nd 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 be sure! How much you have seen! How happy you must have
been!"

"I!" said the Fir Tree, thinking over what he had himself related.
"Yes, in reality those were happy times." And then he told about
Christmas-eve, when he was decked out with cakes and candles.

"Oh," said the little Mice, "how 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 delightful 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 he remembered himself; and
it appeared as if those times had really been happy times. "But they may
still come--they may still come! Humpy-Dumpy fell downstairs, and yet
he got a princess!" and he thought at the moment of a nice little Birch
Tree growing out in the woods: to the Fir, that would be a real charming
princess.

"Who is Humpy-Dumpy?" asked the Mice. So then the Fir Tree told the
whole fairy tale, for he could remember every single 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 Sunday two Rats even; but they said the
stories were not interesting, which vexed the little Mice; and they,
too, now began to think them not so very amusing 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."

"It is a very stupid story! Don't you know one about bacon and tallow
candles? Can't you tell any larder stories?"

"No," said the Tree.

"Then good-bye," said the Rats; and they went home.

At last the little 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 towards the stairs, where the daylight shone.

"Now a merry life