78 STORIES OF EARTH AND SKY 



" Certainly," said Anne, " and both sorts of 

 ashes are grimy things, only wood ashes are good 

 for plants and coal ashes aren't. I don't think if 

 I were you, Kindling Wood, I should call King 

 Coal ; Smutty Nose,' for though you are cer- 

 tainly cleaner in the beginning, it seems to me as 

 if you might be relations." 



" We are," said the Coal, " though it isn't to be 

 wondered at that this newly cut pine wood should 

 not understand the relationship, for it has taken 

 the cleverest House People years arid years to 

 find it out. The story of it seems stranger than 

 the wildest picture in Wagoose's book, and more 

 wonderful than all the tricks of Wabeno, the 

 Magician. 



"There are many magic gases floating about the 

 Earth that are not needed for the Brotherhood 

 of Man or Beasts to breathe, in fact, some of 

 these vapours are very hurtful to animals. The 

 Plan says that the Plant Brotherhood shall suck 

 these gases from the air, digest them, and return 

 part of them to the air again purified, while the 

 plant keeps the hurtful part for its own food." 



" Humph ! " said the Kindling Wood, " I didn't 

 know exactly how it was done ; but I knew I was 

 always sucking in and breathing out, and that the 

 Winds of Night were always bringing and taking 



