THE MERRY GREENWOOD 137 



"And mine I'' 



** And mine 1" 



The young man looked thoughtfully over the 

 trees, planning a new forest out of the old. 

 Yet suppose a fire should burn the forest and 

 the dream? 



, **When your trees are cut," said he, **a lot 

 of slash won't be left lying around, ready for 

 a big bonfire. No, the branches, cut off and 

 given back to Mother Earth, will rot and en- 

 rich the soil, and so return to Life. And noth- 

 ing will be wasted. Don't you know that our 

 Teacher said, * Gather up the fragments that 

 remain, that nothing be lost?' It is good to 

 apply this to the great, beautiful wealth of for- 

 est which we find here for our use. That's 

 common sense. I'm a practical man, and want 

 to keep this old earth of ours in good working 

 trim, that's all." 



*^ Hail I" cried the wood-nymphs, laughingly- 

 clasping hands and circling around him, call- 

 ing him king of the forest. 



Of course, the forester felt a little shy, 

 though after all he was willing to join hands 



