A Book for Kids | Page 5

was going to cry--he looked so miserable and
so lonely.
"Cheer up!" said the big Blue-gum.
But the Little Red House couldn't say a word.
Presently the big Blue-gum groaned loudly.
"Oo! Ah! Ah! Golly!" groaned the Blue-gum in a strange voice.
"I beg your pardon? said the Little Red House.
"Oh, I have a nasty sharp pain in my side," said the Blue-gum. "I do
hope and trust it isn't white-ants. It would be simply horrible, if it were.

Fancy getting white-ants at my time of life! Here I have lived on this
mountain, tree and sapling, for over a hundred years; and to think those
nasty, white, flabby little things should get me at last is
horrible--horrible!"
"I am sorry," said the Little Red House. "I'm afraid I've been very
selfish, too. I was forgetting that everyone has troubles of his own; but
I hope it isn't so bad as you fear."
"It is bad enough," groaned the Blue-gum. "Ow! There it is again. I'm
afraid it IS white-ants. I can feel the wretched little things nipping."
But the Little Red House hardly heard him. He was thinking again of
his own troubles.
So they stood all through that day, saying very little to each other.
Rabbits came and played about the Little Red House, and lizards ran
over his door-step, and once a big wallaby went flopping right past the
front gate. But the Little Red House paid no attention. He was too busy
thinking of his loneliness.
Birds came and perched in the branches of the big Blue-gum, and
chattered and sang to him, trying to tell him the news of other trees on
distant mountains. But the big Blue-gum took no notice. He was too
busy thinking about white-ants.
So the sun sank low behind the Little House, and the shadow of the tall
Blue-gum began to creep down the mountain and get longer and longer.
Just as it was growing dark, the big Blue-gum said Suddenly, "It
certainly looks more like rain than ever. The heavy clouds have been
gathering all day, and we shall get it properly to-night."
But the rain did not come that night, nor the next day, nor for two days
and nights. And all this while the Little Red House and the Big
Blue-gum remained silent and miserable--one through loneliness, the
other through white-ants.

But on the evening of the third day the big Blue-gum said, "The rain
will come to-night for certain. I know by the feel of the air."
"Let it come!" said the Little Red House. "I don't care. I couldn't be
more miserable than I am."
Just as he said that, one great rain-drop fell right on the middle of his
roof--Plop!
"It's coming already," cried the Blue-gum, "and it's going to pour."
Then three more big drops fell--Plop! Plop! Plop!
"I have never in my life seen such big rain-drops," said the Blue-gum.
"I've lived on this mountain, tree and sapling, for--"
But--Crash! came rain before he could finish; and in two seconds
everything was sopping wet. The noise of it was deafening,
"Why, it's a cloud-burst!" shouted the Blue-gum. "Half of my leaves
have been stripped off already." Then he peered through the rain and
the dark to see how the Little Red House was taking it. "Why, what's
the matter with your face?" he cried. "You look awful."
"I'm crying!" sobbed the Little Red House. "That's all--just crying.
"Can't you see the tears?"
"Nonsense!" said the Blue-gum. "Those are not tears. It's just the
rain-water running off your window-sills."
"I tell you I'm crying!" wailed the Little Red House. "I'm crying bitterly.
I should know, shouldn't I? I'm shivering and crying because I'm cold
and lonely and miserable."
"Oh, very well," agreed the Blue-gum. "You are crying. But if this rain
doesn't stop soon, you'll cry the front path away. It certainly is wet."
Very late that night the rain eased a little and then stopped altogether.
The tears ceased to run from the eyes of the Little Red House , and they

now came only in drops, slower and slower, falling into the great pool
by the front door.
"It's a hard world!" sobbed the Little Red House, squeezing out another
tear.
"Listen!" cried the Big Blue-gum. "Do you hear THAT?"
From far away on the distant ranges came a dull, moaning sound. As
they listened it grew louder, and right in the middle of of it came
another sound--Thump!
"That's wind," said the Blue-gum; "and a big wind, too."
"Let it come!" sighed the Little Red House. "I couldn't be more
miserable than I am."
As he spoke, the moaning grew louder, and there were three or four
quite big thumps one after another.
"What's that thumping?" asked the little House.
"Those are