Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-15
CHAPTER TEN.

CHAPTER TEN.
Farther down the ravinc than the
place where the pitcher plants lived,
and where the fiat rock that Rama the
frog strutted about on by moonlight
and tried to walk like the upright folk.
on two legs, was a rocky little grotto
where the royal ferns, the green rock
ferns. the delicate maiden-hair ferns,
and many odd and queer fclices that
had names of their own-and queer
and odd names they were-was place.
| say. where grew the ferns and moss
es. Half way up the bank, perhaps
six or eight feet. was a little indenturc
ir. the bank where a naked boy could
have Sprawled on the moss and basked
in the sunshine that Strayed through
the limbs of the trees overhead, had he
been bathing i'm the pool below. 1t
was Fun Ting's own domain. II was
as if some giant of the upright folk
had scooped out the hole with table
spoon in the side of pile of sand, and
afterwards the thick green moss had
made a covering for it all. The boy
and girl sat softly down among the
MOSES and grasses to listen. Here
grew some of the lovclicst of orchids.
There were tall and stately pink lady 5
slippers, and among them We're the
little white slippers. Along the edges
were some of the larger yellow slip
pcrS. 1t was in the spring when the
water of the brook was high, and the
trout from the lake came up and ate
up all of Ranas children when they
could. that Rama used to go down there
and hop upon the soft moss and lie for
hours on it. talking with the orchids.
When the lady's slippers are in bios
som they are always willing to talk,
Cor it is then that they are most proud,
and pride is seldom silent.
Rama was there now and did not
seem to be frightened by the intrud-
ers. When all WAS quiet he Struggled
Up to The orchid.
Il have often wondered" he said.
why it is that you always stick to
this place. and grow here as if for all
the world. you could not go anywhere
else. Pray. tell me why it is"
We like it, said the tall. yellow
slipper. nodding her charming head to
the kisses of the wind. and flushing
like an orange. We like it. and there
are other reasons. We are hidden To
stay here till one who loved us. comes
again. We look for her every year,
but she comes not back. Shall | tell
you about il ?'
Yes" said Rama, nipping at blac k
fly that buZZed for a second over his
nose, and roping him in with his quick
tongue. Yes, tell me of her. | knew
one a long time ago. That is. SO the
Sarsaparilla told me. She was very
beautiful
Fun Ting and Tillic exchanged
glanceS.
so was this one" said the slipper.
1T YVES very, very long ago. l was
then in my infancy. My clothes were
not SO very yellow as they are now.
| was large and snowy and rather
awkward, but she liked me. In the
many thousands of rebirths that
have gone through since. going to
seed every fall and springing up in
blossom every spring. ! have been re-
fined. made more delicate and lovely.
and am. | believe. growing steadily
toward the Good Time Coming when
shall bid adieu to the vegetable
kingdom, and shall walk forth, an ami
NAL with eyes. legs, head, ears. and all.
oh, to so friskinG off over the hills
like the little ones of Sir Reynard the
fox. 1t is worth being very good for.
1t is worth the trouble of living up to
the law that the Master has made.
have lived as | was told to do for
thousands and thousands Of seasons.
and | know that l am growing up
ward. and more and more like them
who walk and talk. and know all
things.
And this sweet maiden of whom
speak-she was one of the upright
folk. She was little brown. black
eyed creature the first day | saw her
She came bounding through the woods
after doe. She could not have been
more than six and ten years old. and
she ran like the deer herself making
her light brown feet go over the moss
and the brakes like the toes of the
wind that rolls and rolls where the
blue harebclls grow, and breaks them
not off. She had thrown off her
blanket. and ran as naked as the
deer she followed. and just as they
came up to us, they both trippcd. and
she threw spear. and in the struggle
that followed, it was hard to tell who
was hurt and who was not. You must
know that the upright folk have
changed very much with the coming
and going of the seasons. Once they
lived together on the wild creatures
that they slew. and they slew each
other. and they were cruel and hard
as the black rock the wind breaks it's
heart upon on the mountain side yon-
der and it never sOftens to the breeze.
Now they are different. And this
wild, brown. little girl Of the upright
folk HAD chased and sordoT wounded
a little one of the old deer that ate the