The fir tree, part 1 Der Tannenbaum, Teil 1 Le sapin, partie 1 O abeto, parte 1 枞树，第一部分

THE FIR TREE |Coniferous evergreen tree|

Out in the woods stood a nice little Fir Tree. The place he had was a very good one: the sun shone on him: as to fresh air, there was enough of that, and round him grew many large-sized comrades, pines as well as firs. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||pine trees|||| But the little Fir wanted so very much to be a grown-up tree.

He did not think of the warm sun and of the fresh air; he did not care for the little cottage children that ran about and prattled when they were in the woods looking for wild-strawberries. ||||||||||||||||||||small house||||||chattered aimlessly||||||||||wild berries The children often came with a whole pitcher full of berries, or a long row of them threaded on a straw, and sat down near the young tree and said, "Oh, how pretty he is! |||||||container for berries||||||||||strung on||||||||||||||||| What a nice little fir!" But this was what the Tree could not bear to hear.

At the end of a year he had shot up a good deal, and after another year he was another long bit taller; for with fir trees one can always tell by the shoots how many years old they are. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||new growths||||||

"Oh! Were I but such a high tree as the others are," sighed he. Если бы я был таким же высоким деревом, как другие, -- вздохнул он. "Then I should be able to spread out my branches, and with the tops to look into the wide world! Then would the birds build nests among my branches: and when there was a breeze, I could bend with as much stateliness as the others!" |||||||||||||||||||||graceful dignity||| Neither the sunbeams, nor the birds, nor the red clouds which morning and evening sailed above him, gave the little Tree any pleasure. ||rays of sunlight||||||||||||||||||||

In winter, when the snow lay glittering on the ground, a hare would often come leaping along, and jump right over the little Tree. ||||||shining brightly|||||A type of rabbit|||||||||||| Oh, that made him so angry! But two winters were past, and in the third the Tree was so large that the hare was obliged to go round it. ||||||||||||||||small mammal||forced to|||| "To grow and grow, to get older and be tall," thought the Tree--"that, after all, is the most delightful thing in the world!" In autumn the wood-cutters always came and felled some of the largest trees. ||||||||cut down||||| This happened every year; and the young Fir Tree, that had now grown to a very comely size, trembled at the sight; for the magnificent great trees fell to the earth with noise and cracking, the branches were lopped off, and the trees looked long and bare; they were hardly to be recognised; and then they were laid in carts, and the horses dragged them out of the wood. ||||||||||||||||attractive||||||||||||||||||breaking apart noisily||||cut off||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Where did they go to? What became of them?

In spring, when the swallows and the storks came, the Tree asked them, "Don't you know where they have been taken? ||||birds|||large wading birds||||||||||||| Have you not met them anywhere?"