Softly and soundly he slept till the rosy morning clouds stood upon
the mountain, and announced the coming of their lord, the sun. But
as soon as the tidings spread over field and wood, the thousand-
voiced echo awoke, and sleep was no more to be thought of.

And soon did the royal sun himself arise; at first his dazzling
diadem alone appeared above the mountains; at length he stood upon
their summit in the full majesty of his beauty, in all the charms of
eternal youth, bright and glorious, his kindly glance embracing
every creature of earth, from the stately oak to the blade of grass
bending under the foot of the wayfaring man. Then arose from every
breast, from every throat, the joyous song of praise; and it was as
if the whole plain and wood were become a temple, whose roof was the
heaven, whose altar the mountain, whose congregation all creatures,
whose priest the sun.

But the Child walked forth and was glad, for the birds sang sweetly,
and it seemed to him as if everything sported and danced out of mere
joy to be alive. Here flew two finches through the thicket, and,
twittering, pursued each other; there, the young buds burst asunder,
and the tender leaves peeped out and expanded themselves in the warm
sun, as if they would abide in his glance for ever; here, a dewdrop
trembled, sparkling and twinkling on a blade of grass, and knew not
that beneath him stood a little moss who was thirsting after him;
there, troops of flies flew aloft, as if they would soar far, far
over the wood: and so all was life and motion, and the Child's
heart joyed to see it.