Let the sun bless me, soft-ly ca-

ress me; Let rain-drops pat-ter,

wind, my leaves scat-ter. My root must grow

long-er, my heart must grow stronger.

"Root, grow thou longer,
Heart, be thou stronger;
Let the sun bless me,
Softly caress me;
Let raindrops patter,
Wind, my leaves scatter.
My root must grow longer,
My heart must grow stronger."

And one day, when he was singing this song to himself, some birds
fluttered near, pleased with the music, and as he seemed kind they
began to build their nest in his branches,

Then what a proud Fir-tree, that the birds should choose him to take
care of them! He would not play now with the wind as it came
frolicking by, but stood straight, that he might not shake the pretty
soft nest. And when the eggs were laid at last, all his leaves stroked
each other for joy, and the noise they made was so sweet that the
mother-tree bent over to see why he was so happy.

The mother-bird sat patiently on the nest all day, and when, now and
then, she flew away to rest her tired little legs, the father-bird