was in! He was
so uneasy lest he should lose something of his splendor, that he was
quite bewildered amidst the glare and brightness; when suddenly both
folding-doors opened and a troop of children rushed in as if they would
upset the Tree. The older persons followed quietly; the little ones
stood quite still. But it was only for a moment; then they shouted that
the whole place re-echoed with their rejoicing; they danced round the
Tree, and one present after the other was pulled off.

"What are they about?" thought the Tree. "What is to happen now!" And
the lights burned down to the very branches, 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
ground, it would certainly 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 been
forgotten.

"A story! A story!" cried the children, drawing a little fat man towards
the Tree. He seated himself 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; that about Ivedy-Avedy, or about Humpy-Dumpy, who
tumbled downstairs, and yet after all came to the throne and married the
princess?"

"Ivedy-Avedy," cried some; "Humpy-Dumpy," cried the others. There was
such a bawling and screaming--the Fir Tree alone was silent, and he
thought to himself, "Am I not to bawl with the rest? Am I to do nothing
whatever?" for he was one of the company, and had done what he had to
do.

And the man told about Humpy-Dumpy that tumbled down, who
notwithstanding came to the throne, and at last married the princess.
And the children clapped their hands, and cried. "Oh, go on! Do go on!"
They wanted to hear about Ivedy-Avedy too, but the little man only told
them about Humpy-Dumpy. The Fir Tree stood quite still and absorbed
in thought; the birds in the wood had never related the like of this.
"Humpy-Dumpy fell downstairs, and yet he married the princess! Yes, yes!
That's the way of the world!" thought the Fir Tree, and believed it all,
because the man who told the story was so good-looking. "Well, well! who
knows, perhaps I may fall downstairs, too, and get a princess as w