Nature Myths and Stories for Little Children Read online

  "I have prepared a dress for you, which shall protect you well."

  Then she gave Tithonus the wonderful grasshopper coat of mail which hadbeen unknown on earth until this time.

  She tinted it a soft green so that he might not be noticed in the grass.

  Tithonus went that day to live in the meadow and there, any summer day,you may find him and his family hopping merrily about in the sunshine.

  HOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED.

  Long ago in the far North, where it is very cold, there was only onefire.

  A hunter and his little son took care of this fire and kept it burningday and night. They knew that if the fire went out the people wouldfreeze and the white bear would have the Northland all to himself. Oneday the hunter became ill and his son had the work to do.

  For many days and nights he bravely took care of his father and kept thefire burning.

  The white bear was always hiding near, watching the fire. He longed toput it out, but he did not dare, for he feared the hunter's arrows.

  When he saw how tired and sleepy the little boy was, he came closer tothe fire and laughed to himself.

  One night the poor boy could endure the fatigue no longer and fell fastasleep.

  The white bear ran as fast as he could and jumped upon the fire with hiswet feet, and rolled upon it. At last, he thought it was all out andwent happily away to his cave.

  A gray robin was flying near and saw what the white bear was doing.

  She waited until the bear went away. Then she flew down and searchedwith her sharp little eyes until she found a tiny live coal. This shefanned patiently with her wings for a long time.

  Her little breast was scorched red, but she did not stop until a finered flame blazed up from the ashes.

  Then she flew away to every hut in the Northland.

  Wherever she touched the ground a fire began to burn.

  Soon instead of one little fire the whole north country was lighted up.

  The white bear went further back into his cave in the iceberg andgrowled terribly.

  He knew that there was now no hope that he would ever have the Northlandall to himself.

  This is the reason that the people in the north country love the robin,and are never tired of telling their children how its breast became red.

  AN INDIAN STORY OF THE ROBIN.

  When an Indian boy was eleven years old, he was sent into a forest faraway from his home.

  He had to stay there all alone and fast for seven days and nights.

  The Indians thought that at this time a spirit came into the youth whichhelped him to become a great chief and warrior.

  The spirit also told the boy what his name should be in the tribe.

  Once there was a fierce Indian war chief who had only one son.

  The little boy was not strong, but his father loved him more thananything else on earth.

  When this boy was eleven years old, the chief went out into the forestand built a small lodge for him to stay in.

  In it he placed a mat of reeds which his good squaw had woven with greatcare.

  By the side of the mat he laid a bow, some arrows and his own greattomahawk.

  Next he painted pictures upon the trees along the path leading from thewigwam to the lodge.

  He did this that the little boy might easily find his way home.

  When everything was ready he sadly sent his son away into the forest.

  He missed him so much that he went every morning to look at him.

  Each day he asked him if the spirit had not come to him.

  Each day the little boy shook his head without opening his eyes.

  On the fifth day his son said to him, "Father, take me home or I shalldie. No spirit will come to me."

  The old chiefs pride was greater than his pity and he said, "No, my son,you must not be a coward. You shall be as wise as a fox and as strong asa bear.

  "Better that you should die than that boy and squaw should cry 'Shame'upon your father's son.

  "Be patient, I will come in two days and bring you food."

  The sixth day came and the little boy lay upon the mat white and still.

  On the seventh, when the chief came with the sun's first rays, his sonwas not in the lodge nor about it.

  Above the door sat a bird with brown coat and red breast, which untilthis time had been unknown to man.

  Sadly the chief listened to the bird and understood its message.

  "Mourn me not, great chief," it sang. "I was once your son.

  "I am happy now and free.

  "I am the friend of man and shall always live near him and be hiscompanion.

  "I shall bring the tidings of spring.

  "When the maple buds shoot and the wild flowers come, every child in theland shall know my voice.

  "I shall teach how much better it is to sing than to slay.

  "Chief, listen, chief, Be more gentle; be more loving. Chief, teach it, chief, Be not fierce, oh, be not cruel; Love each other! Love each other!"

  THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.

  There was an old woman who lived on a hill. You never heard of any onesmaller or neater than she was. She always wore a black dress and alarge white apron with big bows behind.

  On her head was the queerest little red bonnet that you ever saw.

  It is a sad thing to tell, but this woman had grown very selfish as theyears went by.

  People said this was because she lived alone and thought of nobody butherself.

  One morning as she was baking cakes, a tired, hungry man came to herdoor.

  "My good woman," said he, "will you give me one of your cakes? I am veryhungry. I have no money to pay for it, but whatever you first wish foryou shall have."

  The old woman looked at her cakes and thought that they were too largeto give away. She broke off a small bit of dough and put it into theoven to bake.

  When it was done she thought this one was too nice and brown for abeggar.

  She baked a smaller one and then a smaller one, but each one was as niceand brown as the first.

  At last she took a piece of dough only as big as the head of a pin; yeteven this, when it was baked, looked as fine and large as the others.

  So the old woman put all the cakes on the shelf and offered the strangera dry crust of bread.

  The poor man only looked at her and before she could wink her eye he wasgone.

  She had done wrong and of course she was unhappy.

  "Oh, I wish I were a bird!" said she, "I would fly to him with thelargest cake on the shelf."

  As she spoke she felt herself growing smaller and smaller until the windwhisked her up the chimney.

  She was no longer an old woman but a bird as she had wished to be. Shestill wore her black dress and red bonnet. She still seemed to have thelarge white apron with the big bows behind.

  Because from that day she pecked her food from the hard wood of a tree,people named this bird the red-headed wood-pecker.

  THE STORY OF THE PUDDING STONE.

  Once upon a time a family of giants lived upon the high mountains in theWest.

  One day the mother giant was called away from home.

  She arose early in the morning and made ready the bread and butter forthe little giants to eat while she was gone.

  When she had finished her work it was not yet time to start upon herjourney.

  She said to herself, "My children are the best children in the worldand they shall have a treat. I have many plums left from the Christmasfeast. I will make them a plum pudding for a surprise.

  The good woman brought together the plums which it had taken her manydays to prepare with the help of all her children. Indeed she hademptied several mountain lakes to get water enough to wash them all.

  She now mixed these wonderful plums into a pudding and put it into anoven to bake.

  The mixing took so long that she had to hurry, and she quite forgot tosay anything about the pudding to the little giants.
/>   She had intended to tell them about it just before she left them.

  It was afternoon when the giant children found the pudding.

  It was badly burned upon the top by that time.

  They had already eaten the bread and butter and were not hungry.

  One little giant said to the others, "Let us make balls of the puddingand see who can throw the farthest."

  You know that giants are very strong, and away went the pudding up intothe air.

  The little giants made little balls and the older giants threw pieces asbig as a house.

  Many pieces went over the mountains and fell down into the valleybeyond.

  Indeed this wonderful pudding was scattered for miles over the wholeland, for the giants did not stop throwing as long as there was anypudding left in the pan.

  When the sun had shone upon it many days and dried and hardened it,people called it pudding stone.

  You may find it to-day thrown all over the land, full of the plums whichthe good woman washed with the waters of many lakes.

  STORY OF SISYPHUS.

  Little White Cloud was the Ocean's daughter. The Ocean loved her, andwished always to keep her near him.

  One day, when her father was asleep, White Cloud went out to walk alone.

  The Sun saw her and said, "Come, White Cloud, I am your king, I willgive you a ride upon my bright rays." White Cloud had often longed forthis very thing, so she went gladly, and soon found herself among thefleecy clouds in the sky.

  When the Ocean awoke he called his little daughter. She did not answer.He called again and again, louder and still louder, until the peoplesaid, "Listen, it is thundering!"

  But the Ocean only heard the echo of his own voice from the shore. Herushed high up on the beach and moaned aloud.

  He ran into all the caves but White Cloud could not be found.

  Every one had loved White Cloud, so by this time all the water was whitewith the crests of the weeping sea nymphs.

  A great giant was sitting upon the shore near the sea. His name wasSisyphus. He felt sorry for the Ocean and said, "Listen, friend Ocean,I often watch you carrying the great ships and wish that I, too, had agreat work to do.

  "You see how dry it is on this side of the mountain. Few people comethis way. You are not even now as lonely as I, yet I want to help you.Promise me that you will put a spring upon this mountain side, where allthe tired and thirsty people may drink, and I'll tell you where WhiteCloud is."

  The Ocean said, "I cannot put a spring upon the mountain, but if youwill follow my son, River, he will take you to a spring where he wasborn."

  The giant told the Ocean how the Sun ran away with White Cloud. The Sunheard him and was angry. He placed Sisyphus in the sea saying, "You arefar too strong to sit idly here upon the shore. You say you want a greatwork to do; you shall have it. You shall forever use your strength topush these stones upon the shore, and they shall forever roll back uponyou."

  The giant began his work at once, and has worked faithfully every daysince that time.

  Many people do not yet know what his work is. Do you? Do you know whatSisyphus is making?

  THE PALACE OF ALKINOOS.

  On a high plain covered with flowers once lived good King Alkinoos andhis gentle people, the Phaiakians.

  They were great sailors and went about in silver ships without ruddersor sails.

  These wonderful ships went slowly or very fast just as the sailorswished.

  For many years the Phaiakians were peaceful and happy.

  Though they were as brave as they were gentle, they hated war.

  Far below the Phaiakians, in a valley, lived a people larger, darker,fiercer than themselves.

  These dark people cared for nothing so much as war and conquest.

  When they saw the silver ships with the golden prows, they wanted themfor their own.

  They armed themselves and made ready for a great battle.

  To be sure of victory, they borrowed the thunder and lightning fromZeus.

  The day came and all was ready for the dark people to advance.

  They reached the land of the Phaiakians in the morning and KingAlkinoos came forward to meet them.

  They soon saw that he alone was more powerful than their entire army.

  He was dressed in armor so bright that it dazzled their eyes to look atit. It was covered with millions of golden arrows tipped with diamonds.The king showed the frightened people how he could shoot the arrows inall directions at the same time.

  The dark people trembled with fear, but King Alkinoos smiled at them,and then he and his people sailed slowly away toward the West.

  On and on they went, until they came to a great silver sea.

  Here they stopped and built a palace for their king.

  This palace was made of silver and gold and precious stones.

  Its towers were rose color and shone with a wonderful light.

  Its steps were of pure gold.

  On each side of the silver gates were huge dogs which guarded thepalace.

  There were boys in the halls dressed in white, holding burning torches.

  There were girls weaving wonderful curtains and painting pictures uponthe walls.

  There were mountains and fountains, and rivers and lakes.

  There were singing birds and flower gardens, and little childreneverywhere.

  Even to this day, the great king often sits in his palace in the Westwhen his day's work is done.

  He loves to see the people glide about upon the silver sea, in theirships without rudders or sails.

  The fierce, dark people still go to war.

  They seldom let the gentle king see them fighting.

  Yet often after a brave battle, Alkinoos comes out of his palace andsmiles brightly upon them. The dark people blush and seem to smile atthe king.

  You must find out how much good these dark people do and how the King ofthe Phaiakians helps them in their work, if you wish to understand theirfriendship.

  PHAETHON.

  Phaethon was the son of Helios, who drove the chariot of the sun. Helived with his mother, the gentle Clymene, in a beautiful valley in theeast.

  One day when Phaethon was telling his companions about his father, thesky king, they laughed and said, "How do you know that Helios is yourfather? You have never seen him. If, as you say, he cannot safely comenearer to the earth, why do you not sometimes go to his land."

  Phaethon answered, "My father's throne is far away from this valley. Mymother has promised that when I am stronger, I shall go to my father'spalace. I often watch his golden chariot roll by in its path and thinkperhaps some day I shall drive the glorious horses of the sun.

  "I shall go now to my mother, and ask her how much longer I must wait."

  When Phaethon told his mother what his companions had said she answered,"Go, my child, ask Great Helios if you are his son. If you are worthy tobe the son of Helios you will be given strength and courage for thejourney."

  Phaethon gladly and bravely climbed the unused path which led to thepalace of the sun.

  At last he came in sight of the throne. He had never seen anything sobeautiful. On one side were standing the days, months and the old years.On the other side were the seasons; Spring, covered with flowers;Summer, with her baskets of fruit and grain; Autumn, in a many-coloreddress; and Young Winter, with a crown of icicles.

  As Phaethon came nearer to the throne, the light was greater than hiseyes could bear. Its wonderful colors dazzled him.

  Helios saw the brave youth and knew that it was Phaethon, his son. Hetook his glittering crown from his head and went forward to meet him.

  Phaethon cried, "Great Helios, if you are my father give me and othersproof that it is so."

  Helios took him in his arms and kissed him. "You are indeed my son," hesaid. "I will put an end to your doubts. Ask any gift you will, and itshall be yours."

  Phaethon had always had one wish in his heart and said, "O, my father,let me drive the wonderful golde
n chariot of the sun for just one day."

  Helios shook his head sadly and said, "That is the one thing which youmust not ask to do.

  "You are my son, and I love you. For your own sake, I cannot let you dothis. You have neither the strength nor the wisdom for the great work.

  "The first part of the way is very steep and rugged. In the middle part,even I dare not look below at the far stretching earth, and the lastpart is full of terrible dangers."

  Phaethon would not listen, but threw his arms around his father's neckand begged to go.

  Helios said at last, "If you persist, foolish boy, you shall have yourwish, for I cannot break my promise. I beg of you choose more wisely.Ask the most precious thing on earth or in the sky, and you shall haveit."

  Already Dawn had drawn back the purple curtains of the morning and theHours were harnessing the horses to the chariot.

  The stars and moon were retiring for the day.

  The chariot glittered with jewels which sent the light in all directions.Phaethon looked upon it with delight and longed impatiently for thegreat joy of driving it.

  Helios said, "O, my dear son, go not too high or you will scorch thedwelling of heaven, nor too low, lest you set the world on fire.

  "Keep the middle path; that is best, and do not use the whip; rather,hold the horses in."