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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