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 downstairs, but soon got up again, and at last married
a princess?"

"Ivede-Avede," cried some; "Humpty Dumpty," cried others; and there was
a famous uproar. But the fir tree remained quite still and thought to
himself: "Shall I have anything to do with all this? Ought I to make a
noise, too?" but he had already amused them as much as they wished and
they paid no attention to him.

Then the old man told them the story of Humpty Dumpty--how he fell
downstairs, 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 this time they had
only "Humpty Dumpty." After this the fir tree became quite silent and
thoughtful. Never had the birds in the forest told such tales as that of
Humpty Dumpty, who fell downstairs, 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 pleasant 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
of 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 tree, "all my splendor is going to begin again." But they
dragged him out of the room and upstairs 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 leaned against the wall
and thought and thought.

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 push
away some large boxes in a corner. So the tree was completely hidden
from sight, as if it had never existed.

[Illustration: Threw him on the floor ..... and there they left him.]