AJtBQR DAY MANUAL. 73 



THE TWIG THAT BECAME A TREE. 



THE tree of which I am about to tell you was once a little twig. There were 

 many others like it, and the farmer came to look at them every day, to see 

 if the)- were all doing well. 



By-and-by he began to take away the older and stronger twigs, and one day 

 he dug up this little tree and carried it away to an open field. 



There its roots were again put into the soft warm ground, and it held its 

 pretty head up as if looking into the blue sky. Just at sunset the farmer's wife 

 came out to look at the new tree. 



"I wonder if I shall ever see apples growing on these twigs," she said. 



The little tree heard it, and said softly, "We shall see! Come gentle rain 

 and warm sun, and let me be the first to give a fine red apple to the farmer's 

 wife ! " 



And the rain and the sun did come, and the branches grew, and the roots 

 dug deep into the soft ground, and at last, one bright spring day the farmer's 

 wife cried, 



"Just see ! One of our little trees has some blossoms on it ! I believe that, 

 small as it is, it will give me an apple this autumn." 



But the farmer laughed and said, " Oh, it is not old enough to bear apples 

 yet." 



The little tree said nothing, but all to itself it thought, " The good woman 

 shall have an apple this very year. " 



And she did. When the cool days of autumn came, and the leaves began to 

 fade and grow yellow, two red apples hung upon one of the branches of the 

 tree. 



THE SPICE TREE. 



THE spice tree grows in the garden green. 

 Beside it the fountain flows, 

 And a fair bird sits the boughs between 

 And sings his melodious woes. 



No greener garden e'er was known 



Within the bounds of an earthly King ; 

 No brighter skies have ever shone 



Than those that illumine its constant spring. 



That coil bound stem has branches three 



On each a thousand blossoms grow, 

 And, old as aught of time can be, 



The roots stand fast in the rocks below. 



JOHN STERLING. 



