THE NEW CENTURY THIRD READER. THE ANXIOUS LEAF. Once upon a time a little leaf was heard to sigh and cry, as leaves often do when a gentle wind is about. And the twig said, "What is the matter, little leaf?" And the leaf said, "The wind just told me that one day it would pull me off and throw me down on the ground to die." The twig told this to the branch on which it grew, and the branch told it to the tree. And when the tree heard the plaintive murmur, it rustled all over, and sent back word to the leaf, "Do not be afraid; hold on tightly, and you shall not go until you want to." And so the leaf stopped sighing, but went on nestling and singing. Every time the tree 11 shook itself and stirred up all its leaves, the branches shook themselves, the little twig shook itself, and the little leaf danced up and down merrily as if nothing could pull it off. And so it grew all summer long until October. And when the bright days of autumn came the little leaf saw all the leaves around be coming very beautiful. Some were yellow, and some were scarlet, and some were striped with both colors. Then the leaf asked the tree what this meant. And the tree said, "All these leaves are getting ready to fly away, and they have put on their beautiful colors because of joy.” Then the little leaf began to want to go, too, and grew very beautiful in thinking of it; and when it was very gay in color, it saw that the branches of the tree had no color in them, and so the leaf said, "Oh, branches! Why are you lead color and we golden?" "We must keep on our work clothes, for our task is not done; but your clothes are for holiday, because your work is finished." Just then a little puff of wind came. The leaf let go without thinking, and the wind took it up and turned it over and over, and whirled it like a spark of fire in the air; then it fell gently down under the edge of the fence among hundreds of other leaves, and fell into a dream, and never waked up to tell what it dreamt about. - HENRY WARD BEECHER. What happens to the leaves before they fall? At what time of year do they fall? What force besides the wind causes the leaf to loosen? Repeat this story in your own words. A LULLABY. Sweet and low, sweet and low, Wind of the western sea, Wind of the western sea! Over the rolling waters go, Come from the dying moon, and blow, Blow him again to me; While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps. |