santly:

"Do you wish me to say to the owls that they are to leave those pine
tree worms in peace?"

"Yes, it would be well if you who have some authority in the forest
should do this," said Helpless.

"I might also drop a good word for the pine needle pickers among the
thrushes?" volunteered the adder. "I will gladly serve you when you do
not demand anything unreasonable."

"Now you have given me a good promise, Crawlie," said Helpless, "and I'm
glad that I came to you."

THE NUN MOTHS

One morning--several years later--Karr lay asleep on the porch. It was
in the early summer, the season of light nights, and it was as bright as
day, although the sun was not yet up. Karr was awakened by some one
calling his name.

"Is it you, Grayskin?" he asked, for he was accustomed to the elk's
nightly visits. Again he heard the call; then he recognized Grayskin's
voice, and hastened in the direction of the sound.

Karr heard the elk's footfalls in the distance, as he dashed into the
thickest pine wood, and straight through the brush, following no trodden
path. Karr could not catch up with him, and he had great difficulty in
even following the trail. "Karr, Karri" came the cry, and the voice was
certainly Grayskin's, although it had a ring now which the dog had never
heard before.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" the dog responded. "Where are you?"

"Karr, Karr! Don't you see how it falls and falls?" said Grayskin.

Then Karr noticed that the pine needles kept dropping and dropping from
the trees, like a steady fall of rain.

"Yes, I see how it falls," he cried, and ran far into the forest in
search of the elk.

Grayskin kept running through the thickets, while Karr was about to lose
the trail again.

"Karr, Karr!" roared Grayskin; "can't you scent that peculiar odour in
the forest?"

Karr stopped and sniffed.

He had not thought of it before, but now he remarked that the pines sent
forth a much stronger odour than usual.

"Yes, I catch the scent," he said. He did not stop long enough to find
out the cause of it, but hurried on after Grayskin.

The elk ran ahead with such speed that the dog could not catch up with
him.

"Karr, Karr!" he called; "can't you hear the crunching on the pines?"
Now his tone was so plaintive it would have melted a stone.

Karr paused to listen. He heard a faint but distinct "tap, tap," on the
trees. It sounded like the ticking of a watch.

"Yes, I hear how it ticks," cried Karr, and r