"Give me of your bark, O Birch Tree I a light canoe will build me, "Lay aside your cloak, O Birch Tree, And the sun is warm in heaven, And you need no white skin wrapper." And the tree with all its branches Saying, with a sigh of patience, especially THE BIRCH graceful delicate The birch is a beautiful tree. The white birch is especially graceful and delicate. It has been said of it: THE BIRCH "Most beautiful of forest trees, The Lady of the Wood." 189 But the canoe birch is the best known and most useful of all the birches. It will give you a tent, or a roof, or a boat. When it rains you may use its bark for an umbrella. It will give you plates, spoons, letter paper, candles, and wood. The nicest cup in the world is a birch bark cup. It just fits the mouth. It makes the water taste sweet. I am thirsty now as I think of it. And the thought of its cousin makes me hungry. Do you know the black birch? It may not be as beautiful as the white birch. But it tastes so good. Only young wintergreen leaves are more spicy. Only the wild strawberry is more delicious. Dance to the beat of the rain, little Fern, And spread out your palms again, And say, "Though the Sun Hath my vesture spun, He had labored, alas! in vain, But for the shade That the cloud hath made, And the gift of the Dew and Rain." Then laugh and upturn All your fronds, little Fern, And rejoice in the beat of the rain. -JOHN B. TABB. catkins THE POPLARS 191 THE POPLARS necklace downy Do you remember these buds? From some of them came red cater pillars. No: not caterpillars. We must say catkins. Or we may call them poplar flowers. But they look like caterpillars. After the catkins had fallen to the ground the leaves came. Here they are: This is one of the commonest of city trees. |