QUEECUS 5 



weakness overtake him and he die, like many 

 of the tiny seedlings near, striving to be trees ; 

 but at last he got a firm grasp of the situa- 

 tion. 



Then Quercus stretched with all his might, 

 like a lazy, growing boy — stretched himself 

 higher, and put on new raiment in keeping 

 with his larger size. When he got tired of 

 standing on one root, which was his taproot, 

 he sent out root branches underground, and 

 one day ran across someone in the dark. 



^^Helloa," he called, ^^who's there?" 



''A pine tree," was the answer. 



**Dear me, if it isn't little Pinus!" ex- 

 claimed Quercus. ^^So you, too, have gained 

 ground. But this belongs to me." 



*^A11 I ask is standing room," Pinus re- 

 plied. 



*'And if I can get a bare subsistence from 

 the soil," said Quercus, ^^I shall be satisfied." 



Quercus won his living not only from the 

 soil, but from the air as well. His root-tips 

 were covered with hairs, and at the end of 

 each hair was a thirsty little mouth, drinking 



