Nature Myths and Stories for Little Children Part 14

One day as she was running over the stones near the cave, King Apollo saw her.

"Ah, little maid," said he, "You are very beautiful. Your feet are too tender for the hard rocky earth.

"Come, you shall live with me in my palace in the sky."

But Daphne fled from him.

She did not want to leave her beautiful earth home.

Fear gave her wings, and faster and faster she flew.

Her hair streamed behind her like a cloud of golden light.

Apollo followed more swiftly than the wind.

"Stop and listen," he cried; "I am not a foe, foolish girl. It is Apollo who follows you. I shall carry you to a home more beautiful than anything you have ever seen."

She felt his breath upon her hair, and saw his hand as he stretched it forth to seize her.

"Father, save me from Apollo," she cried. "Let the earth enclose me."

Peneus heard her voice and instantly her feet became fastened in the soil like roots. A soft bark covered her body and her beautiful hair became the leaves of the laurel tree.

Apollo sadly gathered some of the leaves and wove them into a wreath. He laid his hand upon the tree and said, "I would have made you happy, but you would not listen to me.

"At least you shall be my tree. Your leaves shall be ever green, and heroes shall be crowned with them in sign of victory."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

AN INDIAN STORY OF THE MOLE.

An Indian once saw a squirrel sunning himself in a tree top.

The squirrel saw the hunter and leaped upon a pa.s.sing cloud.

He had escaped into Cloudland before an arrow could reach him.

The Indian set a trap for him hoping that he would soon return to the tree for food.

The sun happened to be coming that way and was caught in the trap.

Suddenly, in the middle of the day, it became dark.

The Indian was frightened and said, "Ah me, what have I done, I have surely caught the sun in my trap."

He sent many animals up to set it free, but all were instantly burned to ashes.

At last the mole said, "Let me try, I shall bore through the ground of the sky and gnaw off the cords which hold the trap."

He did this, but just as he loosened the last cord the sun sprang forth and the bright light shone full in his eyes.

The poor mole dropped to the earth and though his friends were able to save his life, he was blind.

"You need not pity me," he said, "I prefer to live underground, where really there is no use for eyes."

All the moles were so proud of this hero mole that they tried to be like him in every way.

They, too, went to live in a dark hole in the earth.

Their eyes, which they did not need to use, became so small that they were entirely hidden by their fur. Indeed it is now so hard to find them that many people think the entire mole family is blind.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

HOW THE SPARK OF FIRE WAS SAVED.

Long ago when fire was first brought to earth, it was given into the care of two beldams at the end of the world.

The Cahroc Indians knew where it was hidden. They needed fire and were always planning ways to get it.

They went at last to the wise coyote.

"That is simple enough," said he, "I will show you a way to get it. Fire is a great blessing and should be free to all people."

The coyote knew every inch of the road to the beldams' hut.

Along the path leading to it, he stationed beasts, the strongest and best runners nearer the hut and the weaker ones farther off.

Nearest the guarded den, he placed one of the sinewy Cahroc men.

Then he walked boldly up to the door of the hut and knocked.

The beldams, not fearing a coyote in the least, invited him in.

They were often lonely, living so near the end of the world.

When the coyote had rested before the fire for some time, he said, "The Cahroc nation need fire. Could you not give them one small spark? You would never miss it. Here it is of no use."

The beldams answered, "We do not love it, but we dare not give it away.

We must guard it while we live."