and under the direction of Miss Hart, they danced round the May-pole,
weaving the ribbons in and out. It was a complicated matter at first, but
they soon learned how, and wove and unwove the ribbons many times without
getting tangled once. As they danced, they sang a little May song that
Miss Hart had taught them, and as they danced faster and faster it became
a frolic rather than a dignified rite.

At last, all out of breath they dropped on the grass, and begged Miss
Hart to tell them a story.

"I'll tell you of the origin of the May-day celebrations," she said.
"May-day has been a festival since very ancient times. Its reason for
being is the natural feeling that comes to every one at the glad spring
time. When Nature breaks out into new life and beauty, our hearts feel a
sympathetic gladness, and a celebration of the spring is the natural
outcome. The most primitive people felt this inclination, and they used
to gather the flowers that bloomed in profusion about them, set them up,
and to pay them a sort of homage, expressed in dance and song. The old
Romans had what they called Floralia, or Floral Games, which began on the
twenty-eighth of April, and lasted several days. Later in England, and
especially in the Middle Ages, it was the custom for people of all ranks,
even the Court itself, to go out early in the morning on the first of May
and gather flowers. Especially did they gather hawthorn, and huge
branches of this flower were brought home about sunrise, with
accompaniments of pipe and tabor, and much joy and merriment. Then the
people decorated their houses with the flowers they had brought. And
because of this, they called this ceremony bringing Home the May, or
going A-Maying, and so the hawthorn bloom itself acquired the name of
May, and is often spoken of by that name. In those early days, the
fairest maid of the village was crowned with flowers, and called the