaimed, “how bright it will be!” “Oh, that the
evening were come,” thought the tree, “and the tapers lighted! then I shall
know what else is going to happen. Will the trees of the forest come to see
me? I wonder if the sparrows will peep in at the windows as they fly? shall I
grow faster here, and keep on all these ornaments summer and winter?” But
guessing was of very little use; it made his bark ache, and this pain is as bad
for a slender fir-tree, as headache is for us. At last the tapers were lighted,
and then what a glistening blaze of light the tree presented! It trembled so
with joy in all its branches, that one of the candles fell among the green
leaves and burnt some of them. “Help! help!” exclaimed the young ladies,
but there was no danger, for they quickly extinguished the fire. After this,
the tree tried not to tremble at all, though the fire frightened him; he was so
