Easy Stories-5

60.Echo

Thousands of years ago the people told strange stories to one another, and believed many strange things. The believed that in all the woods and streams and hills and hollows lived fair creatures, and they called these creatures nymphs. These nymphs were fair and beautiful, and they loved beautiful flowers and murmuring brooks. The fairest of them all was Echo, and her voice was the sweetest. But one day Echo displeased Queen Juno. Like, but you shall have nothing else. You shall never speak first. You can only answer when others speak to you.” Poor Echo! She became thin and pale, and thinner and paler, until at last Queen Juno’s word came. Only her voice was left. She wandered from place to place in the woods, unseen, and heard only when others spoke. On a quiet evening you may hear her, if you walk near some high rock where she loves to hide. Call to her, and she will answer, “ Where are you?” you may ask. “ ---You?” she will reply. “Are you Echo?” you may ask. “ ----Echo?” she answers. “Come to me!” you cry. “-----me!” she replies. “I like you,“ you say to her. “----you, “ Echo repeats. Now a very curious thing is true. Echo always answers in the same tone in which you speak to her. If you sing, she sings back to you. If you shout, she shouts to you again. If you cry, she cries, too. If you are cross and ill natured, she will be cross and ill natured, too. *** Two brothers once went into the woods to find Echo. They could not hear her voice, although they called and called. At last one of them cried impatiently, “ You are a mean old cheat!” Quick as thought came back the cross reply, “----cheat! ” The other boy cried quickly, “ He didn’t mean that. ” The same tone came back in Echo’ “---- that.” When the boys told their mother what had happened, she smiled, and said, “ That happens, the world over. Gentle words will bring forth gentle words, and harsh tones will be echoed by harsh tones.”

61.Narcissus

Long, long ago there lived in Greece a young boy named Narcissus. All day long he tended his sheep on the hills, and drove them from place to place to find the very best pasture. One day he came to a little stream and wanted to drink from it. The water was very clear and reflected everything that leaned over it. While Narcissus was waiting for the sheep to drunk, he chanced to see his own face in the water. He had never seen his likeness before, and he was so pleased with the pretty picture that he looked at it for a long time. He forgot all about his sheep. The sheep waited for a long time near the stream, but at last they wandered away without the shepherd and were lost. Jupiter, the great god of that country, was very angry whish Narcissus for forgetting his sheep, and made up his mind to punish him. So Narcissus looked at himself very log, and when he turned to look after his flock he found that his feet had taken root. He could not move nor lift his head, but had to keep it hung down. Then, little by little, he changed into the flower that we know so well, the narcissus. This is why we often find this dainty flower growing on the banks of streams and always with its pretty head hung down.

62.Arachne

Arachne lived in a small village on the shores of the Mediterranean. Her parents were very poor. While her mother was busy cooking the simple meals for the family, or working in the fields, Arachne used to spin all day long Her wheel made a steady whirring like the buzzing of some insect. She grew so skillful from constant practice, that the threads she drew out were almost as fine as the mists that rose from the sea near by. One day Arachne’s father, who was a fisher-man, came home with his baskets full of little shell-fish, which were of a bright crimson or purple color. He thought the color of the little shellfish so pretty that he tried the experiment of dyeing Arachne’s wools with them. The result was the most vivid hue that had ever been seen in any kind of woven fabric. After this, Arachne’s tapestries always showed some touch of the new color. They now found a ready sale, and, in fact, soon became famous. Arachne’s family moved to a much larger house. Her mother did not have to work in the fields any more, nor was her father any longer obliged to go out in his boat to catch fish. Arachne, herself, became as her tapestries. She heard admiring words on every side, and her head was a little turned by them. When, as often happened, people praised the beautiful color that had been produced by the shell-fish, she did not tell how her father had help her, took all the credit to herself. While she was weaving, a group of people often stood behind her loom, watching the pictures grow. One day she overheard someone say that even the great goddess, Minerva, the patron goddess of spinning, could not weave more beautiful tapestries than this fisherman’s daughter. This was a very foolish thing to say, but Arachne thought it was true, true. She heard another say that Arachne wove so beautifully that she must have been taught by Minerva herself. Now, the truth is, that Minerva had taught Arachne. It was Minerva who had sent the little shell-fish to those coasts; and, although she never allowed herself to be seen, she often stood behind the girl and guided her shuttle. But Arachne, never having seen the goddess, thought she owed everything to herself alone, and began to boast of her skill. One day she said: “It has been said that I can weave quite as well as the goddess, Minerva, if not better. I should like to have a weaving match with her, and then it would be seen which could do best.” These wicked words had hardly left Arachne’s mouth, before she heard the sound of a crutch on the floor. Turning to look behind her, she saw a feeble old woman in a rusty gray cloak. The woman’s eyes were as gray as her cloak, and strangely bright and clear for one so old. She leaned heavily on her crutch, and when she spoke, her voice was cracked and weak. “I am many years older than you,” she said. “Take my advice. Ask Minerva’s pardon for your ungrateful words. If you are truly sorry, she will forgive you.” Now Arachne had never been very respectful to old persons, particularly when they wore rusty cloaks, and she was very angry at being reproved by this one. “Don’t advise me,” she said. “Go and advise your own children. I shall say and do what I please.” At this an angry light came into the old woman’s gray eyes; her crutch suddenly changed to a shining lance; she dropped her cloak; and there stood the goddess herself. Arachne’s face grew very red, and then very white, but she would not ask Minerva’s pardon, even then. Instead, she said that she was ready for the weaving match. So two weaving frames were brought in, and attached to one of the beams overhead. Then Minerva and foolish Arachne stood side by side and each began to weave a piece of tapestry. As Minerva wove, her tapestry began to show pictures of mortals who had been foolhardy and boastful, like Arachne, and who had been punished by the gods. It was meant for a kindly warming to Arachne. But Arachne would not heed the warning. She wove into her tapestry pictures representing certain foolish things that the gods of Olympus had done. This was very disrespectful, and it is no wonder that when Arachne’s tapestry was finished, Minerva tore it to pieces. Arachne was frightened now, but it was too late. Minerva suddenly struck her on the forehead with her shuttle. Then Arachne shrank to a little creature no larger than one’s thumb. “Since you think yourself so very skillful in spinning and weaving,” said Minerva, “you shall do nothing else but spin and weave all your life.” Upon this Arachne, in her new shape, ran quickly into the first dark corner she could find. She was now obliged to earn her living by spinning webs of exceeding fineness, in which she caught many flies, just as her father had caught fish in his nets. She was called the Spinner. The children of this first little spinner have become very numerous; but their old name of spinner has been changed to that of spider. Their delicate webs often cover the grass on a morning when the day is to be fine.

63.The Laurel of Apollo

One day Cupid, the son of Venus, sat on the bank of a river, playing with his bow and arrows. The arrows were very tiny. Some of them had points of gold and the others points of lead. With the former Cupid shot love into people’ s hearts; with the latter he shot fear into them. Just then Apollo, the great sun-god, happened to walk along the bank of the same river and when he saw Cupid at his play, he laughed at him and said, “ Ho! What are such little arrows as these good for? ” Cupid’ s feelings were very much hurt at this. He said nothing, but decided to use his arrows on Apollo. So he drew out two arrows a leaden one and a golden one. Looking all about him for some mark for his arrow, he saw Daphne, the daughter of the river-god, walking through a grove. Cupid shot the leaden-pointed arrow straight at Daphne’ s heart. With the golden one he struck Apollo. As soon as Apollo saw Daphne, he loved her very much, but she was afraid and ran away. Apollo ran after her, calling that there was nothing to fear, but she would not stop running .The faster Apollo followed, the faster Daphne ran. She ran till she came to the bank of her father’s river, and she was so tired that she could run no farther. She called to her father for help. The river-god heard her, and before Apollo could overtake her, changed her into a tree, a beautiful tree with glossy evergreen leaves and pink blossoms as beautiful own cheeks. When Apollo came up with Daphne, there she stood on the bank of the river, not a nymph any longer, but a beautiful tree. Apollo gathered some of the leaves and made himself a wreath of its evergreen leaves, which he always wore for Daphne’s sake. This tree still grows in Greece and is called the Laurel of Apollo.

64.Noah's Ark

The Bible story tells that men and women became so wicked that God was sorry He had made the Earth. He looked at the way men and women were living, and determined to punish them by sending a great flood; but there was one good man, and for his sake God saved the Earth. This man was Noah. He called Noah, we are told, and bade him build a great Ark out of wood, with rooms in it for his wife and is sons, and his sons’ wives, with one great window and with a mighty door in the side, The Ark was to be covered with pitch inside and outside, and to be built so well that-it should have room for two of every living thing, with food for each one. Noah, having made the Ark, called two of every living thing upon the Earth-animals, birds, and insects; and, laying in a great quantity of food, he himself, and his wife and his children, with all these other living things, entered the Ark. When they were all in, the windows of the heavens were opened, and the water covered the highest mountains. And in the flood the wicked perished. But God remembered Noah. The rain ceased, the waters passed away, and the sun-light went into the Ark. Then Noah let a raven fly from the window of the Ark, and in did not come back to him. Noah then sent out a dove, which flew terrified above the waters and returned to the window of the Ark. After seven days more Noah sent out the dove again, and this time it returned bearing in its bills a leaf of olive. Noah then knew that the Earth was dry, and when he again sent the dove forth it did not return. Then Noah came out with his family, and on an altar of stones they offered thanks to God. So God was pleased with Noah, and set a bow of light in the sky after the rain.

65.The Forbidden Fruit

When God created the world the man was quite alone. Seeing this, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a good companion for him.” He caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and took one of his ribs, and out of this rib, he made a woman. We call this man Adam and this woman Eve. God let Adam and Eve rule the earth and enjoy it. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden in peace and happiness! The animals came to them when they called them; the birds sang above their heads as they walked; and the fish came to the side of the lake to watch them as they stood in the sunlight. What a happy Garden this was! What a peaceful Paradise this was! But this happy and peaceful life did not last long. The Bible tells us a strange story which fills our eyes with tears. And this is that strange story which the Bible tells us. God had given man everything on the earth except one thing. There was one thing which man was not to do. If man did this one thing, he would lose all his peace and all his happiness. And man did do this very thing. The one thing man was not to do was to eat of the fruit growing on a certain tree in the Garden of Eden. There were a thousand other of which man might eat, but only this one was forbidden. It was God’s test of man’s love. If man loved God, he would not eat of this tree; if he did not love God, he would disobey. So, you see, this was God’s test of man’s love. Well, Satan, the wicked Tempter, took the form of a serpent and glided into the Garden of Eden, and sought out Eve while she was away from her husband’s side, and suggested to her that she should eat of the fruit. And, although Eve did not at once obey him, she argued with him, instead of driving him from her. So the temptation to eat the fruit stayed in her mind; she allowed herself to think about it ; and at last the temptation was too great for her. She ate the fruit, and took it to Adam, and persuaded him also to do this forbidden thing. Then Adam and Eve heard the voice of God, and they were afraid and hid themselves in the trees. And God punished them. But the punishment was not a cruel one. He made them go out of the Garden of Eden and toil for their existence. Now, though work is hard, it is yet far better than idleness; and in setting man to till the earth, God has provided him with the opportunity of becoming better and kinder and purer. Have you ever seen a picture of Adam and Eve going out with tears and shame from their beautiful Garden of Innocence? And did you ever notice that over them the face of God was smiling with love and pity? God knows that His children shall one day return to their garden and to Him.

66.The Tower of Babel

We are told that in the beginning of the world all the people lived in one place. By and by, that part of the earth became very crowded, and many families began to move from place to place, looking for new homes. All the people moved into a country between two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Here they found that the soil could be made into bricks, and that the bricks could be heated and made hard. So it was easy to build houses to live in. Then they wanted to build a great city and rule all the people around them. The people said to one another: "Let us build a great tower, the top of which will reach to the sky. And let us give a name to our city, that we may be kept together and not scattered over the earth." So they began to build their great tower with bricks, which they piled up one story above another. But God did not wish all the people on the earth to live close together. God knew that if they all lived together, those that were wicked would lead away from God those that were good, and all the world would become evil again, as it had been before the flood. So while they were building the great tower, God caused their speech to change. At that time all men were speaking the same language. But now they could not understand one another. The people that belonged to one family could not understand those of another family----just as, at the present time, the English cannot talk to the French until they have learned the French language. So the people scattered to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, and the earth became covered with many people, living in many lands and speaking many languages. Thus the tower stayed forever unfinished, and the city which they had built was named Babel, which means confusion, because it was there that God changed the language of all the earth. The city was afterward known as Babylon, and the tower as the Tower of Babel.