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Why do you run and hide?" the boy kept on.

"Do you not know what fear is?" asked Mimi.

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No," laughed Siegfried. But he took the rope of grass from the bear's neck, patted his head, and said, "Run home now, little brother."

And the bear trotted away into the forest.

THE LOST PLAYMATE

All in the pleasant afternoon

I saw a pretty baby moon,

And oh! I loved its silver shine;
It was a little friend of mine.

Through rainy days and stormy weather I thought we two should grow together; But then alas! I did not know

How fast a little moon can grow.

And now when I go out to play
I cannot find the moon all day,
But she has grown so big and bright
They let her keep awake all night.

Though I may not sit up to see,
In bed she comes and smiles at me:
But oh! I miss the little moon

Who played there in the afternoon.

ABBIE FARWELL BROWN

HIAWATHA'S CANOE

Have you ever known a man who lived much out of doors, one who knew all about the trees, the brooks, the birds, and the animals?

Such a man knows what the weather is going to be. He can tell you all the secrets of the field and forest, where the speckled trout will bite, where the hazelnuts grow thickest, where the squirrels' nests are hid. Knowledge of all these things is called woodcraft.

There was never a people who knew more about woodcraft than our Indians in America.

You know the story of the Indian boy Hiawatha. Longfellow has told us about him.

Hiawatha began as a little boy to learn the woodcraft of the forest. He loved to listen to the whispering of the pine trees and the lapping of the water. He

Learned of every bird its language,

Learned their names and all their secrets,

Where they hid themselves in Winter,

Of all beasts he learned the language,
Learned their names and all their secrets,
How the beavers built their lodges,

Where the squirrels hid their acorns.

When Hiawatha became older he wished to make a beautiful light canoe, such as all Indians had. And here again his woodcraft helped him. He went into the forest and said:

"Give me of your bark, O Birch-tree!

I a light canoe will build me,

That shall float upon the river,
Like a yellow leaf in Autumn,
Like a yellow water-lily!"

And the birch tree said:

"Take my cloak, O Hiawatha!"

The cedar tree gave him its boughs for the framework, and the larch tree its roots, so he could sew the birch bark together.