Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-06-01
Tale of the Selfish Giant.

Every HiltillbDns III iiltA NeIttbtii-
ing from school, the children
used to go and play in the Giants
garden.
One day the Giant came back. He
had been to visit his friend the Cor
nish ogre, and had stayed with him
for seven years. When he arrived he
saw the children playing in the gar
den.
What are you doing there?" he
cried in Il very gruff voice, and the
children ran away.
MY own garden is my own gar.
den, said the Giant; anyone can
understand that, and | will allow no
body to play in il but myself Sohe
built II high wall all around il and
put up notice board
"Trespassers will be prosecuted"
lie was very selfish Giant
The poor children had nowhere 10
play They tried to play on the
rond but the road Was very dusty
and full Of hard stones. and they did
not like il Then the spring came.
aud all over the country there were
little blossoms aud little birds Only
IN the garden OF the selfish Giunt ii
MAS slill winter. The birds did not
carc 10 sing III il as there were no
children, and the trees forgot to bios
som Once beautiful flower
put It's head out from the grass.
but when il saw the notice
board il WAS 50 sorry for the
children that il slipped ba K into the
ground again. aud went off 10 sleep.
The only people Who were pleased
were the Snow andthe Frost Spring
has forgotten this garden, they
cried 80 We will live here ull the
year round The Snow covered up
the grass with her great whit" cloak
and the Frost painted all the trees
silver Then they invited the North
Mind 10 stay with them. and became.
lie WIS wrapped ia furs, and he roar
ed all day about the garden and
blew the chimney-tops down
j can not understand why the
Spring j. so late iu coming. said
the Selfish Giant as he sat al the
window and looked out ~ his cold
white garden Z" ! hope there win L. ii
change in the weather
But the Spring never came. nor the
summer Tie Autumn gave golden
fruit 10 every garden bIi the Giant ;
garden she gaze none lie II too
selfish She suid So il WAS ALWAYS
Winter there, aud the North Wind.
and the Hail and the Frost au,l thu
Snow danced about through thctrr,-s.
On" morning he Giant was living
awake u bed when he heard some
lovely music II sounded 50 sweet
10 his onr that h. thought il must
hr the King musicians passing by.
II WAS really only little liunrt sing.
ing outside his window hut II was 80
long since hc had heard bird sing
ia his garden that il seemed To him
to be- tie most beautiful music IN the
world Then the linil stopped dance.
ing over his bend. AMI tho North
Wind ceased roaring and delicious
perfume came 90 him through tho
open Cascmute II hclicyrthc Spring
has come ut hast, said the Giant.
and hc jumped ont Of bed and looked
out
What did lie sec2
He saw "A most wonderful sight.
Through little hole in thu wall the
children had rurpt IN. aud they were
sitting in the branches Of the tr,y's
7 In every tr,r that h. could ~,-s There
+ WAS little child Md the tree, Wen,
T so glad To have the children back
aL,;;a Chat thoy had covered them.
T selves with blossoms. and were way.
/ ing their arms gently above the chill
I du.u heads. The birds were fixing
about tWittpriug with delight. aud
he flowers were looking up through
the green grass and laughing TWAS
u lovely scene. only in one corner Il
was still winter. II was the furthcst
corner Of the garden. and IN II Was
standing little boy He was So
small that he could not reach M to
the branches Of the tree. and he Was
wandering all round il, crying bitter
| ~ The poor tree was still quite Gov
cred with frost and snow, and the
North Wind was blowing aud roar
ing above IL. Climb up little boy. -
said the Tree. and il bent its branches
down ~ low as il could; hut the boy
was too tiny
And the Giants heart melted as he
looked out How selfish ! have
bccnl he said. "no.v know why tho
Spring would not come here. will
put that poor little hoy on thrtop OF
thctree. and thcu ! Twill knock down the
wall and my garden shall be thechil-
dren's playground for ever and eyer. :
lie was rcnlly very sorry for what he
| had done.
So he crcpt down stairs and opened
the front door quite softly, and went
out into the garden, But when the