CHAPTER VIII 



THE OLD PEAR-TREE 



UNCLE PAUL had just cut down a pear-tree 

 in the garden. The tree was old, its trunk 

 ravaged by worms, and for several years it had not 

 borne any fruit. It was to be replaced by another. 

 Tin- children found their Uncle Paul seated on the 

 trunk of the pear-tree. He was looking attentively 

 at something. "One, two, three, four, five/' said 

 IH-, tapping with his finger upon the cross-section of 

 tin* felled tree. What was he counting? 



"Come quick," he called, "come; the pear-tree is 

 waiting to tell you its story. It seems to have some 

 c-urious things to tell you." 



The children burst out laughing. 



"And what does the old pear-tree wish to tell us?" 

 asked Jules. 



"Look here, at the cut which I was careful to make 

 very clean with the ax. Don't you see some rings 

 in the wood, rings which begin around the marrow 

 ami keep getting larger and larger until they reach 

 the k-irkt" 



"I see them," Jules replied; "they are rings fit- 

 te.l one inside another." 



It looks a little like the circles that come just 

 after throwing a stone into the water," remarked 

 Chi 



37 



