HOW THE GRASS GREW 



37 



long, white finger. The 



Owl was roosting in a Yew 



tree outside a window, when 



a bright light shone out into 



the dark, and he was about 



to fly away, fearing some 



trap or magic, when he 



saw inside this house one 



of our family all blooming 



with sucli flowers as the 



Snow Owl never saw before. 



He said the tree bore gold and 



silver fruit instead of dingy cones, and 



that a great star, bigger than Sirius, the winter 



watchman, hung on the top, and that lights more 



brilliant than the fires of the north spangled the 



branches. Then he said that House People and 



their children came and sang songs to the tree 



and did it homage. He promised to come back 



and tell us more, if ever he could go inside the 



house and see it closer." 



" You dear little Spruce ! / have a Christmas 

 tree every year ; and now that I understand the 

 speech of Whyland, I will invite the Snow Owl 

 and all his friends to come and see it lighted." 



Rattle grew jealous of the attention the tree 

 was receiving and began to chatter again. Just 



