222 Language Through Nature 



Lesson 147 

 THE BOY AND THE RIVER 



A Fable 



A LITTLE boy was once sent to market by his 

 ^-JL mother to sell butter and cheese. 



On the way he came to a swift-flowing river. 

 The boy stopped and looked at the water as it ran 

 swiftly by on its way to the great sea. "Well," 

 said he to himself, "there is no bridge here, nor 

 any boat in sight, so I will wait until the water has 

 all run by." Saying this, he laid himself down in 

 the shade on the mossy bank to wait until the river 

 ran by. 



The morning passed away and noon came ; still 

 the river ran on, and the boy waited. The after- 

 noon came and went and the golden sun sank down 

 in the west, but the river still ran on, and the boy 

 waited. Late at night he went home to his mother 

 with the butter and cheese. 



"How is this, my son?" she exclaimed in sur- 

 prise. ' ' Why have you brought all the butter and 

 cheese home again?" 



"Mother," replied the boy, "yonder there is a 



