s," he said; "but the children are the most beautiful flowers of
all."

One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He
did not hate the winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring
asleep, and that the flowers were resting.

Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder and looked and looked. It
certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden
was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were
all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it
stood the little boy he had loved.

[Illustration: THE LITTLE BOY HE HAD LOVED]

Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He
hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he came
quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, "Who hath dared
to wound thee?" For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of
two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.

"Who hath dared to wound thee?" cried the Giant; "tell me, that I might
take my big sword and slay him."

"Nay!" answered the child; "but these are the wounds of Love."

"Who art thou?" said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he
knelt before the little child.

And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, "You let me play
once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which
is Paradise."

And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying
dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.

* * * * *

THE DEVOTED FRIEND

One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He had
bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like a long
bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swimming about in the
pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries, and their mother, who
was pure white with real red legs, was trying to teach them how to stand
on their heads in the water.

"You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your
heads," she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showed them
how it was done. But the little ducks paid no attention to her. They
were so young that they did not know what an advantage it is to be in
society at all.

"What disobedient children!" cried the old Water-rat; "they really
deserve to be drowned."

"Nothing of the kind," answered the Duck, "every one must make a
beginning, and parents