GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE TREES 



ardent sunshine, reversed the usual method by 

 closing tightly and smoothly over the blooms, 

 thus protecting perfectly their pollen hearts, and 

 offering little resistance to the sharp wind that 

 brought the rain. At our very feet we could 

 see the open petals of the spring beauty coil 

 up into tight little spirals, the young leaves on 

 the pin -oaks draw in toward the stems from 

 which they had been expanding. Over the low 

 fence, the blue phlox, that dainty carpeting of 

 the May woods, shut its starry flowers, and lay 

 close to the ground. Quiet as we were, we 

 could see the birds find sheltered nooks in the 

 trees about us. 



But soon the rain ceased, the clouds passed 

 away, and the sun shone again, giving us a 

 rainbow promise on the passing drops. Every- 

 thing woke up ! The birds were first to rejoice, 

 and a veritable oratorio of praise and joyfulness 

 sounded about our ears. The leaves quickly 

 expanded, fresher than ever; the flowers un- 

 curled and unfolded, the May-apple umbrellas 

 raised again ; and all seemed singing a song 

 as joyous as that of the birds, though audible 

 only to the nerves of eye and brain of the 



204 



