stout man to the tree; he sat down beneath it, saying, 'Here we
are in the greenwood, and the tree will be delighted to listen!
But I am only going to tell one story. Shall it be Henny Penny
or Humpty Dumpty who fell downstairs, and yet gained great honour
and married a princess?'

'Henny Penny!' cried some; 'Humpty Dumpty!' cried others; there
was a perfect babel of voices! Only the fir-tree kept silent,
and thought, 'Am I not to be in it? Am I to have nothing to do
with it?'

But it had already been in it, and played out its part. And the
man told them about Humpty Dumpty who fell downstairs and married
a princess. The children clapped their hands and cried,
'Another! another!' They wanted the story of Henny Penny also,
but they only got Humpty Dumpty. The fir-tree stood quite
astonished and thoughtful; the birds in the wood had never
related anything like that. 'Humpty Dumpty fell downstairs and
yet married a princess! yes, that is the way of the world!'
thought the tree, and was sure it must be true, because such a
nice man had told the story. 'Well, who knows? Perhaps I shall
fall downstairs and marry a princess.' And it rejoiced to think
that next day it would be decked out again with candles, toys,
glittering ornaments, and fruits. 'To-morrow I shall quiver
again with excitement. I shall enjoy to the full all my
splendour. To-morrow I shall hear Humpty Dumpty again, and
perhaps Henny Penny too.' And the tree stood silent and lost in
thought all through the night.

Next morning the servants came in. 'Now the dressing up will