72 STORIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



" That will be very nice," said Tommy-Anne, 

 "for there are plenty of things for me to look 

 at here." She was very glad to be left alone, 

 for there were several questions that she wished 

 to ask the river, but did not care to have Obi 

 see that she could, or have him know about the 

 Magic Spectacles, for they were a secret between 

 Heart of Nature and herself. 



" Who are you ? " she asked, trailing her fingers 

 lightly through the water, which answered her 

 touch like a live thing. 



" I am your Water Brother ; without me you 

 could not live," it answered softly, humming a 

 little tune as it tumbled over the pebbles, then 

 growing silent as it neared the Pickerel's pool. 



"Next to Light, which is the twin brother of 

 Heat, I am the oldest thing in the world. Heart 

 of God fashioned us three from his own being and 

 then making the Plan, gave it to Heart of Nature 

 to work out, saying: 



" 4 Here are the beginnings that I have created ; 

 follow now my plan through the long timeless 

 days that I give you for its development. Go 

 upward, little by little ; from shapelessness to 

 form, from the grass to the tree, from the creep- 

 ing reptile to the great beasts; but pause thou 

 there, for to complete my share I will create 



