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Updated: June 15, 2025
"I found the tree, and the dear, darling Heinzelmen brought it home for me." Mrs Herzchen was speechless with astonishment, and her husband not less so. "How very extravagant," they said, "but how elegant and beautiful! Who can have given it to us?"
"Thank you, thank you, dear Heinzelmen," said Hansi, clasping her hands in ecstasy. There was a big paper parcel addressed to Mrs Herzchen in a very queer handwriting. She opened it with much excitement, thinking it would contain a silk dress, at least.
"Just look at the Müller children next door. They have plenty of toys and are always sucking sweets; but they never have comfortable, warm clothes on, and they look half fed." "Of course, mother, you are right," said the children, "and you were really joking about the tree. We have never had one half so lovely!" Mrs Herzchen felt rather embarrassed at this praise.
Mrs Herzchen did not consult her husband about it; so he expected his tree as usual. The good woman felt rather uncomfortable, as if she had either done something wrong, or omitted doing what was right; but she justified herself by saying continually to herself "What's the use of it?"
But lo and behold, all the presents that she had intended for her children, tied together with red tape and a card between, on which this verse was written: "Useful things For little folk Are sensible, But not a joke." Signed HIMSELF! How the children laughed! and even Mrs Herzchen laughed too, though she felt silly and a little disappointed. "It is all very well to play tricks on me," she said.
Mrs Herzchen poured forth such a storm of abuse, that he threatened her with an action for libel; but she literally turned him out of doors. Her parting words were: "Get out! Go along and make a fool of yourself if you like." Some days afterwards, the man took his treasures to the office and gave them up with a self-important flourish, only to be laughed at for his pains.
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.
And with these words he disappeared into the inner room, now so mysterious to the waiting children. Poor Mrs Herzchen nearly began to cry. If only she had not been so silly! Never, never would she neglect to get a tree again! She ought to have considered other people's prejudices, and Christmas O well, Christmas only comes once a year. "I've got a surprise for mother," whispered Gretel, aged ten.
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.
"Now we might be said to have everything ready for Christmas," said Mrs Herzchen, on her return home, "if it were not for the Christmas tree. I suppose we shall have to pay at least one and six for it, and then there are the candles and apples, balls and sweets. It does seem absurd to waste good money on such rubbish. What can be the use of it?"
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