much care.

There is an old story told of a shepherd who, it is said, was the first
to use this drink. He noticed that after his goats had fed on the
leaves of a certain tree--the coffee plant--they were always very
lively and wakeful. So he took some of the leaves and berries of the
plant, and boiling them in water, he made a drink for himself. He
found it so pleasant to the taste that he told some of his neighbors
about it. They tried it and were as much pleased as himself. And so,
little by little, the drink came, after a while, into common use.

The coffee plant is a beautiful little tree, growing sometimes to the
height of twenty feet. It has smooth, dark leaves, long and pointed.
It has pretty, white blossoms, which grow in thick clusters close to
the branches. Its fruit looks a little like a cherry; and within it
are the coffee berries, two in each cherry.

When ripe, the red fruit turns to a deep purple and is sweet to the
taste. In Arabia the fruit is allowed to fall on mats placed under the
trees; but in other countries it is commonly gathered as soon as it is
ripe, and it is then dried by being placed on mats in the sun.

After the outside part has been removed the berries are again dried.
They are then put in sacks and boxes to be sent into other parts of the
world.




LESSON IV