An Interesting Boulder 



C. J. KiMMERLE 



Ann Arbor, Mich. 



In a cool, dark ravine, cutting thru the m.ountain, is a rock 

 which, like a full and beautiful life, attracts the attention and 

 admiration of all who see it. And the rock has lived a real life, 

 for it has lived in various places and seen m.uch, and now it is 

 helping to beautify the ravine. 



Many, many centuries ago, this limestone boulder was a part 

 of a limestone ridge far away in the north; then in the course 

 of tim.e perhaps by a fracture in the rock or from. som.e other 

 cause, it was broken off, and on its sides could be seen little 

 fossils of queer little shells which told of the form.ation of the 

 rock. After staying in this resting place for many, many years, 

 suddenly, one day, it was picked up by a huge, slowly m.oving 

 body of snow and ice, and, along with m.any other boulders, 

 it was carried southward. For years and even centuries it was 

 borne along, until it m.ust have become weary of being scraped 

 over the earth and ground against the rocks. On and on, south- 

 ward it went, but gradually the burden pressing on it became 

 lighter. A strange thing was happening. The snow and ice 

 were gradually melting and loosening their hold on the bould- 

 ers, and one day, after long weary years of travelling, our bould- 

 er was finally deposited in a perm.anent resting place. 



Its resting place was a lovely ravine with hemlock covered 

 slopes. Other boulders, too, were there, and am.ong them, play- 

 ed and raced a strong, little mountain stream. This stream 

 was a playful, friendly stream and it delighted in m.aking the 

 acquaintance of each rock. And so it tumbled over a hinder- 

 ing rock and flowed around and past our boulder, and, as it dash- 

 ed by, it playfully threw up a handful of spray. Each tim.e 

 it went by it repeated this action and the rock was thankful 

 for the cool moisture. 



But in the midst of all this beauty the reck felt sad and 

 ashamed, for, looking down in the water, it saw how bare and stern- 

 ly gray were its own sides while everything else about it was 

 bright and beautiful. The slopes of the ravine were covered 

 with the dark beauty of hem.lock trees; the stream, sparkled 



247 



