Childs Story Garden | Page 6

beautiful mellow light. The grand old organ softly and
clearly sent forth its tones, each one growing richer, deeper and sweeter,
and gradually the voices of the choir boys and the tones of the organ
filled the old church with such beautiful music that little Hans's heart
seemed to bound within him, and his whole soul was enraptured, while
there shone from his face a radiance that only a divine inspiration could
bring forth.
At length, after the people had sung, each one knelt and offered
thanksgiving to the Heavenly Father, little Hans, too, knelt and offered
thanks for the blessings which he had received during that year, and for
the tender care of the Father of all.
The people then quietly passed out of the warm church into the cold of
the night. Hans was the last one out, and as he carefully made his way
down the icy steps he noticed a little boy no larger than himself sitting
on the steps, with his head resting against the church. He was fast
asleep. His face was beautiful, and seemed clothed in a golden light.
Beside him, tied in a cloth, were a square, a hammer, a saw and other
tools of a carpenter. He had neither shoes nor stockings on his feet,
although his clothing was spotless and of the purest white. It grieved
Hans that the child should have no shoes, not even one to place for the
Christ-child to fill with gifts.
Hans stooped and took from his right foot the wooden shoe and placed
it in front of the sleeping child, so that the Christ-child would not pass
him by. Hans then limped along on the ice and snow, not feeling how
cold it was, but only thinking of the poor child asleep out in the cold.
The other boys were talking of the good things awaiting them at home,
of the feasts, the plum pudding, the Christmas trees, and the many
drums, wagons and blocks the Christ-child would put in their shoes that
night.

When Hans arrived home he found his aunt awaiting him, and when
she saw that he had only one shoe, and he had told her all about the
other one, she was very angry with him, and sent him to bed. Hans
placed the wooden shoe from his left foot at the fireside, hoping that
the Christ-child would remember him as he passed by.
The first sunbeam that crept into Hans's bedroom and kissed him the
next morning awoke him, and he bounded downstairs, and flew to the
great open fireplace to find his shoe.
Hans rubbed his eyes and caught his breath, for, to his great surprise,
there were both of his wooden shoes, filled with beautiful toys; by the
fireside he found warm clothing and many other things to make him
comfortable and happy.
Hearing loud voices, Hans went to the door. The people were standing
in a crowd about the priest, who was talking to them. He told Hans that
where he had seen the child asleep on the church steps there was now
in the window above a beautiful crown set with precious jewels. He
said that the child was the Christ-child, whom the Heavenly Father had
again sent among men on earth for that night, and that it was He with
whom Hans had shared his wooden shoes.
The people bowed themselves before that miracle that the good God
had seen fit to work, to reward the faith and charity of a child.
Francois Coppee, [Adapted]

THE MYTH OF ARACHNE
A long time ago there lived a maiden whose name was Arachne. She
could weave the most beautiful fabrics that people had ever seen. She
chose the most exquisite colors. They were the colors that were found
in the flowers, the green of the trees and grass, and the varied, dainty
tints and shades from the blue sky and its gorgeous sunsets.
People had said that Arachne learned to weave from the birds, although
some of them thought that Arachne had been taught to weave by the
goddess Athena. When Arachne heard that the people thought that
Athena had taught her to weave she became very angry. She declared
that Athena had not taught her to weave; that no one had taught her.
She said she would compete with the goddess Athena in weaving. The
goddess Athena was a noble goddess. She was the Goddess of Wisdom,
and of all the Arts and Crafts. When she heard what Arachne had

declared she said: "It is very wrong that Arachne should be so proud
and envious. I will go to see her."
The goddess Athena disguised herself in humble apparel and visited
Arachne. She talked with her about her weaving, and still Arachne
boasted of the wonderful