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"The Fir
By linns Christian Andersen.
Ml In tha forest atnnn ft. nrettr little
C 1 Kir Tree. It had a good place; It
I rnuld have aunllirht. air there waa
.n plenty, and all around grew
many lorgSr comrades pines aa
a. lira. But tba little II r Tree wished
ardently to beo ome greater. It did not
care (or the warm sun and the fresh air;
It took no notice of the peasant children,
who went about talking together, when
they had come out to look for strawberries
and raspberries. Often they came with a
whole pot full, or had strung berries on a
straw; then they would sit flown by the
little Fir Tree and say, "How pretty and
small that one Is!" and the Fir Tree did
not like to hear that at all. Next year he
had grown a great Joint, and the following
year he waa longer still, for in fir trees
one can always tell by the number of
rings they have how many years they have
ben growing.
"Oh, If I were only as great a tree as
the other!" sighed the little Fir, "then I
would spread my branches far around, and
look out from my crown Into the wide
world. The birds would then build nests
In my boughs, and when the wind blew I
could nod just as grandly as the others
yonder."
It took no pleasure tn the sunshine, In
'the birds and in the red clouds that went
sailing over him morning and evening.
When it- waa winter, and the snow lay all
round, while and sparkling, a hare would
often come jumping along and spring right
over the little Fir Tree. Oh! this made him so
angry. But two winters went by, and when
the third came the little Tree had grown
so tall that the hare was obliged to run
round It.
"Oh I to grow, to grow, and become old;
that's the only fine thing tn the world."
"thought the Tree. In the autumn wood
cutters always came and felled a few of
the largest trees; that was done this year,
tc-o, and the tittle Fir Tree, that was now
quite well grown, shuddered with fear, for
the great stately trees fell to the ground
With a crash, and their branches were cut
off, so that the trees looked quite naked.
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1 r
J. e. ROOT,
Commander. W. 0. W. Bid;.., Omaha, Neb.
rnr r "" - - " - -
Tree Hans Christian Anderson's Great Christmas Story
long and slender they could hardly be rec
ognised. But then they were laid upon
wagons, and horses dragged them away out
of the wood. Where were they going T
What destiny awaited them? In the spring,
when the swallows and the stork came,
the Tree asked them, "Do you know where
they were taken? Did you not meet them?"
The swallows knew nothing about It, but
the stork looked thoughtful, nodded his
head, and said:
"Yes, I think so. I met many new ships
when I flew out of Egypt; on the ships
were stately masts; I fancy these were the
trees. They smelied like llr. I can assure
ou they're stately very stately."
"Oh, that I were only big enough to go
over the sea! What kind of thing la this
t a, and how does It look?"
"It would take too long to explain all
that," said the stork, and he went away.
"Rejoice In thy youth," said the sunbeams;
"rejoice in thy fresh growth and in the
young life that is within thee." And the
wind klBned. the tree, and the dew wept
tears upon It; but the fir tree did not un
derstand that. When Christmas time ap
proached, quite young trees were foiled,
sometimes trees which were neither so old
nor so large as this fir tree, that never
rt steel, but always wanted to go away.
These young trees, which were always the
. i:irtful, kept all their branches;
they war .put upon wagons and horses
u... incm uway out of the wood.
"Where are they all going?" asked the
Fir Tree. "They are not greater than I
Indeed, one of them waa much smaller.
Why do they keep all their branches?
whither are they taken?"
W know that! We know that!" chirped
the Sparrows. "Tender In the tewn we
looked in at the windows. We know where
they go. Oh! they are dressed up In the
greatest pomp and splendor that can he
Imagined. We have looked In at the win
dows and have perceived that they are
planted In the middle of the warm room
and adorned with the most beautiful thlnps
gilt apples, honey cakes, playthings and
many hundreds of candles."
"And then?" asked the Fir Tree, and
Headquarters of the Sovereign Camp, Omaha, Web.
In (United States- First Sf ronnest Financials
SOVEREIGN JURISDICTION
-
... - .
trembled through all Its branches. "And
then? What happens then?"
"Why, we have not seen anything more.
But it was incomparable." "Perhaps I
may be destined to tread this glorious path
one day!" cried the Fir Tree, rejoicingly.
"That is even better than traveling across
the sea. JIow painfully I long for it! If
it were only Christmas now! Now I am
great and grown up, like the rest who
were led away last year. Oh, if I were
only on the carrlnge! If I were only In the
warm room, among all the pomp and splen
dor! And then? Yes, then something even
better will come, something far more
charming, or else why should they adorn
me so? There must be something grander,
something greater still to come; but what?
Oh! I'm suffering, I'm longing! I don't
know myself what Is the mutter with me!"
"Rejoice In us," said Air and Sunshine.
"Rejoice in thy fresh youth here In the
woodland."
1 But the Fir Tree did not rejoice at all,
but it grew and grew; winter and summer
it stood tWere, green, dark green. The peo
ple who saw It said, "That's a handsome
tree!" and at Christmas time it was felled
before any one of the others. The axe
cut deep Into Its marrow, and the tree
fell to the ground with a sigh; it felt a
puln, a sensation of falntness, and could
not think at all of happiness, for it was
sad at parting from ,lts home, from the
place where it had grown up; It knew that
it should never again see tha dL-ur old
compauluns, the little bushes and flowrs
all around perhaps not even the birds.
The parting was not at all agreeable.
The Tree only came to Itself when it was
unloaded in a yard, with other trees, and
heard a man suy:
"This one Is famous; we only want
this one!" Now two servants came
In gay liveries and carried the
Fir Tree into a large, beautiful
saloon. All around the walls hung pictures,
and by the great stove stood large Chinese
vases with lions on the covers; there were
rocking chairs, silken sofas, great tables
covered with picture books, and toys worth
a hundred times a hundred dollurs, at least
the children said so. And the fir tree was
put Into a great tub filled with sand; but
no one could see that it was a tub, for it
was hung round with green cloth, and
stood on a large, many-colored carpet. Oh,
how the tree trembled! What was to
happen now? The servants, and the young
ludies also, decked It out. .On one branch
th.y hung litt'.o nets, cut out of colored
paper; every net was tilled with sweet
meats; golden apples and walnuts hung
down aa If they grew there, and more
than a hundred little candles, red. white
and blue, were fastened to the different
boughs. Dulls that ltoked exactly like
real people the tree had never seen such
before swung among the foliage, and
high on the summit of tha tree was fixed
a tinsel star. It was splendid, particularly
splendid. "This evening." said all. "thl
evening It will shine." Oh." thought the
tree, "that it were evening already! Ob
that the lights may be soon lit up! When
may that be done? I wonder if trees will
come out of the forest to loots' at me? Will
the sparrow fly against the panes? Bhall
I grow fajtt here, and aland adornwl in
summer and winter?"
Yes, he did nt guess badly. But he hid
a complete backache from mere longing,
and the backache la just aa bad for a tree
aa the headache fur a person.
At lat the candUs wvr lighted. What
a brilliance, what sp'.endurl The tree trem
bled so In all lis branches that on of the
randies set fire to a green twig, and It
waa scorched. "Ileavca preserves us"'
crtea lue young ladles; an4 they hastily
- - , -. -. -
put the fire out. Now the tree might not
even tremble. Oh, that was terrible! It
was so afraid of setting fire to some of Its
ornaments, and It was quite bewildered
with all the brilliance. And now the fold
ing doors were thrown open, and a number
of children rushed In as If they would
have overturned the whole tree; the older
people followed more deliberately. The
little ones stood quite silent, but only for
a minute; then they shouted till the room
rang; they danced gleefully round the tree,
and one present after another was plucked
from it. "What are they about?" thought
the tree. "What's going to be done?" And
the candies burned down to the twigs, and
as they bumed down they were extin
guished, and then the children received per
mission to plunder the tree. Oh! they
rushed In upon It, so thnt every branch
cracked again ; If It had not been fastened
by the top and by the golden star to the
ceiling, It would have fallen down.
'The children danced about with their
pretty toys. No one looked at the Tree
except one old man, who came up and
peeped among the hranches, but only to pee
If a fig or an apple had not been forgotten.
"A story; a story!" shouted the children,
and 4hey drew a little fnt man toward the
Tree, and he sat down Just beneath It "for
then we shall be In the green wood," said
he; "and the Tree may hHve the advantage
of listening to my tale. But I can only tell
one. Will you hear the story of Ivede
Avede or of Klumpey-Dumpey, who fell
downstairs and still was rnlsed up to honor
and married the princess?"
"Ivede-Avede!" cried some; "Klumpey
Dunipey!" cried others, and there was a
great crying to be In the green wood." said
he; and the tree was silent and thought.
"Shall I not be in It; shill I have nothing
to do In It?" But he had been in the even
ing's amusement and had done what was
required of him.
And the fat man told about Klumpey
Dumpey, who fell downstairs and yet was
raised to honor and married the princess.
And the children clapped their hands and
cried, "Tell nmither; tell another!" For
they wanted to hear about Ivede-Avede;
but they only got the story of Klumpey
Dumpey. The Kir Tree stood quite silent
and thoughtful. Never had the birds in
the wood told such a story as that. Klumpey-Dumpey
fell downstairs and yet came
to honor and married the princess!
"Yes. so It happens in the world!"
thought the Fir True, and believed It must
be true, because that was such a nice man
who told it. "Well, who can know? Itr
haps I shall fall downstair, too, and niary
a princess!" And it looked forward with
pleasure to being adorned again the next
evening with candles and toy, gold and
fruit. "Tomorrow I shall rot tremble." it
thought. "I will rejoice in all my splendor.
Tomorrow I shall bear the story of Kluin-pey-Duwpry
again and perhaps that of
Ivede-Avede, too."
And the Trs stood all night quiet and
thoughtful.
, In the morning the servants and the
chambermaid CM.ni Id.
"Now my splendor will begin afresh."
thought the Tree. But they dragged hlin
out of the room and upstairs to the garret,
and here they put bun in a dark corner
Where no daylight shone.
"What's the meunlng of this?" th'Might
the Tree. "What am I to da here? WiuU Is
(a happen?"
And he leaned against the wall and
thought and thought. And he had
enough, fur day ami nights went by. and
nutxdy came up; and when at length som
ene came It waa enly te put mm great
htf'.aa la a corner. Now tte Tree mmt
v-
12,500 Monuments Erected
350,000 Members
JDKl
MOT
- - . - : - --r- pf r rirr-n nTn im ifTtiirni-'-TnfTT-aimi mrmatTiiTti0TBtTmTwmTmnM mn
quite bidden away and the supposition la
that it was quite forgotten. "Now lt'a win
ter outside," thought the Tree. "The earth
Is hard and covered with snow, and people
cannot plant me; therefore I suppose I'm
to be sheltered here until spring comes.
How considerate that Is! How good people
are! If it were only not so dark here, and
s terribly solitary! not even a little hare!
That was pretty out there In the wood,
when the snow lay thick and the hare
sprang past; yes, even when he Jumped
over me; but, then, I did not like It. It Is
terribly lonely up here!"
"Flop! plep!" said a little Mouse, and
crept forward, and then came another little
one. They smelt at the Fir Tree, and then
slipped among the branches.
"It's horribly cold,' said the two little
Mice, "or else it would be comfortable here.
Don't you think so, you old Fir Tree?"
"I'm not old. at all," said the Fir Tree.
"There are many much older tha.i I."
"Where do you come from?" asked the
Mice. "And what do you know?" They
were dreadfully inquisitive. "Tell us about
the most beautiful spot on eurth. Have
you been there? Have you been In the
storeroom, where cheeses lie on the shelves
and hams hang from the ceiling, where one
dances on tallow candles and goes In thin
and comes out fat?"
"I don't know that," replied the Tree;
"but I know the wood, where the sun shines
and the birds sing." '
And then it told all about Its youth. And
the little Mice had never heard anything
of the kind; and they listened and said:
"What a number of things you havs seen I
How happy you must have been!"
"I?" replied the Fir Tree; and It tliought
about what It had told. "Yes. tnose were
really quite happy times." But then ho
told of the Christmas eve, whon he had
been hung with sweetmeats and candles.
"Oh!" said the little Mice, "how happy
you have been, uu old Fir Tree!"
"I'm not old at all," said the Tree. "I
only came out of the wood this winter.
I'm only rather backward in my growth."
"What sphndld stories you cuu tell!"
said the little Mice.
And next night they came with four otiier
little Mice, to bear what the Tree had (4
relate; and the more it said the more
clearly did it lemember everything, anil
thought, "Those were quite merry day a!
Hut they may come again. Klumpey
Dumpey fell downstairs, and yet he mar
ried the I'rlncess. Perhaps I may yet
marry a Princess, too!" And then the Fir .
Tree thought of a pretty Utile birch tree
that grew out In the forest; for the Fir
Tree that birch was a real Princess.
"Who's Klumpey-Dumpey?" asked the
little Mice.
And then the Fir Tree told the whole
story. It could remember every single
word; and th little Mice were ready to
leap to the very tup of the tree with
pleasure. Next night a great many more
Mice came, and on Sunday two Kats even
appeared; but these thought the mury
was not pretty, and the little Mice were
sorry for that, fur now they aluo did nut
like it so much as before.
"Do you only know one story?" asaed the
Hal a
"Only that on.-." replied the Tree. "I
heard that on the happieat evening of my
life; 1 did nut tulnk thvn how hippy I
was."
'That's a very miserable story. Ixm't
you know any about bacoa ar.4 tauo
cr.d!ea store ruixn sluryT
No." said the Tree.
"Then wee rather aot hear yuu." saud
the Kata
a4 they weal hevk te their ewa people.
JOHN T. YATES,
Sovereign Clerk, W. O. W. Bldg., Omaha, Neb.
The Mice at last stayed away also; aa4
the Tree sighed and said:
"It was very nice when they sat round
me, the merry little Mice, and listened
when I spoke to them. Now that's past,
too. But I all all remember to be plese4
when they take me out."
But when did that happen? Why, It was
one morning that people came and rum
maged in the garret; the boxes were put
away, and the Tree brought out; they
certainly Uirew him rather roughly on the
floor, but a servant dragged him away at
once to tha stairs, where the daylight
shone.
"Now life Is beginning again!" thought
the Tree.
It felt the fresh air and the first sun
beams, and now It was out In the court
yard. Everything passed so quickly that
the Tree quite forgot to look at Itself,
there was so much to look st all roeind.
The courtyard was close to a garden, and
here everything was blooming; the roses
hung freuh and fragrant over the Utile
paling, the linden trees were In bloaaura.
and the swallows cried, "yuloar-wll!
qulnxe-wlt! my husband's come!" iiut It
waa not the Fir Tree that they meant.
Now I sh.dl live," sold the Tree, rejoic
ingly, and spread Ita branches fsr out. But,
aliis! they were all withered and yellow;
and It lay In the corner amoug nettles and
weeds. The tinsel star was s'UI upon It
and shone In the bright sunshine.
In tiie courtyard two of the children
were playing who had danced 'round the
Tree at Christmas time and had rejoiced
over It. One of the youngest ran up anl
tore off the gulden star.
"l4H;k what Is sticking to the ugly Ola
Fir Tree," said the child, and he trod upon
the branches till they cracked again under
his boots.
And the Tree looked at all the blooming
flowers and the splendor of the garden
and then looked at itself and wished It had
remained In the dark corner of the garret.
It thought of its fresh youth in the wood,
of the merry Christmas eve and of the
little Mice which hut listened a pleasantly
to the story of Klumpry-Duii.pry.
I"ast! past!" said the old Tree. "Hail I
but rejoiced when I could have done so!
Past! past!"
And the servant rams and enoj psi the
Tree Into little pieces; a whol bund ly
there; ll bl.ixed brightly under the great
brewing copper and it sighed deejiy. and
each sigh was like a little shot, snd thn
children who were at play there ran up
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All Silk (taffeta) 1 mbrvlUa, with sterling silver and
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1
and seated Uwsmselvea at the the. looked
late H and cried. "1U 3! puSr. But at
each explosioe which waa a denp ..gh. the
Tre thought ef a simmer dw" In the
woods or ef a wlaur sight the .-. when
the stare fajned. He thought ..- Chi-lnt.1
nia ere and of Klump-y-Dumpey he OQjy
story he had ever heard or knev how to
teiL And then the Tree was bu
The buys played In the garden a ad the
young had ea hta br.,t a gol,n ,tar
which the Tree had wora eo its Lapplnat
evening. Now that waa past, and the
Tree's life waa peat, and the storr j past.
lov-m'. peatl-aod that's Ue ., wm,
ail atertee,
The Cfcrlefasaa Delt,
Her syee were eery, very blue.
Her browe wre eery oiaca.
And curia of flour golden hair
Went rtppilog down w back.
Her a-own of pink hroeauss waa made
With many a fol-d-rol
A hat all Jarw and lares ere Y ted
The dainty Christmas iIL
Tao children at her bstty gaset'
behind the shining class.
One rUd In velvet, silk and fur.
And one In raga, alas!
The heiresa to a million bora
The lovely toy a ay.
tviiahtei1 with It fr aa hour
Hut weary In a day. ,
Th child of cold aed preerty
rpl up the creating stair.
Vbare ashee choked the ruotr grata
And cuplmard shelve wer bare;
Hot through th attic pajiee a star
ehuu In up her real.
An-t In her Urcuus th Christmas doll
Was fouiad to her LraL.
Pefor th Christmas wreath W-v a dry
Sr. fiun.L r.e titter Mors.
Th Chnsinuta luil tnw the dr fta
( all Pa glory t.urn.
Vtth loving hands ah grstly rolavl
Th suiied. oiwerd uy.
And wrapped I; In r.er fa ted shaa 1 s
And bc It torn with jr.
Aaalu th silver star "kd la
I port th org haa rhlid
8 a.ept beano- th ITirlsimsa C -II
And In br tumtar seillad.
Ar. lo: in ad that rity tut,
With r..t if sparkling whit.
No t ir he-4Tt than he- repose
Belira'h I's fruaty light.
Minna Imn.g la Leslie's aeg'y.
.. (hrtetaaa rssissy,
flf-y aglrajn waa th Biinwtoe,
H i.r stood front tha rest s art
A-ol .oir.g together In niad em' -ace,
K ird.e-a of t-..4 or tun or lat-a,
Au.l voe. that a tivr would pjj-t.
Ah. the nia.t. glad riot that throus us ran
l n-t t rest raining art
I ( oinr and liuaii. for war t pair
That !.,. for the last of an o I beau's
hi:r-
Ws a ou'.t hav been liard to pstl
Harvey ftak. la th Bo. imlan.
i
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5"