The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-09-05
OADDY')EV[E|NQH
FAIRY TALE II
MOTHER EUCALYPTUS STORY.
BY Nary Graham Bonner

81 must tell you the story Mother
Eucalyptus told to her friends" said
Daddy.
WED be delighted to hear the
story" said Nancy, "but we have no
idea what sort of a mother she was; ]
can't even pronounce her name"
"It is a bit hard" said Nick. II
guess I won't try. But tell us the
story, Daddy, and tell US whether she
was a mother person or a mother ami
NAL or q mother bird or q mother
fish"
"She wasn't any of those" said
Daddy.
"What was she7" asked Nancy. 81
can't imagine"
81 give it up." said Nick.
"NEell, as neither Of you think you
can guess" said Daddy, II will tell
you that she was a tree.
"Yes, Mother Eucalyptus Tree told
this story to some other trees when
they were all talking about their fam
lily histories and what they were IA
nous for and what they had done. So
/ snail tell you ueE SlDIy.
"Do," said Nancy. "for now know
Just what she was I want to hear"
"Please go on. Daddy" begged Nick.
"'Friends,' said Mother Eucalyptus,
I must tell you that we are very use
full, we have been very useful and we
will still be very useful
GAIL the trees nodded their heads
politely and bowed their branches
and said, Pray continue
awe can give forth lots Of oil. In
stead of giving a strip like our friends
the maple trees give Cat least we have
heard that they gave maple strip, and
as for being our friends, we consider
all trees our friends), we give oil.
"That makes us useful. We do
good that way. For this oil that we
give cures sicknesses sometimes and
drives away bad germs. Our leaves
are perfectly fine as regular little doc
tors and hospitals. If it weren't that
we needed them they would probably
go into hospitals, wear caps and
aprons and have patients as nurses
have.
".And some of our leaves might
dress themselves up as doctors and
carry little bags with pills and could
say to different people:
"'Please show us your tongue. And
please tell us if your appetite is good
"They can't dress up and 60 as
doctors and nurses to the hospitals.
but they're useful Just the same.
"'Our dear little baby blue gum
seedlings also do a great deal Of
work.
allow interesting your story u.s.
said the other trees. DO 60 on
"'Thank you,' said Mother Eucalyp-.
tus Tree, for Hiking my story. 1t is
a comfort to feel that one isn't idling
ones life away. I would hate to feel
that I was an idle tree and did moth
ing at all. I am sure would be
most unhappy
"'You can't be unhappy because you
aren't idle and because you do good
said the other trees. That must be
the secret Of your happiness. You're
so busy
az do believe you're right, trees
said Mother Eucalyptus Tree.
"'Well,' she continued after
pause, the baby blue-gum seedlings
take up water very quickly and can
drink or sap it up without any trouble.
$50 we used to be planted where
there were marshes and we would
drink up the marshy, unhealthy water
because it wouldn't hurt us, and we
knew it would hurt others. Oh, how
many mosquitoes we've driven away,
because we made the land no longer
marshy and so they didn't like it
ave used to be planted 80 we
would do this work as q regular bust
ness and we did lot Of good. But
whenever we get the chance we do
what we can, for we know we are
given these helpful leaves and seed
lings to do a special work for the
world. And we do 1t whenever we
can, and enjoy doing 1t too
"'You're fine tree, and your family
Is a fine family said the other trees
admiringly, and Mother Eucalyptus
smiled and bowed most polite
~ l.