50 NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 



Summer passed, and all its joy. By and by autumn came, 

 with its gloomy skies and chilling winds. The maple tree grew 

 sad, for she heard her little leaves sighing: "We shall surely die 

 we shall surely die ! " 



"My dear little leaves !" sighed the maple tree. " Poor things, 

 they are fading and drooping. Are they going to die?" 



"I will make their death beautiful," said kind Mother Nature. 

 Then she sent the sun behind clouds, and the leaves changed their 

 color to gold and scarlet and russet brown. 



"How beautiful!" said every one. At last, one cold morning, 

 the. maple tree stood all bare with her pretty brown and red leaves 

 heaped on the ground. 



"Dear, pretty things," she said, "how I shall miss you. No one 

 will care for me now." 



Just then, a merry crowd of school children came along, talking 

 of red berries and autumn leaves. 



"Do you think there is any beauty in a tree without leaves?" 

 asked a little girl. 



"Indeed I do," replied another girl. "Look up through the 

 maple. Its branches make a lovely picture against the blue sky." 

 The girls all looked up to see the tracing of the branches against 

 the sky. 



"Ah," said the maple tree, "that will be pleasant to dream about 

 during the winter." For she felt her long winter nap coming on, 

 and the buds nestling closer to the branches. 



Just then there was a gentle rustling around her trunk. , "Dear 



