THE FAIRY TREE
Long, long ago, on an island in the sea, lived a family of seven sisters. The oldest girl ruled the household, and her sisters obeyed her commands. Flora, the youngest sister, was sent to the forest each day, to gather wood for the kitchen fire.
Near the edge of the forest was a cave under some rocks. A stream of water fell over the rocks into a basin in the cave.
This was a delightfully cool spot, and Flora often rested here on her way home after gathering wood in the forest. She would lie on the mossy bank of the stream, for hours, and dream.
One morning as Flora ran along the grassy path that led to the cave, she saw a little fish in the stream. Its scales flashed out all the colors of the rainbow.
"I am going to keep the fish for a pet," said the girl to herself. "I will call him Rainbow."
So she caught the pretty fish and put him into the basin in the cave.
The next day Flora went to the forest for wood. She carried some crumbs of bread which she had saved from her breakfast.
On the way home she stopped at the cave. The fish was waiting for her. He came to the edge of the basin, and she fed the crumbs to him.
How delighted the girl was! She had been so lonely, and now she had a playfellow!
Every morning, instead of eating the bread which her sister gave to her, Flora would save it and feed the crumbs to her pet. The fish would leap to catch them.
"Here are some crumbs, Rainbow," she would say. "This is all to-day, but I shall come again to-morrow."
Then she would sing a little song.
Flora began to grow thin, and her sisters wondered what could be the matter.
One day the oldest sister followed her to the cave and saw her feed the crumbs of bread to the fish.
While Flora was away in the forest, the oldest sister caught the fish, carried him home and baked him for supper.
The bones were buried under the kitchen fire.
The next morning, Flora went to the cave as usual, but no fish was there. She sang her little song, and still he did not come.
"Rainbow cannot be dead," she said, "for I do not see him in the water."
Then Flora hastened home. She threw herself upon her bed and was soon fast asleep.
The following morning, a rooster flew up to Flora's window and crowed,
"Cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo!
The bones of Rainbow wait for you,
Under the kitchen fire, too."
Flora arose at once and went downstairs. There, under the kitchen fire, she found the bones of her pet. She wept as she gathered the bones and placed them in a box.
She went to the forest and buried the box near the cave.
Then Flora sat down on a mossy bank near the cave and sang this song:
"Rainbow, Rainbow, hear my cry,
My great wish do not deny.
If you can't come back to me,
Pray, O pray, become a tree!"
As the last words of the song echoed through the cave, there sprang up beside the girl a wonderful Fairy Tree.
Its trunk was of ivory. Its leaves were of silver fringed with pearls. Its flowers were gold, and its fruit gems from which sparkled the bright colors of the rainbow.
One day the summer breeze carried a leaf from the Fairy Tree across the sea to another island. It fell at the feet of the king.
He picked up the wonderful leaf, saying, "I shall never rest until I find the tree from which this leaf came."
The king set sail with his attendants. He soon landed on the island where the seven sisters lived.
As the king and his men were marching through the forest, they found the Fairy Tree growing at the entrance to the cave.
The king tried to pick some of the leaves, but he could not.
Then he heard the sweet voice of a girl. She was singing,
"Rainbow, Rainbow, speak to me!
Bend your branches, Fairy Tree!"
And Flora came tripping along the grassy path that led to the cave.
The king said, "Fair maiden, if you can pick a leaf or a flower from this tree, you shall be my queen."
As Flora reached to pick a flower, the tree bowed low, and every leaf trembled with delight.
The maiden at once presented the flower to the king.
As he took the flower, the king exclaimed,
"To you belongs the Fairy Tree;
Pray be my bride and rule with me."
Flora thought she must be dreaming, but they were married next day, beneath the branches of the Fairy Tree.
Adapted from "The Lilac Fairy Book" by Andrew Lang
HIAWATHA'S SAILING
Thus the Birch Canoe was builded
In the valley, by the river,
In
the bosom of the forest;
And the forest life was in it,
All its
mystery and its magic,
All the lightness of the birch tree,
All
the toughness of the cedar,
All the larch's supple sinews;
And
it floated on the river
Like a yellow leaf in autumn,
Like a
yellow water lily.
HENRY W LONGFELLOW
GRAY MOLE AND THE INDIAN
An Indian was once wandering across the prairie. He was tired, and hungry, and very lonely. He had traveled many miles.
At last he came to a brook, in a meadow at the foot of a hill.
"I will rest here until noon," thought the Indian. He sat down upon the mossy bank beside the brook.
Presently he heard some one whisper, "Lift me up and carry me with you, and I will be your friend."
The Indian looked carefully about him, to find who was speaking. He saw a small, gray animal peeping from out of the moss.
"Ha, ha, Gray Mole!" laughed the Indian. "Why should I carry you?"
"I am far from my island home. If you will carry me to the cliff near the Place of Breaking Light, I can then reach my burrow safely," replied Gray Mole.
The Indian placed Gray Mole in his large wampum belt.
"Very well, little friend," he said. "You may travel with me, but I shall rest here for a time before starting on the journey."
Then, covering himself with his deerskin robe, he lay down upon the moss. He was soon fast asleep.
At about noon Sun passed overhead. Sun traveled so close to the earth that his rays scorched and shriveled the deerskin robe.
When the Indian awoke, he found that his deerskin robe had been scorched and shriveled by Sun. He was furiously angry.
"I will follow Sun and punish him," said the Indian.
Sun had traveled far beyond the meadow and was now fast disappearing behind the hill. The Indian started to follow.
At last the Indian reached the summit of the hill and could look down the other side. Sun could no longer be seen. He had hidden in his cave beyond the Western Sea.
The Indian traveled until he came to the edge of a cliff. The Shining Big Sea Water beat high against the rocks, and in the distance he could see the Place of Breaking Light.
"We have come to the cliff, little friend. Jump out of my wampum belt," said the Indian. "But how are you going to reach your burrow on the island yonder?"
"I shall wait here with you until the break of day," replied Gray Mole.
Many trees grew near the cliff. East Wind blew gently through their branches, rustling the leaves and carrying messages to the Indian.
Oak Tree said proudly, "I am King of the Forest. The Great Chief summons his warriors beneath my boughs. Here he holds his councils. Of my branches the strong arrows are made."
Ash Tree whispered, "My pliant branches make the bows which speed the arrows in their flight."
Maple Tree said softly, "I am the food of the Great Chief. My sap is sweet and wholesome. People of all nations delight to show me honor."
Red Willow bowed low and said, "My bark is used for the peace pipe of the Great Chief. Of my branches the women weave baskets and mats for their wigwams."
Marsh Reeds, growing near Red Willow, chimed sweetly, "Our stalks are used for the stems of the peace pipes."
Linden Tree swayed to and fro, saying, "I am used for the cradles in which the children are rocked."
Pine Tree said gently, "My sweet singing lulls the children to sleep." And she murmured a soft lullaby.
Birch Tree was standing near the path.
"Of what use are you, O Birch Tree?" said the Indian.
Birch Tree replied, "My bark covers the canoes that sail upon the lakes and rivers. I am used also for the picture-writing of the people."
East Wind again blew gently, stirring the leaves of the trees.
Then Cedar Tree said, "My pliant branches make the canoes strong and steady."
Larch Tree whispered, "I give my fibrous roots to bind the parts together."
Fir Tree said, "My rosin closes the seams of the canoes, to make them safe."
Then the Indian looked at a cluster of alder trees growing near a stream of water.
"Of what use are you, O Alder Trees?"
The Alder Trees replied, "The Indian Chief comes here to fish in the cool stream. He finds shelter, beneath our branches, from the hot rays of Sun!"
All this time, Gray Mole had been busily gathering fibrous roots from the larch tree. He had made a rope to snare Sun.
Then Gray Mole called to the Indian to look toward the Place of Breaking Light. There, in a little bay on Gray Mole's island, stood a birch canoe. Soon the canoe floated to where the Indian stood.
"Follow me," said Gray Mole. "Step into the magic canoe. We will go to the island and there set a snare for Sun."
The magic canoe carried them safely over the water, and they soon reached the island. Then the Indian set the snare for Sun.
Presently Sun came out of his cave and was at once caught in the snare.
For seven days the world was dark. The people suffered from hunger and cold. Then the Indian cried, "Alas, what have I done! Who will unfasten the rope and set Sun free?"
"I can set Sun free again," said Gray Mole.
The little mole crept to the snare. Nibble, nibble, he went, until the rope gave way.
Then Sun burst forth in all his might. In his anger he blazed a path across the sky.
The poor little mole was scorched in the fierce heat, and his eyes were blinded. Never again could he see well.
The Indian was sorry, but he said, "Gray Mole, you are a true friend. You shall always live with me, and all the moles shall be my forest brothers."
Then, placing Gray Mole in his wampum belt once more, he stepped into the canoe, and together they sailed to the Indian's home.
THE WATER LILIES
Beautiful white flowers with hearts of gold floated on the surface of the lily pond.
An Indian girl was paddling a canoe gently about among the lily pads. She reached out to pick one of the flowers. Suddenly there appeared before her a little man.
The little man sat upon a lily pad. He smiled at the girl and said, "Listen, and I will tell you the story of the water lilies."
This is the story the little man told:
Once there was a star in the heavens, it shone more brightly than any of the other stars. An Indian youth watched it for many nights. Each night it seemed to move nearer to the earth.
One night the young man had a strange dream. In his dream a beautiful maiden appeared before him and spoke to him. Her words were like music. She said that she was the star that shone so brightly in the heavens. She loved the birds and the flowers, and the people of the earth.
"I wish to leave my sister stars and dwell upon the earth," said the Star Maiden. "What form is the best for me to take, to be loved by all?"
The young man awoke. At once he hastened to tell his dream to the wise men of the tribe.
"The beautiful maiden is the star that we have seen in the south," said the wise men.
Again the Star Maiden appeared to the young man in a dream.
Once more she asked him where she might dwell in safety upon the earth, and what form she should take, to be loved by the Indians.
"Choose for yourself," said the young man.
At first the Star Maiden chose to live in the heart of a white rose that grew on a mountain side. But there she was hidden from sight, so that no one could enjoy her beauty.
Then she searched among the flowers of the prairie, until she found the blossom of a painted cup.
"I will rest here," thought the Star Maiden as she swung to and fro on the yellow cup.
Alas! She was not safe there, for a herd of buffaloes came rushing over the prairie.
Finally the Star Maiden thought of a place where she was sure she would be safe.
"I will live upon the lake," she said. "Canoes glide gently over the water, and I shall see the children at their play."
In the morning, hundreds of white flowers with hearts of gold floated upon the water.
The Star Maiden lived upon earth in the form of water lilies.
When the little man had finished telling the story of the lilies, he jumped into the water and disappeared.
"I shall always love the water lilies," said the Indian girl as she paddled away.
WHERE GO THE BOATS
Dark brown is the river,
Golden is the sand,
It
flows along forever,
With trees on either hand.
Green leaves a-floating,
Castles of the foam,
Boats
of mine a-boating--
Where will all come home?
On goes the river
And out past the mill,
Away down
the valley,
Away down the hill;
Away down the river,
A hundred miles or more;
Other
little children
Shall bring my boats ashore.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
WHY THE SEA IS SALT
Long ago, there were two brothers, one rich and one poor. The Rich Brother was stingy.
It was winter. The wind howled down the chimney, and the snow almost covered the hut in which the Poor Brother lived.
"We cannot starve," said the Poor Brother to his wife. "I will ask my brother to help us."
Now it annoyed the Rich Brother to have the Poor Brother ask for help. When the Poor Brother asked for bread, the Rich Brother said angrily, "Here, take this ham and go to the dwarfs. They will boil it for you."
So the Poor Brother started out, with the ham under his arm, to find the home of the dwarfs. He trudged on through the snow until he saw seven queer little dwarfs rolling a huge snowball, at the foot of a hill.
The dwarfs paid no attention to the Poor Brother, but kept on rolling the snowball, which grew larger and larger each moment, as they sang,
"Behind the door
The Mill you'll find,
But snow, the Mill
Will never grind.
We'll gather snow,
And still more snow,
Then roll it down
To cool Below."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Chief Dwarf. "We have snow enough here to put out a dozen fires. Come, brothers, let us roll the snowball Below!"
"Heave ho! Heave ho!" cried the other six dwarfs.
In the twinkling of an eye, the seven little dwarfs had rolled the snowball through an entrance in the side of the hill.
Down, down, the snowball rolled, until it reached the place where the fires burned.
Then sizzle, sizzle, came the hot steam pouring out of the entrance.
All this time the Poor Brother had stood watching the seven dwarfs, and saying not a word. But suddenly he thought, "If I do not go Below at once, there will be no fire left to boil my ham."
So the Poor Brother groped his way through the steam and the smoke, and at last he found his way into the home of the seven dwarfs.
It certainly was a very queer place! There were great fires burning on every side. Although the huge snowball had cooled the air, it had not quenched the fires.
The Chief Dwarf was stirring some fat that was boiling in a kettle. When he saw the Poor Brother standing before him with the ham under his arm, he cried, "Ho, ho! Who comes here?"
Before the Poor Brother could answer, the seven little dwarfs had crowded around him, teasing for the ham. It was many a day since they had tasted ham, and they were very fond of it.
"What will you give me for the ham?" asked the Poor Brother.
"We have neither silver nor gold," said the dwarfs, "but we will give you the Mill that stands behind the door."
"Of what use would the Mill be to me? I am hungry and have come to boil the ham," said the Poor Brother.
"It is a wonderful Mill," the Chief Dwarf replied. "It will grind anything in the world that you might wish, excepting snow and ham. I will show you how to use it."
The Poor Brother agreed to give the ham in exchange for the Mill, and the Chief Dwarf told him how to use it.
The dwarf said, "When you wish the Mill to grind, use these words:
Grind, quickly grind, little Mill,
Grind--with a right good will!
"When you wish the Mill to stop grinding, you must say,
Halt, halt, little Mill!
The Mill will obey you."
Taking the little Mill under his arm, the Poor Brother climbed up and up, until he came to the entrance in the side of the hill. Then he trudged home again through the snow.
When he arrived in front of the hut, he put the little Mill down on the snow, and said at once,
"Grind, quickly grind, little Mill,
Grind a HOUSE--with a right good will!"
The little Mill ground and ground, until there stood, in place of the hut, the finest house in the world. It had fine large windows and broad stairways, and the house was furnished from garret to cellar.
By spring, the Mill had ground out the last article that was needed for the house, and the Poor Brother cried,
"Halt, halt, little Mill!"
The Mill obeyed him.
Then the Poor Brother placed the Mill in the barnyard and told it to grind horses, cows, woolly sheep, and fat little pigs.
When he told it to halt, the Mill stopped grinding.
The Poor Brother carried the Mill to the fields and commanded it to grind rich crops of wheat, oats, barley, and corn.
Then he took the Mill into the house and asked it to grind fine clothing for his wife and his daughters, and to keep all the cupboards filled with good things to eat.
At last the Poor Brother had everything that he wanted. He placed the Mill behind the kitchen door and sat down, with his wife and daughters, to eat the choicest food he had ever tasted.
The Rich Brother heard about all the strange things that had happened, and he went to visit the Poor Brother.
"How did you manage to become so rich?" he asked in astonishment.
The Poor Brother told about the Mill, and that he need only say,
"Grind, quickly grind, little Mill,
Grind--with a right good will!"
And the Mill would grind anything he might wish to have.
The Rich Brother did not wait to hear any more but said, "Lend the Mill to me for an hour."
Taking it under his arm, the stingy Rich Brother ran across the fields toward home.
His wife was in the hayfield, spreading the hay after the mowers. He passed her on the way home and told her that he would attend to breakfast that morning.
"I will call you when all is ready," said he.
When the Rich Brother reached home, he placed the Mill on the table, and told it to grind porridge and red herrings.
The Mill began at once to grind oatmeal porridge and fat red herrings.
All the dishes and pans were soon filled. Then the porridge and herrings began to flow over the kitchen floor into the yard.
The Rich Brother tried to stop the Mill. He turned and twisted and screwed the handle, but he could not stop it, for he did not know the magic words.
At last he waded through the porridge across the fields to the mowers, crying, "Help! Help!"
When he told the mowers about the Mill, they said, "Ask your brother to stop the Mill, or we shall be drowned in porridge."
Then the Rich Brother ran to the Poor Brother's house, crying and shouting for help.
The Poor Brother laughed when he found out what had happened. They rowed back to the kitchen in a boat, and the Poor Brother whispered the magic words. The Mill stopped grinding.
In the course of time, the porridge soaked into the ground, but after that nothing would grow there excepting oats, and afterwards the brooks and ponds were always filled with herrings.
The Rich Brother no longer wished to keep the Mill. The Poor Brother carried it home once more and placed it behind the door.
Years afterwards, a rich merchant sailed from a distant land and anchored his ship in the harbor. He visited the home of the Poor Brother and asked about the Mill, for he had heard how wonderful it was.
"Will it grind salt?" the merchant asked.
"Yes, indeed!" said the Poor Brother. "It will grind anything in the whole world excepting snow and ham."
"Let me borrow the Mill for a short time, and great will be your reward," said the merchant.
He thought it would be much easier to fill his ship with salt from the Mill, than to make a long voyage across the ocean to procure his cargo.
The Poor Brother consented gladly. The merchant went away with the Mill. He did not wait to find out how to stop the grinding.
When the merchant went aboard the ship, he said to the captain, "Here is a great treasure. Guard it carefully."
The captain thought that the little Mill did not appear very wonderful, but he placed it upon the deck of the ship. Then he ordered the sailors to their posts of duty, and the ship sailed away.
When they were out at sea, the merchant said, "Captain, we need not go any further upon our voyage. The Mill will grind out salt enough to fill the hold of the ship."
So saying he cried,
"Grind, quickly grind, little Mill,
Grind SALT--with a right good will!"
And the Mill ground salt, and more salt, and still more salt. When the hold of the ship was full of salt, the merchant cried, "Now you must stop, little Mill."
But the little Mill did not stop. It kept on grinding salt, and more salt, and still more salt.
The captain shouted, "We shall be lost! The ship will sink!"
One of the sailors called, "Ahoy, captain! Throw the Mill overboard."
So, heave ho! Heave ho! And overboard went the wonderful Mill, down to the bottom of the deep sea.
The captain and his crew sailed home with the merchant's cargo of salt.
But the Mill kept on grinding salt at the bottom of the sea.
AND THAT IS WHY THE SEA IS SALT.
At least, so some people say.
SENNIN THE HERMIT
In the far-away land of Japan, there was a little village that lay at the foot of a high mountain.
Every day the children went to play on the grassy bank near a pond at one end of the village. They threw stones into the water. They fished, and they sailed their toy boats. They picked the wild flowers that grew in the fields near by.
They carried with them rice to eat, and from morning until evening they played near the pond.
One day, while they were at play, the children were surprised to see an old man with a long, white beard walking toward them. He came from the direction of the mountain.
The children stopped their games to watch the old man. He came into their midst, and patting them upon their heads easily made them his friends.
The children continued their play, for they knew that the old man was kind.
The man watched the children, and when it was time for them to go home, he said, "Come to the flat rock on the side of the mountain to-morrow, and I will show you some wonderful games."
Then he climbed up the mountain once more and disappeared.
The following morning, the children went to the flat rock. They found the old man waiting for them.
"Now, my dear children," said he, "I am going to amuse you. Look here!"
He picked up some dry sticks. He blew at the ends of the sticks, and at once they became sprays of beautiful cherry, plum, and peach blossoms. He passed a branch of each of the flowers to the girls.
Then he took a stone and threw it into the air. The stone turned into a dove!
Another stone became an eagle, another a nightingale, or any bird a boy chose to name.
"Now," said the old man, "I will show you some animals that I am sure will make you laugh."
The children clapped their hands.
He recited some verses, and a company of monkeys came leaping upon the rock. The monkeys jumped about, grinning at the same time and performing funny tricks.
The children clapped their hands again.
Then the old man bowed to them and said, "Children, I can play no more games to-day. It is time for you to go back to the village. Farewell!"
The old man turned to go. He went up the mountain in the direction of a cave. The children tried to follow him, but in spite of his age he was more nimble than they. They ran far enough, however, to see him enter the cave.
When they reached the entrance, the old man had disappeared.
The cave was surrounded by fragrant flowers; but into its depths the children did not dare to go.
Suddenly one of the girls pointed upwards, crying, "There is the old grandfather!"
The others looked up, and there, standing on a cloud over the top of the mountain, was the old man.
"Let us go home now," said one of the boys.
On the way, they met two men of the village, whom their parents had sent to search for them.
When the children had told their story, one of the men exclaimed, "Ah, happy children! The kind old man is surely Sennin, the wonderful Hermit of the Mountain!"
FOREIGN CHILDREN
Little Indian, Sioux or Crow,
Little frosty Eskimo,
Little Turk
or Japanee,
O! Don't you wish that you were me?
You have seen the scarlet trees
And the lions over seas;
You
have eaten ostrich eggs,
And turned the turtles off their legs.
Such a life is very fine,
But it's not so nice as mine;
You must
often, as you trod,
Have wearied NOT to be abroad.
You have curious things to eat,
I am fed on proper meat;
You
must dwell beyond the foam,
But I am safe and live at home.
Little Turk or Japanee,
O! Don't you wish that you were me?
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
GREAT AND LITTLE BEAR
Callisto was a beautiful woman whom the god Jupiter admired.
The goddess Juno was very angry because Jupiter was kind to Callisto. She decided to be revenged.
"I will take away her beauty, so that no one shall admire her," said Juno.
Night and day she thought and planned, until she found a way to punish Callisto.
One morning as the fair and gentle Callisto was gathering wild flowers in a field, she was suddenly changed into a bear. Then she was driven into a forest near by.
"You shall live in this forest forever! A cave under the rocks shall be your home!" exclaimed Juno.
Although she had the form of a bear, Callisto was still a woman at heart. She feared all the animals that she met.
The hunting dogs frightened her, and she would hide in terror from the hunters.
One day a young man was hunting in the forest. Callisto recognized him at once as her son Arcas.
She rushed toward her son to embrace him, but thinking the bear was going to attack him, Arcas lifted his hunting spear.
As he was about to strike the bear, Jupiter appeared. The god snatched away the spear just in time to save Callisto's life.
Jupiter took both Callisto and Arcas, and placed them in the sky. Callisto became the Great Bear, and Areas the Little Bear.
They have remained in the sky ever since. On pleasant nights you can see them in the sky, as they move around the North Star.
THE BOY AND THE SHEEP
"Lazy sheep, pray tell me why
In the pleasant field you lie,
Eating grass and daisies white,
From the morning till the
night:
Everything can something do,
But
what kind of use are you?"
"Nay, my little master, nay,
Do not serve me so, I pray!
Don't you see the wool that grows
On my back to make you
clothes?
Cold, ah, very cold you'd be,
If
you had not wool from me!
"True, it seems a pleasant thing
Nipping daisies in the spring;
But what chilly nights I pass
On the cold and dewy grass,
Or pick my scanty dinner where
All
the ground is brown and bare!
"Then the farmer comes at last,
When the merry spring is past,
Cuts my woolly fleece away,
For your coat in wintry day.
Little master, this is why
In the
pleasant fields I lie."
ANN TAYLOR.
THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
There was once a boy who tended his father's sheep on the side of a mountain, near a dark forest.
It was a lonely place. No one was near, excepting three men whom the boy could see working in the fields, in the valley below.
One day the boy thought he would have some fun. He rushed down toward the valley, crying, "Wolf! Wolf!"
The men ran to meet him, and one of them remained with him for a while.
The boy enjoyed the company and the fun so much, that he tried the same trick again, a few days later. Again the men ran to help him.
Soon after this, a wolf really came from the forest and began to steal the sheep.
The boy ran after the men, crying more loudly than ever, "Wolf! Wolf!"
But it was of no use for him to call. The men had been fooled twice, and now no one went to help him. So the wolf had a good meal from the herd of sheep.
THE LION'S SHARE
The fox and the donkey were friends. One day they agreed to go hunting together.
On their way through the forest, they stopped at the den of the lion.
"Ho, ho, King Lion!" called the fox. "Friend Donkey and I are going to hunt for game. Will you go with us?"
"Certainly," said the lion. "I am ready for a good dinner."
The lion, the fox, and the donkey set a trap near the lion's den. Then they hid behind the trees near by.
Soon a wolf came prowling along and was caught in the trap.
They attacked the wolf and killed him.
"Let us have our dinner now. I am hungry," said the lion.
"Friend Donkey," added the lion, "you may divide the animal and give each of us his portion."
So the donkey divided the wolf into three equal parts.
Then he said to the lion, "Which part will you have, King Lion?"
The lion saw how the donkey had divided the animal.
King Lion was very angry.
He said with a roar, "What do you mean, Friend Donkey, by taking so much for your share?"
"I have divided the wolf into three equal parts," said the donkey. "If you do not like the way I have divided the animal, you need not take any."
At this the lion was furious.
Springing upon the poor donkey, he killed him instantly.
Then the lion turned to the fox.
"There are only two of us now," said the lion. "Let me see how you will divide the animal."
The fox bowed low before King Lion.
He took one very small piece of meat for himself.
Then he put all the rest of the animal in a heap for the lion.
The lion watched greedily to see what the fox would do next.
"This is your share, King Lion," said the fox.
The lion was pleased with the way the fox had divided the meat.
"Who taught you how to divide the wolf?" he said.
Once more the fox bowed low before King Lion.
Then he said humbly, "Friend Donkey taught me how to divide the wolf!"
ROBIN REDBREAST
Good-by, good-by to summer!
For summer's nearly done;
The garden smiling faintly,
Cool breezes in the sun.
Our thrushes now are silent,
Our swallows flown away--
But Robin's here with coat of brown,
And ruddy
breast-knot gay.
Robin, Robin Redbreast,
O
Robin dear!
Robin sings so sweetly
In the falling of the year.
Bright yellow, red, and orange,
The leaves come down in
hosts;
The trees are Indian princes,
But soon
they'll turn to ghosts;
The leathery pears and apples
Hang
russet on the bough;
It's autumn, autumn, autumn late,
'Twill
soon be winter now.
Robin, Robin Redbreast,
O
Robin dear!
And what will this poor robin do?
For pinching days are near.
The fireside for the cricket,
The wheat stack for the
mouse,
When trembling night winds whistle
And moan
all round the house;
The frosty ways like iron,
The
branches plumed with snow--
Alas! In winter dead and dark,
Where can poor Robin go?
Robin, Robin Redbreast,
O
Robin dear!
And a crumb of bread for Robin,
His little heart to cheer!
WILLIAM ALLINGHAM.
THORN ROSE
In the long, long ago, there lived a king and queen who for many years had no children.
At last a lovely baby was born to them--a little princess.
There was great rejoicing over all the land. The king and queen decided to have a party in honor of the princess.
In the palace there was hurry and stir to make ready. Messengers were sent far and near, to invite the lords and ladies of the land to the great feast.
Among the guests invited to the party were seven good fairies.
It was a beautiful summer afternoon. The roses on the palace wall were nodding their heads sleepily in the warm breeze, when the chariot with the seven fairies arrived.
The good fairies entered the princess' room. There the tiny baby lay, sleeping in a dainty pearl cradle.
"She is as sweet and fair as a rose!" they exclaimed. "We will call her Rose."
Now it happened that the king and queen had failed to invite a spiteful and ill-tempered old witch. The old witch was very angry, because she had not been invited to the party.
After the guests had all arrived, she entered through the keyhole. No one saw her enter.
Each of the good fairies bestowed on the princess a precious gift.
"I bestow upon you, sweet princess, the gifts of health and cheerfulness," said the first fairy.
"You shall be the most beautiful princess in the world," said the second fairy.
"You shall be witty and wise," said the third.
"You shall have the sweetest voice that ever was heard," said the fourth.
"You shall be generous and kind," said the fifth.
"Everyone shall love you," said the sixth of the good fairies.
Just then a spiteful laugh was heard.
"Ah, ah, ah!" some one called.
The king and queen saw the old witch who had not been invited to the party.
"I will tell you what shall happen to this little wonder," said the witch. "She will cut her finger with a spindle before she is fifteen years old, and then she will die!"
The old witch shook her black stick at the princess.
Then she disappeared, as she had entered, through the keyhole.
The king and queen were troubled when they heard the witch's words, but the seventh fairy, who had not yet spoken, stepped forward.
"The king's daughter shall not die, but she shall sleep for a hundred years. When the princess falls asleep, everyone in the palace will go to sleep, too. They will all sleep for a hundred years."
Then the king ordered that every spindle in the kingdom should be destroyed.
Not a spindle was to be used, anywhere in the country, until after the princess had passed her fifteenth birthday.
The gifts of the fairies proved true. The princess was so beautiful and so good that she was loved by all. She was witty and wise and her voice was like a silver bell.
One day, when the princess was nearly fifteen years old, she wandered through the palace and up the winding stairs to an old tower.
There, in a little room, sat an old woman, busily twisting thread upon a spinning wheel. The old woman had never heard the king's command.
"How merrily the wheel goes round! Let me see if I can spin!" said the princess.
Scarcely had the princess touched the spindle when she cut her finger.
The girl fell at once into a deep sleep. She lay upon the floor beside the spinning wheel, fast asleep.
In the castle below, the king, the queen, and all the servants fell asleep, too. The horses slept in their stalls. The dogs slept in their kennels.
The pigeons on the roof, and the birds in their nests, all went sound asleep. Even the fire flaming on the hearth became still.
Deep shadows darkened the sunny rooms of the palace, and the garden round about.
A hedge of thorns at once began to grow around the palace.
The hedge became thicker and higher as the days went by, until at last it was so tall that not even the palace towers could be seen.
The story of the princess, the beautiful Thorn Rose, was told far and wide.
At last a hundred years had passed. Prince Courageous was traveling through the land. He heard from an old man the story of the thorn hedge, and of the princess who lay in the palace behind the hedge, fast asleep.
The old man told the prince that the time had come when the long enchantment was at an end.
"But who knows how great the danger may be?" added the old man. "No one has entered the palace for a hundred years!"
"I will brave the danger, whatever it may be!" exclaimed Prince Courageous. "I will find the sleeping princess or lose my life!"
So Prince Courageous mounted his horse and rode through the woods until he came to the tall thorn hedge. He made his way through the underbrush.
The briers were thick and the thorns sharp, but Prince Courageous was strong and brave.
He knocked at the gate, but there was no answer. The prince opened the gate and entered the courtyard.
All was silence in the palace hall. Only the sound of his own footsteps could Prince Courageous hear.
Everybody was fast asleep--the horses in their stalls, the pigeons on the roof, the birds in their nests, the servants in the halls, the king and queen on their golden throne.
Prince Courageous tiptoed through the silent rooms. Finally, he reached the narrow stairway that led to the tower.
The prince climbed the winding stairs. There, beside the spinning wheel, lay the beautiful princess, fast asleep.
Stepping softly to her side, he kissed the princess on the cheek. Thorn Rose opened her eyes--and there stood the prince!
And now all the court awoke.
The horses began to neigh. The dogs began to bark. The pigeons cooed. The birds sang. The kitchen fire burst into flame.
The sun shone brightly, and the roses on the palace wall swayed in the breeze.
The prince and the princess were married next day, and the seven good fairies danced at the wedding feast.
THE WOLVES AND THE DEER
Long ago, a pack of wolves lived on a prairie. Some deer lived near by.
The wolves could run swiftly, but they knew that the deer were swift runners, too. The hungry wolves wondered how they might catch the deer and eat them.
At last they thought of a fine plan. They invited the deer to run a race with them.
The wolves and the deer started in the race side by side, but the deer ran much the faster.
The wolves were very angry. "We will eat the deer yet," they said.
One day they prepared a great feast. They invited the deer to dine with them. The deer sat down facing the wolves. Then the wolves said to the deer, "Laugh, you on the other side!"
"No," said the deer. "You laugh first."
"Very well," said the wolves. "We will laugh first."
And they laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
"Now you on the other side laugh, too," said the wolves.
Then the deer laughed, "Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm!"
"Laugh again," said the deer.
"Very well," said the wolves, and they laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
The deer were frightened when they saw the great, sharp teeth of the hungry wolves.
They wanted to run away at once and hide from the wolves, but they were afraid.
Again the wolves said, "Laugh, you on the other side! But do not keep your mouths closed when you laugh. Nobody laughs like that."
Then the deer laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
This time they opened their mouths. The wolves could not see any teeth in the mouths of the deer.
At once the wolves attacked the deer. They killed and ate them.
Only a few of the deer escaped.
To this day, all deer are afraid of wolves.
The wolves laugh and show their teeth when they see the deer. And deer run as fast as they can when they see the wolves.
THE CORNFIELDS
Then Nokomis, the old woman,
Spake and said to Minnehaha,
"'Tis
the Moon when leaves are falling;
All the wild rice has been
gathered,
And the maize is ripe and ready,
Let us gather in the
harvest,
Let us wrestle with Mondamin,
Strip him of his plumes
and tassels,
Of his garments, green and yellow."
HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
THE GIFT OF CORN
Long, long ago, a tribe of Indians lived on a beautiful island in the Great Lakes.
An enemy attacked the Indians, and they were driven from home. They wandered far away and settled on the shore of a small lake.
Brave Heart, a strong and powerful Indian, remained to guard the beautiful island.
One morning Brave Heart stepped into his canoe. He was planning to paddle around the island. The canoe glided swiftly along by the tall trees that grew near the water.
At last Brave Heart had gone beyond the trees. He saw a vast plain. He paddled to the shore and drew his canoe up the beach.
Then Brave Heart started to walk across the plain. Suddenly a little man stood in front of him. The stranger was dressed in green, and he wore a green cap with red feathers in it.
"Ho, ho, Brave Heart!" cried he. "You are very strong, are you not?"
"Yes," said Brave Heart, "I am as strong as any man. But who are you?"
"I am Red Plume," replied the little man. "Stay and smoke the peace pipe with me."
Presently Red Plume said, "I am small, but I am strong. Let us wrestle together, to see which of us is the stronger. If I fall, you must say, 'I have conquered Red Plume.'"
Then Brave Heart wrestled with the little man. He found that Red Plume was indeed very strong. He felt himself growing weaker each moment. But at last he succeeded in tripping the man.
Then Brave Heart cried, "I have conquered Red Plume!"
Instantly, to Brave Heart's surprise, the little man vanished. On the spot where he had stood lay an ear of corn.
The corn was covered with greenish husks, and the red silk at the top was like a plume. It looked like the little man.
Brave Heart looked down at the corn in amazement.
Suddenly the ear of corn spoke.
"Take me and pull off my green garments," said the ear of corn. "Plant my kernels in the ground and cover them with soft soil. Break my cob into small pieces and throw them near the trees at the edge of the forest. Then depart, and return when the next moon is high in the heavens."
Brave Heart did as he was told. Then he went to his canoe and paddled back to his home.
He returned when the next moon was high in the heavens. He found the plain covered with tender green plants. Near the edge of the forest green vines were growing.
Brave Heart heard some one speaking from the ground.
"Come again, before the Moon of Falling Leaves," were the words he heard.
One day, when the summer was nearly over, Brave Heart paddled his canoe along the island as far as the plain.
It was almost time for the Moon of Falling Leaves.
There, near the spot where he had wrestled with the little man, stood a field of ripe corn.
The red tassels nodded in the breezes, and the leaves rustled in the wind.
Near the forest were great yellow pumpkins ripening on the vines.
Brave Heart pulled some ears of ripe corn and gathered some of the pumpkins.
Then he built a hot fire and roasted the ears of corn. How delicious the roasted corn tasted!
Once more Red Plume spoke, again from the cornfield.
"You have conquered me, Brave Heart. If you had not done so, you would have been destroyed. By your strength, you have won the Gift of Corn."
Then Brave Heart was glad.
He hastened to his people and brought them back once more to live, ever after, on their beautiful island.
And always the people blessed him for the gift of the precious corn.
Brave Heart had conquered Red Plume.
A BOY'S SONG
Where the pools are bright and deep,
Where the gray trout lies
asleep,
Up the river and o'er the lea,
That's the way for Billy
and me.
Where the blackbird sings the latest,
Where the hawthorn blooms the
sweetest,
Where the nestlings chirp and flee,
That's the way for
Billy and me.
Where the mowers mow the cleanest,
Where the hay lies thick and
greenest,
There to trace the homeward bee,
That's the way for
Billy and me.
Where the hazel bank is steepest,
Where the shadow falls the deepest,
Where the clustering nuts fall free,
That's the way for Billy and me.
Why the boys should drive away
Little sweet maidens from the play,
Or love to banter and fight so well,
That's the thing I never could
tell.
But this I know, I love to play
Through the meadow, amid the hay;
Up the water and o'er the lea,
That's the way for Billy and me.
JAMES HOGG.
THE FROGS' TRAVELS
Long, long ago, in the country of Japan, there were two frogs.
One of the frogs lived in a pond near Tokio, and the other lived in a little stream near Kioto.
One fine morning in early spring, these two frogs decided that they would travel forth to see the world.
Strangely enough, though they had never heard of each other, the same thought came to each frog at the same time.
The first frog started along the road which led from Tokio to Kioto.
He found the journey difficult and the road hard to travel. So, when he had hopped to the top of a high hill halfway, he decided to stop a while and rest.
The other frog started out on the same road, but from Kioto.
It took him a long time to reach the hill where the first frog was resting.
The two frogs met at the top of the hill. They were delighted to make each other's acquaintance.
"Greetings, friend!" said the first of the two frogs. "Where are you going?"
"I have a great desire to see the world, and especially to visit Tokio. I am on my way for a visit to Tokio now," replied the second frog.
"There is no need of hurrying. Let us rest here and stretch our limbs," said the first frog.
"What a pity that we are not taller!" said the Kioto frog.
"Why?" asked the Tokio frog.
"If we were taller, we could see both towns from this hill. Then we should be able to tell whether or not it were worth while to continue our journey," said the Kioto frog.
"Oh, we can easily find that out!" replied the other.
"We can stand on our hind legs and take hold of one another. Then each can look at the town toward which he is traveling," he added.
"A fine idea! Let us try it at once."
The two frogs stood upon their hind legs, holding each other tightly to keep from falling.
The Tokio frog turned toward Kioto, and the Kioto frog turned toward Tokio.
The foolish frogs forgot that their eyes were on the backs of their heads.
Although their noses pointed toward the places to which they wished to go, their eyes beheld the towns from which they had just come.
"Indeed, I shall travel no further!" the first frog exclaimed.
"Kioto is exactly like Tokio. I shall go home at once," he added.
"Tokio is only a copy of Kioto," said the other frog.
"It is not worth while to take the trouble to journey there!" he added disdainfully.
The two frogs bade each other a polite farewell, and each returned to his own home town.
To the end of their lives, the two frogs believed that Tokio and Kioto were really exactly alike.
Neither of the frogs ever again tried to see the world.