the fir tree

by Hans Christian Andersen

translation by H .P .Paull (1872)

far down in_the forest, where the warm sun and_the fresh air made a sweet resting- place, grew a pretty little fir- tree; and yet it_was not happy, it wished so_much to_be tall like its companions- the pines and firs which grew around it . the sun shone, and_the soft air fluttered its leaves, and_the little peasant children passed by, prattling merrily, but the fir- tree heeded them not .Sometimes the children would bring a large basket of raspberries or strawberries, wreathed on a straw, and seat themselves near the fir- tree, and say, " is_it not a pretty little tree ? " which made it feel more unhappy than before . and yet all this while the tree grew a notch or joint taller every year; for by_the number of joints in_the stem of a fir- tree we_can discover its age . still, as it grew, it complained, "Oh ! how i_wish I were as tall as_the other trees, then i_would spread out my branches on every side, and my top would over- look the wide world . i_should_have the birds building their nests on my boughs, and when_the wind blew, i_should bow with stately dignity like my tall companions ." the tree was so discontented, that_it took no pleasure in_the warm sunshine, the birds, or the rosy clouds that floated over it morning and evening .Sometimes, in winter, when_the snow lay white and glittering on_the ground, a hare would come springing along, and jump right over the little tree; and then how mortified it would feel ! two winters passed, and when_the third arrived, the tree had grown so tall that_the hare was obliged to run round it . yet it remained unsatisfied, and would exclaim, "Oh, if I_could but keep on growing tall and old ! there_is nothing else worth caring for in_the_world ! " in_the autumn, as usual, the wood-cutters came and cut down several of_the tallest trees, and_the young fir- tree, which_was now grown to its full height, shuddered as_the noble trees fell to_the earth with a crash . after_the branches were lopped off, the trunks looked so slender and bare, that they_could scarcely be recognized . then they were placed upon wagons, and drawn by horses out_of_the forest ." where were they going ? what would become of_them ? " the young fir- tree wished very_much to_know; so in_the spring, when_the swallows and_the storks came, it asked, " do_you_know where those trees were taken ? did you meet them ? "

the swallows knew nothing, but the stork, after a little reflection, nodded his head, and said, " yes, i_think I_do .I met several new ships when I flew from Egypt, and_they had fine masts that smelt like fir . i_think these must_have been the trees; I assure you they were stately, very stately ."

"Oh, how i_wish I were tall enough to_go on_the sea," said the fir- tree ." what_is the sea, and what does it look like ? "

" it would take too_much time to explain," said the stork, flying quickly away .

" rejoice in thy youth," said the sunbeam; " rejoice in thy fresh growth, and_the young life that_is in thee ."

and_the wind kissed the tree, and_the dew watered it with tears; but the fir- tree regarded them not .

Christmas- time drew near, and many young trees were cut down, some even smaller and younger than_the fir- tree who enjoyed neither rest nor peace with longing to leave its forest home . these young trees, which were chosen for their beauty, kept their branches, and were also laid on wagons and drawn by horses out_of_the forest .

" where are they going ? " asked the fir- tree ." they_are_not taller than I_am: indeed, one is much less; and why are the branches not cut off ? where are they going ? "

" we_know, we_know," sang the sparrows; " we_have looked in at_the windows of_the houses in_the town, and we_know what_is done with_them . they_are dressed up in_the most splendid manner . we_have seen them standing in_the middle of a warm room, and adorned with all sorts of beautiful things,- honey cakes, gilded apples, playthings, and many hundreds of wax tapers ."

" and then," asked the fir- tree, trembling through all its branches, " and then what happens ? "

" we_did_not see any more," said the sparrows; " but this_was enough for_us ."

"I wonder whether anything so brilliant will ever happen to_me," thought the fir- tree ." it would_be much better than crossing the sea .I long for_it almost with pain .Oh ! when will Christmas be here ? I_am now as tall and well grown as_those which were taken away last year .Oh ! that I were now laid on_the wagon, or standing in_the warm room, with all that brightness and splendor around me ! something better and more beautiful is to_come after, or the trees would_not_be so decked out . yes, what follows will_be grander and more splendid . what can it be ? I_am weary with longing .I scarcely know how I_feel ."

" rejoice with_us," said the air and_the sunlight ." enjoy thine own bright life in_the fresh air ."

but the tree would_not rejoice, though it grew taller every day; and, winter and summer, its dark- green foliage might_be seen in_the forest, while passers by would say, " what a beautiful tree ! "

a short time before Christmas, the discontented fir- tree was_the first to_fall . as_the axe cut through_the stem, and divided the pith, the tree fell with a groan to_the earth, conscious of pain and faintness, and forgetting all its anticipations of happiness, in sorrow at leaving its home in_the forest . it knew that_it should never again see its dear old companions, the trees, nor the little bushes and many- colored flowers that had grown by its side; 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 aglittering 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 aglistening 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 anxious not to hurt any of_the beautiful ornaments, even while their brilliancy dazzled him . and now the folding doors were thrown open, and a troop of children rushed in as if_they intended to upset the tree; they were followed more silently by their elders . for a moment the little ones stood silent with astonishment, and then they shouted for joy, till the room rang, and_they danced merrily round the tree, while one present after another was taken from_it .

" what_are they doing ? what_will happen next ? " thought the fir . at last the candles burnt down to_the branches and were put out . then the children received permission to plunder the tree .

Oh, how they rushed upon it, till the branches cracked, and had it not been fastened with_the glistening star to_the ceiling, it must_have been thrown down . the children then danced about with their pretty toys, and no one noticed the tree, except the children's maid who came and peeped among_the branches to_see if an apple or a fig had_been forgotten .

"A story, a story," cried the children, pulling a little fat man towards the tree .

" now we_shall_be in_the green shade," said the man, as he seated himself under it, " and_the tree will_have the pleasure of hearing also, but I_shall only relate one story; what shall it be ? Ivede-Avede, or Humpty Dumpty, who fell down stairs, but soon got up again, and at last married a princess ."

"Ivede-Avede," cried some ."Humpty Dumpty," cried others, and there_was a fine shouting and crying out . but the fir- tree remained quite still, and thought to himself, " shall I_have anything to_do with all this ? " but he had already amused them as_much as_they wished . then the old man told them the story of Humpty Dumpty, how he fell down stairs, and was raised up again, and married a princess . and_the children clapped their hands and cried, " tell another, tell another," for they wanted to hear the story of "Ivede-Avede;" but they only had "Humpty Dumpty ." after_this the fir- tree became quite silent and thoughtful; never had the birds in_the forest told such tales as "Humpty Dumpty," who fell down stairs, and yet married a princess .

"Ah ! yes, so it happens in_the_world," thought the fir- tree; he believed it all, because it_was related by such a nice man ."Ah ! well," he thought, " who knows ? perhaps I_may fall down too, and marry a princess;" and he looked forward joyfully to_the next evening, expecting to_be again decked out with lights and playthings, gold and fruit ." to- morrow i_will_not tremble," thought he; " i_will enjoy all my splendor, and I_shall hear the story of Humpty Dumpty again, and perhaps Ivede-Avede ." and_the tree remained quiet and thoughtful all night . in_the morning the servants and_the housemaid came in ." now," thought the fir, " all my splendor is going to_begin again ." but they dragged him out_of_the room and up stairs to_the garret, and threw him on_the floor, in a dark corner, where no daylight shone, and there they left him ." what does this mean ? " thought the tree, " what am I to_do here ? I_can hear nothing in a place like this," and he had time enough to_think, for days and nights passed and no one came near him, and when at last somebody did come, it_was only to_put away large boxes in a corner . so the tree was completely hidden from sight as_if it had never existed ." it_is winter now," thought the tree, " the ground is hard and covered with snow, so_that people cannot plant me . I_shall_be sheltered here, I dare say, until spring comes . how thoughtful and kind everybody is to_me ! still i_wish this place were_not so dark, as_well as lonely, with not even a little hare to look at . how pleasant it_was out in_the forest while the snow lay on_the ground, when_the hare would run by, yes, and jump over me too, although I_did_not like it then .Oh ! it_is terrible lonely here ."

" squeak, squeak," said a little mouse, creeping cautiously towards the tree; then came another; and_they both sniffed at_the fir- tree and crept between_the branches .

"Oh, it_is very cold," said the little mouse, " or else we_should_be so comfortable here, shouldn't we, you old fir- tree ? "

" I_am not old," said the fir- tree, " there_are many who_are older than I_am ."

" where do_you come from ? and what do_you_know ? " asked the mice, who were full of curiosity ." have_you seen the most beautiful places in_the_world, and can_you tell us all about_them ? and have_you been in_the storeroom, where cheeses lie on_the shelf, and hams hang from_the ceiling ? one can run about on tallow candles there, and go in thin and come out fat ."

" I_know nothing of_that place," said the fir- tree, " but I_know the wood where the sun shines and_the birds sing ." and then the tree told the little mice all about its youth . they had never heard such an account in their lives; and after they had listened to_it attentively, they said, " what a number of things you_have seen ? you_must_have been very happy ."

" happy ! " exclaimed the fir- tree, and then as he reflected upon what he had_been telling them, he_said, "Ah, yes ! after all those were happy days ." but when he went on and related all about Christmas-eve, and how he had_been dressed up with cakes and lights, the mice said, " how happy you_must_have been, you old fir- tree ."

" I_am not old at all," replied the tree, "I only came from_the forest this winter, I_am now checked in my growth ."

" what splendid stories you_can relate," said the little mice . and_the next night four other mice came with_them to hear what the tree had to_tell . the more he talked the more he remembered, and then he thought to himself, " those were happy days, but they_may come again .Humpty Dumpty fell down stairs, and yet he married the princess; perhaps I_may marry a princess too ." and_the fir- tree thought of_the pretty little birch- tree that grew in_the forest, which_was to him a real beautiful princess .

" who_is Humpty Dumpty ? " asked the little mice . and then the tree related the whole story; he_could remember every single word, and_the little mice was so delighted with it, that_they were ready to jump to_the top of_the tree . the next night a great_many more mice made their appearance, and on Sunday two rats came with_them; but they said, it_was not a pretty story at all, and_the little mice were very sorry, for_it made them also think less of it .

" do_you_know only_one story ? " asked the rats .

" only_one," replied the fir- tree; "I heard it on_the happiest evening of_my life; but I_did_not know i_was so happy at_the_time ."

" we_think it_is a very miserable story," said the rats ."Don't you_know any story about bacon, or tallow in_the storeroom ."

" no," replied the tree .

" many thanks to_you then," replied the rats, and_they marched off .

the little mice also kept away after_this, and_the tree sighed, and said, " it_was very pleasant when_the merry little mice sat round me and listened while i_talked . now that_is all passed too . however, I_shall consider myself happy when some one comes to_take me out of_this place ." but would this ever happen ? yes; one morning people came to clear out the garret, the boxes were packed away, and_the tree was pulled out_of_the corner, and thrown roughly on_the garret floor; then the servant dragged it out upon_the staircase where the daylight shone ." now life is beginning again," said the tree, rejoicing in_the sunshine and fresh air . then it_was carried down stairs and taken into_the courtyard so quickly, that_it forgot to_think of itself, and could only look about, there_was so_much to_be seen . the court was close to a garden, where everything looked blooming . fresh and fragrant roses hung over the little palings . the linden-trees were in blossom; while the swallows flew here and there, crying, " twit, twit, twit, my mate is coming,"- but it_was not the fir- tree they meant ." now I_shall live," cried the tree, joyfully spreading out its branches; but alas ! they were all withered and yellow, and it lay in a corner amongst weeds and nettles . the star of gold paper still stuck in_the top of_the tree and glittered in_the sunshine . in_the same courtyard two of_the merry children were playing who had danced round the tree at Christmas, and had_been so happy . the youngest saw the gilded star, and ran and pulled it off the tree ." look what_is sticking to_the ugly old fir- tree," said the child, treading on_the branches till they crackled under his boots . and_the tree saw all the fresh bright flowers in_the garden, and then looked at itself, and wished it had remained in_the dark corner of_the garret . it thought of_its fresh youth in_the forest, of_the merry Christmas evening, and of_the little mice who had listened to_the story of "Humpty Dumpty ." " past ! past ! " said the old tree; "Oh, had I but enjoyed myself while I_could_have done so ! but now it_is too late ." then alad came and chopped the tree into small pieces, till a large bundle lay in a heap on_the ground . the pieces were placed in a fire under the copper, and_they quickly blazed up brightly, while the tree sighed so deeply that each sigh was like a pistol- shot . then the children, who were at play, came and seated themselves in front of_the fire, and looked at it and cried, " pop, pop ." but at each " pop," which_was a deep sigh, the tree was thinking of a summer day in_the forest; and of Christmas evening, and of "Humpty Dumpty," the only story it had ever heard or knew how to relate, till at last it_was consumed . the boys still played in_the garden, and_the youngest wore the golden star on_his breast, with_which the tree had_been adorned during the happiest evening of_its existence . now all was past; the tree's life was past, and_the story also,- for all stories must come to an end at last .

the end