Chapter II

As they sailed along, the air grew very cold. This made the little water-drops creep so close together that they became a shining raindrop.

Soon all the other little water-drops ran together and became raindrops.

They were so heavy that they could not float in the air. So down they all went toward the earth.

Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! They fell upon the grass, the trees, and the fields.

“It is raining!” cried the children as they ran into the house.

When the rain was over, out came the sun. Then a wonderful thing happened.

Some of the water-drops were not heavy enough to fall to the earth. As the sun shone through them they changed into beautiful colors.

These colors were red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They formed a bow across the sky.

“Oh, look!” cried the children. “Look at the beautiful rainbow.”

EVA MAYNE (_Adapted_).

APRIL.

Rollicking Robin is here again.
What does he care for the April rain?
Care for it? Glad of it. Doesn’t he know
That the April rain carries off the snow.
And coaxes out leaves to shadow his nest,
And washes his pretty red Easter vest?

LUCY LARCOM.
]

THE SLEEPING PRINCESS.

Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen who had no children.

They were so happy when a little daughter came that they gave a great feast.

The king asked the fairies to come because he wished them to be kind and good to the little princess.

There were thirteen fairies in the land. But the king had only twelve golden dishes. So one fairy was not asked to come to the feast. This made her very angry.

The twelve fairies came and gave all their best gifts to the little princess.

Just then the door opened and the angry fairy came into the room.

“When the princess is fifteen years old she shall prick her finger with a spinning needle and die,” said the angry fairy.

But there was one kind fairy who had not made her wish.

“No!” she said. “The princess shall not die. She shall fall asleep for a hundred years.”

The king and the queen were frightened. So they said that no spinning-wheel should be used in all the land.

II

One day, when the princess was fifteen years old, she went into a high tower of the castle. There sat an old woman spinning.

“Good morning,” said the princess. “What are you doing?”

“I am spinning,” said the old woman.

“Oh,” cried the princess, “how I should like to spin!”

The old woman gave the needle to the princess. She pricked her finger and fell back fast asleep.

The king and the queen and every one in the castle fell asleep.

The fire in the kitchen stopped burning and the cook fell asleep.

The horses in the barn went to sleep.

The dogs stopped barking and fell asleep.

The doves on the housetop put their heads under their wings and went to sleep.

Even the flies on the walls stopped buzzing and fell asleep.

A hedge of thorns soon grew around the castle. It was so high and thick that no one could pass through it.