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Show DADDY'S OS EVEI1I.3G tH ill TALE llfjfj MaryGraham Bonner DIFFERENT NEEDLES The pine needles were singing. This was their song: "Blow about and move us away. Sway, swing, Bwing and sway. For we've Just thla minute heard It Bald That Into needles they will put thread." The pine tree whispered to the breeze. This was what it whispered : "Blow, blow, make me sway, So I can move th needles away. Please Mr. Wind, , . .... would you mind ine Little Doing this act to Pine Needles. very kind?" And the wind said: "I love you, pine tree. You're a delight In the winter to see NAnd In summer, just right." v "I'm glad I please you," said the pine tree, and the pine tree's branches swayed and blew the little pine needles about. But no sooner had all this .happened .hap-pened than they saw that the children chil-dren had other things they called needles. They hadn't wanted pine needles at all, and the pine needles had been worried wor-ried at first when they heard the children chil-dren saying they must begin and thread their needles right away. They had worried for fear they were going to be used. Oh, they had been most dreadfully worried. But now they felt as happy as could be. The pine needles started a path. It was a most lovely path and they made it to wind all through the woods. The different pine needles would settle set-tle in one part of the woods and in the next part more pine needles would settle, so that they made the most wonderful soft carpet all by themselves. them-selves. Then the biggest pine tree of all and the other pine trees, too, admired ad-mired the path made by the pine needles, and the biggest pine tree started talking to the Wind. "Some people I've heard," said the pine tree, "like smooth roads so they can go motoring or automobiling or riding or whatever they call it along such roads. "But we like the old-fasbioned pine needle paths." And the Wind said: "Ah yes, we don't go in for new styles in roads. At least you don't. "And Oh, Pine Tree, how I love to come whistling through the woods. You always make me feel so gentle and so bappy and contented. "When I whistle and sing through your trees I try to sing the very sweetest sweet-est song I know." "Yon always sing lovely songs for us to hear," said the pine tree as It swayed in the breeze and the othei pine trees swayed too and whispered : "Lovely songs does the Wind sing." So the Wind went on singing and the trees swayed and the pine needles rested so happily on the ground in the deep woods. From time to time the Wind wills pered little talks with the pine trees and the pine trees answered in their soft, sweet fashion. fash-ion. The pine trees loved the woods and they were glad they did not have autom obi 1 e s go through their wooded paths. And then a little girl came walking along her name was little Mahalia. "1 love the woods better than anything" any-thing" she said. J3 and the pine trees er bowed at the praise ThNey alled and the Wind sang Needles, another song as an encore. "How I love the pine needles, too, she said, and then she walked over to where the other children were and they all talked and sewed, fixing new things for their dolls. It was a beautiful, happy day In the woods. |