At last the candles were lighted, and then what a shining blaze of splendor the tree [[51]]presented! It trembled so with joy in all its branches that one of the candles fell on a green twig and set fire to it. “Help! help!” exclaimed the young ladies, and they quickly extinguished the fire.
After this the tree did not dare even to tremble (though the fire frightened it), it was so anxious not to hurt any of the beautiful ornaments which so dazzled and bewildered it by their brilliance.
And now the folding doors were thrown open, and a troop of children rushed in as if they intended to upset the tree. They were followed more slowly by the older people. For a moment the little ones stood silent with delight, and then they shouted for joy till the room rang; and they danced merrily round the tree, and snatched off one present after another.
“What are they doing?” thought the tree. “What will happen next?”
The candles burned down to the branches and were put out one by one. Then the children were given permission to plunder the tree. [[52]]
Oh, how they rushed upon it! Its branches creaked with the strain, and if it had not been fastened by the gold star to the ceiling, it must have been thrown down.
Then the children danced about with their pretty toys, and no one paid any attention to the tree except the old nurse, who came and peeped among the branches to see if an apple or a fig had been forgotten.
“A story! a story!” cried the children, and dragged a little stout man toward the tree.
“Now we are in the greenwood,” said the man, as he sat down beneath it, “and the tree will have the pleasure of hearing, too. But I am going to tell only one story. What shall it be? Henny Penny? or Humpty Dumpty, who fell downstairs, but soon got up again, and at last married a princess?”