The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-12-22

blk ana STURDY bdS ~ h"'' " ~ ~
cle taught him TO speak and TO walk
and to play. VIA
His thoughts and words were sweet
.and gentle, for the nymphs knew no
evil and their hearts were pure and
loving. He became the pet OF the For
est, for AXIS decree had forbidden
beast or reptile to modest him. and he
walked fearlessly> wherever his will
guided him.
Presently the news reached the other
immortals that the nymphs of Burzee
had adopted human infant and that
the act had been sanctioned by The
great All Therefore many of them
came to visit the iettle stranger look
Ing upon him with much interest.
First the Ryls. who are first cousins
to the wood nymphs, although so diff
ferentlya formed For the Ryls are re
CURED TO watch over the flowers and
plants. as the nymphs watch over the
forest trees They search the wide
world for the food required by the
roots of the towering plants, While the
brilliant colors possessed by the full
blown flowers are due TO the dyes
are drawn through the little veins in
the roots and the body of the plants
as they reach maturity The Ryls are
busy people. for their flowers bloom
and fade continually, but they are
merry and light hearted and are very
popular with the other imnortals.
Next came the KNOCKS, whose duty 1t
is to watch over the beasts of the
world both gentle and wild. The
KNOCKS have a hard time Of IT, since
many of the beasts are ungoyernable
and rebel against restraint But they
know how to manage them. after all,
and you will find that certain laws Of
the KNOCKS are obeyed by even the
most ferocious animals. Their anx-
ieties make the Knocks look old and
worn and crooked. and their natures
are bit rough from associating with
wild creatures continually, yet they
are most useful TO humanity and TO the
world in general. as their laws are the
only, laws the forest beasts recognize
except those Of The Master WoOdsman.
Then there were the Fairies. the
guardians of mankihh. who were much
interested in the adoption of Claus be-
cause their own laws forbade them TO
become familiar with their human
charges There are instances on rec
ord where the Fairies have shown
themselves to human beings and have
even couVersed With them, but they are
supposed TO guard the lives of man
kind unseen and unknown, and If they
| favor some people more than others
| it is because these have won such dis
| tinction fairly. as the Fairies are very
| just and impartial But the idea Of
| adopting Il child of men had never oc-
CURED to them because II was. in every
way opposed to their laws. so their
curiosity mas intense to behold the lit
tie stranger adopted by Necile and her
sister nymphs.
Claus looked upon the immortals
who throneed around him with fear
less eyes and smiling lips. He rode
| lsughingly upon the shoulders of the
merry Ryls: he mischievously pulled
! the gray boards Of the low browed
| Knocks. he rested his curly head con
! fidently upon the dainty bosom of the
Fairy Queen herself ADD the Ryls
/ loved the sound of lis laughter: tue
knocks loved bif courage; the Fairies
/ loved his Innocence.
/ The boy made friends Of them all
and learned 10 know their laws init
mately No forest flower WAS tram
pied beneath his feet lest the friendly
Ryls should be grieved He nrver-in-
terfcred with the beasts Of The forest
lest his friends the knooks should be-
come angry The Fairies he loved
dearly. but. knowing nothing Of man.