SEPTEMBER 11 



geography; aud, by means of daily records, of establish- 

 ing habits of accuracy and neatness. 



In beginning the work withichildren, the approach to 

 this side of nature should be made through the myths, of 

 which a number are clearly a poetizing of natural pro- 

 cesses. The stories of IVIercury, child of Jupiter and of 

 Maia, in whose footsteps grew beautiful flowers, make 

 a most happy introduction to the study of winds and 

 clouds, and are at the same time an excellent basis for 

 work in literature and language. 



Tell them of the wind god, Mercury, who was born at 

 the peep of day, and who grew so rapidly that at noon 

 he sang beautiful songs, accompanying himself on an 

 instrument made out of the shell of a tortoise — music 

 such as we all can hear even in a city when the wind 

 sets the leaves in motion. In the evening of the same 

 day he stole from his half-brother, Apollo, the sun god, 

 his white oxen, which were then grazing on the tops of 

 mountains near l)y. He covered their hoofs with twigs 

 and drove them backwards into a cave, so that no one 

 might find- them. But Apollo, discovering who had 

 taken them, — for who but the wind could drive them 

 away, — insisted that Mercury should go with him to 

 their father Jupiter. Jupiter, having listened to Apollo's 

 complaint, turned to hear the defence of the baby, who, 

 winking, said that Apollo was a bully and a coward to 

 attack a poor little one-day-old infant, who had learned 

 only how to eat and sleep. Jupiter laughed so heartily 

 that, finally, even the angry Apollo joined in his father's 

 mirth at the pranks of the boy, aud forga\'e him. Mer- 

 cury then presented his brother with his newly made 

 tortoise-shell lyre, in return for which Apollo gave him a 

 beautiful whip, and nux*le him herdsman of his cattle. 



