THE POPLAR TREE. 66 "Oh, what a beautiful rainbow! One end is in my papa's woods. to the woods. He went a long way. Still he ran on and on. At last he found the pot of gold. How glad he was. K But the gold was very heavy. The boy was a long way from home. "What shall I do?" said he. I cannot carry this heavy gold. I will hang it on this tree. Then I will go and tell my papa. In the morning he will come and get it for me." The tree was asleep. It did not know what the boy had done. No one could see the gold. The leaves hid it. Iris took care of the rainbow. She had hung a pot of gold on each end of it. That was to hold the rainbow down. In the morning she saw that one pot was gone. She asked Mercury to find it for her. "Wake up!" he said to the trees. "Have you seen the pot of gold? Wake up and tell me." The trees were very sleepy. "No, we have not seen the gold," said they. Mercury wanted to be sure. "Hold up your arms!" said he. "Then I shall know you are awake." All the trees held up their arms. There was the pot of gold, hanging from the poplar-tree. The tree felt very badly. 66 I did not know it was there. I would not steal the rainbow gold. After this I will always hold up my arms. Nothing shall be hid among my leaves again." The other trees laughed at him. "You look like a closed umbrella," said they. The poplar tree did not care. He has held his arms up ever since. |