Tree Stories For Children 



Apollo s Laurel 



By Mary Isatel Curtis 



It was because of Apollo that Daphne was unhappy. Daphne was 

 a wild, young thing. She loved the beasts and birds and flowers better 

 than she did human companionship, and she wished for nothing better 

 than to play among the forest trees the rest of her life. But the 

 River-god, her father, had told her that he wished her to marry 

 Apollo, the golden-haired young sun-god. Apollo was as clever as he 

 was fine looking, for he could play on any kind of musical instrument 

 you might choose to give him, and speak in poetry as easily as he 

 could in prose. But Daphne did not wish to marry anybody. 



"Let me be free," she said, "to live among the trees and flowers as 

 I have always done, for in no other way can I be happy." 



But her father would not listen. So Daphne was sitting in the for- 

 est thinking of what he had said and feeling very much depressed. 

 Suddenly she looked around and saw Apollo coming toward her. She 

 jumped up from the ground to run away. Then Apollo saw that she 

 was frightened and called to her: 



"Daphne, dear, don't run away, I want to talk to you. 

 afraid of me." 



Don't be 



But the sound of his voice lent wings to Daphne's feet. She ran 

 as fast as she could go, and Apollo, not liking to be left behind, ran 

 after her. Now, although Daphne could run like a deer, Apollo could 

 run faster still, and she soon saw that he was going to catch her. At 

 that, she called to Mother Earth to save her from being taken. Im- 

 mediately a change came over Daphne. Her feet took root in the 

 ground, her arms and fingers turned to branches and twigs, her dress 

 became rough bark and her lovely curling hair was changed to count- 

 less rustling leaves. When Apollo caught up to her she had become 

 a beautiful laurel tree. 



"You have escaped me," he said, and laid his hand upon the tree. 

 "But since you cannot be my wife you shall be my tree and I will wear 

 you for my crown. You shall never know decay, but shall be always 

 green, and wherever it is seen, the laurel wreath shall be the sign of 

 victory." As he spoKe, Apollo felt a little tremor shake the tree and 

 he knew that Daphne had been pleased with what he said. And this 

 is why the laurel wreath has always been considered as the highest 

 prize that anyone can win. 



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