more slowly 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 tree. At
last the candles burned down to the branches, and were put out. Then
the children received permission to plunder the tree.

Oh, how they rushed upon it! There was such a riot that the branches
cracked, and had it not been fastened with the glistening star to the
ceiling, it must have been thrown down.

Then the children 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
toward the tree.

"Now we shall be in 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 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