to grow and grow , and become great and old ! that is the only pleasure in life , ' thought the tree . In the autumn the woodcutters used to come and hew some of the tallest trees ; this happened every year , and the young fir-tree would shiver as the magnificent trees fell crashing and crackling to the ground , their branches hewn off , and the great trunks left bare , so that they were almost unrecognisable . But then they were laid on waggons and dragged out of the wood by horses . ` Where are they going ? What will happen to them ? ' In spring , when the swallows and storks came , the fir-tree asked them , ` Do you know where they were taken ? Have you met them ? ' The swallows knew nothing of them , but the stork nodded his head thoughtfully , saying , ' I think I know . I met many new ships as I flew from Egypt ; there were splendid masts on the ships . I 'll wager those were they ! They had the scent of fir-trees . Ah ! those are grand , grand ! ' ` Oh ! if I were only big enough to sail away over the sea too ! What sort of thing is the sea ? what does it look like ? ' ` Oh ! it would take much too long to tell you all that , ' said the stork , and off he went .
` Rejoice in your youth , ' said the sunbeams , ` rejoice in the sweet growing time , XXXXX the young life within you . '
by from if in like of off on over to