SAINT GUIDO. 19 



woodpecker, but another kind. Guido saw it go 

 round the branch, and then some way up, and round 

 again till it came to a place that pleased it, and then 

 the woodpecker struck the bark with its bill, tap- 

 tap. The sound was quite loud, ever so much more 

 noise than such a tiny bill seemed able to make. 

 Tap-tap! If Guido had not been still so that the 

 bird had come close he would never have found it 

 among the leaves. Tap tap ! After it had picked 

 out all the insects there, the woodpecker flew away 

 over the ashpoles of the copse. 



"I should just like to stroke him.," said Guido. 

 " If I climbed up into the oak perhaps he would 

 come again, and I could catch him." 



" No," said the Wheat, " he only comes once a day." 



" Then tell me stories," said Guido, imperiously. 



"I will if I can," said the Wheat. "Once upon 

 a time, when the oak the lightning struck was still 

 living, and when the wheat was green in this very 

 field, a man came staggering out of the wood, and 

 walked out into it. He had an iron helmet on, and 

 he was wounded, and his blood stained the green 

 wheat red as he walked. He tried to get to the 

 streamlet, which was wider then, Guido dear, to 

 drink, for he knew it was there, but he could not 

 reach it. He fell down and died in the green wheat, 

 dear, for he was very much hurt with a sharp spear, 

 but more so with hunger and thirst. 



"I am so sorry," said Guido; "and now I look 

 at you, why you are all thirsty and dry, you nice old 

 Wheat, and the ground is as dry as dry under you ; 

 I will get you something to drink." 



