Story Hour Readers Part 8

Diana, followed by her maids the wood nymphs, often wandered through the forest. She took care of the deer and all helpless creatures, but she hunted fierce animals.

Apollo, also, grew to be fair and strong.

Jupiter bestowed many gifts upon the youth. He gave Apollo a pair of swans and a golden chariot, so that the boy could go anywhere, on land or sea.

The most wonderful present that Jupiter gave to Apollo was a silver bow, with sharp arrows which never missed the mark. Apollo prized the bow so highly and used it so very skillfully, that he came to be called "Master of the Silver Bow."

THE TREE

Green stood the Tree, With its leaves tender bright.

"Shall I take them?" said Frost, As he breathed thro' the night.

"Oh! pray let them be, Till my blossoms you see!"

Begged the Tree, as she shivered And shook in affright.

Sweet sang the birds The fair blossoms among.

"Shall I take them?" said Wind, As he swayed them and swung.

"Oh! pray let them be, Till my berries you see!"

Begged the Tree, as its branches All quivering hung.

Bright grew the berries Beneath the sun's heat.

"Shall I take them?" said La.s.sie So young and so sweet.

"Ah! take them, I crave!

Take all that I have!"

Begged the Tree, as it bent Its full boughs to her feet.

ADAPTED.

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 gra.s.sy 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,

"c.o.c.k-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."