The Magic Speech Flower / or Little Luke and His Animal Friends

mily lived in a beautiful country in the distant north. In that country it

eenland, had mentioned it, but the people of the Summer Land did

is coming, winter is coming.' But nobody understood and nobody cared.

half of the year was cooler than the other half. The first time this happened they d

ooler. And so it went on for some years, each win

f the sun. Out of its gray bosom there came floating to earth a whole f

m and thought that they must be some new kind of winged creatures. 'What a lot of

ng of an eye all the snowflakes were gone. 'Strange, strange!' thought the pe

s happened again and again, and the people of the Summer Land began to understand what win

consider the matter. After much talk they decided to send a messenger to the Master of Life, who lived far away among the we

il at last he reached the lodge of t

moons I will come to visit you. Summon all the people of the Summe

le of the Summer Land had assembled, he spoke to them and said, 'I

shall be summer and winter in this land. Half the y

st leave this land and journey far away to the south, to another country where summer always reigns. But when the snow mel

n with it and dwell in your own home un

nd heard this, some were glad, so

ve our pleasant homes on account of winter?

b Lincoln family, obeying the command of the Master of Life, s

m was the great, salt sea. But far on to the southward, t

island until they reached another great land like the home they had left behind them. In it there were vast meadows and forests, mountains and rivers. In that la

the Summer Land, the Bob Lincolns retu

nd white clothes like mine. But, as you see, thi

wks and the eagles would swoop upon them and kill them. If they sat upon the ground, the weazels and the minks, the wildcats and other four-footed prowlers, would pounce upon them an

what it was best to do. When they were all assembled together, they tal

tand that the cause of all your trouble is your love of fine clothes. Your black and white uniforms are very beautiful, but they are too c

llow. When you sit upon the ground you shall look like the dry, brown grass, and when you fly through the air your enemies shall not

te uniforms and sorrowed at the thought of parting with them. So they humbly begged the Master o

ies? Is it when you are dwelling in your old northern home, or when you are dwelling in

e, all the male Bob Lincolns may wear their black and white garments. Nevertheless t

with tending your nests and rearing your young ones. If they should wear your gay black and white garm

atch, little boy, for a month or so, you will see me put off my black and white suit for one just like Mrs. Bob Lincoln's. Then you wil

ed his story, "it's time for me to be off t

pleasant story. The little boy sat quietly for a while under the