Pages 1-76 - Springfield-Greene County Library

D
ID you ever hear the lovely story
of the sturdy oak tree and the
green clinging ivy vine? It's a
lovely story of a romance of the
woods.
Once in a great forest there was a
little plot of green grass. It was
shaded by the huge trees which grew
about it, and watered by the fresh
rains from heaven. It grew tall and
waved in the breeze. And one day, a
little oak tree took seed on this grassy
plot and shot up its slender little face
toward the sky. It, too, was watered
by the rain and in its tender age was
shaded by the other oaks which grew
around it.
It was a sturdy little tree. No one
tramped through the forest to mash it
down to earth, for it was a virgin
forest. Day after day, month after
month found it taller. Its leaves were
green and lovely. As it grew from a
little slender tendril to a yearling, it
looked at the huge trees around it.
"Some day," it said to itself, "I
shall be as large as those oaks which
are around me. Some day my leaves
will spread out over the ground antl
protect the little violets which come
up in the spring and the green grass
at my feet. Some day. I shall be
strong, and the mighty wind, and the
rain and all the elements of heaven
will have no way of marring my
beauty."
The oak liked to protect the little
growing things at its feet. It felt a
responsibility in seeing that no harm
came to them. for now the oak was a
mighty oak. For years and years it
$ad defied the elements and it towered
above the tallest oak in the forest.
It looked out over the tops of
the trees in the forest. It furnished
nests for the birds and as the wind
swept through its boughs, it rustled
back a crisp healthy tone. Life was
fair to the big sturdy oak tree.
And then one day the oak looked
down at its feet and saw a little ivy
vine. Oh, it was a lovely little pale
green vine. The oak saw it, for that
was all it had to do all day long, year
after year, was to study the new
things that came to life at its feet.
4nd as the wind swept through it,
it whispered to the little ivy vine.
"Come closer, little ivy vine. Take
hold of my strong trunk aud mraI)
your lovely green vine around nie.
See, I an1 the Lord of all the Forest.
I will protect you. I am strong. The
King of the Storm has never even so
much as taken off one of my branches.
I mill protect you "
One day a terrible storm shook the
forest. The rain came down in torrents.
The mind lashed all the trees
and grass. but the sturdy oak whispered
to the ivy, "cling close, little
ivy. I will protect you. Lay your
leaves flat on my trunk, and the wind
and rain will not hurt you. I am the
Lord of the Forest and I will protect
you from all harm."
The little ivy clung close. The wind
whipped and lashed its tendrils. It
flattened its lovely green leaves
against the oak's rough bark, and the
nind did it no damage.
N'hen the sun came out the next
morning, it lifted it.s leaves to the oak
tree's top branches and smiletl. It had
great faith in the sturdy oak.
Year after year went on, a ~ ~ the d
vine had grown until it covered the
the sturdy oak said to the ivy, "do
not fear. I am strong. I will protect
you Irom the wind and rain. Cling
close, t.hat your lovely vine may not be
torn from my bark."
And the ivy clung tightly, while the
storm raged. But the wind did no1
tear it loose, nor did the rain break
down it.s leaves.
Antl then the King of the Storm dl-
rectetl a bolt of lightning at the
sturdy oak, antl with a crash which
resor~ndetl through the forest, it
c~wcked it open and the sturdy oak,
with the ivy clinging tightly to it.
crashed through the other trees and
lay on the ground.
"Ah," said the King of the Storm.
"so I have felled the sturdy oak!"
Aiid he vanished on a gust of rind
and rain.
The oak bent low in humiliation.
Its great t~'unk was split, yet the littIe
ivy clung to it.
In the morning the storm had sub
sided. "Oh, 1it.tle ivy," it said. I am
no longer King of the Forest. I have
ale. Cnwind your tendrils from
iny bark and lift your face to the sky.
I shall die. but you shall live on."
But the little ivy. seeing the huge
body of the sturdy oak, a~id the oak
crack ill the oak's trunk, started to
weave a bei~utifr~l green carpet over It.
tree, now so attached to the ivy, She grew antl grew and finally the
wedded it. The ivy, which was now ugly gaclh mas hiddei~ by a mass of
strong and sturdy, too, litted its top- beautiful green leaves.
most leaves and kissed the leaves of
the oak tree. Antl all the forest knew
of the wedding of the cl~nging ivy
vine and the sturdy oak. Each tree
marveled at the beauty of the two.
"I shall always stay and cover you
with my green vine." she said to the
oak. "See, the ugly crack is gone. I
ask oi~ly to stay antl cover you with
my long green tendrils and leaves.
A11 the forest was jealous. The You prof.ected and loved me, and now
King of Storm looked upon them I will protect and love you always."
with anger. "1'11 show the sturdy And there in the woods one lnay
oak that I am King of the Storm.
What I choose to rxin I can. I mill
find then1 today. The huge oak Cree,
which is only a dark brown log, rotted
bring a terrific rain and storm and from the wind and rain, is covered
take the mighty oak to the ground with the lovely green ivy vine. One
with a clash. He may be Lord of callnot see the ugly brown hulk, unthe
Forest, but I am King
Storm!"
of t h ~ less one should happen to pull Back
the ivy vine. And the little ivy re- ,
And so it was that the dark clouds mains faithful-growing and thrivlng.
begau to gather. The wind came up clinging closer when the storins come
and roared furiously. It lashed and and the King of Storms has never
whipped the trees in the forest, but been able to tear her loose.