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Updated: May 29, 2025
They now marched along in the homeward direction; but as soon as they came to the road leading out of the woods they vanished without a word of leave-taking. However, Hansi had not gone far down the road, when she saw a Christmas tree that appeared to be walking by itself across the fields. Other people noticed it too, from the road, and thought how queer it looked.
The very next day, Christmas Day, as they were eating their goose, stuffed with apples, there was a ring at the bell in walked a very pompous Prussian policeman with fierce moustaches. "Mrs Herzchen here?" he asked abruptly. "What do you want?" asked that lady, much indignant at being disturbed during her Christmas dinner. "Young person answering to the name of Hansi Herzchen here?" "Yes, sir.
Hansi trembled with excitement. "What's the use of getting so lively, Hansi?" said her big brother Paul despondently. "You know quite well that we are not to have any tree this year. I shall get a new pair of boots, and you a pinafore; these we should have to have anyway. That's not what I call a merry Christmas."
He offered her a third nut, and then he whistled shrilly; it sounded more like a baby crying than a whistle. Then to her surprise, as she looked down the wood path, Hansi saw a troop of little men, such as you see on Christmas cards in Germany, with red caps and green jackets and wooden shoes turned up at the toes.
About 9 P.M. therefore, on the 10th November, 1801, he suddenly darted forth at the head of his personal following, and succeeded in reaching Hansi by a circuitous route, riding the same horse a fine Persian upwards of a hundred miles in less than three days.
The door flew open, and there stood the most lovely Christmas tree they had ever seen or imagined, all dazzling with silver; silver cones, silver fish, silver nuts and acorns, and red candles, and over all an exquisitely spun cobweb of frost. "That's my surprise for you all," said Hansi, who could hardly contain herself for joy.
"Is that something horrid?" asked Hansi anxiously. "No, it only means unmarried," said Paul laughing. "What a fool he is!" Occupation? "Please sir, I go to school and learn my lessons, but I play a good deal too." "We will write 'spinster," he said, frowning fiercely. "Now listen to me, child, if you do not wish to go to prison." The whole family shuddered with horror.
In a village that was close to the great forest, though it had already become the suburb of a large town, lived a little girl named Hansi Herzchen. She was the seventh child of a family of seven, and she lived at No 7 Street. So you see she was a lucky child, for seven is always a lucky number; but nothing had happened to prove her luck as yet.
But now the children began to sing the sweet German carol sung in every house on Christmas Eve: "O peaceful night, O holy night," and then, in her earnest, childish way, Hansi told the story of the birth of the Christ-child in the Manger of Bethlehem. Gretel then stood up eagerly to recite the carol she had learnt at school.
"But of course, there is someone behind carrying it," they said to themselves, and thought no more of the matter. People expect the usual before the unusual, naturally enough, and yet sometimes the unusual is the most probable, as in this case. Hansi was late for dinner, and had a fine scolding. "At all events, I suppose you have done your lessons," said her mother. "No, mother, I'm afraid not."
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