The Story of Willow Brook 7 1 



the deer and the great moose soon ceased to 

 frequent my banks. 



" Also the geese and ducks became less nu- 

 merous. But I still possess much that is 

 interesting to one who loves the sound of run- 

 ning water, and the fragrance of sweet flag 

 and water lilies. 



" Every autumn the speckled trout swims 

 far up my winding way to my many branches, 

 to spawn. The eggs are covered up and left 

 to hatch, when the spring sun shall warm the 

 water sufficiently. 



" In the springtime I am the nursery of 

 many kinds of spawn. The trout and the red 

 fin, the dace and the bullhead, the great 

 green bullfrog and the lizard, and many 

 small crustaceans are all cradled in my cur- 

 rent. 



" Each mossy stone, and each sandy shal- 

 low is a hatchery. Then all my sparkling 

 current teems with life. 



"While the rich larvae, shining like gold, 

 feed all lower forms of life. 



" In the springtime the cowslip unfolds her 



