The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-05-13
THE WEEPING WILLOW.


Many, many years ago, beautiful
tree grew by the brook. This tree
was willow tree, and it's limbs were
very straight and slender and it stood
proud and upright all the day long,
looking at itself in the brook. I am
sorry to say that the willow tree at
that time was selfish. 1t thought only
of itself and it did nothing but keep
its limbs straight and beautiful.
One day, just as the sun was going
down, poor robin fluttered it's wings
and sat on one of the willow trees
branches. ooh, am so tired" 1t said.
Il am on my journey to the South,
and I have been on wing all day. ]
will rest little while here"
"But you viii bend my branches"
said the willow tree, "do 60 and rest
on the elm or the maple tree, for
want my branches to look graceful -
And the poor little robin few away,
for it knew that it was not welcome
there.
The next day, grape vine was
twining itself around the trunk OF, the
willow tree. ooh, do not lean on
me-" said the willow tree. "You will
bend my trunk and make me look
crooked. Please lean on the oak tree
or the pine tree" And SO the grape
vine untwined itself and went to an
other tree.
One day in the spring time, little
Mrs. Wren said to the willow tree,
81 think shall build my nest here on
your branches Mr.. Wren said he
wanted our home to be in tree by
the brook"
II think you had better build your
nest in the poplar tree" said the
willow tree. Il don't want to have
any baby birds crying around me, .
and she rocked her branches so hard
that the poor little wren almost fell
out of the tree. !. And so you can un-
derstand when tell you that the will.
low tree was selfish. But one day
something happened that made great
change in the willow tree.
It was one of these dreary days.
when the sun did not come out all
day. Along in the afternoon, the
willow tree was singing softly to it.
self, when it noticed a crowd of PEG.
pie coming down the road. The will.
low watched them as they drew near
err. In the center of the crowd was
Man with very sad but beautiful
face. And the willow noticed His
head. The tree saw that the men who
were walking by His side were very
cruel to Him and that He looked
very tired and weak. Two very rough
and strong looking men put a big
cross on His back and He fell under
its heavy weight.
ooh, how terrible" said the willow
and it's branches quivered. Then the
strong men raised a whip over Our
Lord and the others laughed loudly
and wickedly.
"O!" said the willow. "Why DOM
someone help that poor Man with
such heavy burden?"
And then the wind said very quiet
ly to the willow tree, "That Man IL
the Son of God, and His Father made
us all. He made every tree and beast
and man. And just see how those
terrible people are treating Him. See
He has fallen again.. and the wind
sang mournful song. And the more
the willow saw the more sorrowful II
grew. ooh, how patient is My Lord,
1t said. And how I complained when
even the little birds sat on my branch
es, and the grapevine twined around
my trunk, but He bears that big, big
cross on His shoulders without a word
of complaint. / will never, never
complain again. How wish I could
help Him bear that cross"
BY this time the people had passed
by, and the willow tree felt SO sor
rowful that it never again thought
about it's branches. And to this day
it weeps because of that patient Mar
Who never complained, and IL you
will go down by the river, you will see
it's branches no longer proud and
straight, but dropping and it is glad
when the little birds rest or build
nests in its branches, or when the
graDevine tWines around its trunk