64 Trails to Woods and Waters 



his feet quickly. He had a horror of dragon 

 flies, because he shared with other small boys 

 that queer superstition, about the dragon fly 

 sewing up the ears of those who angered him. 

 The boy was of course quite sure the bright 

 colored insect did not really possess that 

 power, but there was just enough mystery 

 about the legend to make it awesome. 



A wood thrush perched in the alders al- 

 most within hand's reach, and poured forth 

 a wonderful song. Further down the stream 

 a catbird mimicked the song exactly and then 

 squawled derisively. 



As the boy sat upon the bridge leaning 

 against the post at one end, his cap on the 

 planks beside him, with the sweet smell of 

 fern and flag and pungent willow in his nos- 

 trils, the spirit of the waters touched his ears 

 with a magic reed, and he heard new tones 

 in the song of the stream and at last under- 

 stood its gurgling and prattling as he had 

 never done before. 



At first he understood only a part of what 

 the rivulet was saying, but finally his heart 



