Part 34 (1/2)
”Hark!” he said. ”Hear the birds sing in the trees! Nature is teaching us. When Nature is teaching I listen. Nature is a greater teacher than I, or any man.”
The little school sat in silence and listened. They had never heard the birds sing in that way before. Presently there was a hush in the trees.
”Now I will begin,” said he.
_PESTALOZZI'S STORIES._
”Did you ever see a mushroom? Yes, there are mushrooms under the cool trees. Once, in the days when the plants and flowers and trees all talked--they talk now, but we have ceased to hear them, a little mushroom bowed in the winds, and said to the gra.s.s:
”'See how I grow! I came up in a single night. I am smart.'
”'Yes,' said the gra.s.s, waving gently.
”'But you,' said the smart little mushroom, 'it takes you a whole year to grow.'
”The gra.s.s was sorry that it took so long for it to grow, and hung its head, and thought, and thought.
”'But,' said the gra.s.s, 'you spring up in the night, and in a day or two you are gone. It takes me a year to grow, but I outlive a hundred crops of mushrooms. I will have patience and be content. Worth is of slow growth.'
”In a week the boastful little mushroom was gone, but the gra.s.s bloomed and bore seed, and left a lovely memory behind it. Hark! hear the breeze in the trees! Nature is teaching now. Listen!
”Now I will tell you another little story, such as I used to hear Pestalozzi relate. I am going to tell this story to myself, but you may listen. I have told a story to you, but now I will talk to myself.
”There once was a king, who had been riding in the sun, and he saw afar a lime-tree, full of cool, green leaves. Oh, how refres.h.i.+ng it looked to him! So he rode up to the lime-tree, and rested in the shadow.
”The leaves all clung to the branches, and the winds whispered among them, but did not blow them away.
”Then the king loved the tree, and he said:
”'O tree, would that my people clung to me as thy leaves do to thy branches!'
”The tree was pleased, and spoke:
”'Would you learn from me wisdom to govern thy people?'
”'Yes, O lime-tree! Speak on.'
”'Would you know, then, what makes my leaves so cling to my branches?'
”'Yes, O Lime Tree! Speak on.'
”'I carry to them the sap that nourishes them. 'Tis he that gives himself to others that lives in others, and is safe and happy himself.
Do that, and thy kingdom shall be a lime-tree.'”
A child brought into the room a bunch of harebells and laid them upon the teacher's desk.
”Look!” said Jasper, ”Nature is teaching. Let us be quiet a little and hear what she has to say. The harebells bring us good-will from the sun and skies. There is goodness everywhere, and for all. Let us be grateful.
”Now I will give you another little Pestalozzian story, told in my own way, and you may tell it to your fathers and mothers and neighbors when you go home.