200 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



'" To be sure we do, Uncle Philip : willows 

 are as common as poplars ; they almost al- 

 ways grow in water, or by the sides of ponds 

 and little streams." 



" Ay, you mean the weeping willow, and 

 a very beautiful tree it is, too : but the weep- 

 ing willow, common as it is, is not a native 

 of the United States ; we had it from England, 

 and the English got it, I believe, from Turkey 

 or Persia. There is a story told about the 

 way in which the weeping willow was first 

 brought to England, v/hich is curious enough, 

 but I cannot say v/hether it is true or not. 

 You must know that about a hundred years 

 ago, there lived in England a very celebrated 

 poet, whose name was Pope, and who was 

 fond of trees and gardens. The story goes 

 that he received once from a friend who had 

 gone to Turkey a basket or hamper of figs 

 as a present ; that he found upon one of the 

 twigs of which the hamper was made a bud, 

 which he planted in his garden ; the bud 

 sprouted and grew, and in the course of a few 

 years became a fine weeping willow ; and 

 this, it is said, was the first ever seen in that 

 country." 



" How pleased Mr. Pope must have been, 



