wo curious pieces of wood. One was
round and smooth, the other was sharp-pointed. With all his strength he
was rubbing them together. Soon he had worn a groove in the round stick.
He rubbed faster and faster, and there in the groove was a tiny spark of
fire. Then the Indian blew his breath upon the spark and a little yellow
flame leaped up. All the pine trees saw it. 'See, it is fire!' they
said."

When the great company of trees had heard the acorn's story they shook
their heads in doubt. Then the acorn said:

"This is the true secret of fire. If you do not believe it why do you
not try it for yourselves."

They took this advice and all the trees learned that what he had said
was true.

They were so happy that they spent the whole night in singing and
dancing.

In the morning, when they saw the great blue mountains and the beautiful
valley, many of them settled down upon the hillside for life.

The pines looked up and saw hundreds of trees with their shining arms.
They were so frightened that they climbed high up on the mountain side.
There they stayed a long, long time.

[Illustration]

They grew sad and lonely, and often sighed and wished for their old home
and comforts. But they were brave and strong-hearted, and helped each
other.

At last, some of them came down into the valley again. Through suffering
they had grown strong and unselfish. They gave their best trees to the
people and their fairest to the children at Christmas time.

Indeed, there is not a tree in the world to-day more loved than the pine
tree, who first had the secret of fire.

[Illustration]

A FAIRY STORY.

Some fairies once lived in a dark glen in a pine forest.

They were real fairies, many of them not higher than a pin.

Their greatest treasure was a magic cap which had been in the fairy
family for many generations.

The most wonderful thing about the cap was that it fitted exactly any
one who wore it.

When one fairy put it on, he and all the others became invisible.

A stupid race of giants lived among the mountains near them. They wanted
the fairy cap more than anything else in the world.

One warm day when the elves were away from home, a giant came into the
glen. He was seeking just such a cool place for his afternoon nap.

He was so large and the glen so small that when he lay down he almost
filled the valley.

The music of a fairy brook soon lulled him to sleep.

Perhaps you have heard how a giant s