Oh, the surprise that waited for Rudolph inside the apple! There was a
star, and in each point of the star lay a small black seed. Rudolph
carefully took out all the seeds and climbed over the orchard wall,
holding them in his hand. The earth in the orchard was still soft, for
the frost had not yet come. Rudolph made holes in the earth and in
each hole he dropped an apple seed. Then he covered up the seeds and
climbed back over the wall to eat his apple, and then go on his way.

But as Rudolph walked down the lane, the orchard wind followed him,
singing to him from every tree and bush,

"A planted seed is a treasure won.
The work of the apple is now well done."

THE HORN OF PLENTY

Deianira was one of the most beautiful of princesses who lived in the
long ago times of the Greek gods and goddesses. It seemed as if all
the loveliness of the world in this, its story time, was hers. Her
hair was bright with the yellow of the first spring sunshine, and her
eyes were as blue as the skies of spring. Summer had touched
Deianira's cheeks with the pink of rose petals, and the colors of the
autumn fruits shone in her jewels, crimson, and purple, and gold. Her
robes were as white and sparkling as the snows of winter, and all the
music of soft winds, and bird songs, and rippling brooks was in this
princess' voice.

Because of her beauty, and her goodness which even surpassed it,
princes came from all over the earth to ask Deianira's father, AEneus,
if she might go home to their kingdoms and be their queen. But to all
these AEneus replied that to none but the strongest would he give the
princess.

There were many tests of these strangers' skill and strength in games
and wrestling, but one by one they failed. At last there were only two
left, Hercules, who could hold the sky on his great shoulders, and
Acheloues, the river-god, who could twist and twine through the fields
and make them fertile. Each thought himself the greater of the two,
and it lay between them which should gain the princess, by his
prowess, to be his queen.

Hercules was great of limb, and of powerful strength. Beneath his
shaggy eyebrows, his eyes gleamed like coals of fire. His garment was
of lion skins, and his staff was a young tree. But Acheloues was able
to slip between the huge fingers of Hercules. He was as slim and
graceful as a willow tree, and dressed in the green of foliage. He
wore a crown of water lilies on his fair hair, and