"How much you can do ! How useful 

 you are !" said Jacob. 



"That is not all," said the Scotch pine. 

 'Tn some places my needles are made 

 into shreds whicji are used in stuffing 

 cushions. Our roots, which contain so 

 much resin that they burn with a bright 

 blaze, are burned for lights in cottages 

 of the poor. Fishermen make ropes of 

 our inner bark. Laplanders and some 

 other peoples dry and grind our inner 

 bark. After steeping this in water to re- 

 move the strong taste it is made into a 

 coarse bread. 



"Now," said the tree, who could see 

 some distance, "your father has finished 

 his digging. If 3^ou will come again my 

 little fairies can again cast a spell so that 

 we can talk together, and I will tell you 

 something about my cousins. I have a 

 large number of first cousins, second 

 cousins, and more distant ones. Ours is 

 one of the largest tree families." 



"Indeed, I will come again." 



Just then his father's footsteps among 

 the dry leaves roused Rover, and both 

 jumped to their feet. 



"Why!" exclaimed papa; "I supposed 

 that you two rogues had gone home." 



When they reached home papa, who 

 knew nothing of pine tree fairies, told 

 mamma that Rover and Jacob had been 

 playing "babes in the wood." 



The next week was a stormy one and 

 the days were growing shorter. But on 

 Friday the clouds cleared and Jacob 

 begged to go into the cemetery to play 

 after school. But his mamma said it was 

 too damp. However, on Saturday after- 

 noon she said that he might, and he 

 eagerly donned his overcoat and mit- 

 tens. 



^'Good afternoon, pretty tree," he said 

 as he and Rover came near. 



As the tree said "How do you do?" 

 it tried its best to nod its head and reach 

 out a limb to shake hands. 



The fairy had done' as the tree prom- 

 ised, and Jacob heard. He clapped his 

 hands in glee. Thinking that Jacob 

 meant to play with him, Rover showed 

 that he was ready for a frolic. But Ja- 

 cob curtly said, "Get down. Rover! 

 Listen — the pme tree is talking again." 



Rover could not hear the tree, but he 

 sat still and looked at his master in sur- 

 prise. 



"Good old tree," said Jacob in a gentle 

 voice. "I could scarcely wait until to- 

 day. You promised to tell me of your 

 relations." 



"Certainly, I shall be pleased to do so," 

 said the pine, who never tired of talking 

 of the good tiiaits oif its family and 

 friends. "Where is the little limb you 

 had the other day?" 



"Here it is," picking it up. 



"Look closely at my leaves. Did you 

 ever notice anything peculiar about the 

 way they grow?" 



"No. Oh, I see. The needles grow in 

 pairs. Two seem to be wrapped together 

 at the stem end." 



"That is it. I have a cousin who stands 

 just on the other side of that great elm 

 tree. Under it is a rustic bench. See 

 if by standing on it you cannot reach a 

 twig. If you can, bring it here." 



Jacob did as directed. 



"Now look at those needles. Are ours 

 alike?" 



"No ; these are coarser, longer and 

 darker than yours ; though they grow in 

 twos." 



"Right. Run back and look at the 

 cones." 



When he returned he said : "I could 

 not get a cone, but I can see that those 

 are coarser and larger, too." 



"How about the shape of the tree?" 



"You two grow very much alike." 



"That is a first cousin. Its family lives 

 on the mountains of Austria. It is known 

 as black pine or Austrian pine. 



"Do you see that tall pine near that 

 massive monument?" 



"Where?" he asked, looking around. 



"Just behind you," said Scotch pine, 

 nodding its head in that direction. 



"Oh, yes, I see now. Such a tall, 

 straight trunk! Its crown grows in a 

 point, making one think of a high church 

 steeple piercing the sky." 



"As its limbs are above your reach it 

 is useless for you to try to get a branch. 

 If you will get papa to break you a twig 

 some day, and you examine it, you will 

 find that its needles, which are finer than 

 mine, are in bunches of five. See when 

 the wind blows how gracefully her 

 boughs bend and sway. Go there and 

 look at the cones." 



Of¥ he went. Returning soon, he said : 

 "The cones are not at all like yours ; they 



