The Story of Willow Brook 65 



was opened and the language of the waters 

 was made plain. 



"I am willow brook," the little stream be- 

 gan, " and I am older than you can possibly 

 imagine. Many a stream goes dry and is lost 

 because the timber is cut off near its source, 

 or the land is drained, but very few new 

 streams are formed. So the streams are older 

 than anything made by man, older than the 

 oldest trees that have stood for centuries, and 

 almost as old as the wrinkled hills. 



" If you would get some idea of how old 

 I am just follow me back by a score of 

 bridges, and as many meadows, by half a 

 dozen mill ponds and as many water wheels, 

 through deep forests and over jagged cliffs, 

 to the place of my beginning, which is far up 

 on the mountain side. 



" There you will find a seam in the solid 

 rock from which gush the living waters. A 

 foot or two below is a basin holding several 

 gallons of water. 



" At the time when some upheaval, or per- 

 haps it was the frost, broke the rock open, 



