AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Tree Stories For Cliilclren 



Tke Gift of tke Olive Tree 



By Mary IsaDel Curtis 



Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, and being so very 

 wise she knew that war, even though it was sometimes nec- 

 essary, was a dreadful thing. Minerva had another name. 

 The Greeks called her Athena; and they called the god of 

 the sea Poseidon. 



Now the Greeks had just built a new city to be the capital 

 of their country, but they had no name for it. Poseidon 

 thought it should be named for him because as the city was 

 on the sea-coast it would doubtless send out many ships over 

 which he would have charge. But Minerva-Athena felt 

 that she should have the honor of naming the city be- 

 cause she was so wise that she would know just how to care 

 for it in the best way. 



At last, in order to settle the dispute, the gods called a 

 meeting and decreed that the city should be named for that 

 claimant who could give the most useful present to the peo- 

 ple of the Earth. 



"Oh, then it will be named for me," said Poseidon, "for 

 nothing can be more useful than the present I shall give." 



Feeling perfectly certain that he had won the contest, he 

 struck upon the earth with his trident. As he did so the 

 ground cracked a little. From the crack there sprang a 

 splendid coal-black horse who dashed around so actively 

 that all the gods became a trifle nervous and moved a few 

 steps further back. 



Then it was Minerva-Athena's turn to show what she 

 could do. She picked up a spear and struck upon the ground 

 with it. At once a beautiful gray-green olive-tree full of 

 fruit appeared. 



The gods considered the two presents. They decided that 

 though the horse was more useful in war, the Greeks pre- 

 ferred peace to war, and the olive-tree which was the sign 

 of peace and fertility was, after all, a higher gift to man. 



So they named the city for Minerva- Athena. They called 

 it Athens. And the people of Athens built the goddess a 

 beautiful temple on a hill a temple so beautiful that trav- 

 ellers from all over the world still go to see it and marvel 

 that the Greeks could build so perfectly. 



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