Then Spring went away again. Ceres knew this time that her daughter would come back to her. So she spread a soft white blanket over the earth, and covered the lakes and brooks. Then she fell asleep in her cave and dreamed a happy dream. She kept the torch burning beside her all the time Spring was away. She slept until she felt again the light kiss of Spring on her forehead. THE EARTH MOTHER The picture of Ceres is from an old Greek statue. The statue was cut out of marble so long ago that no one knows who made it. Once this Ceres held in her right hand a sheaf of wheat. High in her left was the torch with which she hunted for little Spring. The statue is so very old that the sheaf and the torch have been broken off. Does n't she look as if she saw Spring coming? She is a loving mother. Any child would run to her. HOW THE LEAVES CAME DOWN I'll tell you how the leaves came down. 66 The great Tree to his children said, You're getting sleepy, Yellow and Brown, Yes, very sleepy, little Red; It is quite time you went to bed." I saw them; on the ground they lay, White bedclothes heaped upon her arm, The great bare Tree looked down and smiled. "Good-night, dear little leaves," he said; And from below each sleepy child Replied, "Good-night," and softly said; AUTUMN FIRES1 In the other gardens And all up the vale, See the smoke trail! Pleasant summer over And all the summer flowers, The red fire blazes, The gray smoke towers. Sing a song of seasons! Something bright in all! Flowers in the summer, Fires in the fall! ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.1 ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 1 From Poems and Ballads. Copyright, 1895, 1896, by Charles Scribner's Sons. THE RAINBOW BRIDGE-I Up in the garden of the sky Iris was born. She was a little sky fairy, and as happy, as the day was long. Every one loved her. All day the gay little winds frolicked and romped with her. She had her nap on a fleecy white cloud. At twilight the stars played hide and go seek with her. She went to sleep at night rocked in the silver cradle of the moon. The Sun was the king of the sky. Often he invited Iris to ride with him in his golden chariot. Sometimes she visited the Earth with him, when he made his daily round. Sometimes, when she was playing with the raindrops, she slipped down to earth with them. The Earth liked to have Iris come to make visits. She teased her to stay with her, and begged her not to go back to the sky. She taught |