70 NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 



LESSON XXIII 

 THE PEACH TREE'S STORY 



One day in August, little Florence Stanwood stood under a 

 shady peach tree, looking up at the red and yellow fruit. A gust 

 of wind shook the tree, and threw down into her hand a large, 

 red, ripe peach. "Oh, you pretty peach! 77 cried Florence; "you 

 are too lovely to eat. I wish the tree would talk to me, and tell 

 me from where you come. 77 



"Would you like to hear my story, little girl? 77 asked the peach 

 tree. "It is a long one. 77 



"I should like to hear it, 77 replied Florence; "I will not move 

 till you have finished. 77 



"Five years ago, 77 said the peach tree, "a rosy peach was 

 found by a little girl like you. She ate the ripe, juicy part, and 

 threw away the hard stone on the ground, near by. It lay there 

 a little while, then it sank into the ground. The rain fell on it, 

 and it sank deeper and deeper. All winter it lay underground. 

 In spring, the hard, stony shell burst apart, and inside was a 

 little brown kernel. I was inside that brown kernel, in between 

 two fat seed leaves. 77 



"Poor little tree/ 7 sighed Florence; "were you crushed and 

 cold? 77 



"Oh, no, 77 said the peach tree; "I was half asleep. By and 

 by, the warm sun came out, and I woke up and looked around. 



