{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_30800/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_30800","id":"gutenberg_30800","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30800","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Children's stories","Mythology, Classical -- Juvenile literature","Natural history -- Juvenile fiction","Nature -- Mythology -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"Produced by David Edwards, Anne Storer and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This\nfile was produced from images generously made available\nby The Internet Archive)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n NATURE MYTHS\n AND\n STORIES\n FOR\n LITTLE CHILDREN\n\n by\n FLORA J. COOKE\n\n\n Chicago.\n\n _A. Flanagan, Publisher._\n\n\n\n\n NATURE MYTHS\n\n AND\n\n STORIES\n\n FOR LITTLE CHILDREN\n\n\n BY\n FLORA J. COOKE\n of the\n Cook County Normal School\n Chicago\n\n\n REVISED EDITION\n\n\n CHICAGO\n A. FLANAGAN, PUBLISHER.\n\n\n\n\n COPYRIGHT 1895\n BY FLORA J. COOKE.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nFeeling the great need of stories founded upon good literature, which\nare within the comprehension of little children, I have written the\nfollowing stories, hoping that they may suggest to primary teachers the\ngreat wealth of material within our reach. Many teachers, who firmly\nbelieve that reading should be something more than mere _word-getting_\nwhile the child's _reading habit_ is forming, are practically helpless\nwithout the use of a printing press. We will all agree that myths and\nfables are usually beautiful truths clothed in fancy, and the dress is\nalmost always simple and transparent.\n\nWho can study these myths and not feel that nature has a new language\nfor him, and that though the tales may be thousands of years old, they\nare quite as true as they were in the days of Homer. If the trees and\nthe flowers, the clouds and the wind, all tell wonderful stories to the\nchild he has sources of happiness of which no power can deprive him.\n\nAnd when we consider that here, too, is the key which unlocks so much of\nthe best in art and literature, we feel that we cannot rank too highly\nthe importance of the myth in the primary schoolroom.\n\nFor instance the child has been observing, reading, and writing about\nthe sun, the moon, the direction of the wind, the trees, the flowers, or\nthe forces that are acting around him. He has had the songs, poems, and\npictures connected with these lessons to further enhance his thought,\ninterest, and observation.\n\nHe is now given a beautiful myth. He is not expected to interpret it. It\nis presented for the same purpose that a good picture is placed before\nhim. He feels its beauty, but does not analyze it.\n\nIf, through his observation or something in his experience, he _does see\na meaning_ in the story he has entered a new world of life and beauty.\n\nThen comes the question to every thoughtful teacher, \"Can the repetition\nof words necessary to the growth of the child's vocabulary be obtained\nin this way?\"\n\nThis may be accomplished if the teacher in planning her year's work,\nsees a close relation between the science, literature, and number work,\nso that the same words are always recurring, and the interest in each\nline of work is constant and ever increasing.\n\nThe following stories are suggested in the standard books of mythology\nand poetry, and have been tested and found to be very helpful in the\nfirst and third grades. A full list of myths, history stories and fairy\ntales for the children in the different grades can be found in Emily J.\nRice's Course of Study in History and Literature, which can be obtained\nof A. Flanagan, No. 262 Wabash avenue, Chicago.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n ANIMAL STORIES:--\n   Donkey and the Salt }                                   59\n   Fox and the Stork   } _Adapted from AEesop_              91\n   Grateful Foxes                                          43\n     _Adapted from Edwin Arnold's Poem. Permission of\n     Chas. Scribners' Sons._\n   How the Spark of Fire Was Saved                         79\n     _Adapted from John Vance Cheney's Poem._\n   How the Chipmunk Got the Stripes on Its Back            89\n     _Adapted from Edwin Arnold's Poem._\n   An Indian Story of the Mole                             77\n\n BIRD STORIES:--\n   An Indian Story of the Robin                            26\n     _Adapted from Whittier's Poem, \"How the Robin Came.\"_\n   How the Robin's Breast Became Red                       24\n   The Red-headed Woodpecker                               29\n     _Adapted from Phoebe Cary's Poem._\n\n CLOUD STORIES:--\n   Palace of Alkinoos                                      36\n     _Adapted from the Odyssey._\n   Swan Maidens                                            54\n\n FLOWER STORIES:--\n   Clytie                                                   9\n   Golden-rod and Aster                                    13\n\n INSECT STORIES:--\n   Arachne                                                 19\n   Aurora and Tithonus                                     22\n   King Solomon and the Ants                               18\n     _Adapted from Whittier's Poem._\n   King Solomon and the Bee                                16\n     _Adapted from Saxe's Poem._\n\n MINERALOGY STORIES:--\n   Sisyphus                                                33\n   The Story of the Pudding Stone                          31\n\n SUN MYTHS:--\n   Balder                                                  83\n   Persephone                                              48\n     _Adapted from \"Story of Persephone,\" told by Helen\n     Ericson, class of 1895, Cook County, (Ill.), Normal\n     School._\n   Phaethon                                                39\n\n TREE STORIES:--\n   Daphne                                                  74\n   Fairy Story                                             66\n   Philemon and Baucis                                     71\n   Poplar Tree                                             56\n   The Secret of Fire                                      61\n\n MISCELLANEOUS STORIES:--\n   Hermes                                                  97\n   Iris' Bridge                                           101\n   Prometheus                                              92\n\n\n\n\nCLYTIE.\n\n\nClytie was a beautiful little water nymph who lived in a cave at the\nbottom of the sea. The walls of the cave were covered with pearls and\nshells. The floor was made of sand as white as snow.\n\nThere were many chairs of amber with soft mossy cushions. On each side\nof the cave-opening was a great forest of coral. Back of the cave were\nClytie's gardens.\n\nHere were the sea anemones, starfish and all kinds of seaweed.\n\nIn the garden grotto were her horses. These were the gentlest goldfish\nand turtles.\n\nThe ocean fairies loved Clytie and wove her dresses of softest green sea\nlace.\n\nWith all these treasures Clytie should have been happy, but she was not.\nShe had once heard a mermaid sing of a glorious light which shone on the\ntop of the water.\n\nShe could think of nothing else, but longed day and night to know more\nof the wonderful light.\n\nNo ocean fairy dared take her to it, and she was afraid to go alone.\n\nOne day she was taking her usual ride in her shell carriage. The water\nwas warm and the turtles went so slowly that Clytie soon fell asleep. On\nand on they went, straight towards the light, until they came to an\nisland.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAs the waves dashed the carriage against the shore Clytie awoke. She\nclimbed out of the shell and sat down upon a large rock. She had never\nseen the trees and flowers.\n\nShe had never heard the birds chirping or the forest winds sighing.\n\nShe had never known the perfume of the flowers or seen the dew on the\ngrass.\n\nIn wonder, she saw a little boy and girl near her and heard them say,\n\"Here it comes! Here it comes!\"\n\nAs she looked away in the east she saw the glorious light that she had\nso longed for. In its midst, in a golden chariot, sat a wonderful king.\n\nThe king smiled and instantly the birds began to sing, the plants\nunfolded their buds, and even the old sea looked happy.\n\nClytie sat on the rock all day long and wished that she might be like\nthe great kind king.\n\nShe wept when he entered the land of the sunset and she could see him no\nlonger. She went home, but she could scarcely wait until the morning.\nVery early the next day her swiftest goldfish carried her to the rock.\n\nAfter this, she came every day, wishing more and more to be like the\ngreat kind king. One evening as she was ready to go home, she found that\nshe could not move her feet. She leaned out over the sea and knew that\nshe had her wish. Instead of a water nymph a beautiful sunflower looked\nback at her from the water.\n\nHer yellow hair had become golden petals, her green lace dress had\nturned into leaves and stems, and her little feet had become roots which\nfastened her to the ground.\n\nThe good king the next day sent her into many countries, into dry and\nsandy places, that the people might be made happy by looking at her\nbright face, so like his own.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nGOLDEN-ROD AND ASTER.\n\n\nGolden Hair and Blue Eyes lived at the foot of a great hill.\n\nOn the top of this hill in a little hut lived a strange, wise woman.\n\nIt was said that she could change people into anything she wished. She\nlooked so grim and severe that people were afraid to go near her.\n\nOne summer day the two little girls at the foot of the hill thought they\nwould like to do something to make everybody happy.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\"I know,\" said Golden Hair, \"Let us go and ask the woman on the hill\nabout it. She is very wise and can surely tell us just what to do.\"\n\n\"Oh, yes,\" said Blue Eyes, and away they started at once.\n\nIt was a warm day and a long walk to the top of the hill.\n\nThe little girls stopped many times to rest under the oak trees which\nshaded their pathway.\n\nThey could find no flowers, but they made a basket of oak leaves and\nfilled it with berries for the wise woman.\n\nThey fed the fish in the brook and talked to the squirrels and the\nbirds.\n\nThey walked on and on in the rocky path.\n\nAfter a while the sun went down. The birds stopped singing.\n\nThe squirrels went to bed.\n\nThe trees fell asleep.\n\nEven the wind was resting.\n\nOh, how still and cool it was on the hillside!\n\nThe moon and stars came out.\n\nThe frogs and toads awoke.\n\nThe night music began.\n\nThe beetles and fireflies flew away to a party.\n\nBut the tired little children climbed on towards the hilltop.\n\nAt last they reached it.\n\nThere at the gate was the strange, old woman, looking even more stern\nthan usual.\n\nThe little girls were frightened. They clung close together while brave\nGolden Hair said, \"we know you are wise and we came to see if you would\ntell us how to make everyone happy.\"\n\n\"Please let us stay together,\" said timid Blue Eyes.\n\nAs she opened the gate for the children, the wise woman was seen to\nsmile in the moonlight. The two little girls were never seen again at\nthe foot of the hill. The next morning all over the hillside people saw\nbeautiful, waving golden-rod and purple asters growing.\n\nIt has been said that these two bright flowers, which grow side by side,\ncould tell the secret, if they would, of what became of the two little\ngirls on that moonlight summer night.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE WISE KING AND THE BEE.\n\n\nLong ago there lived in the East the greatest king in the world.\n\nIt was believed that no one could ask him a question which he could not\nanswer.\n\nWise men came from far and near, but they were never able to puzzle King\nSolomon.\n\nHe knew all the trees and plants.\n\nHe understood the beasts, fowls and creeping things almost as well as he\ndid people.\n\nThe fame of his knowledge spread into all lands. In the south, the great\nQueen of Sheba heard of the wonderful wisdom of Solomon and said, \"I\nshall test his power for myself.\"\n\nShe picked some clover blossoms from the field and bade a great artist\nmake for her, in wax, flowers, buds and leaves exactly like them.\n\nShe was much pleased when they were finished, for she herself could see\nno difference in the two bunches.\n\nShe carried them to the king and said, \"Choose, Oh wise king, which are\nthe real flowers?\"\n\nAt first King Solomon was puzzled, but soon he saw a bee buzzing at the\nwindow.\n\n\"Ah,\" said he, \"here is one come to help me in my choice. Throw open the\nwindow for my friend.\"\n\nThen the Queen of Sheba bowed her head and said:\n\n\"You are indeed a wise king, but I begin to understand your wisdom. I\nthank you for this lesson.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nKING SOLOMON AND THE ANTS.\n\n\nOne morning the Queen of Sheba started back to her home in the south.\nKing Solomon and all his court went with her to the gates of the city.\n\nIt was a glorious sight.\n\nThe king and queen rode upon white horses.\n\nThe purple and scarlet coverings of their followers glittered with\nsilver and gold.\n\nThe king looked down and saw an ant hill in the path before them.\n\n\"See yonder little people,\" he said, \"do you hear what they are saying\nas they run about so wildly?\n\n\"They say, 'Here comes the king, men call wise, and good and great.\n\n'He will trample us under his cruel feet.'\"\n\n\"They should be proud to die under the feet of such a king,\" said the\nqueen. \"How dare they complain?\"\n\n\"Not so, Great Queen,\" replied the king.\n\nHe turned his horse aside and all his followers did the same.\n\nWhen the great company had passed there was the ant hill unharmed in the\npath.\n\nThe Queen said, \"Happy indeed, must be your people, wise king. I shall\nremember the lesson.\n\n\"He only is noble and great who cares for the helpless and weak.\"\n\n\n\n\nARACHNE.\n\n\nArachne was a beautiful maiden and the most wonderful weaver that ever\nlived. Her father was famed throughout the land for his great skill in\ncoloring.\n\nHe dyed Arachne's wools in all the colors of the rainbow. People came\nfrom miles around to see and admire her work. They all agreed that Queen\nAthena must have been her teacher. Arachne proudly said that she had\nnever been taught to weave. She said that she would be glad to weave\nwith Athena to see which had the greater skill. In vain her father told\nher that perhaps Athena, unseen, guided her hand.\n\nArachne would not listen and would thank no one for her gift, believing\nonly in herself. One day as she was boasting of her skill an old woman\ncame to her. She kindly advised her to accept her rare gift humbly.\n\n\"Be thankful that you are so fortunate, Arachne,\" said she.\n\n\"You may give great happiness to others by your beautiful work.\n\n\"Queen Athena longs to help you.\n\n\"But I warn you. She can do no more for you until you grow unselfish and\nkind.\"\n\nArachne scorned this advice and said again that nothing would please\nher so much as to weave with Athena.\n\n\"If I fail,\" she said, \"I will gladly take the punishment, but Athena is\nafraid to weave with me.\"\n\nThen the old woman threw aside her cloak and said, \"Athena is here.\n\n\"Come, foolish girl, you shall try your skill with hers.\"\n\nBoth went quickly to work and for hours their shuttles flew swiftly in\nand out.\n\nAthena, as usual, used the sky for her loom and in it she wove a picture\ntoo beautiful to describe.\n\nIf you wish to know more about it look at the western sky when the sun\nis setting.\n\nArachne's work, though her colors were in harmony and her weaving\nwonderfully fine, was full of spite and selfishness.\n\nWhen the work was finished Arachne lifted her eyes to Athena's work.\nInstantly she knew that she had failed.\n\nAshamed and miserable she tried to hang herself in her web.\n\nAthena saw her and said in pity, \"No, you shall not die; live and do the\nwork for which you are best fitted.\n\n\"You shall be the mother of a great race which shall be called spiders.\n\n\"You and your children shall be among the greatest spinners and weavers\non earth.\"\n\nAs she spoke, Arachne became smaller and smaller until she was scarcely\nlarger than a fly.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nFrom that day to this Arachne and her family have been faithful\nspinners, but they do their work so quietly and in such dark places,\nthat very few people know what marvelous weavers they are.\n\n\n\n\nAURORA AND TITHONUS.\n\n\nThe beautiful youth, Tithonus, loved Aurora, the queen of the dawn. He\nwas the first one to greet her each day as she drew back the purple\ncurtains of the east.\n\nHe made his bed on the green grass in the meadow that he might not miss\nher coming.\n\nAurora grew to expect his welcome and to love the youth dearly.\n\nOne morning when she came Tithonus was not in his usual place.\n\nAs she looked anxiously around she saw him with pale face and closed\neyes lying upon the ground.\n\nShe darted down to earth and carried his almost lifeless body to Zeus.\n\nShe begged the great king to promise that Tithonus should never die.\n\nBut alas, in her haste, she forgot to ask that he might forever remain\nyoung. Therefore he grew old and bent, and could no longer walk.\n\nIn misery, he begged to go back to the cool grass in the meadow where he\nhad been so happy.\n\nAurora in pity said, \"you shall go, my Tithonus. To make you happy is my\ndearest wish.\n\n\"You shall be free from all care.\n\n\"You shall not be a man, lest you be compelled to work for your food in\nyour old age.\n\n\"You shall be a grasshopper, free to dance in the meadow grass all the\nlong summer days.\n\n\"I have prepared a dress for you, which shall protect you well.\"\n\nThen she gave Tithonus the wonderful grasshopper coat of mail which had\nbeen unknown on earth until this time.\n\nShe tinted it a soft green so that he might not be noticed in the grass.\n\nTithonus went that day to live in the meadow and there, any summer day,\nyou may find him and his family hopping merrily about in the sunshine.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nHOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED.\n\n\nLong ago in the far North, where it is very cold, there was only one\nfire.\n\nA hunter and his little son took care of this fire and kept it burning\nday and night. They knew that if the fire went out the people would\nfreeze and the white bear would have the Northland all to himself. One\nday the hunter became ill and his son had the work to do.\n\nFor many days and nights he bravely took care of his father and kept the\nfire burning.\n\nThe white bear was always hiding near, watching the fire. He longed to\nput it out, but he did not dare, for he feared the hunter's arrows.\n\nWhen he saw how tired and sleepy the little boy was, he came closer to\nthe fire and laughed to himself.\n\nOne night the poor boy could endure the fatigue no longer and fell fast\nasleep.\n\nThe white bear ran as fast as he could and jumped upon the fire with his\nwet feet, and rolled upon it. At last, he thought it was all out and\nwent happily away to his cave.\n\nA gray robin was flying near and saw what the white bear was doing.\n\nShe waited until the bear went away. Then she flew down and searched\nwith her sharp little eyes until she found a tiny live coal. This she\nfanned patiently with her wings for a long time.\n\nHer little breast was scorched red, but she did not stop until a fine\nred flame blazed up from the ashes.\n\nThen she flew away to every hut in the Northland.\n\nWherever she touched the ground a fire began to burn.\n\nSoon instead of one little fire the whole north country was lighted up.\n\nThe white bear went further back into his cave in the iceberg and\ngrowled terribly.\n\nHe knew that there was now no hope that he would ever have the Northland\nall to himself.\n\nThis is the reason that the people in the north country love the robin,\nand are never tired of telling their children how its breast became red.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nAN INDIAN STORY OF THE ROBIN.\n\n\nWhen an Indian boy was eleven years old, he was sent into a forest far\naway from his home.\n\nHe had to stay there all alone and fast for seven days and nights.\n\nThe Indians thought that at this time a spirit came into the youth which\nhelped him to become a great chief and warrior.\n\nThe spirit also told the boy what his name should be in the tribe.\n\nOnce there was a fierce Indian war chief who had only one son.\n\nThe little boy was not strong, but his father loved him more than\nanything else on earth.\n\nWhen this boy was eleven years old, the chief went out into the forest\nand built a small lodge for him to stay in.\n\nIn it he placed a mat of reeds which his good squaw had woven with great\ncare.\n\nBy the side of the mat he laid a bow, some arrows and his own great\ntomahawk.\n\nNext he painted pictures upon the trees along the path leading from the\nwigwam to the lodge.\n\nHe did this that the little boy might easily find his way home.\n\nWhen everything was ready he sadly sent his son away into the forest.\n\nHe missed him so much that he went every morning to look at him.\n\nEach day he asked him if the spirit had not come to him.\n\nEach day the little boy shook his head without opening his eyes.\n\nOn the fifth day his son said to him, \"Father, take me home or I shall\ndie. No spirit will come to me.\"\n\nThe old chiefs pride was greater than his pity and he said, \"No, my son,\nyou must not be a coward. You shall be as wise as a fox and as strong as\na bear.\n\n\"Better that you should die than that boy and squaw should cry 'Shame'\nupon your father's son.\n\n\"Be patient, I will come in two days and bring you food.\"\n\nThe sixth day came and the little boy lay upon the mat white and still.\n\nOn the seventh, when the chief came with the sun's first rays, his son\nwas not in the lodge nor about it.\n\nAbove the door sat a bird with brown coat and red breast, which until\nthis time had been unknown to man.\n\nSadly the chief listened to the bird and understood its message.\n\n\"Mourn me not, great chief,\" it sang. \"I was once your son.\n\n\"I am happy now and free.\n\n\"I am the friend of man and shall always live near him and be his\ncompanion.\n\n\"I shall bring the tidings of spring.\n\n\"When the maple buds shoot and the wild flowers come, every child in the\nland shall know my voice.\n\n\"I shall teach how much better it is to sing than to slay.\n\n    \"Chief, listen, chief,\n     Be more gentle; be more loving.\n     Chief, teach it, chief,\n     Be not fierce, oh, be not cruel;\n     Love each other!\n     Love each other!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.\n\n\nThere was an old woman who lived on a hill. You never heard of any one\nsmaller or neater than she was. She always wore a black dress and a\nlarge white apron with big bows behind.\n\nOn her head was the queerest little red bonnet that you ever saw.\n\nIt is a sad thing to tell, but this woman had grown very selfish as the\nyears went by.\n\nPeople said this was because she lived alone and thought of nobody but\nherself.\n\nOne morning as she was baking cakes, a tired, hungry man came to her\ndoor.\n\n\"My good woman,\" said he, \"will you give me one of your cakes? I am very\nhungry. I have no money to pay for it, but whatever you first wish for\nyou shall have.\"\n\nThe old woman looked at her cakes and thought that they were too large\nto give away. She broke off a small bit of dough and put it into the\noven to bake.\n\nWhen it was done she thought this one was too nice and brown for a\nbeggar.\n\nShe baked a smaller one and then a smaller one, but each one was as nice\nand brown as the first.\n\nAt last she took a piece of dough only as big as the head of a pin; yet\neven this, when it was baked, looked as fine and large as the others.\n\nSo the old woman put all the cakes on the shelf and offered the stranger\na dry crust of bread.\n\nThe poor man only looked at her and before she could wink her eye he was\ngone.\n\nShe had done wrong and of course she was unhappy.\n\n\"Oh, I wish I were a bird!\" said she, \"I would fly to him with the\nlargest cake on the shelf.\"\n\nAs she spoke she felt herself growing smaller and smaller until the wind\nwhisked her up the chimney.\n\nShe was no longer an old woman but a bird as she had wished to be. She\nstill wore her black dress and red bonnet. She still seemed to have the\nlarge white apron with the big bows behind.\n\nBecause from that day she pecked her food from the hard wood of a tree,\npeople named this bird the red-headed wood-pecker.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STORY OF THE PUDDING STONE.\n\n\nOnce upon a time a family of giants lived upon the high mountains in the\nWest.\n\nOne day the mother giant was called away from home.\n\nShe arose early in the morning and made ready the bread and butter for\nthe little giants to eat while she was gone.\n\nWhen she had finished her work it was not yet time to start upon her\njourney.\n\nShe said to herself, \"My children are the best children in the world\nand they shall have a treat. I have many plums left from the Christmas\nfeast. I will make them a plum pudding for a surprise.\n\nThe good woman brought together the plums which it had taken her many\ndays to prepare with the help of all her children. Indeed she had\nemptied several mountain lakes to get water enough to wash them all.\n\nShe now mixed these wonderful plums into a pudding and put it into an\noven to bake.\n\nThe mixing took so long that she had to hurry, and she quite forgot to\nsay anything about the pudding to the little giants.\n\nShe had intended to tell them about it just before she left them.\n\nIt was afternoon when the giant children found the pudding.\n\nIt was badly burned upon the top by that time.\n\nThey had already eaten the bread and butter and were not hungry.\n\nOne little giant said to the others, \"Let us make balls of the pudding\nand see who can throw the farthest.\"\n\nYou know that giants are very strong, and away went the pudding up into\nthe air.\n\nThe little giants made little balls and the older giants threw pieces as\nbig as a house.\n\nMany pieces went over the mountains and fell down into the valley\nbeyond.\n\nIndeed this wonderful pudding was scattered for miles over the whole\nland, for the giants did not stop throwing as long as there was any\npudding left in the pan.\n\nWhen the sun had shone upon it many days and dried and hardened it,\npeople called it pudding stone.\n\nYou may find it to-day thrown all over the land, full of the plums which\nthe good woman washed with the waters of many lakes.\n\n\n\n\nSTORY OF SISYPHUS.\n\n\nLittle White Cloud was the Ocean's daughter. The Ocean loved her, and\nwished always to keep her near him.\n\nOne day, when her father was asleep, White Cloud went out to walk alone.\n\nThe Sun saw her and said, \"Come, White Cloud, I am your king, I will\ngive you a ride upon my bright rays.\" White Cloud had often longed for\nthis very thing, so she went gladly, and soon found herself among the\nfleecy clouds in the sky.\n\nWhen the Ocean awoke he called his little daughter. She did not answer.\nHe called again and again, louder and still louder, until the people\nsaid, \"Listen, it is thundering!\"\n\nBut the Ocean only heard the echo of his own voice from the shore. He\nrushed high up on the beach and moaned aloud.\n\nHe ran into all the caves but White Cloud could not be found.\n\nEvery one had loved White Cloud, so by this time all the water was white\nwith the crests of the weeping sea nymphs.\n\nA great giant was sitting upon the shore near the sea. His name was\nSisyphus. He felt sorry for the Ocean and said, \"Listen, friend Ocean,\nI often watch you carrying the great ships and wish that I, too, had a\ngreat work to do.\n\n\"You see how dry it is on this side of the mountain. Few people come\nthis way. You are not even now as lonely as I, yet I want to help you.\nPromise me that you will put a spring upon this mountain side, where all\nthe tired and thirsty people may drink, and I'll tell you where White\nCloud is.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe Ocean said, \"I cannot put a spring upon the mountain, but if you\nwill follow my son, River, he will take you to a spring where he was\nborn.\"\n\nThe giant told the Ocean how the Sun ran away with White Cloud. The Sun\nheard him and was angry. He placed Sisyphus in the sea saying, \"You are\nfar too strong to sit idly here upon the shore. You say you want a great\nwork to do; you shall have it. You shall forever use your strength to\npush these stones upon the shore, and they shall forever roll back upon\nyou.\"\n\nThe giant began his work at once, and has worked faithfully every day\nsince that time.\n\nMany people do not yet know what his work is. Do you? Do you know what\nSisyphus is making?\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PALACE OF ALKINOOS.\n\n\nOn a high plain covered with flowers once lived good King Alkinoos and\nhis gentle people, the Phaiakians.\n\nThey were great sailors and went about in silver ships without rudders\nor sails.\n\nThese wonderful ships went slowly or very fast just as the sailors\nwished.\n\nFor many years the Phaiakians were peaceful and happy.\n\nThough they were as brave as they were gentle, they hated war.\n\nFar below the Phaiakians, in a valley, lived a people larger, darker,\nfiercer than themselves.\n\nThese dark people cared for nothing so much as war and conquest.\n\nWhen they saw the silver ships with the golden prows, they wanted them\nfor their own.\n\nThey armed themselves and made ready for a great battle.\n\nTo be sure of victory, they borrowed the thunder and lightning from\nZeus.\n\nThe day came and all was ready for the dark people to advance.\n\nThey reached the land of the Phaiakians in the morning and King\nAlkinoos came forward to meet them.\n\nThey soon saw that he alone was more powerful than their entire army.\n\nHe was dressed in armor so bright that it dazzled their eyes to look at\nit. It was covered with millions of golden arrows tipped with diamonds.\nThe king showed the frightened people how he could shoot the arrows in\nall directions at the same time.\n\nThe dark people trembled with fear, but King Alkinoos smiled at them,\nand then he and his people sailed slowly away toward the West.\n\nOn and on they went, until they came to a great silver sea.\n\nHere they stopped and built a palace for their king.\n\nThis palace was made of silver and gold and precious stones.\n\nIts towers were rose color and shone with a wonderful light.\n\nIts steps were of pure gold.\n\nOn each side of the silver gates were huge dogs which guarded the\npalace.\n\nThere were boys in the halls dressed in white, holding burning torches.\n\nThere were girls weaving wonderful curtains and painting pictures upon\nthe walls.\n\nThere were mountains and fountains, and rivers and lakes.\n\nThere were singing birds and flower gardens, and little children\neverywhere.\n\nEven to this day, the great king often sits in his palace in the West\nwhen his day's work is done.\n\nHe loves to see the people glide about upon the silver sea, in their\nships without rudders or sails.\n\nThe fierce, dark people still go to war.\n\nThey seldom let the gentle king see them fighting.\n\nYet often after a brave battle, Alkinoos comes out of his palace and\nsmiles brightly upon them. The dark people blush and seem to smile at\nthe king.\n\nYou must find out how much good these dark people do and how the King of\nthe Phaiakians helps them in their work, if you wish to understand their\nfriendship.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nPHAETHON.\n\n\nPhaethon was the son of Helios, who drove the chariot of the sun. He\nlived with his mother, the gentle Clymene, in a beautiful valley in the\neast.\n\nOne day when Phaethon was telling his companions about his father, the\nsky king, they laughed and said, \"How do you know that Helios is your\nfather? You have never seen him. If, as you say, he cannot safely come\nnearer to the earth, why do you not sometimes go to his land.\"\n\nPhaethon answered, \"My father's throne is far away from this valley. My\nmother has promised that when I am stronger, I shall go to my father's\npalace. I often watch his golden chariot roll by in its path and think\nperhaps some day I shall drive the glorious horses of the sun.\n\n\"I shall go now to my mother, and ask her how much longer I must wait.\"\n\nWhen Phaethon told his mother what his companions had said she answered,\n\"Go, my child, ask Great Helios if you are his son. If you are worthy to\nbe the son of Helios you will be given strength and courage for the\njourney.\"\n\nPhaethon gladly and bravely climbed the unused path which led to the\npalace of the sun.\n\nAt last he came in sight of the throne. He had never seen anything so\nbeautiful. On one side were standing the days, months and the old years.\nOn the other side were the seasons; Spring, covered with flowers;\nSummer, with her baskets of fruit and grain; Autumn, in a many-colored\ndress; and Young Winter, with a crown of icicles.\n\nAs Phaethon came nearer to the throne, the light was greater than his\neyes could bear. Its wonderful colors dazzled him.\n\nHelios saw the brave youth and knew that it was Phaethon, his son. He\ntook his glittering crown from his head and went forward to meet him.\n\nPhaethon cried, \"Great Helios, if you are my father give me and others\nproof that it is so.\"\n\nHelios took him in his arms and kissed him. \"You are indeed my son,\" he\nsaid. \"I will put an end to your doubts. Ask any gift you will, and it\nshall be yours.\"\n\nPhaethon had always had one wish in his heart and said, \"O, my father,\nlet me drive the wonderful golden chariot of the sun for just one day.\"\n\nHelios shook his head sadly and said, \"That is the one thing which you\nmust not ask to do.\n\n\"You are my son, and I love you. For your own sake, I cannot let you do\nthis. You have neither the strength nor the wisdom for the great work.\n\n\"The first part of the way is very steep and rugged. In the middle part,\neven I dare not look below at the far stretching earth, and the last\npart is full of terrible dangers.\"\n\nPhaethon would not listen, but threw his arms around his father's neck\nand begged to go.\n\nHelios said at last, \"If you persist, foolish boy, you shall have your\nwish, for I cannot break my promise. I beg of you choose more wisely.\nAsk the most precious thing on earth or in the sky, and you shall have\nit.\"\n\nAlready Dawn had drawn back the purple curtains of the morning and the\nHours were harnessing the horses to the chariot.\n\nThe stars and moon were retiring for the day.\n\nThe chariot glittered with jewels which sent the light in all directions.\nPhaethon looked upon it with delight and longed impatiently for the\ngreat joy of driving it.\n\nHelios said, \"O, my dear son, go not too high or you will scorch the\ndwelling of heaven, nor too low, lest you set the world on fire.\n\n\"Keep the middle path; that is best, and do not use the whip; rather,\nhold the horses in.\"\n\nPhaethon was too happy to hear what his father was saying.\n\nHe leapt into the golden chariot and stood erect as the fiery horses\nsprang forth from the eastern gates of Day.\n\nThey soon missed the strong steady hand of their master.\n\nUp, up they went, far into the sky, above the stars, and then plunged\ndownward toward the earth.\n\nThe clouds smoked, the mountain tops caught fire, many rivers dried up\nand whole countries became deserts.\n\nGreat cities were burning, and even Poseidon cried out in terror from\nthe sea.\n\nThen the people on earth learned with what great wisdom the path of the\nsun was planned.\n\nHelios saw that the whole world would soon be on fire, and cried to\nfather Zeus to save the earth from the flames.\n\nZeus searched all the heavens for clouds and hurled his thunderbolts\nfrom the sky.\n\nPhaethon fell from the chariot, down, down into a clear river.\n\nThe naiads cooled his burning brow, and gently sang him to sleep.\n\nHis sisters came to the banks of the river and wept.\n\nThat they might be always near Phaethon, Zeus, in pity changed them into\npoplar trees, and their tears became clear amber as they fell into the\nwater.\n\nAt last the tired horses became quiet, and the great car rolled slowly\nback into its old path.\n\nBut the deserts and barren mountain tops still tell the story of the day\nPhaethon tried to drive the chariot of the sun.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GRATEFUL FOXES.\n\n\nIt was springtime in Japan, and the blossoms hung thick on the cherry\ntrees.\n\nButterflies and dragon flies fluttered over the golden colza flowers in\nthe fields.\n\nThe rice birds chirped merrily. Everything seemed to say, \"How good it\nis to live in days like these.\"\n\nA beautiful princess, O Haru San, sat on the bank of a stream gaily\npulling the lilies.\n\nAll the maidens of her court were with her.\n\nAlong the river bank came a troop of noisy, laughing boys, carrying a\nyoung cub fox. They were trying to decide who should have its skin and\nwho its liver.\n\nAt a safe distance from them, in a bamboo thicket, father fox and mother\nfox sat looking sadly after their little cub.\n\nThe princess' heart was filled with pity, and she said:\n\n\"Boys, pray loose the little fox. See his parents weeping in the rocks.\"\n\nThe boys shook their heads.\n\n\"We shall sell the fox's skin,\" they said. \"The liver, too, if well\npowdered, will be used to cure fevers in the fall.\"\n\n\"Listen,\" cried O Haru San, \"It is springtime, and everything rejoices.\nHow can you kill such a small soft beast?\n\n\"See, here is twice your price; take it all,\" and she drew copper money\nand silver money from her girdle.\n\nThe boys placed the little frightened animal in her lap and ran away,\npleased to be so rich.\n\nThe cub felt the touch of her soft hand, and trembled no longer. She\nloosened carefully the knot and noose and string.\n\nShe stroked the red fur smooth again, and bound up the little bleeding\nleg. She offered it rice and fish to eat, but the black eyes plainly\nsaid, \"This is very nice, but I hear my parents grieving near yonder\nbeanstraw stack. I long to go and comfort them.\"\n\nShe set the little fox gently on the ground, and, forgetting its wounded\nleg, it leaped through the bushes at one happy bound.\n\nThe two old foxes gravely looked it over neck and breast.\n\nThey licked it from its bushy tail to its smooth, brown crown. Then,\nsitting up on their haunches, they gave two sharp barks of gratitude.\n\nThat was their way of saying, \"We send you thanks, sweet maid.\"\n\nAs she walked home by the river side, all the world seemed more\nbeautiful to O Haru San.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe summer time came and the blossoms upon the cherry trees became rich,\nripe fruit. But there was no joy in the emperor's house.\n\nHis daughter, the gentle O Haru San, was ill. She grew paler and weaker\neach day. Physicians came from far and near, and shook their wise heads\ngravely.\n\nWhen the emperor's magician saw her, he said, \"No one can heal such\nsickness. A charm falls upon her every night which steals away her\nstrength. He alone can break the spell, who, with sleepless eyes, can\nwatch beside her bedside until sunrise.\"\n\nGray haired nurses sat by her until morning, but a deep sleep fell upon\nthem at midnight.\n\nNext fourscore maidens of the court, who loved her well, kept bright\nlights burning all the night, yet they, too, fell asleep.\n\nFive counselors of state watched with her father at the bedside. Though\nthey propped their eyes open with their fingers, yet in the middle of\nthe night slumber overcame them.\n\nAll believed that the gentle maid must die.\n\nThe emperor was in despair, but Ito, a brave soldier, said, \"I shall not\nsleep; let me one night guard the sweet O Haru San.\"\n\nHer father led him to the chamber. Just at midnight Ito felt his eyes\ngrow heavy.\n\nHe rose and held his sword above his head. \"Rather will I die than\nsleep,\" he said.\n\nThen came a great struggle. Often his head nodded, but by his love and\nstrength Ito conquered sleep.\n\nSuddenly he heard a voice which said, \"Grate foxes' livers in the\nprincess' rice broth and all her ills will disappear.\"\n\nThe next morning the hunters searched far and near for foxes. They knew\nthat to the emperor a fox was worth its weight in gold. All day and\nnight they were in the woods without food or rest.\n\nAt last they came sadly back to their homes. They brought no fox.\n\n\"All the foxes know,\" they said, \"and have hidden themselves away.\"\n\nThe emperor in grief and anger cried, \"Must my child perish? Shall a\nprincess die for the lack of one poor fox?\n\n\"She was never willing that one should be slain and this is her reward.\"\n\nIto said, \"I will get the fox.\" He started out with knife and net to\nseek it.\n\nAt the entrance of the town he met a woman dressed in strange garments.\nVery small and stooped she seemed to Ito. She carried a jar in her arms.\nShe bowed low before Ito, and said, \"What you seek is in the jar. I\nhave brought it from afar.\"\n\n\"Here is gold,\" said Ito. \"What is the price?\"\n\nThe woman pulled the blue hood farther over her face and said, \"Another\ntime will do, I can wait. Hasten now to the princess.\"\n\nGladly Ito obeyed.\n\nThey made the broth in a bowl of beaten gold and fed it to O Haru San.\n\nImmediately she was well and all was joy in the emperor's house.\n\nThe emperor said, \"Ito, is she, who brought this blessing, paid?\"\n\nIto answered, \"Yonder she waits at the entrance of the town.\"\n\nThe emperor himself in his great joy went with Ito to meet her.\n\nBut they found only a dog-fox dead.\n\nAround his neck they read this message, \"This is my husband here.\n\n\"For his child he gives his liver to the princess, dear. I, his very\nlowly wife, have brought it.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nPERSEPHONE.\n\n\nDemeter had the care of all the plants, fruits and grains in the world.\n\nShe taught the people how to plow the fields and plant the seeds.\n\nShe helped them gather in their harvests.\n\nThey loved the kind earth-mother and gladly obeyed her.\n\nThey also loved her daughter, the beautiful Persephone.\n\nPersephone wandered all day in the meadows among the flowers.\n\nWherever she went the birds, singing merrily, flocked after her.\n\nThe people said, \"Where Persephone is, there is the warm sunshine.\n\n\"Flowers bloom when she smiles.\n\n\"Listen to her voice; it is like a bird's song.\"\n\nDemeter wished always to have her child near her.\n\nOne day Persephone went alone into a meadow near the sea. She had made a\nwreath for her hair, and gathered all the flowers that her apron could\nhold.\n\nFar away across the meadow she saw a white flower gleaming. She ran to\nit and found that it was a narcissus, but far more beautiful than any\nshe had ever seen.\n\nOn a single stem were a hundred blossoms. She tried to pick it, but the\nstem would not break. With all her strength she grasped it, and slowly\nit came up by the roots.\n\nIt left a great opening in the earth which grew larger and larger.\n\nPersephone heard a rumbling like thunder under her feet. Then she saw\nfour black horses coming toward her from the opening.\n\nBehind them was a chariot made of gold and precious stones.\n\nIn it sat a dark, stern man. It was Hades.\n\nHe had come up from his land of darkness, and was shading his eyes with\nhis hands.\n\nHe saw Persephone, beautiful with flowers, and instantly caught her in\nhis arms and placed her in the chariot beside him.\n\nThe flowers fell from her apron. \"Oh! my pretty flowers,\" she cried, \"I\nhave lost them all.\"\n\nThen she saw the stern face of Hades.\n\nFrightened, she stretched out her hands to kind Apollo who was driving\nhis chariot overhead. She called to her mother for help.\n\nHades drove straight toward his dark underground home.\n\nThe horses seemed to fly.\n\nAs they left the light, Hades tried to comfort Persephone.\n\nHe told her of the wonders of his kingdom. He had gold and silver and\nall kinds of precious stones.\n\nPersephone saw gems glittering on every side as they went along, but she\ndid not care for them.\n\nHades told her how lonely he was, and that he wished her to be his queen\nand share all his riches.\n\nPersephone did not want to be a queen. She longed only for her mother\nand the bright sunshine.\n\nSoon they came to the land of Hades.\n\nIt seemed very dark and dismal to Persephone, and very cold, too.\n\nA feast was ready for her, but she would not eat.\n\nShe knew that any one who ate in Hades' home could never return to earth\nagain.\n\nShe was very unhappy, though Hades tried in many ways to please her.\n\nEverything on the earth was unhappy, too.\n\nOne by one the flowers hung their heads and said, \"We cannot bloom, for\nPersephone has gone.\" The trees dropped their leaves and moaned,\n\"Persephone has gone, gone.\"\n\nThe birds flew away and said, \"We cannot sing for Persephone has gone.\"\n\nDemeter was more miserable than any one else. She had heard Persephone\ncall her, and had gone straight home.\n\nShe searched all the earth for her child. She asked every one she met\nthese questions, \"Have you seen Persephone? Where is Persephone?\"\n\nThe only answer she ever received was, \"Gone, gone, Persephone is gone!\"\n\nDemeter became a wrinkled old woman. No one would have known that she\nwas the kind mother who had always smiled on the people.\n\nNothing grew on the earth and all was dreary and barren.\n\nDemeter said that she would do nothing until Persephone returned to her.\n\nIt was useless for the people to plow the soil.\n\nIt was useless to plant the seeds. Nothing could grow without the help\nof Demeter.\n\nAll the people were idle and sad.\n\nWhen Demeter found no one on earth who could tell her about Persephone,\nshe looked up toward the sky. There she saw Apollo in his bright\nchariot. He was not driving as high in the sky as he was wont to do.\n\nOften he gathered dark mists about him so that none saw him for many\ndays.\n\nDemeter knew that he must know about Persephone, for he could see all\nthings on earth and in the sky.\n\nApollo told Demeter that Hades had carried Persephone away and that she\nwas with him in his underground home.\n\nDemeter hastened to the great father Zeus, who could do all things.\n\nShe asked him to send to Hades for her daughter. Zeus called Hermes. He\nbade him go as swiftly as the wind to the home of Hades. Hermes\nwhispered to everything on the way that he was going for Persephone so\nthat all might be ready to welcome her back.\n\nHe soon arrived in the kingdom and gave Hades the message from Zeus. He\ntold about the barren earth and of how Demeter was mourning for her\nchild. He said she would not let anything grow until Persephone came\nback. The people must starve if she did not soon return.\n\nThen Persephone wept bitterly, for that very day she had eaten a\npomegranate and swallowed six of its seeds.\n\nHades pitied her and said that she need only stay with him one month for\neach seed she had eaten.\n\nJoy gave her wings, and as swiftly as Hermes himself, Persephone flew up\ninto the sunshine.\n\nApollo saw her and rose higher and higher into the sky. A gentle breeze\ncame rustling from the southeast, and whispered something to everything\nhe met.\n\nSuddenly the flowers sprang up; the birds flocked together and sang; the\ntrees put on bright green leaves.\n\nEverything, great and small, began to say in his own language, \"Be\nhappy for Persephone has come! Persephone has come!\"\n\nDemeter saw these changes and was puzzled. \"Can the earth be ungrateful?\nDoes she so soon forget Persephone?\" she cried.\n\nIt was not long however before her own face became beautiful and happy,\nfor she held again her beloved child in her arms.\n\nWhen Demeter found that Persephone could stay with her only half the\nyear, she brought out the choicest treasures from her storehouse and\nwhile Persephone stayed, the world was filled with beauty and joy.\n\nWhen she had gone, Demeter covered the rivers and lakes, and spread a\nsoft white blanket over the sleeping earth.\n\nThen she, too, fell asleep and dreamed such pleasant dreams that she did\nnot awake until she felt Persephone's warm kiss on her forehead.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE SWAN MAIDENS.\n\n\nA long, long time ago there was born in the east a wonderful king.\n\nHe was called \"The King of the Golden Sword.\"\n\nEvery day he came in his golden chariot scattering heat, light and\nhappiness among his people.\n\nEvery day he passed from his palace in the east far over to his throne\nin the west.\n\nHe never missed a day for he wanted to see that everyone had a full\nshare of his gifts.\n\nThroughout the kingdom the birds sang and the flowers bloomed. The sky\nwas full of beautiful pictures which were constantly changing.\n\nThe king had many daughters who were called swan maidens.\n\nThey were as graceful as swans and usually wore white featherlike\ndresses.\n\nThe swan maidens loved their good father and each one longed to help him\nin his work.\n\nSometimes the king saw that the grass was brown or the buds were not\ncoming out.\n\nThen he called the swan maidens to him and said, \"My children, this must\nnot be. There is nothing more beautiful in the kingdom than the green\ngrass and the trees. They need your care.\"\n\nGladly each maiden changed her dress and set out at once on her journey.\nOften they could not all work upon the grass and the buds.\n\nSome of them ran off to play with the stones in the brook. The best ones\nwent down to feed the roots and worms, and worked out of sight.\n\nWhen their tasks were finished they always hurried back to their father,\nthe king.\n\nThey went so noiselessly and swiftly that for a long time their way of\ntravelling was a mystery.\n\nIn the fall, the king called the bravest swan maidens to him. He told\nthem they must go away for a long time.\n\nThe swan maidens wrapped themselves in white, feathery blankets and came\nsoftly down to the shivering flowers.\n\nGently they placed a white spread on the earth and left no small seed\nuncovered.\n\nAt last, when the king smiled and their work was done, they stole away\nso softly and happily that no one missed them.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE POPLAR TREE.\n\n\nOne night, just at sunset, an old man found the pot of gold which lies\nunder the end of the rainbow.\n\nHis home was far beyond the dark forest, through which he was passing.\n\nThe pot of gold was heavy, and he soon began to look for a safe place in\nwhich to hide it until morning.\n\nA poplar tree stood near the path stretching its branches straight out\nfrom the trunk.\n\nThat was the way the poplar trees grew in those days.\n\n\"Ah,\" said the man, \"This tree is the very place in which to conceal my\ntreasure.\n\n\"The trees are all asleep, I see, and these leaves are large and thick.\"\n\nHe carefully placed the pot of gold in the tree, and hurried home to\ntell of his good fortune.\n\nVery early the next morning, Iris, the rainbow messenger, missed the\nprecious pot of gold.\n\nShe hastened to Zeus and told him of the loss.\n\nZeus immediately sent Hermes in search of it.\n\nHermes soon came to the forest where it was hidden.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe awakened the trees, and asked them if they had seen the pot of gold.\n\nThey shook their heads sleepily, and murmured something which Hermes\ncould not understand.\n\nThen Zeus himself spoke to them. \"Hold your arms high above your heads,\"\nhe said, \"that I may see that all are awake.\"\n\nUp went the arms, but alas, down to the ground came the pot of gold.\n\nThe poplar tree was more surprised than any one else.\n\nHe was a very honest tree and for a moment hung his head in grief and\nshame. Then again he stretched his arms high above his head, and said,\n\"Forgive me, great father; hereafter I shall stand in this way that you\nmay know that I hide nothing from the sun, my king.\"\n\nAt first the poplar tree was much laughed at.\n\nHe was often told that he looked like a great umbrella which a storm had\nturned inside out.\n\nBut as years went by every small poplar was taught to grow as fearless,\nstraight and open hearted as himself, and the whole poplar family became\nrespected and loved for its uprightness and strength.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE DONKEY AND THE SALT.\n\n\nOne time a merchant went to the seashore for a load of salt.\n\nThere were many hills and streams to cross on the journey.\n\nAs the path was narrow and rocky, the man made his donkey carry the salt\nin large bags upon his back. It was a warm day, and the donkey did not\nlike his heavy load.\n\nHe hung down his head and went as slowly as he could.\n\nAfter a while they came to a stream which had only a foot bridge over\nit.\n\nThe donkey went through the water, splash! splash! splash! In the middle\nof the stream was a large stone which he did not see.\n\nHe stumbled and fell, and the water ran over the bags of salt.\n\nSoon the donkey was glad that he had fallen, for he found his load much\nlighter.\n\nThey came to another stream, but the donkey did not stumble this time.\nHe lay down in the middle of the brook.\n\nHe was a wise donkey.\n\nThis time he lost so much salt that his master was angry, for he was\nobliged to go back to the seashore for another load.\n\nAs they were walking along, the merchant laughed to himself.\n\nHe thought he knew a way to cure the donkey of this trick.\n\nWhen they came to the seashore, he filled the bags with sponges, and\nstarted for home.\n\nThe donkey thought, \"What a light load I have,\" and trotted gaily along\nover the rough road.\n\nAgain they came to the brook. \"Ah!\" thought the donkey, \"I will make my\nload still lighter.\"\n\nHe lay down in the middle of the brook.\n\nThis time he found his load so heavy that he could scarcely rise.\n\nHis master kindly helped him, but the donkey was not happy.\n\nThe water ran down his sides and made him more miserable.\n\n\"Oh,\" thought he, \"I will never lie down in the water again.\"\n\nOnce more his master led him back to the seashore.\n\nHe filled the bags with salt.\n\nThe donkey was wiser now and carried the salt safely home.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SECRET OF FIRE.\n\nA TREE STORY.\n\n\nOne summer night a great army of pine trees settled down in a quiet\nvalley to rest. They were a tall, dark, grave-looking company.\n\nThey held their heads high in the air, for they were the only trees in\nthe world who knew the wonderful secret of fire.\n\nHigh above this valley, on the hillside, lived a little company of oaks.\n\nThey were young, brave, and strong-hearted.\n\nWhen they saw the great band of pines marching into the valley, the\ntallest one said:\n\n\"Let us make them divide the gift of fire with us.\"\n\n\"No,\" said the oldest, wisest oak, \"we must not risk, foolishly, the\nlives of our acorns. We could do nothing against so many.\"\n\nAll the acorns had been listening to what the tree said. Each one longed\nto help in finding out the great secret.\n\nOne of them became so excited that he fell from the limb, down upon the\nhard ground. He did not stop at the foot of the tree, but rolled over\nand over, far down into the valley.\n\nHere a brook picked him up and hurried him away; but as he stopped to\nrest by a stone, he heard his good friend, the wind, talking to a pine\ntree.\n\n\"What is the secret of fire which the pine trees know?\" asked the wind.\n\"Don't you think it is selfish to keep it all to yourselves?\"\n\nThe pine tree loved the wind and answered:\n\n\"Great wind, it is, indeed, a wonderful secret; you must never tell it.\"\nThen she whispered it to the wind.\n\nThe little acorn went on and on down the stream.\n\nHe came to an old log, which was the home of a large family of\nsquirrels. The mother squirrel was very sad. The last flood had brought\nher and her children far away from her old forest home. Her family had\nall been saved, but food was scarce and winter was near.\n\nThe acorn felt very sorry for her and said:\n\n\"I am too small to do you much good alone. If you will carry me back to\nmy home, I will show you a forest with plenty of nuts. You can take your\nfamily there in the fall.\"\n\nThis the squirrel was very glad to do.\n\nAs they went along the acorn called to all the elms, maples, willows\nand hickories to meet that night on the hilltop.\n\n\"Come to the hill across from the great blue mountains,\" he said. \"There\nyou will learn the secret of fire.\"\n\nBy evening they were all there, in great companies, ready for war on the\npines.\n\nWhen the squirrel came to the forest and saw all the nuts she was much\npleased.\n\nShe offered to carry the acorn to the very top of the tallest tree. The\ntrees were all glad of this, for every one wanted to hear what he said.\n\nWhen the acorn began to speak, even the wind stopped whispering and\nlistened.\n\n\"Friends,\" he said, \"there must be no battle. The pine trees have only\nthe same gift of fire that you have. To every tree that stretches out\nits arms the glorious sun gives this gift. But it was in this way that\nthe pine trees learned the secret of getting the fire from the wood:\nThey saw an old Indian chief with two curious pieces of wood. One was\nround and smooth, the other was sharp-pointed. With all his strength he\nwas rubbing them together. Soon he had worn a groove in the round stick.\nHe rubbed faster and faster, and there in the groove was a tiny spark of\nfire. Then the Indian blew his breath upon the spark and a little yellow\nflame leaped up. All the pine trees saw it. 'See, it is fire!' they\nsaid.\"\n\nWhen the great company of trees had heard the acorn's story they shook\ntheir heads in doubt. Then the acorn said:\n\n\"This is the true secret of fire. If you do not believe it why do you\nnot try it for yourselves.\"\n\nThey took this advice and all the trees learned that what he had said\nwas true.\n\nThey were so happy that they spent the whole night in singing and\ndancing.\n\nIn the morning, when they saw the great blue mountains and the beautiful\nvalley, many of them settled down upon the hillside for life.\n\nThe pines looked up and saw hundreds of trees with their shining arms.\nThey were so frightened that they climbed high up on the mountain side.\nThere they stayed a long, long time.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThey grew sad and lonely, and often sighed and wished for their old home\nand comforts. But they were brave and strong-hearted, and helped each\nother.\n\nAt last, some of them came down into the valley again. Through suffering\nthey had grown strong and unselfish. They gave their best trees to the\npeople and their fairest to the children at Christmas time.\n\nIndeed, there is not a tree in the world to-day more loved than the pine\ntree, who first had the secret of fire.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nA FAIRY STORY.\n\n\nSome fairies once lived in a dark glen in a pine forest.\n\nThey were real fairies, many of them not higher than a pin.\n\nTheir greatest treasure was a magic cap which had been in the fairy\nfamily for many generations.\n\nThe most wonderful thing about the cap was that it fitted exactly any\none who wore it.\n\nWhen one fairy put it on, he and all the others became invisible.\n\nA stupid race of giants lived among the mountains near them. They wanted\nthe fairy cap more than anything else in the world.\n\nOne warm day when the elves were away from home, a giant came into the\nglen. He was seeking just such a cool place for his afternoon nap.\n\nHe was so large and the glen so small that when he lay down he almost\nfilled the valley.\n\nThe music of a fairy brook soon lulled him to sleep.\n\nPerhaps you have heard how a giant snores, and how his breath comes in\ngreat puffs.\n\nThe giant was snoring and puffing when the fairies came towards home.\n\nThey heard the strange sound and thought a great storm was brewing.\n\n\"There has never been such a wind in the glen,\" said the fairy queen.\n\n\"We will not go down into it. We must seek shelter for to-night on this\nhillside.\"\n\nJust then they came to the giant's ear.\n\n\"Here is a fine cavern,\" the queen said, and she stopped and waved her\nwand.\n\nA fairy hastened forward to carry the cap to a safe place in the cave,\nfor that was always their first care.\n\nJust then the giant awoke.\n\nHe raised his great head.\n\nOh, how miserable the fairies were!\n\nThey wept and moaned until even the dull ear of the giant heard them.\n\nIt was a sound like the tolling of tiny silver bells.\n\nHe listened and understood what the wee voice of the prisoner in his ear\nwas saying.\n\nHe was the wisest and most kind-hearted of all the giants.\n\nHe helped the little creature gently out into his hand, and looked at\nhim in wonder.\n\nHe had never before seen a fairy.\n\nIn vain the brave little fellow tried to conceal the precious cap.\n\nThe giant saw the wonderful star and knew at once that he had the\ntreasure cap of the elves.\n\nHe set the fairy carefully upon the ground, and shouted for joy as he\nfound that the cap exactly fitted his own great head.\n\nThe poor fairies could no longer see him, but they heard a sound like\nthunder, as he hurried over the stones towards his home.\n\nThey were now afraid to move about while the sun shone.\n\nThey crept under leaves and into shells and cried bitterly.\n\nBy sundown every plant in the glen was wet with their tears.\n\nThe sharp eyes of the eagle on the mountain top saw them and a great\npity filled his heart.\n\n\"I must help the fairies,\" he said, \"otherwise I should not be worthy to\nbe called the 'king of birds'.\"\n\nHe went directly to the home of the giants and demanded the cap, but\nthey refused to give it up.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAll that an eagle could do, he did, but as the giants wore the invisible\ncap he could not see them. He could only hear their great voices.\n\nHe knew however that the giants were proud of their great size and\nstrength, and liked, above all things, to be seen.\n\nHe was sure that they would not wear the cap in battle, and he did not\nlose hope.\n\nOne day they carefully placed it under a large stone on the mountain\nside below them.\n\nThe keen eye of the eagle was watching.\n\nHe flew fearlessly to the spot as soon as the giants had left it.\n\nHe lifted the stone in his great talons, and was soon flying away with\nthe cap to the fairy glen.\n\nThe giants saw him, and knew at once what he was doing.\n\nThey began a fierce attack upon him.\n\nThe air was filled with flying arrows and sharp rocks. Drops of blood\nfell on the mountain side, and many feathers fluttered down, but the\nbrave eagle was soon out of their reach.\n\nHe did not stop until the cap was safe in the fairy queen's lap.\n\nThere was great rejoicing among the fairies that day.\n\nThey had a feast in the eagle's honor, and healed his wounds with fairy\nmagic.\n\nOn the mountain side, wherever the blood and feathers fell, there\nsprang up trees with featherlike leaves and blood-red berries.\n\nAll the giants, fairies, plants and animals knew why they grew.\n\nThe unselfish love in the eagle's blood could not die, but lived again\nin the beautiful trees.\n\nBut people who did not know how they came there, called them mountain\nash trees.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nPHILEMON AND BAUCIS.\n\n\nOn a high hill in Greece, long ago, lived Philemon and Baucis. They had\nalways been poor but never unhappy.\n\nAt the time of this story the people in the valley below them were very\nbusy.\n\nZeus, their king, had sent word that he was about to visit them.\n\nHermes, his messenger, was to come with him.\n\nThe people were getting ready great feasts, and making everything\nbeautiful for their coming. For miles out of the city, men were watching\nfor the golden chariot and white horses of the king.\n\nOne night, just at dark, two beggars came into the valley.\n\nThey stopped at every house and asked for food and a place to sleep.\n\nBut the people were too busy or too tired to attend to their needs.\n\nFootsore and weary, at last they climbed the hill to the hut of Philemon\nand Baucis.\n\nThese good people had eaten scarcely anything for several days that they\nmight have food to offer the king.\n\nWhen they saw the strangers, Philemon said, \"Surely these men need food\nmore than the king.\"\n\nBaucis spread her one white table cloth upon the table.\n\nShe brought out bacon and herbs, wild honey and milk.\n\nShe set these before the strangers with all the good dishes that she\nhad.\n\nThen a wonderful thing happened.\n\nThe dishes which the strangers touched turned to gold.\n\nThe milk in the pitcher became rich nectar.\n\nPhilemon and Baucis dropped upon their knees.\n\nThey knew that their guests could be no other than Zeus and Hermes.\n\nZeus raised his hand and said, \"Arise, good people, ask what you will\nand it shall be yours.\"\n\nPhilemon and Baucis cried in one voice:\n\n\"Grant, oh Zeus, that one of us may not outlive the other, but that both\nmay die in the same instant.\"\n\nThis had long been the wish in each heart, and the fear of being left\nalone in the world was the one trouble of their old age.\n\nZeus smiled and changed their rude hut into a beautiful castle, and\ngranted them many years of happy life.\n\nOne morning the people in the valley noticed that the castle had\ndisappeared.\n\nThey hurried to the spot and found growing in its place two beautiful\ntrees, an oak and a linden.\n\nNo trace of the good couple could be found.\n\nMany years after, however, a traveller lying under the trees heard them\nwhispering to each other.\n\nHe lay very still and soon learned that in them Philemon and Baucis\nstill lived, happy and contented, and protected by Zeus from all harm.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nDAPHNE.\n\n\nDaphne was the daughter of the River Peneus.\n\nShe was a beautiful child and her father loved her more than anything\nelse in the world.\n\nHer home was in a cave which he had cut for her in a great white cliff.\n\nThe walls of the cave were of marble.\n\nFrom the roof hung crystal chandeliers which Peneus' servants had made.\n\nOn the floor was a soft green carpet woven by the water fairies.\n\nPeneus brought his most beautiful pebbles to Daphne's cave every night.\n\nHe sang songs to her in the evenings and told her stories of his\ntravels.\n\nShe visited with him the great island which he was building in the sea.\n\nWhen the morning star shone in the sky it was Daphne who awakened the\nbirds and flowers.\n\nWith her golden hair flying behind her, she sped into the forest.\nEverything awoke when they felt the touch of her rosy fingers, and\nsmiled as they saw her happy face.\n\nThe trees and the forest animals were her playfellows, and she had no\nwish for other friends.\n\nShe learned their ways, and the deer could not run more swiftly than\nshe, nor the birds sing more sweetly.\n\nOne day as she was running over the stones near the cave, King Apollo\nsaw her.\n\n\"Ah, little maid,\" said he, \"You are very beautiful. Your feet are too\ntender for the hard rocky earth.\n\n\"Come, you shall live with me in my palace in the sky.\"\n\nBut Daphne fled from him.\n\nShe did not want to leave her beautiful earth home.\n\nFear gave her wings, and faster and faster she flew.\n\nHer hair streamed behind her like a cloud of golden light.\n\nApollo followed more swiftly than the wind.\n\n\"Stop and listen,\" he cried; \"I am not a foe, foolish girl. It is Apollo\nwho follows you. I shall carry you to a home more beautiful than\nanything you have ever seen.\"\n\nShe felt his breath upon her hair, and saw his hand as he stretched it\nforth to seize her.\n\n\"Father, save me from Apollo,\" she cried. \"Let the earth enclose me.\"\n\nPeneus heard her voice and instantly her feet became fastened in the\nsoil like roots. A soft bark covered her body and her beautiful hair\nbecame the leaves of the laurel tree.\n\nApollo sadly gathered some of the leaves and wove them into a wreath. He\nlaid his hand upon the tree and said, \"I would have made you happy, but\nyou would not listen to me.\n\n\"At least you shall be my tree. Your leaves shall be ever green, and\nheroes shall be crowned with them in sign of victory.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nAN INDIAN STORY OF THE MOLE.\n\n\nAn Indian once saw a squirrel sunning himself in a tree top.\n\nThe squirrel saw the hunter and leaped upon a passing cloud.\n\nHe had escaped into Cloudland before an arrow could reach him.\n\nThe Indian set a trap for him hoping that he would soon return to the\ntree for food.\n\nThe sun happened to be coming that way and was caught in the trap.\n\nSuddenly, in the middle of the day, it became dark.\n\nThe Indian was frightened and said, \"Ah me, what have I done, I have\nsurely caught the sun in my trap.\"\n\nHe sent many animals up to set it free, but all were instantly burned to\nashes.\n\nAt last the mole said, \"Let me try, I shall bore through the ground of\nthe sky and gnaw off the cords which hold the trap.\"\n\nHe did this, but just as he loosened the last cord the sun sprang forth\nand the bright light shone full in his eyes.\n\nThe poor mole dropped to the earth and though his friends were able to\nsave his life, he was blind.\n\n\"You need not pity me,\" he said, \"I prefer to live underground, where\nreally there is no use for eyes.\"\n\nAll the moles were so proud of this hero mole that they tried to be like\nhim in every way.\n\nThey, too, went to live in a dark hole in the earth.\n\nTheir eyes, which they did not need to use, became so small that they\nwere entirely hidden by their fur. Indeed it is now so hard to find them\nthat many people think the entire mole family is blind.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nHOW THE SPARK OF FIRE WAS SAVED.\n\n\nLong ago when fire was first brought to earth, it was given into the\ncare of two beldams at the end of the world.\n\nThe Cahroc Indians knew where it was hidden. They needed fire and were\nalways planning ways to get it.\n\nThey went at last to the wise coyote.\n\n\"That is simple enough,\" said he, \"I will show you a way to get it. Fire\nis a great blessing and should be free to all people.\"\n\nThe coyote knew every inch of the road to the beldams' hut.\n\nAlong the path leading to it, he stationed beasts, the strongest and\nbest runners nearer the hut and the weaker ones farther off.\n\nNearest the guarded den, he placed one of the sinewy Cahroc men.\n\nThen he walked boldly up to the door of the hut and knocked.\n\nThe beldams, not fearing a coyote in the least, invited him in.\n\nThey were often lonely, living so near the end of the world.\n\nWhen the coyote had rested before the fire for some time, he said, \"The\nCahroc nation need fire. Could you not give them one small spark? You\nwould never miss it. Here it is of no use.\"\n\nThe beldams answered, \"We do not love it, but we dare not give it away.\nWe must guard it while we live.\"\n\nThe coyote had expected them to say this.\n\nHe sprang to the window, and instantly outside were heard such sounds,\nthat the beldams rushed out to see what the frightful noise could be.\n\nEach animal in the line was sounding the watch-word of fire in his own\nway.\n\nThe wild horse neighed, the mountain lion roared, the gray wolf howled,\nthe serpent hissed, the buffalo bellowed, and every small animal did its\npart equally well.\n\nIndeed, it is no wonder that the beldams were frightened nearly to\ndeath.\n\nThe Cahroc man brought water and told them not to fear for themselves.\n\nThe coyote seized a half-burned brand and was off in an instant.\n\nThe beldams sprang after him and followed him closely over hill and\nvalley. Faster than the wind they flew.\n\nThey were stronger than he, and though he put all his wild-wood nerve to\nthe strain, they steadily gained.\n\nSoon the race must end!\n\nBut Puma, the monstrous cat, was watching, and leaped up just in time to\nsave the brand.\n\nEach animal was in its place and the good fire passed on.\n\nIt came at last to the Cahroc nation, and was afterwards free to all\npeople under the sun.\n\nThere were only two mishaps in all the race.\n\nAs the squirrel turned a corner of stumps and bowlders, his beautiful\ntail caught fire, and a brown track was burned up over his back to his\nshoulders, and the curl has remained in his tail to this day.\n\nThe frog had a harder fate.\n\nHe was the last one in the line of beasts. When the brand reached him it\nwas smaller than the smallest coal in the grate.\n\nHe seized it carefully and jumped forward as fast as he could, but the\nhand of the foremost beldam caught him and held him fast.\n\nHow his heart beat!\n\nHis eyeballs bulged out of his head, and he has looked ever since much\nin the same scared way.\n\nHe did not lose his courage, however. He swallowed the coal and sprang\ninto the water.\n\nSad to tell, the beldam still held in her hand his special pride and\ncare, his tail.\n\nHenceforth only the tadpoles could wear tails.\n\nThe frog sought a log and sat down upon it to think.\n\n\"I did my duty, even if I lost my beauty,\" he thought; \"that is enough\nfor a frog. This spark must be saved.\"\n\nAfter much choking he spat the swallowed spark well into the bark.\n\nThe gift came, in this way, to all men; for, in even the wettest\nweather, if you rub two sticks together, fire is sure to come.\n\nBecause we know how the frog hurt his throat that day, we like to listen\nto his hoarse voice when we hear him singing to his children in the\nspring.\n\n\n\n\nBALDER.\n\n\nThe people in the North once believed that high above the clouds was the\nbeautiful plain of Asgard.\n\nOdin, ruler of Asgard, mighty Thor, and many other heroes lived on the\nplain.\n\nTheir homes were great castles, splendid with silver and gold.\n\nIn the middle of the plain, and apart from the other dwellings, stood a\npure white palace.\n\nNothing that was not fair and good had ever dared to enter it.\n\nIt was the home of Balder.\n\nBecause of his great beauty and wisdom, he was called \"Balder the\nbeautiful,\" and \"Balder the good.\"\n\nEverything loved him.\n\nThe dull rocks and the gray old mountains met him with a smile.\n\nThe flowers opened, the birds sang and the water sparkled when they saw\nhis face.\n\nOne night he dreamed that he must soon leave Asgard and all the things\nthat he loved.\n\nThe next night he dreamed that he was living in the gloomy underground\nworld.\n\nThe third night, when the same terrible dream came to him, he was\ngreatly troubled.\n\nHe told Odin, his father, and Frigga, his mother, about it.\n\nOdin, in great fear, called together his wisest heroes.\n\nThey shook their heads but could do nothing to help him.\n\nFrigga cried, \"It shall not be! I, his mother, will save him.\"\n\nShe went straight way to Heimdal, who guarded the rainbow bridge.\n\nBifrost, which was the name of the bridge, was the only path which led\nfrom Asgard to the earth.\n\nHeimdal allowed only those who lived in the plain to pass over it.\n\nAll feared Heimdal, yet they loved him.\n\nHe could see to the ends of the world.\n\nHe could hear the wool growing on the sheep's back, and knew when each\ngrass blade broke into the sunshine.\n\nHeimdal loved Balder and when he heard what troubled Frigga, pitied her.\nHe gave her his swift black horse and showed her the way to the ends of\nthe earth.\n\nFor nine days and nights she traveled without food or rest.\n\nShe asked everything she met to promise not to harm Balder.\n\nAnimals, flowers, trees, water, air, fire, everything she asked gladly\ngave the promise.\n\nThey smiled in wonder at the question.\n\nWho could wish to hurt the gentle Balder?\n\nAlas, the mistletoe did not promise.\n\nFrigga saw it growing high up on an oak tree.\n\nIt seemed too small and weak to do any harm. She did not ask it to\npromise.\n\nOn the tenth day of her journey, she came back again to Asgard.\n\nShe told the sorrowing Odin and his friends what she had done.\n\nIn their joy they found a new way to do Balder honor.\n\nHe stood in their midst while the most skillful heroes hurled their\narrows at him.\n\nAt first, they threw only small twigs and pebbles.\n\nEverything, however, had soon proved itself true to its promise.\n\nThen the heroes lost all fear of harming him and threw their warlike\nweapons.\n\nBalder stood unharmed and smiling among them.\n\nEach day they met on the plain and in this sport proved the love of all\nthings for him.\n\nThe blind Hoder was the only one in Asgard who could not join in the\ngame.\n\nHe was Balder's brother and loved him very dearly.\n\nHoder was not unhappy, but always cheered and shouted as gaily as the\nothers.\n\nOne day as he stood alone, Loki saw him.\n\nLoki was a mischief maker.\n\nHis jokes were often cruel; indeed, most of the unhappiness in Asgard\nwas caused by Loki's unkindness.\n\n\"Hoder, why do you not do Balder honor?\" asked Loki.\n\n\"I am blind,\" Hoder answered, \"and besides I have nothing to throw.\"\n\n\"Here is my arrow,\" said Loki. \"Take it; I will guide your hands.\"\n\nAlas, the cruel Loki had made the arrow of mistletoe.\n\nHe knew that this was the only way in which Balder could be harmed.\n\nHe longed to see the surprise of the heroes when Balder should at last\nbe wounded.\n\nAway flew the arrow.\n\nBalder, the beautiful, fell lifeless to the ground.\n\nThen all Asgard was dark with sorrow.\n\nStrong heroes wept and would not be comforted.\n\nThe earth grew cold, white and still.\n\nThe water would not flow, and the seeds refused to grow.\n\nThe birds were silent. No flowers breathed their perfumes into the air.\n\nThere was not a smile in all the world.\n\nOdin said, \"This cannot be.\n\n\"Balder shall return. I, myself, will go and bring him from Hela's dark\nregions.\"\n\nBut Frigga had already sent a messenger to the spirit world to beg Queen\nHela to release Balder.\n\nWhile waiting for the messenger to return, the heroes were not idle.\n\nFor twelve days and nights they worked as only love can make men work.\nThey did not pause for food nor rest.\n\nThey built a great funeral pyre, and no one was too small to help in the\nwork of love.\n\nThey found Balder's ship upon the seashore.\n\nThey brought great logs from the forest and bound them upon the deck.\n\nUpon these they placed his beautiful white horse, his dogs, his shining\narmor, and many things which he had loved on earth.\n\nWhen it was finished, they raised the sails, set the ship on fire and\npushed it out upon the sea.\n\nThey sang and wept all night until at sunrise the sails fell.\n\nThey watched the flames die down and the waves wash over the sinking\nship.\n\nAs they turned sadly from the shore, they met the messenger from Hela's\nregions.\n\n\"Rejoice,\" he said, \"Hela says, 'If everything living and lifeless weep\nfor Balder, he may return to us.'\"\n\nThere was great happiness in Asgard that day.\n\n\"Surely,\" they thought, \"everything in the world will weep for Balder.\"\n\nThey had forgotten the cruel Loki.\n\nHe sat with dry eyes though rocks and trees, birds and flowers, wind and\nclouds were shedding tears.\n\nWhen Odin found that Balder could not return to life, his anger and\ngrief were terrible to see.\n\nIn fear, Loki hid himself deep in the earth under a mountain.\n\nFrigga knew that he was conquered, and she patiently waited for the time\nwhen Balder should again be allowed to bring gladness to the earth, and\nfill all the heavens with the glory of his smile.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nHOW THE CHIPMUNK GOT THE STRIPES ON ITS BACK.\n\n\nDo you all know the little striped chipmunk which lives in our woods?\n\nHe has a cousin in far off India called the geloori.\n\nIt is said the stripes came on the back of the geloori in a wonderful\nway.\n\nOne day the great Shiva saw a little gray chipmunk on the seashore.\n\nHe was dipping his bushy tail into the sea, and shaking out the water on\nthe shore.\n\nTwenty times a minute he dipped it into the ocean.\n\nIn wonder, Shiva said, \"What are you doing, little foolish, gray,\ngeloori? Why do you tire yourself with such hard labor?\"\n\nThe geloori answered, \"I cannot stop, great Shiva.\n\n\"The storm blew down the palm tree, where I built my nest.\n\n\"See! the tree has fallen seaward, and the nest lies in the water; my\nwife and pretty children are in it; I fear that it will float away.\nTherefore all day and all night I must dip the water from the sea.\n\n\"I hope soon to bale it dry.\n\n\"I must save my darlings even if I spoil my tail.\"\n\nShiva stooped and with his great hand stroked the little squirrel.\n\nOn the geloori's soft fur from his nose to the end of his tail, there\ncame four green stripes! They were the marks of Shiva's fingers, placed\nthere as signs of love.\n\nShiva raised his hand, and the water rolled back from the shore. Safe\namong the rocks and seaweeds, the palm tree lay on dry land.\n\nThe little squirrel hastened to it; his tail was now high in the air. He\nfound his wife and children dry and well in their house of woven\ngrass-blades.\n\nAs they sang their welcomes to him, the geloori noticed with delight\nthat each smooth little back was striped with marks of Shiva's fingers.\n\nThis sign of love is still to be seen upon the back of chipmunks.\n\nThat is the reason why in India, good men never kill them.\n\nA man who loves both children and chipmunks says, when he tells this\nstory, \"Perhaps our squirrels, though Shiva never stroked them, would be\ngrateful if we left them, unharmed, to play in the maples in our\nwoods.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE STORK.\n\n\nA fox met a stork and invited him to dinner.\n\n\"With all my heart, friend,\" said the stork.\n\nWhen they arrived at the home of the fox and dinner was served, he was\nnot so happy.\n\nThe fox had fine hot soup, but he served it in shallow plates.\n\nThe poor stork could only stand by and watch the fox eat.\n\nThe fox seemed to think that it was a very good joke.\n\nThe next day the stork met the fox and invited him to dinner. The stork\nbrought out fine hot soup in a high narrow necked bottle, but the fox\ncould not see the joke at all.\n\nThe stork said, \"Friend fox, enjoy your dinner. I hope that the soup is\nas well flavored as yours was yesterday.\"\n\nAs he said this he poured out half of the soup into a bowl and set it\nbefore the fox.\n\nThe cunning old fox felt so ashamed that he has never looked anyone\nstraight in the face since that day.\n\n\n\n\nPROMETHEUS.\n\n\nGreece is far away to the east over a great ocean. It is a very small\ncountry with high mountains in every part of it.\n\nThe people who lived there long ago could not easily go from one place\nto another.\n\nSome of the mountains reached above the clouds and made great walls\naround their homes. Men sometimes lived all their lives near the sea and\nnever saw it.\n\nThese people who were shut up in the little valley of Greece did many\nwonderful things.\n\nAs they could not go far from their homes they had time to see how\nbeautiful the things around them were.\n\nPerhaps they looked at the sky so much that they wished to have\neverything on earth just as beautiful.\n\nThey gave their children work to do which made them strong and graceful.\n\nSome of the Greeks carved statues from the marble in the mountains. Some\nbuilt great temples of it.\n\nSome painted pictures, while others made gardens more beautiful than\npictures.\n\nOthers wrote books. Many of the stories you like were written by the\npoets who lived in Greece long ago.\n\nIn all these ways the Greeks showed their love for their country and\nmade it a better place in which to live.\n\nThough they were so wise they had many thoughts which seem strange to\nus.\n\nThey believed that long before they were born a race of giants had lived\namong the mountains.\n\nAt one time the giants grew angry with Zeus, their king, and wished to\ntake his throne away from him.\n\nThere was a wise giant, named Prometheus, who begged them not to attempt\nto do this.\n\nHe tried to show them how foolish they were.\n\nThey would not listen to him. Zeus lived upon Mount Olympus, the highest\nmountain in Greece.\n\nThe giants brought great rocks to this mountain and piled them up,\nhigher and higher, until they reached the sky.\n\nZeus waited until the giants had finished their work and were ready for\nbattle.\n\nThen he put out his hand and touched the great mound. Instantly it fell\nover into the sea.\n\nPrometheus and his brother were now the only people on earth.\n\nThey were so lonely that Zeus told them to model some people from clay.\n\nPrometheus made animals and men and Epimetheus, his brother, gave them\ngifts of courage, swiftness and strength.\n\nTo some he gave feathers and wings, to others fur and claws, and to\nothers a hard shelly covering.\n\nWhen he came to man he had no covering left.\n\nZeus said, \"I will clothe man,\" and that is the reason his covering is\nso delicate and beautiful.\n\nPrometheus' people could not breathe.\n\nZeus sent him to AEolus, the god of the winds, for help.\n\nAEolus sent his strong son, North Wind, back with Prometheus.\n\nWhen North Wind saw the people of clay he whistled with surprise.\n\nHe blew his breath upon them.\n\nThey turned as white as snow and began to breathe.\n\nThey were a cold people, however, and Prometheus did not love them.\n\nHe went to AEolus again and this time South Wind and the zephyrs came\nwith him.\n\nSouth Wind brought the people green grass and flowers and birds.\n\nThe zephyrs showed them how to laugh and cry and sing and dance.\n\nBut the people were stupid.\n\nThey lived like ants in dark caves.\n\nPrometheus saw that there was only one thing which would help them.\n\nThat was _fire_.\n\nFire was the most precious thing Zeus had, and he kept it ever burning\naround his throne.\n\nWhen Prometheus asked for fire Zeus was angry.\n\n\"I have already given too much to your people,\" he said. \"Let them now\nhelp themselves.\"\n\nPrometheus was sad, indeed.\n\nHe loved his people more than he did himself.\n\nAt last he said: \"They shall have the fire. I will pay for it with my\nlife.\"\n\nHe went straight to Zeus' throne and filled a ferule with it, and\ncarried it to his people.\n\nThen the people began to be wise.\n\nHe taught them to cook, and to build houses, and to sail their ships\nupon the ocean.\n\nHe showed them how to get rich ores from the mountains and prepare them\nfor use.\n\nThey learned how to plow and to reap and to store up their food for the\nwinter.\n\nZeus was angry with Prometheus.\n\nHe chained him to a rock on the top of a high mountain.\n\nHe sent a great bird each day to torment him.\n\nZeus said that he must stay there until he repented and returned the\nfire to heaven.\n\nThere Prometheus stayed and suffered for many burning summers and long,\ncold winters.\n\nSometimes he grew faint-hearted and wished to be free.\n\nThen he looked down and saw how the fire was helping the people and how\nhappy they were, and he grew strong again.\n\nAfter many, many years, a Greek hero who was sailing over the mountain\nin a golden cup, saw Prometheus.\n\nIt was Hercules. He shot the bird with a golden arrow, unbound the\nchains and set the wise Prometheus free.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nHERMES.\n\n\nAEolus was the father of all the winds, great and small.\n\nLong ago, they all lived happily together in a dark cave near the sea.\n\nOn holidays, North Wind, South Wind, East Wind and West Wind and their\nfaithful sisters, came home and told of their travels.\n\nThe whirlwinds performed their most wonderful feats, and the zephyrs\nsang their sweetest songs.\n\nThese holidays, however, did not come often.\n\nThere were no idle children in the family of AEolus.\n\nThey swept and dusted the whole world. They carried water over all the\nearth. They helped push the great ships across the ocean.\n\nThe smaller winds scattered the seeds and sprinkled the flowers, and did\nmany other things which you may find out for yourselves.\n\nIndeed, they were so busy that AEolus was often left alone in his dark\nhome for several days at a time.\n\nHe was glad when one summer morning a baby came to the cave.\n\nThe baby's name was Hermes, but AEolus called him \"Little Mischief,\"\nbecause he was so little and so full of tricks.\n\nZeus was Hermes' father and his mother was the beautiful Queen Maia. She\nwas often called \"Star of Spring,\" because people thought that wherever\nshe stepped flowers sprang from under the snow.\n\nAEolus loved Hermes dearly. He taught him many secrets which only the\nwinds know.\n\nHermes was a wise baby and understood all that AEolus told him.\n\nWhen he was only two days old he could run and whistle as well as North\nWind.\n\nOne day while he was very young he climbed out of his cradle and ran\ndown to the seashore.\n\nThere he found an old tortoise shell. He picked it up and put a row of\nholes along each edge of the shell.\n\nThrough these holes he wove some reeds which he found upon the seashore.\nThen he blew softly upon the reeds.\n\nThe birds heard such wonderful music that they stopped to listen. The\nleaves on the trees began to dance, and nodded to the flowers to keep\nstill.\n\nThe waves on the shore caught the tune and have been singing it ever\nsince.\n\nHermes had invented the lyre and brought a new kind of music into the\nworld. He soon tired of his lyre and went back to his cradle in the\ncave.\n\nAs he lay there he could see a beautiful blue meadow with many white\ncows upon it.\n\nHermes knew that the cows belonged to his brother, King Apollo.\n\n\"What fun,\" thought he, \"I will go and make the cows run.\"\n\nOff he ran after them until he was tired and out of breath.\n\nThen he drove them all backward into a cave, and fastened them in.\n\nKing Apollo soon missed the cows and searched all the meadow for them.\n\nHe traced them to the cave, but when he came closer to it, he found that\nall the tracks led from the opening, not into it.\n\nNear the cave he saw an old man who told him that he had seen the cows.\n\nHe said that with them he had seen a baby with wings on his cap and\nheels.\n\nApollo knew at once that the baby was his brother, Hermes.\n\nHe went straight to the cave of AEolus. There was Hermes in his cradle\nplaying with the shell just like any other baby.\n\nApollo was angry and commanded him to stop laughing and crowing and tell\nhim where the white cows were.\n\nHermes only picked up the shell and breathed softly upon it.\n\nApollo forgot his anger and everything but the beautiful music. He took\nHermes in his arms and kissed him and begged him to teach him his\nsecret.\n\nHermes was glad to be so easily forgiven. He gave Apollo the lyre and\ntaught him many ways to play upon it. Apollo was soon able to make even\nsweeter music than Hermes, and he afterwards became the god of music.\n\nHe was so thankful to Hermes for his gift that he gave him a wonderful\nrod called the caduceus.\n\nWhatever Hermes touched with the rod became wise, loving and unselfish.\nOne time he saw two hissing serpents about to spring at each other in\nfury.\n\nHe touched them with the caduceus. Instantly they twined themselves\nlovingly around the rod and never again left it.\n\nApollo also gave Hermes charge over all the cows in the blue meadow.\nHermes loved the cows and often took them with him on his journeys.\n\nHe was a wild youth and a great traveler, and so it happens that in\nnearly all the countries of the world Hermes and his white cows have\nbeen seen.\n\n\n\n\nIRIS' BRIDGE.\n\n\nIn the sky where the amber tints are seen on the clouds, Iris was born.\n\nShe loved her home and all the beautiful things around her.\n\nPerhaps she sailed in the moon's silver boat and knew why the stars kept\ntwinkling.\n\nPerhaps she feasted on sunshine and dew, and slept on the soft white\nclouds.\n\nMore than anything in her sky-home, Iris loved her grandfather, the\nstern old ocean.\n\nWhen he was merry, and drove his white horses over the water, she was\nhappy.\n\nWhen he was troubled, and the sky grew dark and sad, she quietly slipped\nher hand into his.\n\nInstantly he smiled, and became gentle again.\n\nHe longed always to keep her with him, but the Sun said:\n\n\"No, Iris belongs to both ocean and sky.\n\n\"Let her be the messenger between heaven and earth.\"\n\nThey placed golden wings upon her shoulders and made her a bridge of\nbeautiful colors.\n\nOne end of the bridge they rested in the sky, but the other Iris could\nfasten to the earth with a pot of gold.\n\nThis was the way Iris' path was made:\n\nThe earth gave the tints of her fairest flowers, the sea brought great\nribbons of silvery mist, the wind was the shuttle, the sky was the loom\nand the Sun himself was the weaver.\n\nIt is no wonder that the most beautiful thing in all the world is Iris'\nbridge, the rainbow.\n\n[Illustration]","title":"Nature Myths and Stories for Little Children","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":16471}