Learn English through story The Fir Tree by H. C. Andersen Fairy Tale

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out in the woods stood a nice little fir

tree the place he had was a very good

one the Sun shone on him as to fresh air

there was enough of that and round him

grew many large sized comrads pines as

well as firs but the little fir wanted

so very much to be a grown up tree he

did not think of the warm Sun and of the

fresh air he did not care for the little

cottage children that ran about and

prattled when they were in the woods

looking for wild strawberries the

children often came with a whole pitcher

full of berries or a long row of them

threaded on a straw and sat down near

the young tree and said oh how pretty he

is what a nice little fir but this was

what the tree could not bear to hear at

the end of the year he had shot up a

good deal and after another year he was

another long bit taller for with fir

trees one can always tell by the shoots

how many years old they are oh where I

but such a high tree as the others are

sighed he then I should be able to

spread out my branches and with the tops

to look into the wide world

then with the birds build nests among my

branches and when there was a breeze I

could bend with as much stateliness as

the others neither the sunbeams nor the

birds nor the red clouds which morning

and evening sailed above him gave the

little tree any pleasure in winter when

the snow lay glittering on the ground a

hare would often come leaping along and

jump right over at the little tree oh

that made him so angry

but two winters were passed and in the

third the tree was so large that the

hair was obliged to go round it to grow

and grow to get older and be tall I

thought the tree that after all is the

most delightful thing in the world in

autumn the woodcutters always came and

felled some of the largest trees this

happened every year and the Unferth at

had now grown to a very comely size

trembled at the sight for the

Magnificent great trees fell to the

earth with noise and cracking the

branches were lopped off and the trees

looked long and bare they were hardly to

be recognised and then they were laid in

carts and the horses dragged them out of

the wood where did they go to what

became of them in spring when the

swallows and storks came the tree asked

them don’t you know where they have been

taken have you not met them anywhere the

swallows did not know anything about it

but the stork looked musing nodded his

head and said yes I think I know I met

many ships as I was flying hither from

Egypt on the ships were magnificent

masts and I venture to assert that it

was they that smelt so of fur I may

congratulate you for they lifted

themselves on the high most majestically

oh where I but old enough to fly across

the sea but how does the sea look in

reality what is it like that

would take a long time to explain said

the stork and with these words

off he went rejoice in thy growth said

the sunbeams rejoice in my vigorous

growth and in the fresh life that moveth

within thee and the wind kissed the tree

and the Jew wept tears over him but the

FIR understood it not when Christmas

came quite young trees were cut down

trees which often were not even as large

or as of the same age as this fir tree

who could never rest but always wanted

to be off these young trees and they

were always the finest-looking retained

their branches they were laid on carts

and the horses drew them out of the wood

where are they going to ask the fir they

are not taller than I there was one

indeed that was considerably shorter and

why do they retain all their branches

whither are they taken we know we know

chirped the sparrows we have peeped in

at the windows in the town below we know

whither they are taken the greatest

splendor and the greatest magnificence

one can imagine await them we peeped

through the windows and saw them planted

in the middle of the warm room and

ornamented with the most splendid things

with gilded apples with Gingerbread with

toys and many hundred lights and then

asked the fir tree trembling in every

bough and then what happens then we did

not see anything more it was

incorporated

I would fain know if I am destined for

so glorious a career cried the tree

rejoicing that is still better than to

cross the sea what a longing do I suffer

where Christmas but come

I am now tall and my branches spread

like the others that were carried off

last year

oh where I but already on the cards

where I in the warm room with all the

splendour and magnificence yes and

something better something still grander

will surely follow or wherefore should

they thus ornament me something better

something still grander must follow but

what oh how I longed how I suffer I do

not know myself what is the matter with

me rejoice in our presence so the air

and the sunlight rejoice in my own fresh

youth but the tree did not rejoice at

all he grew and grew and was green both

winter and summer people that saw him

said what a fine tree and towards

Christmas he was one of the first that

was cut down the axe struck deep into

the very pit 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

anymore 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 then

two servants came in rich livery and

carried the fir tree into a large and

splendid drawing-room portraits were

hanging on the walls and near the white

porcelain stove stood two large Chinese

vases with lions on the covers 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’s and so and the fir tree

was stuck upright in a cask that was

filled with sand but no one could see

that it was a cask for green cloth was

hung all rounded and it stood on a large

gaily colored carpet oh how the tree

quivered what was to happen the servants

as well as the young ladies decorated it

on one branch there hung little Nets cut

out of colored paper and each net was

filled with sugar plums and among the

other boughs gilded apples and walnuts

were suspended looking as though they

had grown there and little blue and

white tapers were placed among the

leaves dolls that look for the world

like men the tree had never beheld such

before were seen among the foliage and

at the very top a large star of gold

tinsel was fixed it was really splendid

beyond description

splendid this evening they all said how

it will shine this evening Oh thought

the tree if the evening were but come if

the tapers were but lighted and then I

wonder what will happen

perhaps the other trees from the forest

will come to look at me perhaps the

sparrows will beat against the

windowpanes I wonder if I shall take

root here and winter and summer stand

covered with ornaments he knew very much

about the matter for he was so impatient

that for sheer longing he got a pain in

his back and this with trees is the same

thing as a headache with us the candles

were now lighted what brightness what

splendor

the tree trembled so in every bow that

one of the tapers that fire to the

foliage it blazed up famously help help

cry the young ladies and they quickly

put out the fire now the tree did not

even dare tremble what a state he was in

he was so uneasy lest he should lose

something of his splendor that he was

quite bewildered amidst the glare and

brightness when suddenly both folding

doors opened and a troop of children

rushed in as if they would upset the

tree the older persons followed quietly

the little one stood quite still but it

was only for a moment

then they shouted that the whole place

recode with their rejoicing they danced

round the tree and one present after the

other was pulled off what are they about

thought the tree what is to happen now

and the lights burned down to the very

branches and as they burned down they

were put out one after the other and

that the children had permission to

plunder the tree so they fell upon it

with such violence that all its branches

cracked if it had not been firmly fixed

in the ground it would certainly have

tumbled down the children danced about

with their beautiful playthings no one

looked at the tree except the old nurse

who peeped between the branches but it

was only to see if there was a fig or an

apple left that had been forgotten a

story a story cried the children drawing

a little fat man towards the tree he

seated himself under it and said now we

are in the shade and the tree can listen

to but I shall tell only one story now

which will you have that about Ivany

Avenue or about Humpty Dumpty who

tumbled down stairs and yet after all

came to the throne and married the

princess

I have tfd cried son

humpty dumpty cried the

there was such a balling and screaming

the fir-tree alone was silent and he

thought to himself am I not to ball with

the rest am I to do nothing whatever or

he was one of the company and had done

what he had to do and the old man told

about Humpty Dumpty that tumbled down

who notwithstanding came to the throne

and at last married the princess and the

children clapped their hands and cried

oh go on

do go on they wanted to hear about IFD

fd2

but the little man only told them about

Humpty Dumpty the fir-tree stood quite

still and absorbed in thought the birds

in the wood had never related the like

of this

humpy don’t be fell downstairs and yet

he married the princess yes yes that’s

the way of the world thought the fir

tree and believe it all because the man

who told the story was so good-looking

well well who knows perhaps I may fall

downstairs to and get a princess his

wife and he looked forward with joy to

the morrow when he hoped to be decked

out again with lights playthings fruits

and tinsel I won’t tremble tomorrow

thought the fir tree I will enjoy to the

full all my splendor tomorrow I shall

hear again the story of Humpty Dumpty

and perhaps that of I of the fd2

and the whole night the tree stood still

and in deep thought in the morning the

servant and the housemaid came in know

the splendor will begin again thought

the fir but they dragged him out of the

room and up the stairs into the loft and

here in a dark corner where no daylight

could enter

they left him what’s the meaning of this

thought the tree what am I to do here

what shall I hear now I wonder and he

leaned against the wall lost in reverie

time enough had he too for his

reflections for days and nights passed

on and nobody came up and when at last

somebody did come it was only to put

some great trunks in a corner out of the

way there stood the tree quite hidden it

seemed as if he had been entirely

forgotten it is now winter out-of-doors

thought the tree the earth is hard and

covered with snow men cannot plant me

now and therefore I have been put up

here under shelter till the springtime

comes

how thoughtful that is how kind man is

after all if it only were not so dark

here and so terribly lonely not even a

hair and out in the woods it was so

pleasant when the snow was in the ground

and the hair leaked by yes even when he

jumped over me but I did not like it

then it really is terribly lonely here

speak quick said little mouse

at the same moment peeping out of his

hole and then another little one came

they snuffed about the fur tree and

rustled among the branches it is

dreadfully cold said the mouse but for

that it would be delightful here old fur

wouldn’t it I am by no means old said

the fir tree there’s many a one

considerably older than I am where did

you come from

asked the mice

and what can you do they were so

extremely curious tell us about the most

beautiful spot on the earth have you

ever been there were you never in the

larder where Jesus lie on the shelves

and hems hang from the path where one

tense is about on tallow candles that

place where one enters mean and comes

out again

fat and portly I know no such place said

the tree but I know the wood where the

Sun shines and with a little birds sing

and then he told all about his youth and

the little mice had never heard the like

before and they listened and said well

to be sure how much you have seen how

happy you must have been I said the fir

tree thinking over what he had himself

related yes in reality those were happy

times and then he told them about

Christmas Eve when he was decked out

with cakes and candles oh said the

little mice how fortunate you have been

old fir tree I am by no means old said

he I came from the wood this winter I am

in my prime and I’m only rather short

for my age what delightful stories you

know said the mice and the next night

they came with four other little mice

who were to hear what the tree recounted

and the more he related the more he

remembered himself and it appeared as if

those times had been happy times but

they may still come they may still come

humpy dumpy fell downstairs and yet he

got a princess and he thought at the

moments of an eye

little birch tree growing out in the

woods to that fir that would be a really

charming princess who is humpy dumpy ask

the mice so then the fir tree told the

whole fairy tale for he could remember

every single word of it and the little

mice jumped for joy up to the very top

of the tree next night two more mice

came and on Sunday two rats even but

they said the stories were not

interesting which vexed the little mice

and they too now began to think them not

so very amusing either do you know only

one story asked the rats only that one

answered the tree I heard it on my

happiest evening but I did not then know

how happy I was it is a very stupid

story don’t you know one about bacon and

tallow candles

can’t you tell any larger stories no

said the tree then goodbye said the rats

and they went home at last

the little mice stayed away also and the

tree side after all it was very pleasant

when the sleek little mice at round me

and listened to what I told them no that

too is over but I will take good care to

enjoy myself when I am brought out again

but when was that to be why one morning

there came a quantity of people and set

to work in the loft the trunks were

moved the tree was pulled out and thrown

rather hard it is true down on the floor

but a man drew him towards the stairs

where the daylight shone

now a merry life will begin again

thought the tree he felt the fresh air

the first Sunbeam and now he was out in

the courtyard all passed so quickly

there was so much going on around him

the tree quite forgot to look to himself

the court had joined a garden and all

was in flower the roses hung so fresh

and odorous over the bali estrade the

Linden’s were in blossom the swallows

flew by and said can’t evict my husband

has come but it was not the firt REE

that they meant now then I shall really

enjoy life he said exalting Lea and

spread out his branches but alas they

were all withered and yellow it was in a

corner that he lay among weeds and

Nettles

the golden star of tinsel was still on

the top of the tree and glittered in the

sunshine in the courtyards some of the

merry children were playing who had

danced at Christmas round the fir tree

and were so glad at the sight of him one

of the youngest ran and tore off the

golden star only look what is still on

the ugly old Christmas tree said he

trampling on the branches so that they

all cracked beneath his feet and the

tree beheld all the beauty of the

flowers and the freshness in the garden

he beheld himself and wished he had

remained in his dark corner in the loft

he thought of his first youth in the

wood of the merry Christmas Eve and of

the little mice who had listened with so

much pleasure to the story of humpty

dumpty his over his past said the poetry

had I but rejoiced when I had reason to

do so but now his past

his past and the gardener’s boy chopped

the tree into small pieces there was a

whole heap lying there the wood flamed

up splendidly under the large brewing

copper and its side so deeply each sigh

was like a shot the boys played about in

the court and the youngest wore the gold

star on his breast which the tree had

had on the happiest evening of his life

however that was over now

the tree gone the story had an end all

all was over every tale must end at last

end of the fir tree by Hans Christian

Andersen

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