The Turquoise Story Book: Stories and Legends of Summer and Nature
General
The Turquoise Story Book: Stories and Legends of Summer and Nature
Nature -- Juvenile literature; Summer -- Juvenile literature
Clytie was the name of a beautiful nymph who lived in a coral cave far
down in the depths of the sea. It happened one morning that she ventured
to the surface of the water and looked toward the east. In the distance
where the earth and sky met she saw a marvellous sight. Aurora, the
goddess of dawn, rolled aside the soft grey curtains of the morning sky
and there, waiting for the day's journey, stood Apollo's jeweled car.
Clytie saw the sun-god leap into his seat and take lightly in hand the
reins of his restless, prancing steeds. Then up the steep slope of the
eastern sky he drove, and the gleam from his dazzling chariot filled the
air with golden light. All day long Clytie sat on the rocks near the
shore and watched Apollo in his brilliant course. At evening when the
last beams from the sun-god's car sank into the western sea, the nymph,
with a deep sigh, returned to her coral halls.
But she no longer took keen delight in fashioning delicate shells and
tending her seaweed gardens. She had fallen in love with the sun-god and
longed with all her heart to see him again. One morning very early she
rose to the surface of the water and wandered eastward toward a large
green meadow which was very near the place where Apollo started his
course. Again she saw the "rosy-fingered Dawn" roll aside the soft grey
curtains; again she saw the radiant beauty of the sun-god. Clytie fixed
her eyes on the driver of the golden chariot and never for one moment
lost sight of him in his day's journey through the sky. For nine days
the sea-nymph lingered in the meadow, tasting neither food nor drink,
hoping for some small sign of favour from Apollo. But he was too intent
on his marvellous course to find interest in the adoring Clytie. Her
constancy, however, touched the heart of the sun-god with pity, and he
changed her into a flower. Her slender limbs became a tall green stem,
her delicate sea-green dress turned into leaves, and her lovely face and
golden hair changed into sun-like flowers which faithfully follow the
brilliant god of day all through his course.
THE BLUEBELL
There is a story I have heard;
A poet learned it of a bird,
And kept its music, every word.
About two thousand years ago,
A little flower, as white as snow,
Swayed in the silence to and fro.
Day after day with longing eye,
The floweret watched the narrow sky
And the fleecy clouds that floated by.
And swiftly o'er its petals white,
There crept a blueness like the light
Of skies, upon a summer night.
And in its chalice, I am told,
The bonny bell was found to hold
A tiny star that gleamed like gold.
THE DEW MOTHER'S GIFT TO THE
ROSE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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