The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-11
WIND OF CARDUI ALL - FEa,5XFf u.s.

pour on it's roots when the sun was hot
and the ground around it seemed dry
and never straying far: but as it grew
tailed she otter slipped away, running
beside the brook to peep down the hill
side, where the vines grew that would
soon be heavy with purple grapes.
Once, at sunset she heard singing
down in the valley, and the words lin
gered in her ears as she went slowly
back to her tree.
Gould l sing, too?" she wondered;
and before she knew it. her voice was
following the same merry tune, while
the squirrels sprang across the branch
es to listen and the rabbits set up,
perking their furry ears. Even a little
porcupine crept from it's hiding place.
Last of all, a roguish face peeped out
from bush, and when they saw it all
the little living creatures whisked away
in flash, for they knew mischievous
Ion. with his pointed ears and tiny
goats feet, and all feared him except
the porcupine.
why do you brighten all my rabbits
and squirrels, naughty Ion?" asked the
litt!est Dryad. trying hard to frown.
Who gave them to your asked Ion,
laughing as he capered across the grass
and pranced before her.
They have always been mine" re-
piled Nephele, just as my tree is my
own. They are never afraid of me-"
"Oh. your tree!" chuckled Ion. You
do not even know what kind of tree
you dwell in"
But l do" said the littlest Dryad.
1T is not an oak"
'Ha. ha, ha! Not an oak! Is that
its name? Has it nuts 2"
What are nuts?"
30, ignorant little Nephele! Nuts are
like the acorns that fall from the oaks
of Maia and her sisters. but they are
sweet. instead of bitter"
MY tree shall have nuts" decided
Nephele.
But you cannot tell what they
should be like" said Ion. ASK me. l
have seen many trees with pointed
leaves"
NO" said Nephele. This is my
tree, and it shall have only the nuts
that I wish. None shall be for you
because you frighten the Forest dwell
ers."
Ion caught up water in his palms to
sprinkle over her, but the littEest
Dryad only yawned a dear little yawn
leaned back against the saplng, and
when Ion looked again. he saw moth
ing but a slender young tree, waving
in the evening breeze.
IF that isn't just like a Dryad!" he
eluded him so easily. He tried to catch
the porcupine, to tease it, but 1t
pricked him, and he ran away to the
vineyard.
One day the littlest Dryad noticed
that her tree was putting out long yell
low tassels-almost the same color as
her own golden curls.
They do not look like nuts" she
thought, ruefully. Little tree of
mine. you must have nuts. Do you
hear?"
The tree shook and quivered, and at
last a gentle whisper came from the
boughs.
How? 1 never had any. What are
they like?"
must be pale brown and shiny, like
the acorns-but with a sweet white
kernel
Yes" breathed the tree. "IlI try.
But the acorns turn darker as the sun
shines on them"
Then the nuts may do it, too" re-
turned Nephele.
tassels dropped, and the littlest Dryad
saw the brown, shiny nuts on her
tree.
"See!" she laughed in triumph. See,
Maia, Silvia! Look, sister Daphne, at
the nuts on my tree. Are they not
better than acorns2" and she danced
across the grass in glee.
But among the bushes was one hid
ing. Yes, better than bitter acorns,"
said Ion, nodding his head as he ate
one of the ripe kernels. He bounded
away to tell all his brother fawns,
who dwelt in the Forest; and when
the littlest Dryad came back she found
every ripe nut gone.
who did it?" asked the littlest Dry
ad, ready to cry.
Ton sighed the tree, sadly.
Then she did cry. a very small cry
after which she felt better, and ready
to find a remedy.
You must cover all the other nuts
with soft brown fur like the rabbits"
said the littlest Dryad, land then the
fauns cannot tell whether the nuts
are ripe or not and they may not take
them"
TN try" promised the tree; and in
the morning every nut was dressed in
silky down. like the ears of the baby
rabbits-and Nephele tripped away to
her sisters, to tell them what she had
done.
Alas the day. When she returned,
only a few unripe nuts hung on the
highest boughs. She sat down by the
brook and dropped many salt tears into
the running water. until Nais peeped
up through the wavelets to see who
was weeping so bitterly
What troubles you. little Nephele?"
asked the ripping voice.
lion. the naughty faun, has taken
my nuts. They were beautiful and
brown and shining. so / told the tree
TO cover them with soft fur that he
might not ind them; but he brought