catkins, but very small, like a bud. The bud spreads into a little
branchlet and bears the flowers at the tip. The calyx is not seen at
first; it is a mere membrane covering the ovary. By degrees the ovary
swells into the acorn and the membrane becomes part of the shell."

"I like acorns," said little Edith, "they're so nice to play with."

"But they're not nice to eat," said Clara.

[Illustration: SQUIRREL AND ACORN]

"Some animals think they are," continued Miss Harson. "If you should
come here in October, you would find the squirrels feasting on them. In
old times in England the oaks were valued highly on account of their
acorns, and great herds of swine were driven into the forests to feed
upon them. In the time of the Saxons a crop of acorns often formed a
part of the dowry bestowed upon the Saxon queens, and the king himself
would be glad to accept a gift or grant of acorns; and the failure of
the crop would be considered as a kind of famine. In those days laws
were made to protect the oaks from being felled or injured, and a man
who cut down a tree under the shadow of which thirty hogs could stand
was fined three pounds. The herds of swine were placed under the care of
a swineherd, whose sole employment was to keep them together, and they
formed a staple part of the riches of the country. But when the Norman
kings began to rule, they brought with them a passionate love of hunting
and took possession of the forests as preserves for their favorite
sport. The herds of swine were forbidden to roam about as heretofore,
and their owners were reduced to poverty in consequence."

"Wasn't that wicked, Miss Harson?" asked Malcolm.