8 FOREST FANCIES 



ground. The branches soared while the roots 

 delved and pushed against one another, like 

 children kicking each other under the table, 

 and every year some trees lost courage and 

 foothold and gave up the fight, for to the 

 strongest was the victory. 



Still, the branches had their own troubles. 

 Smarter trees overshadowed slower ones, and 

 sometimes it was too dark in the forest for 

 little trees to see their way up, and they, too, 

 stumbled and fell in the struggle. Even Quer- 

 cus could not well see how to mix his food, and 

 grew weak in the heavy shade. Must he also 

 give up at last, as he had seen so many do — 

 never rise and interlace his branches in the 

 canopy of crowns far above, and receive the 

 blessing of the sunlight on his head? Must 

 he wither and die and fall, leaving no record 

 of strength and courage and achievement ? He 

 tried to take his food and grow, faltered, saw 

 his fate before him — to enrich the mold for 

 those stronger in the struggle. It was this, 

 or a century of life — ^perhaps centuries of 

 kingly power. 



