THE TWIG THAT BECAME A TREE 161 



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. 



