346 NA T URE-ST UD Y RE VIE W [16 :8— Nov. , 1920^ 



it was his right eye this time — and the rusthng voice spoke to 

 him again for the second time. "Don't be afraid Roger I won't 

 let you fall. I'm very strong indeed and could hold up a hundred 

 little boys without being tired a bit." 



Now Roger knew it really was the pine tree talking to him so he 

 said, 



"Aren't you afraid Mr. Pine Tree standing out here all alone?"' 



"Alone?" said the voice, "Oh no, I'm not alone. All my friends- 

 are here ariound me. See, there are Mrs. Maple and Mr. Oak in the 

 yard, and the whole Mountain Ash family along the drive -way. 

 The Locusts are near enough for us to talk to one another. And 

 then I have many other friends besides." 



"Mr. Wind and the Man-in -the-Moon are your friends too aren't 

 they?" asked Roger. 



Indeed they are answered Mr. Pine Tree. "Mr. Wind and I 

 have fine times romping together, especially in the winter when 

 Mr. Wind is blowing from the north, he is very strong and nearly 

 every day we have a wrestling match. But I am stronger than he 

 and I always shall be, as long as my roots hold firm and strong in 

 the earth." 



"Do you ever see Jack Frost, in the winter, Mr. Pine Tree?"' 



"Oh, yes indeed, he is another of my friends. - He never paints- 

 my needles tho, as he paints so many of the leaves on other trees. 

 He says that my needles are so pretty that he never would be able 

 to make them any prettier." 



"Don't your needles ever fall off?" 



"Yes, but new ones are always growing. If you will look down 

 under my branches you will find a whole carpet of brown needles 

 that have fallen from my branches. But you see I still have new 

 green ones all the time, so that I am dressed in green all the year 

 round. See how my needles grow in bunches of five each. All 

 white pines have needles growing that way." 



"Have you any other friends Mr. Pine Tree?" 



" So many I couldn't possibly count them. First of all there is- 

 Mr. Sun. He is the very best friend we trees have, for without 

 him we could never grow strong and sturdy, and then Mr. Wind 

 would knock us over the first time he came along. Then there is 

 Madam Rain who washes all the dust off my leaves and gives my 

 roots fresh water to drink. I like Mr. Snow and Mr. Hail too; 

 you wouldn't think it to look at him, but Mr. Snow is sometimes. 



