Then they began to climb. But they
soon found that to be impossible. As fast as they touched a hand or
foot to the tree, back it flew with a jerk exactly as if the tree
pushed it. They tried a ladder, but the ladder fell back the moment
it touched the tree, and lay sprawling upon the ground. Finally, they
brought axes and thought they could chop the tree down, Costumer and
all; but the wood resisted the axes as if it were iron, and only
dented them, receiving no impression itself.
Meanwhile, the Costumer sat up in the tree, eating cherries, and
throwing the stones down. Finally, he stood up on a stout branch and,
looking down, addressed the people.
"It's of no use, your trying to accomplish anything in this way," said
he; "you'd better parley. I'm willing to come to terms with you, and
make everything right, on two conditions."
The people grew quiet then, and the Mayor stepped forward as
spokesman. "Name your two conditions," said he, rather testily. "You
own, tacitly, that you are the cause of all this trouble."
"Well," said the Costumer, reaching out for a handful of cherries,
"this Christmas Masquerade of yours was a beautiful idea; but you
wouldn't do it every year, and your successors might not do it at all.
I want those poor children to have a Christmas every year. My first
condition is, that every poor child in the city hangs its stocking for
gifts in the City Hall on every Christmas Eve, and gets it filled,
too.
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