le throat
On this, the Arbor Day.
The trees put forth their greenest leaves,
On this, the Arbor Day.
And welcome now the chosen tree
Which we shall plant today.

_Ellen Beauchamp._

DO APPLE SEEDS POINT UP OR DOWN?

When teacher called the apple class, they gathered round to see
What question deep in apple lore their task that day might be.
"Now tell me," said the teacher, to little Polly Brown,
"Do apple seeds grow pointing up, or are they pointing down?"
Poor Polly didn't know, for she had never thought to look
(And that's the kind of question you can't find in a book.)
And of the whole big Apple class not one small pupil knew
If apple seeds point up or down! But then, my dear, do you?

--_Carolyn Wells in St. Nicholas._

[Illustration]

If Mother Nature patches
The leaves of trees and vines,
I'm sure she does her darning
With the needles of the pines.

They are so long and slender;
And sometimes in full view,
They have their thread of cobwebs
And thimbles made of dew.

--_William H. Hayne._

THE JOLLY OLD CROW.

On the limb of a tree sat a jolly old crow,
And chattered away with glee, with glee,
As he saw the old farmer go out to sow,
And he cried: "It's all for me, for me--
Caw, caw, caw!

I've learned all the tricks of this wonderful man,
Who has such a regard for the crow, the crow,
That he lays out his grounds in a regular plan,
And covers his corn in a row, a row--
Caw, caw, caw!"

--_Selected._

THEY'LL COME AGAIN.

They'll come again to the apple tree,
Robin and all the rest;
When the orchard branches are fair to see
In the snow of the blossoms dressed,
And the prettiest thing in the world will be
The building of the nest.

A PLUMP LITTLE GIRL AND A THIN LITTLE BIRD.

A plump little girl and a thin little bird
Were out in the meadow together.
"How cold that poor little bird must be
Without any clothes like mine," said she,
"Although it is sunshiny weather!"

"A nice little girl is that," piped he,
"But, oh, how cold she must be! For, see,
She hasn't a single feather!"
So each shivered to think of the other poor thing,
"Although it is sunshiny weat