THE GOURD AND THE PINE TREE

Something to Find Out.—What the gourd vine learned.

Once upon a time a tall pine tree grew on a hill near the ocean. It could look far across the blue water and see the white ships sailing on it. This pine tree had been growing and growing for many years, until at last it had become the tallest tree for miles around. It was a very wonderful tree indeed.

One windy day in the autumn a little seed was caught up by the wind and dropped at the foot of the tall old pine. It was a proud little gourd seed, and it felt very cross when it found that it had been blown so far from its home.

“Why should I be dropped here.” it said,“where no one can ever see me?”

However, as there was nothing to be done about it, the little seed cuddled down and went to sleep. Winter came and went, and then spring followed. Suddenly the proud little seed felt itself swelling and growing. Two little green leaves peeped up from the ground, and then a tiny vine began to climb the pine tree.

“Oh! oh!” said the proud little seed. “Now I am becoming a gourd vine. In a little while I shall climb to the top of this old pine tree. It has been growing for years and years, but I will show it how fast a gourd vine can grow.”

So the vine called down to its little roots,“Drink, drink, drink, I say! I must grow fast. I must climb, climb, climb!” It called to the sun,“Shine, shine, shine on me, so that I can soon reach the top of this slow old pine tree and show it how fast a gourd vine can grow.”

In a short time the gourd vine had reached the very top branch of the pine, where it could look out over the blue water. It felt very proud to be so high up in the world.

“Here I am, old tree!” cried the proud little vine. “Just see how tall I am. I should think you would be ashamed to be so slow. You have been growing for years and years, and I began to grow just this spring. I really think that you are too slow for anything.”

The old pine tree answered not a word, for it knew a great many things that the gourd vine had not had time to learn.

Summer came and went, and by and by the days grew chilly. Then one morning a mighty wind swept over the hill. The tops of the trees bent low before it. The pine tree did not fear the wind, because its branches, which had been a long, long time in growing, were very strong. Its roots, too, were deep down in the earth. But the gourd vine could not hold fast, and soon it was lying in a heap on the ground.

That was the end of the proud little vine, but the old pine tree still stands on the hill, looking out over the blue water of the ocean.

—Æsop