Children's Literature: A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training ClassesCurry, Charles Madison
General
Children's Literature: A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes
Curry, Charles Madison
Children -- Books and reading; Children's literature -- Study and teaching
Old Pipes instantly forgot that he was tired, and sprang to his feet.
"This must be a Dryad tree!" he exclaimed. "If it is, I'll let her out."
Old Pipes had never, to his knowledge, seen a Dryad tree, but he knew
there were such trees on the hill-sides and the mountains, and that
Dryads lived in them. He knew, too, that in the summer time, on those
days when the moon rose before the sun went down, a Dryad could come out
of her tree if any one could find the key which locked her in, and turn
it. Old Pipes closely examined the trunk of the tree, which stood in the
full moonlight. "If I see that key," he said, "I shall surely turn it."
Before long he found a piece of bark standing out from the tree, which
looked to him very much like the handle of a key. He took hold of it,
and found he could turn it quite around. As he did so, a large part of
the side of the tree was pushed open, and a beautiful Dryad stepped
quickly out.
For a moment she stood motionless, gazing on the scene before her--the
tranquil valley, the hills, the forest, and the mountain-side, all lying
in the soft clear light of the moon. "Oh, lovely! lovely!" she
exclaimed. "How long it is since I have seen anything like this!" And
then, turning to Old Pipes, she said: "How good of you to let me out! I
am so happy, and so thankful, that I must kiss you, you dear old man!"
And she threw her arms around the neck of Old Pipes, and kissed him on
both cheeks.
"You don't know," she then went on to say, "how doleful it is to be shut
up so long in a tree. I don't mind it in the winter, for then I am glad
to be sheltered, but in summer it is a rueful thing not to be able to
see all the beauties of the world. And it's ever so long since I've been
let out. People so seldom come this way; and when they do come at the
right time, they either don't hear me or they are frightened and run
away. But you, you dear old man, you were not frightened, and you looked
and looked for the key, and you let me out; and now I shall not have to
go back till winter has come, and the air grows cold. Oh, it is
glorious! What can I do for you, to show you how grateful I am?"
"I am very glad," said Old Pipes, "that I let you out, since I see that
it makes you so happy; but I must admit that I tried to find the key
because I had a great desire to see a Dryad. But, if you wish to do
something for me, you can, if you happen to be going down toward the
village."
"To the village!" exclaimed the Dryad. "I will go anywhere for you, my
kind old benefactor."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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