Ai 



/ 



w 



TREE STORIES 



JUPITER AND THE OAK 



By Mary Isabel Curtis 



HEN the Romans, long ago, believed 

 in many gods they worshipped Jupiter 

 as king of all their gods and goddesses. 

 The oak was Jupiter's especial tree 

 and this is the story of how he came 

 to choose it for his own. 



There was a band of giants called 

 the Titans, who were Jupiter's cousins and who disputed 

 with him his right to be the king of all the gods. After 

 a great battle Jupiter and his followers conquered the 

 Titans, and Jupiter became the supreme god. But it was 

 a terrible struggle because the Titans were of such 

 gigantic size and had such enormous strength that they 

 were able to pile mountains upon mountains in order to 

 reach up to Heaven and throw Jupiter down, which was 

 what they were trying to do. 



After the battle was over, Jupiter was resting in the 

 shade, when suddenly one of the Titans managed to force 

 his way to where the god was sitting, and, rushing up, 

 tried to kill him. 



Jupiter seized his great sword and thrust it through 

 the Titan's body and when the giant's blood fell upon the 

 ground a mighty oak tree sprang up right where he had 

 been standing. 



"This is the king of trees," said Jupiter, "and I am 

 king of all the gods. From this time the oak tree shall 

 be known as mine, and everywhere it grows men shall 

 remember that I made it mine by conquering my 

 enemies." 



This is the story of the oak tree; but there is a little 

 more to it, because this oak, or another one exactly like 

 it, became a very wonderful tree indeed. It lived for 

 many, many years and was known as the Talking Oak of 

 Dodona. When anybody needed help he would go to the 

 Talking Oak and ask what he should do. . Then through 

 the rustling and whispering of its leaves he could, if he 

 were clever enough and could listen hard enough, make 

 out a voice, and this voice would tell him just what would 

 be best for him to do. 



I wish, in these days, we could have a talking 

 oak Don't you? 



1 



v1 



