` Take care ! ' cried the young ladies , and they extinguished it . Now the tree did not even dare to quiver . It was really terrible ! It was so afraid of losing any of its ornaments , and it was quite bewildered by all the radiance . And then the folding doors were opened , and a crowd of children rushed in , as though they wanted to knock down the whole tree , whilst the older people followed soberly . The children stood quite silent , but only for a moment , and then they shouted again , and danced round the tree , and snatched off one present after another . ` What are they doing ? ' thought the tree . ` What is going to happen ? ' And the tapers burnt low on the branches , and were put out one by one , and then the children were given permission to plunder the tree . They rushed at it so that all its boughs creaked ; if it had not been fastened by the gold star at the top to the ceiling , it would have been overthrown . The children danced about with their splendid toys , and no one looked at the tree , except the old nurse , who came and peeped amongst the boughs , just to see if a fig or an apple had been forgotten . ' A story ! a story ! ' cried the children , and dragged a little stout man to the tree ; he sat down beneath it , saying , ` Here we are in the greenwood , and the tree will be delighted to listen ! But I am only going to tell one story . Shall it be Henny Penny or Humpty Dumpty who fell downstairs , and yet gained great honour and married a princess ? ' ` Henny Penny ! ' cried some ; ` Humpty Dumpty ! '
cried others ; there was a perfect babel XXXXX voices !
Penny after at by for of on quiver tapers to