There was a sort of nice Christmas tree in the forest; she had a good place: the sun warmed her, and there was plenty of air, and older comrades grew around, spruce and pine. Only the Christmas tree could not wait to become an adult itself: she did not think about either the warm sun or the fresh air; I didn’t even notice the talkative village children when they came to the forest to pick strawberries or raspberries. They will pick up a full mug, otherwise they will string the berries on straws, sit down by the Christmas tree and say:
- What a glorious Christmas tree!
And at least she wouldn’t listen to such speeches at all.
A year later, the Christmas tree grew by one shoot, a year later it stretched out a little more; so, by the number of shoots, you can always find out how many years the tree has been growing.
- Oh, if I were as big as the others! the tree sighed. - Oh, how wide I spread out with branches and looked out with the top of my head into the free light! Birds would make nests in my branches, and when the wind blows, I would nod with dignity, no worse than others!
And neither the sun, nor the birds, nor the scarlet clouds that floated above her in the morning and evening were to her joy.
When it was winter and the snow lay around in a sparkling white veil, a hare often appeared hopping and jumped right over the Christmas tree - such an insult! But two winters passed, and on the third the tree grew so much that the hare already had to run around it.
"Ah! Grow up, grow up, become big and old - there is nothing better in the world!" - thought the tree.
In autumn, woodcutters came to the forest and felled some of the largest trees. This happened every year, and the tree, now quite mature, trembled every time - with such a groan and ringing large beautiful trees fell to the ground. Branches were cut off from them, and they were so naked, long, narrow - you just couldn’t recognize them. But then they were put on carts, and the horses took them away from the forest. Where? What was waiting for them?
In the spring, when the swallows and storks arrived, the tree asked them:
- Do you know where they were taken? They didn't come across to you?
The swallows did not know, but the stork became thoughtful, nodded his head and said:
- I guess I know. When I flew from Egypt, I met many new ships with magnificent masts. I think it was them, they smelled of spruce. I greeted them many times, and they held their heads high, very high.
- Oh, if I were an adult and could swim across the sea! And what is it like, this sea? What does it look like?
- Well, it's a long story, - the stork answered and flew away.
- Rejoice in your youth! the rays of the sun said. - Rejoice in your healthy growth, the young life that plays in you!
And the wind caressed the Christmas tree, and the dew shed tears over it, but she did not understand this.
As Christmas approached, very young fir trees were cut down in the forest, some of them were even younger and shorter than ours, which did not know peace and kept rushing out of the forest. These trees, and they, by the way, were the most beautiful, always kept their branches, they were immediately laid on wagons, and the horses took them out of the forest.
- Where are they? - the tree asked. - They're not bigger than me, and one is completely smaller. Why did they keep all their branches? Where are they going?
- We know! We know! the sparrows chirped. - We have been in the city and looked into the windows! We know where they are going! They are waiting for such brilliance and glory that you can’t imagine! We looked in the windows, we saw! They are planted in the middle of a warm room and decorated with wonderful things - gilded apples, honey gingerbread, toys and hundreds of candles!
- And then? - asked the tree, trembling branches. - And then? Then what?
We haven't seen anything else! It was incredible!
“Perhaps I am destined to follow this radiant path!” - the tree rejoiced. - It's even better than swimming in the sea. Oh, how I yearn! If only it would be Christmas again! Now I am as big and tall as those who were taken away last year. Ah, if only I could get on the wagon! If only to get into a warm room with all this glory and splendor! And then? .. Well, and then something will be even better, even more beautiful, otherwise why else would you dress me up like that? Of course, then there will be something even more majestic, even more magnificent! But what? Oh, how I yearn, how I yearn! I don't know what is happening to me!
- Rejoice in me! - said the air and sunlight. - Rejoice in your youthful freshness here in the wild!
But she wasn't happy in the least; she grew and grew, winter and summer she stood green; she stood dark green, and everyone who saw her said: "What a glorious tree!" - and before Christmas they cut down her first. An ax entered deep into her very insides, the tree fell to the ground with a sigh, and she was in pain, she felt sick, and she could not think of any happiness, and longing was to be parted from her homeland, from the piece of land on which she grew up: she knew she, that she would never again see her dear old comrades, bushes and flowers growing around, and maybe even birds. The departure was not at all happy.
She woke up only when she was unloaded in the yard along with the others, and a voice said:
- This one is just amazing! Only this one!
Two servants came in full dress and carried the Christmas tree into a large beautiful hall. Portraits hung everywhere on the walls, Chinese vases with lions on the lids stood on a large tiled stove; there were rocking chairs, silk sofas, and large tables, and on the tables were picture books and toys that had probably cost a hundred times a hundred riksdaler—or so the children said. The Christmas tree was placed in a large barrel of sand, but no one would have thought that it was a barrel, because it was wrapped in green cloth and stood on a large colorful carpet. Oh, how the tree trembled! Will something happen now? Girls and servants began to dress her up. Small bags cut out of colored paper hung from the branches, each filled with sweets; gilded apples and walnuts seemed to have grown by themselves on the tree, and more than a hundred small candles, red, white and blue, were stuck in its branches, and on the branches among the greenery swayed dolls, just like living little men - the tree had never seen such - swayed among the greenery, and at the top, on the very top of her head, they planted a star strewn with gold sparkles. It was amazing, absolutely amazing...
“Tonight,” everyone said, “tonight she will shine!” “Ah!” thought the fir tree. “It would be evening soon! They would light candles soon! And what will happen then? Will the trees come from the forest to look at me? Will the sparrows fly to the windows? won't I stand undressed winter and summer?"
Yes, she pretty much understood everything and languished to the point that her bark was downright itchy, and for a tree this is like a headache for our brother.
And so the candles were lit. What brilliance, what splendor! The fir tree trembled with all its branches, so that one of the candles went with fire on its green needles; it was awful hot.
- Lord have mercy! - shouted the girls and rushed to put out the fire. Now the tree did not even dare to tremble. Oh, how scared she was! How afraid she was of losing at least something of her decoration, how she was stunned by all this brilliance ... And then the doors flew open, and children rushed into the hall in a crowd, and it was as if they were about to knock down the Christmas tree. The adults followed closely behind. The kids froze in place, but only for a moment, and then there was such fun that it only rang in their ears. The children began to dance around the Christmas tree and one after another tore off the presents.
"What are they doing?" the tree thought. "What will happen next?"
And the candles burned out right up to the very branches, and when they burned out, they were extinguished, and it was allowed for the children to rob the tree. Oh, how they attacked her! Only the branches crackled. If she had not been tied with the top of her head with a golden star to the ceiling, she would have been knocked over.
Children circled in a round dance with their magnificent toys, and no one looked at the Christmas tree, only the old nanny looked out among the branches for a forgotten apple or date somewhere.
- A fairy tale! Fairy tale! - shouted the children and dragged a little fat man to the tree, and he sat down right under it.
- So we will be just like in the forest, and the tree does not interfere with listening, - he said, - only I will tell just one tale. Which one do you want: about Ivede-Avede or about Klumpe-Dumpe, who fell down the stairs, but nevertheless got in honor and took the princess for himself?
- About Ivede-Avede! - shouted one.
- About Klumpe-Dumpe! others shouted.
And there was noise and uproar, only the Christmas tree was silent and thought: “But what about me, I’m no longer with them, I won’t do anything else?” She played her part, she did what she was supposed to do.
And the fat little man told about Klumpe-Dumpe, that he had fallen down the stairs, but still he was in honor and took the princess for himself. The children clapped their hands, shouted: "More, tell me more!" They wanted to hear about Iveda Aveda too, but they had to stay at Klumpe-Dumpa. The Christmas tree stood completely quiet, thoughtful, the birds in the forest did not tell anything like that. "Klumpe-Dumpe fell down the stairs, and yet he took the princess for himself! Here, here, such things happen in the world!" - the Christmas tree thought and believed that all this was true, because such a nice person told. "Here, now, who knows? Maybe I'll fall down the stairs and marry the prince." And she was glad that the next day she would again be decorated with candles and toys, gold and fruits. "Tomorrow I won't be shaking so much!" she thought. "Tomorrow I'll enjoy my triumph to the fullest. Again I'll hear the tale about Klumpe-Dumpe, and maybe about Ivede-Avede." So, quiet and thoughtful, she stood all night.
In the morning a servant came with a maid.
"Now they will start dressing me up again!" - thought the tree. But they dragged her out of the room, then up the stairs, then to the attic, and there they thrust her into a dark corner where daylight did not penetrate.
"What would that mean?" thought the tree. "What am I to do here? What can I hear here?" And she leaned against the wall and stood like that, thinking and thinking. She had enough time. Many days and nights have passed; no one came to the attic. And when finally someone came, then only to put a few large boxes in the corner. Now the Christmas tree was completely hidden in a corner, as if they had completely forgotten about it.
“It’s winter outside!” she thought. “The ground has hardened and covered with snow, people can’t transplant me, so I’ll probably stay here under the roof until spring. How cleverly invented! Now, if only it weren't so dark here, so terribly lonely... If only there was one hare! I couldn't stand it. Still, it's terribly lonely up here!"
- Pip! - suddenly said a little mouse and jumped out of the hole, followed by another baby. They sniffed at the tree and began to scurry along its branches.
- It's terribly cold here! the mice said. - And that would be just a blessing! Really, old tree?
- I'm not old at all! - answered the tree. - There are many trees much older than me!
- Where are you from? the mice asked. - And what do you know? - They were terribly curious. - Tell us about the most wonderful place in the world! You were there? Have you ever been in a closet where there are cheeses on the shelves and hams hanging from the ceiling, where you can dance on tallow candles, where you go in skinny, where you come out fat?
“I don’t know such a place,” said the tree, “but I know a forest where the sun shines and the birds sing!”
And the tree told everything about its youth, and the mice, having never heard anything like that, and, having listened to the tree, said:
- Oh, how much you have seen! Oh, how happy you were!
- Happy? - the tree asked again and thought about her words. - Yes, perhaps, they were funny days!
And then she told me about Christmas Eve, about how she was decorated with gingerbread and candles.
- O! the mice said. - How happy you were, old Christmas tree!
- I'm not old at all! - said the tree. - I came from the forest only this winter! I'm in the middle! I just went up!
How nicely you speak! - said the mice, and the next night they brought four more with them to listen to her, and the more the Christmas tree told, the more clearly she remembered everything and thought: “But it really was a fun day! But they will return, return Klumpe-Dumpe fell down the stairs , and yet he took the princess for himself, so maybe I will marry the prince! And the Christmas tree remembered a kind of pretty young oak tree that grew in the forest, and he was a real handsome prince for the Christmas tree.
- And who is Klumpe-Dumpe? the mice asked.
And the tree told the whole story, she memorized it word for word. And the mice jumped for joy almost to its very top.
The next night, many more mice came, and on Sunday even two rats came. But the rats said that the story was not so good at all, and the mice were very upset, because now they liked the story less.
- Do you only know this story? the rats asked.
- Only one! - answered the tree. - I heard it on the happiest evening of my life, but then I did not think how happy I was.
- Extremely miserable story! Do you know of any other - with bacon, with tallow candles? Storeroom stories?
- No, - answered the tree.
- So very grateful! - said the rats and went away. In the end, the mice also fled, and then the tree said, sighing: - But it was still good when they sat around, these frisky mice, and listened to what I was telling them! Now this is over. But now I will not miss the opportunity to rejoice as soon as they bring me out into the world again! But when it happened ... Yes, it was in the morning, people came and bustled noisily in the attic. The boxes were moved, the tree was pulled out of the corner; she was, it is true, slammed painfully on the floor, but the servant immediately dragged her to the stairs, where daylight shone.
"Well, this is the beginning of a new life!" - thought the tree. She felt the fresh air, the first ray of sunshine, and now she was outside. Everything happened so quickly; the tree even forgot to look around itself, there were so many things around that were worth looking at. The yard adjoined the garden, and everything in the garden was in bloom. Fresh, fragrant roses hung over the hedge, stood in linden blossoms, swallows flew. "Vit-vit! My little wife has returned!" they chirped, but it was not about the Christmas tree.
“Now I’ll live,” the tree rejoiced, straightening its branches. And the branches were all dried up and yellowed, and she lay in the corner of the yard in nettles and weeds. But at the top of it still sat a star of gilded paper and sparkled in the sun.
Children were playing merrily in the yard - the same ones that danced around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and were so happy about it. The youngest jumped up to the Christmas tree and plucked a star.
“Look what else is left on this ugly old Christmas tree!” - he said and began to trample on its branches, so that they crunched under his boots.
And the Christmas tree looked at the garden in its fresh decoration of flowers, looked at itself and regretted that it had not stayed in its dark corner in the attic; she remembered her fresh youth in the forest, and the merry Christmas Eve, and the little mice that had listened with such pleasure to the tale of Klumpe-Dumpe.
- End, end! said the poor tree. “I wish I was happy while there was time. End, end!
A servant came and cut the tree into pieces - a whole armful came out; they blazed hotly under a large brewing kettle; and the tree sighed so deeply that every breath was like a small shot; The children playing in the yard ran to the fire, sat down in front of it, and, looking into the fire, shouted:
- Bang Bang!
And with every shot, which was her deep sigh, the Christmas tree recalled either a sunny summer day or a starry winter night in the forest, recalled Christmas Eve and the fairy tale about Klumpe-Dumpe - the only one she heard and knew how to tell ... So she burned down.
The boys were playing in the yard, and on the chest of the youngest was the star that the Christmas tree wore on the happiest evening of his life; he passed, and it's all over with the tree, and with this story too. It's over, it's over, and so it is with all stories. That's
Young lover of literature, we are firmly convinced that you will be pleased to read the fairy tale "Christmas Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen and you will be able to learn from it and benefit. All the heroes were "honed" by the experience of the people, who for centuries created, strengthened and transformed them, devoting great and profound importance to children's education. Here, harmony is felt in everything, even negative characters, they seem to be an integral part of beingness, although, of course, they go beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable. There is a balancing act between good and bad, tempting and necessary, and how wonderful that every time the choice is right and responsible. It is very useful when the plot is simple and, so to speak, vital, when similar situations develop in our everyday life, this contributes to better memorization. The story takes place in ancient times or "Once upon a time" as the people say, but those difficulties, those obstacles and difficulties are close to our contemporaries. Charm, admiration and indescribable inner joy are produced by pictures drawn by our imagination when reading such works. The fairy tale "Christmas Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen is worth reading for everyone online, here is deep wisdom, philosophy, and simplicity of the plot with a good ending.
There was a sort of pretty Christmas tree in the forest; she had a good place: the sun warmed her, and there was plenty of air, and older comrades grew around, spruce and pine. Only the Christmas tree could not wait to become an adult itself: she did not think about either the warm sun or the fresh air; I didn’t even notice the talkative village children when they came to the forest to pick strawberries or raspberries. They will pick up a full mug, otherwise they will string the berries on straws, sit down by the Christmas tree and say:
- What a glorious Christmas tree!
And at least she wouldn’t listen to such speeches at all.
A year later, the Christmas tree grew by one shoot, a year later it stretched out a little more; so, by the number of shoots, you can always find out how many years the tree has been growing.
- Oh, if I were as big as the others! the tree sighed. - Oh, how wide I spread out with branches and looked out with the top of my head into the free light! Birds would make nests in my branches, and when the wind blows, I would nod with dignity, no worse than others!
And neither the sun, nor the birds, nor the scarlet clouds that floated above her in the morning and evening were to her joy.
When it was winter and the snow lay around in a sparkling white veil, a hare often appeared hopping and jumped right over the Christmas tree - such an insult! But two winters passed, and on the third the tree grew so much that the hare already had to run around it.
"Oh! Grow up, grow up, become big and old - there is nothing better in the world! - thought the tree.
In autumn, woodcutters came to the forest and felled some of the largest trees. This happened every year, and the tree, now quite mature, trembled every time - with such a groan and ringing large beautiful trees fell to the ground. Branches were cut off from them, and they were so naked, long, narrow - you just couldn’t recognize them. But then they were put on carts, and the horses took them away from the forest. Where? What was waiting for them?
In the spring, when the swallows and storks arrived, the tree asked them:
- Do you know where they were taken? They didn't come across to you?
The swallows did not know, but the stork became thoughtful, nodded his head and said:
- I guess I know. When I flew from Egypt, I met many new ships with magnificent masts. I think it was them, they smelled of spruce. I greeted them many times, and they held their heads high, very high.
- Oh, if I were an adult and could swim across the sea! And what is it like, this sea? What does it look like?
- Well, it's a long story, - the stork answered and flew away.
- Rejoice in your youth! the rays of the sun said. - Rejoice in your healthy growth, the young life that plays in you!
And the wind caressed the Christmas tree, and the dew shed tears over it, but she did not understand this.
As Christmas approached, very young fir trees were cut down in the forest, some of them were even younger and shorter than ours, which did not know peace and kept rushing out of the forest. These trees, and they, by the way, were the most beautiful, always kept their branches, they were immediately laid on wagons, and the horses took them out of the forest.
- Where are they? - the tree asked. - They're not bigger than me, and one is completely smaller. Why did they keep all their branches? Where are they going?
- We know! We know! the sparrows chirped. - We have been in the city and looked into the windows! We know where they are going! They are waiting for such brilliance and glory that you can’t imagine! We looked in the windows, we saw! They are planted in the middle of a warm room and decorated with wonderful things - gilded apples, honey gingerbread, toys and hundreds of candles!
- And then? - asked the tree, trembling branches. - And then? Then what?
We haven't seen anything else! It was incredible!
“Perhaps I am destined to follow this radiant path!” - the tree rejoiced. - It's even better than swimming in the sea. Oh, how I yearn! If only it would be Christmas again! Now I am as big and tall as those who were taken away last year. Ah, if only I could get on the wagon! If only to get into a warm room with all this glory and splendor! And then? .. Well, and then something will be even better, even more beautiful, otherwise why else would you dress me up like that? Of course, then there will be something even more majestic, even more magnificent! But what? Oh, how I yearn, how I yearn! I don't know what is happening to me!
- Rejoice in me! - said the air and sunlight. - Rejoice in your youthful freshness here in the wild!
But she wasn't happy in the least; she grew and grew, winter and summer she stood green; she stood dark green, and everyone who saw her said: “What a glorious tree!” - and before Christmas they cut down her first. An ax entered deep into her very insides, the tree fell to the ground with a sigh, and she was in pain, she felt sick, and she could not think of any happiness, and longing was to be parted from her homeland, from the piece of land on which she grew up: she knew she, that she would never again see her dear old comrades, bushes and flowers growing around, and maybe even birds. The departure was not at all happy.
She woke up only when she was unloaded in the yard along with the others, and a voice said:
- This one is just amazing! Only this one!
Two servants came in full dress and carried the Christmas tree into a large beautiful hall. Portraits hung everywhere on the walls, Chinese vases with lions on the lids stood on a large tiled stove; there were rocking chairs, silk sofas, and large tables, and on the tables were picture books and toys that had probably cost a hundred times a hundred riksdaler—or so the children said. The Christmas tree was placed in a large barrel of sand, but no one would have thought that it was a barrel, because it was wrapped in green cloth and stood on a large colorful carpet. Oh, how the tree trembled! Will something happen now? Girls and servants began to dress her up. Small bags cut out of colored paper hung from the branches, each filled with sweets; gilded apples and walnuts seemed to have grown by themselves on the tree, and more than a hundred small candles, red, white and blue, were stuck in its branches, and on the branches among the greenery swayed dolls, just like living little men - the tree had never seen such - swayed among the greenery, and at the top, on the very top of her head, they planted a star strewn with gold sparkles. It was amazing, absolutely amazing...
“Tonight,” everyone said, “tonight she will shine!” "Oh! - thought the tree. - Hurry evening! Let the candles be lit! And what will happen then? Will the trees come out of the forest to look at me? Will the sparrows flock to the windows? Will I not take root here, will I not stand undressed winter and summer?
Yes, she pretty much understood everything and languished to the point that her bark was downright itchy, and for a tree this is like a headache for our brother.
And so the candles were lit. What brilliance, what splendor! The fir tree trembled with all its branches, so that one of the candles went with fire on its green needles; it was awful hot.
- Lord have mercy! - shouted the girls and rushed to put out the fire. Now the tree did not even dare to tremble. Oh, how scared she was! How afraid she was of losing at least something from her decoration, how she was stunned by all this brilliance ... And then the doors flew open, and the children burst into the hall in a crowd, and it was as if they were about to knock down the Christmas tree. The adults followed closely behind. The kids froze in place, but only for a moment, and then there was such fun that it only rang in their ears. The children began to dance around the Christmas tree and one after another tore off the presents.
"What are they doing? - thought the tree. - What will happen next?"
And the candles burned out right up to the very branches, and when they burned out, they were extinguished, and it was allowed for the children to rob the tree. Oh, how they attacked her! Only the branches crackled. If she had not been tied with the top of her head with a golden star to the ceiling, she would have been knocked over.
Children circled in a round dance with their magnificent toys, and no one looked at the Christmas tree, only the old nanny looked out among the branches for a forgotten apple or date somewhere.
- A fairy tale! Fairy tale! - shouted the children and dragged a little fat man to the tree, and he sat down right under it.
- So we will be just like in the forest, and the tree does not interfere with listening, - he said, - only I will tell just one tale. Which one do you want: about Ivede-Avede or about Klumpe-Dumpe, who fell down the stairs, but nevertheless got in honor and took the princess for himself?
- About Ivede-Avede! - shouted one.
- About Klumpe-Dumpe! others shouted.
And there was noise and uproar, only the tree was silent and thought: “Well, what am I, I’m no longer with them, I won’t do anything else?” She played her part, she did what she was supposed to do.
And the fat little man told about Klumpe-Dumpe, that he had fallen down the stairs, but nevertheless he got in honor and took the princess for himself. The children clapped their hands, shouted: “More, tell me more!” They wanted to hear about Iveda Aveda too, but they had to stay at Klumpe-Dumpa. The Christmas tree stood completely quiet, thoughtful, the birds in the forest did not tell anything like that. “Klumpe-Dumpe fell down the stairs, and yet he took the princess for himself! Here, here, it happens in the world!” - the Christmas tree thought and believed that all this was true, because such a nice person told. “Here, here, how do you know? Maybe I'll fall down the stairs and marry the prince." And she was glad that the next day she would again be decorated with candles and toys, gold and fruit. “Tomorrow, I won’t be shaking like that! she thought. “Tomorrow I will enjoy my triumph to the fullest. Again I will hear a fairy tale about Klumpe-Dumpe, and maybe about Ivede-Avede. So, quiet and thoughtful, she stood all night.
In the morning a servant came with a maid.
“Now they will start dressing me up again!” - thought the tree. But they dragged her out of the room, then up the stairs, then to the attic, and there they thrust her into a dark corner where daylight did not penetrate.
“What would that mean? - thought the tree. - What should I do here? What can I hear here? And she leaned against the wall and stood like that, thinking and thinking. She had enough time. Many days and nights have passed; no one came to the attic. And when finally someone came, then only to put a few large boxes in the corner. Now the Christmas tree was completely hidden in a corner, as if they had completely forgotten about it.
"It's winter outside! she thought. - The earth has hardened and covered with snow, people cannot transplant me, therefore, I, surely, will stand here under the roof until spring. How clever! What kind people they are after all!.. Now, if only it weren't so dark here, so terribly lonely... If only there was one hare! Still, it was nice in the forest when there was snow all around, and even a hare would slip through, even if it jumped over you, although at that time I could not stand it. It's still terribly lonely up here!"
- Pip! - suddenly said a little mouse and jumped out of the hole, followed by another baby. They sniffed at the tree and began to scurry along its branches.
- It's terribly cold here! the mice said. - And that would be just a blessing! Really, old tree?
- I'm not old at all! - answered the tree. - There are many trees much older than me!
- Where are you from? the mice asked. - And what do you know? - They were terribly curious. - Tell us about the most wonderful place in the world! You were there? Have you ever been in a closet where there are cheeses on the shelves and hams hanging from the ceiling, where you can dance on tallow candles, where you go in skinny, where you come out fat?
“I don’t know such a place,” said the tree, “but I know a forest where the sun shines and the birds sing!”
And the tree told everything about its youth, and the mice, having never heard anything like that, and, having listened to the tree, said:
- Oh, how much you have seen! Oh, how happy you were!
- Happy? - the tree asked again and thought about her words. - Yes, perhaps, they were funny days!
And then she told me about Christmas Eve, about how she was decorated with gingerbread and candles.
- O! the mice said. - How happy you were, old Christmas tree!
- I'm not old at all! - said the tree. - I came from the forest only this winter! I'm in the middle! I just went up!
How nicely you speak! - the mice said, and the next night they brought four more with them to listen to her, and the more the Christmas tree told, the more clearly she remembered everything and thought: “But the days were really fun! But they will return, Klumpe-Dumpe will return, he fell down the stairs, and yet he took the princess for himself, so maybe I will marry the prince! And the Christmas tree remembered a kind of pretty young oak tree that grew in the forest, and he was a real handsome prince for the Christmas tree.
- And who is Klumpe-Dumpe? the mice asked.
And the tree told the whole story, she memorized it word for word. And the mice jumped for joy almost to its very top.
The next night, many more mice came, and on Sunday even two rats came. But the rats said that the story was not so good at all, and the mice were very upset, because now they liked the story less.
- Do you only know this story? the rats asked.
- Only one! - answered the tree. - I heard it on the happiest evening of my life, but then I did not think how happy I was.
- Extremely miserable story! Do you know of any other - with bacon, with tallow candles? Storeroom stories?
- No, - answered the tree.
- So very grateful! - said the rats and went away. In the end, the mice also fled, and then the tree said, sighing: - But it was still good when they sat around, these frisky mice, and listened to what I was telling them! Now this is over. But now I will not miss the opportunity to rejoice as soon as they bring me out into the world again! But when it happened... Yes, it was in the morning, people came and bustled around in the attic. The boxes were moved, the tree was pulled out of the corner; she was, it is true, slammed painfully on the floor, but the servant immediately dragged her to the stairs, where daylight shone.
“Well, this is the beginning of a new life!” - thought the tree. She felt the fresh air, the first ray of sunshine, and now she was outside. Everything happened so quickly; the tree even forgot to look around itself, there were so many things around that were worth looking at. The yard adjoined the garden, and everything in the garden was in bloom. Fresh, fragrant roses hung over the hedge, stood in linden blossoms, swallows flew. “Vit-vit! My wife is back!" they chirped, but it was not about the Christmas tree.
“Now I’ll live,” the tree rejoiced, straightening its branches. And the branches were all dried up and yellowed, and she lay in the corner of the yard in nettles and weeds. But at the top of it still sat a star of gilded paper and sparkled in the sun.
Children were playing merrily in the yard - the same ones that danced around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and were so happy about it. The youngest jumped up to the Christmas tree and plucked a star.
“Look what else is left on this ugly old Christmas tree!” - he said and began to trample on its branches, so that they crunched under his boots.
And the Christmas tree looked at the garden in its fresh decoration of flowers, looked at itself and regretted that it had not stayed in its dark corner in the attic; she remembered her fresh youth in the forest, and the merry Christmas Eve, and the little mice that had listened with such pleasure to the tale of Klumpe-Dumpe.
- End, end! said the poor tree. “I wish I was happy while there was time. End, end!
A servant came and cut the tree into pieces - a whole armful came out; they blazed hotly under a large brewing kettle; and the tree sighed so deeply that every breath was like a small shot; The children playing in the yard ran to the fire, sat down in front of it, and, looking into the fire, shouted:
- Bang Bang!
And with every shot, which was her deep sigh, the Christmas tree recalled either a sunny summer day or a starry winter night in the forest, recalled Christmas Eve and the fairy tale about Klumpe-Dumpe - the only one she heard and knew how to tell ... So she burned down.
The boys were playing in the yard, and on the chest of the youngest was the star that the Christmas tree wore on the happiest evening of his life; he passed, and it's all over with the tree, and with this story too. It's over, it's over, and so it is with all stories.
