And towards Christmas he was one of the first that was cut down. The axe struck deep into the very pith. The tree fell to the earth with a sigh. He felt a pang. It was like a swoon. He could not think of happiness, for he was sorrowful at being separated from his home, from the place where he had sprung up. He well knew that he should never see his dear old comrades, the little bushes and flowers around him any more, perhaps not even the birds. The departure was not at all agreeable. The tree only came to himself when he was unloaded in a courtyard with the other trees and heard a man say, that one is splendid, we don't want the others. There too were large easy chairs, silken sofas, large tables full of picture books and full of toys worth hundreds and hundreds of crowns, at least the children said so. The servants as well as the young ladies decorated it. This evening they all said, how it will shine this evening. Perhaps the other trees from the forest will come to look at me. It blazed up famously. Help help, cried the young ladies, and they quickly put out the fire. A story, a story, cried the children, drawing a little fat man towards the tree. But I shall tell only one story. Humpy Dumpy fell downstairs, and yet he married the princess. That's the way of the world, thought the fir tree, and believed it all, because the man who told the story was so good looking. Well well, I won't tremble tomorrow, thought the fir tree.