where--plowing deep furrows in
the sides of the mountains, grinding the pebbles and sand into fine
soil, and carrying it into the valleys below.

LESSON XXII.

WATERDROP'S STORY.

Patter, patter, fall the raindrops on the brown leaves in the woods. Mr.
Squirrel's bright eyes sparkle as he peeps out of his queer little home,
a hole in the tree; his store of nuts has been carefully hidden away.

Splash comes a drop on a leaf just opposite him. Such a friendly little
drop it is, for soon it tells this little woodland dweller of all its
travels.

Let us listen, for we may hear too:

"My home," began the Waterdrop, "is in the wide blue sea, where I live
with many, many other drops.

"One day as we rode up and down on the big waves, the sun shone down on
us, and we grew warmer. Each little drop felt, 'Oh, if I could only get
away from the other drops, how much cooler I should be!' Then each tiny
drop separated from the others, and grew so small you could not see it.

"We, of course, grew lighter, lighter than the air. Up, up we rose into
the bright blue sky. When we got pretty high, where the air was cool, we
came closer together again and formed a great fleecy white _cloud_, that
cast its shadow over everything. Then a friendly wind carried us along,
and soon we left the sea behind. Far below; we could see green fields
and waving woods."

"You must have been very happy" said the little squirrel.

"Yes; it was a merry life we led, as we floated hither and thither,
playing with the sun-beams," replied the Waterdrop.

"But we came at last to a purple mountain, and a chill wind began to
blow. How we shivered with the cold! Then we huddled close together to
get warm. We were now heavy again--so heavy that we could not stay up in
the air.

"Then,

'I'm going down to cheer a flower,'
Cried a little drop of rain;
'I hear it sigh. It droops its head
As if in weary pain.'

'And I will go!' 'And I!' 'And I!'
Cried all the raindrops near.
So down we went in merry haste
The whole wide field to cheer.

"The drooping flowers lifted their bright faces to thank the little
drops for the cool drink. Even the great tall trees nodded their heads
in welcome."

"The grass on the hillside and in the valley must have been grateful,
too, for your coming," said the squirrel. "It always looks so fresh and
green after a shower. But, tell me, what became of _you_?"

"I fell where the ground was brow