birds perched near and sang to him, and
the gentle brook murmured tales of other scenes--he never seemed happy.
The fairies, too, as I before said, danced by moonlight at the very
foot of the parent tree, yet even that brave sight gave him no pleasure,
though his brother and sister leaves would clap their tiny hands in
ecstasy.

'It disturbed his sleep,' he said. 'Why could they not dance in the
day-time?--not when all respectable leaves and flowers were sleeping!
making such a noise, especially that mischievous Puck!'

And, unfortunately, he grew on the branch nearest to the Aspen, and his
constant grumbles made them quiver with sorrow and pain at such
incessant complainings. As to his own relatives, they would not listen,
but frisked about merrily enough when the zephyrs came and played with
them.

'Alas!' said he one day to a little Aspen leaf that grew on a branch
close by, and who had patiently borne with his ungrateful complaints;
'how sad is our lot! Here we are always attached to the same place, in a
state of cruel bondage; everything around us moves: the birds, happy in
their liberty, fly here and there, singing ever their songs of joy; even
the beasts of the forests are free--whilst we--ah me!--we never lose
our galling chains but in dying!'

'Why do you murmur thus?' asked the Aspen leaf in a sweet, tremulous
voice; 'why are you not contented?'

'Oh, it is all very well for you to preach contentment,' it pertly
replied, turning up its point with contempt. 'I am a leaf of intellect.
I hate this aimless, monotonous life; it does very well for such silly,
trembling things as you and yours,--not for me!'

For a moment the little Aspen leaf felt its pride wounded by the
contemptuous speech of its neighbour, and was strongly disposed to
answer in the same strain; but fortunately, a fairy who chanced to be
passing at the time laid her silver wand lightly on its lips, so with a
smile she merely said,--

'Yes, I know I am timid, and cling to my parent tree for security and
protection. What would you do if you were free? We are so happy here, I
would not leave my home; the soft breezes are ever among us with
cheerful stories of the countries they have visited to amuse us; and as
to the birds, why, all the day long they are singing their sweetest
melodies to gladden our hearts and cheer us.'

'I have heard their songs until I am quite tired of their sameness,' was
the ungrateful response; 'besides, in a few mo