All winter long the wind blew and blew upon them.

But they were like the man.

They would not take off their cloaks.

No, not even when the Wind called on the snow and frost to help.

But now the warm Sun is shining on them. And the rain is helping, too.

They are very glad to take off their warm cloaks.

SPRING BUDS

Jack Frost and Northwest Wind will soon leave us.

Then Winter will go, too.

We shall be glad to see him go.

For we love Spring.

But we shall be glad to have winter again, too.

All winter the ground has been brown and hard.

Sometimes it has been covered with snow. Only the evergreens have been green with

leaves.

THE HORSE-CHESTNUT BRANCH

173

There have been no flowers and only a few birds.

Plants and animals both have been resting.
But now Spring is coming.

She will bring with her many beautiful things again.

The birds and flowers will come again.

The green grass will begin to grow.

The buds will open.

Already they are beginning to swell.
Perhaps we can fool them a little.
We will bring them indoors.

We will give them plenty of water to drink.

THE HORSE-CHESTNUT

BRANCH

unfold scales leaflet

Look at the horse-chestnut branch.

"Then gray horse-chestnuts little hands unfold,

Softer than a baby's be at three days old."

Now

you can see what was inside the tough brown scales.

Are

you not glad that they were thick? For they have kept the cold from the baby's hands.

The rain could not get in either.

No wonder that the baby's hands are soft and glossy!

Do you see the horseshoes on the branch?
How many nails do you count?

Last

year the leaves were here.

Each little leaflet left a nail mark.

Do you see the rings below?

Here the scales of last year's buds fell off.
It is easy to tell the age of a horse-chestnut

branch.

PUSSY WILLOW

"How do you do?" said Pussy Willow, one morning.

"I have just put on my soft gray coat.

"I have come to tell

66

you

the news:

Spring will soon be here!

"The other buds will be out later.

66

They are waiting for Mr. Sun.

"But I do not need to wait for him to wake

me up.

"My coat keeps me warm.

"My sisters are still asleep upon this very

branch.

"They are little green

leaf buds.

"Before they come out, a strange thing will happen

to me.

"I shall be covered with tiny yellow flowers, like this:

"Or with green flowers, like this: —

"The yellow flowers come on some willow trees.

"These are the father trees.

"Other willows have the green flowers.

"These are the mother trees.

"Wait and see from which tree I came."