FOREST LEAVES 



1. — The Little Spruce Tree 



AR up on a mountain a baby spruce 

 seed cuddled with her little sisters, 

 two and two, in a cone cradle, 

 while to the wind's Rock-a-by, 

 the mother-tree swung them to sleep on the 

 waving bough. Yet all the time, in the snug 

 darkness, this little seed lay wondering what 

 was outside of the cradle, for something must 

 lie beyond it, she was sure; and one day, as 

 if in answer to her longing to know, the 

 wind loosened her scale coverlet and tossed 

 her out, like a young bird pushed from its nest 

 to fly. 



Borne lightly on the wind, slowly down, 

 down, down, she sailed through the frosty air, 

 with her one gauzy wing to buoy her up, like 



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