Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-01-05

ed, ana haQ IL not WHAT WILL ttAFFha
been fastened with NEXT
the glistening star to the ceiling it must have
been thrown down. The children then danced
about with their pretty toys, and no ons
noticed the tree. except the children's maid,
who came and peeped among the branches &c
see if an apple or a fig had been forgotten.
"A story, story" cried the children, pull
ing q little fat man toward the tree.
''Now we shall be in the green shade" said
the man, as he seated himself under it, land
the tree will have the pleasure of hearing
also, but l shall only relate one story; what
shall it be? Ivede-Avede, or Humpty
Dumpty, who fell down stairs, but soon got
up again, and at last married princess"
''Ivede-Avede," cried some. "Humpty
Dumpty," cried others, and there was fine
shouting and crying out But the fir tree re-
manned quite still, and thought to himself,
'Shall have anything to do with all thisf'
but he had already amused them as much as
they wished. Then the old man told them
the story of Humpty Dumpty, how he fell
down stairs, and was raised up again, and
married q princess And the children clap
ped their hands and cried, Tell another, tell
another" for they wanted to hear the story OF
"Ivede-Avede;" but they only had "Humpty
Dumpty." After this tho fir tree became
quite silent aud taougltful: never had the
birds in the forest told such tales as ''Humpty
Dumpty," who fell down stairs, and yet mar
ried princess
'sAh! yes, SO il happens III the world,n
thought the fir tree; he believed 1t alt, be-
cause it was related by such nice man.
"Ahl we'll" he thought, "who knows? per-
haps / may fall down too, and marry
-f,,l1
the next evening, expecting to be again
decked out with lights and playthings, gold
and fruit Tomorrow | will not trerlble,n
thought he; Il will enjoy ali my spiendor,
and shall hear the story OF Humpty Dumpty
again, and perhaps lvcde-Avede." And the
tree remained quiet and thoughtful all night.
In tho morning the servants and the house
maid came III. Now, Thought tho fir. ''all
my splendor is going TO begin again" But
they dragged him out OF tine rccm end up
stairs to the garnet, and threw him on the
floor, in darl. corner, where no daylight
shone. and there thcy LEFT him What does
this mean2' thought tie tree. What am
to do here3 car hear nothing in place
like this, and he icaiit against tie wall, and
thought and thought AID he had time
enough to think, for days and nights passed
and no one came near hin, and when 1t lust
somebody did conIc it was onl,' t. put ;.waY
large boxes in Il corner. So the trec vas
completely hidden from sight Us If IL had
never existed 1T Is winter, SOW thought
the tree, "shc ground is hard a':i covered
with SNOW, so that people caano: i,ia.it me.
| Shall bo sheltered here, | d..csay, until
spring comes"
'Squeak squeak" said q !itt;e mouse,
creeping cautiously towards the tree; then
came another, and they both snilIed ut the
fir tree and crcpt between the branches
'Oh. it is very cold" said the little mouse,
''or else we should DO SO comfortable here,
shouldn't we, you old fir trce."
Il an not old, said the fir tree, there are
many who arc older than ann
''Where do you como from, and what do
you known asked the mice, who were full Of
curiosity. Have you seen the most bcauti-
fu! places i'll the world, and can youteil Us ali
about tieml and have you been III tho store
room, where cheeses lie on the Shelf and
hams hang from tho ceilings One can run
about on taliow candles, there, and 60 in thin
and come out fat"
II know nothing OF that place." said the
fr troa- s'sx;t know the wood where tho SIN
shines and the birds sing" And then the
tree told the little mice all about its youth.
They had never heard such an account in
their lives; and after they had listened to it
attentively, they said: ''What number of
things you have seen you mus have been
very happy"
One morning people came to clear out the
garnet, the boxes were packed away, and
the tree was pulled out of tho corner. and