FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155  
156   157   158   159   160   161   >>  
tain stream beckoned me on. Swiftly I flew along its banks, turning the windmills met on the way, and swelling out the sails of the boats until the sailors sang for joy. On and on we journeyed; my mountain friend, joined by a hundred meadow-brooks, grew deeper and wider as it flowed along, and its breath began to have a queer, salty odor. One day I heard a throbbing music far off that sounded like the undertone in the Pine Trees' melody; then very soon we reached this great body of water, and, looking across, could see no sign of land anywhere; but still we journeyed on. I feared at first that my friend was lost to me, but often she laughed from the crest of the wave, or glistened in a white cap, cheering my way to this sunny shore; and now, at last, we are here, laden with treasure for each one of you. Take it, and be glad!" But the children did not understand the song of the Sea Breeze, nor did they know what made its breath so wonderfully sweet. But all day long they breathed in its fragrance, and gathered up the treasures brought to their feet by the tiny spring born up in the clouds. "It's a beautiful world," they cried. And at night, when the Sea Breeze was wakeful, and sang to the waves of the mountain peak, the children would lift their heads from the white pillows to listen, whispering softly to one another: "Hear the Sea Breeze and the ocean moaning on the shore. Are they lonely without us, I wonder?" The Bremen Town Musicians. BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM. [When I was a child I used to love the story which is coming next. It is very funny and I like it still.] There was once an ass whose master had made him carry sacks to the mill for many a long year, but whose strength began at last to fail, so that each day as it came found him less capable of work. Then his master began to think of turning him out, but the ass, guessing that something was in the wind that boded him no good, ran away, taking the road to Bremen; for there he thought he might get an engagement as town musician. When he had gone a little way he found a hound lying by the side of the road panting, as if he had run a long way. "Now, Holdfast, what are you so out of breath about!" said the ass. "Oh, dear!" said the dog, "now I am old, I get weaker every day, and can do no good in the hunt, so, as my master was going to have me killed, I have made my escape; but now, how am I to gain my living?" "I will tell you
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155  
156   157   158   159   160   161   >>  



Top keywords:
Breeze
 

breath

 

master

 

children

 

Bremen

 
journeyed
 
friend
 

mountain

 
turning
 

stream


swelling

 

joined

 
capable
 

strength

 
brooks
 

Musicians

 
moaning
 
lonely
 

BROTHERS

 

hundred


coming

 

meadow

 

weaker

 

Holdfast

 

sailors

 

living

 

escape

 

killed

 

taking

 

guessing


thought

 
panting
 

engagement

 

musician

 

softly

 
cheering
 

sounded

 
glistened
 

throbbing

 
treasure

laughed
 

melody

 
reached
 
undertone
 

Swiftly

 

feared

 
beautiful
 

spring

 
clouds
 

wakeful