thought the tree . It felt the fresh air , the first rays of the sun , and there it was out in the yard ! Everything passed so quickly ; the tree quite forgot to notice itself , there was so much to look at all around . The yard opened on a garden full of flowers ; the roses were so fresh and sweet , hanging over a little trellis , the lime-trees were in blossom , and the swallows flew about , saying : ` Quirre-virre-vil , my husband has come home ; ' but it was not the fir-tree they meant . ` Now I shall live , ' thought the tree joyfully , stretching out its branches wide ; but , alas ! they were all withered and yellow ; and it was lying in a corner among weeds and nettles . The golden star was still on its highest bough , and it glittered in the bright sunlight . In the yard some of the merry children were playing , who had danced so gaily round the tree at Christmas . One of the little ones ran up , and tore off the gold star . ` Look what was left on the ugly old fir-tree ! ' he cried , and stamped on the boughs so that they cracked under his feet . And the tree looked at all the splendour and freshness of the flowers in the garden , and then looked at itself , and wished that it had been left lying in the dark corner of the lumber-room ; it thought of its fresh youth in the wood , of the merry Christmas Eve , and of the little mice who had listened so happily to the story of Humpty Dumpty . ` Too late ! Too late ! ' thought the old tree . ` If only I had enjoyed myself whilst I could . Now all is over and gone . ' And a servant came and cut the tree into small pieces , there was quite a bundle of them ; they flickered brightly under the great copper in the brew-house ; the tree sighed deeply , and each sigh was like a pistol-shot ; so the children who were playing there ran up , and sat in front of the fire , gazing at it , and crying , ` Piff ! puff ! bang ! '
But for each report , which was really a sigh , the tree was thinking of a summer 's day in the wood , or of a winter 's night out there , when the stars were shining ; it thought of Christmas Eve , and XXXXX Humpty Dumpty , which was the only story it had heard , or could tell , and then the tree had burnt away .
If among in into of on over so to whilst