` 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 of voices ! Only the fir-tree kept silent , and thought , ` Am I not to be in it ? Am I to have nothing to do with it ? ' But it had already been in it , and played out its part . And the man told them about Humpty Dumpty who fell downstairs and married a princess . The children clapped their hands and cried , ` Another ! another ! '
They wanted the story XXXXX Henny Penny also , but they only got Humpty Dumpty .
Penny about at by in of on tapers to with