THE MISTLETO. 
143 
Chap. IX.—B. S.] 
warned him more than once against rascals of your 
description. But he would not listen. He allowed 
you to stay with him, and you, parasite as you are, 
were not ashamed to live upon the very flesh and 
marrow of my good-natured friend, until you had 
devoured all his substance. How you are going to 
fasten yourself upon me. Ho, no; you won’t catch 
me slaving away for those too lazy to work for them¬ 
selves.” 
u Oh, Mr. Apple-tree, it won’t do to make yourself 
out to be hard-hearted,” rejoined the Mistleto. “ Your 
charitable disposition is plain to all the world. Don’t 
I see that Hop winding around your upper branches, 
and blossoming to his heart’s content ? Would he 
have been able to do that if not allowed to climb 
higher than the hedge which affords your own self a 
partial shelter ? Why should you refuse me a boon 
which you have freely granted to a mere straggling 
Hop.” 
“ How, look ye here, Master Mistleto, I’ll not bandy 
words with you, but just let me tell you this,” said 
the Apple-tree, waxing hot. “You never soil your 
feet as I and the Hop have to do; indeed, I know 
that none of your tribe ever put a single root in the 
ground. All you do is to suck the very lifeblood out 
of others, and that without the slightest remorse or 
spark of gratitude on your part. It is not merely 
assistance you want—that I would willingly give: 
because I well remember, when a young sapling, I 
required that of two very strong sticks myself; but 
you want to be kept entirely, live the life of an indc- 
