n.

The only one who did not join in was the oak. He was distrustful by
nature and nothing would persuade him to come out until he saw that all
the others were green. Therefore he stood and peered from one to the
other and therefore he was the first to discover what was happening to
the willow-tree:

"Look! Look!" he cried.

They all looked across and saw that the willow-tree was standing with
quite a lot of charming, green, long, lithe twigs, which shot straight
up and waved their green and pretty leaves. All the twigs stood in a
circle at the top of the polled trunk and were so straight that no
poplar need have been ashamed to own them.

"What did I tell you?" said the elder-bush, who stood quite full of
dark-green leaves.

"Now I have a crown again," said the willow-tree. "Even though it's not
so smart as the old one, it's a crown, as nobody can deny."

"No," said the wild rose. "That's true enough. Besides, one can live
very happily without a crown. I have none and never had one and enjoy
just as much honour and esteem without it."

"If I may say so, one's crown is only an inconvenience," said the
elder-bush. "I had one myself once, but am much more contented since
they took it away; and I can shoot my branches as it suits me."

"That's not my way of thinking," said the willow-tree. "I am a tree; and
a tree must have a crown. If I had never got a crown, I should certainly
have died of sorrow and shame."

"There's poplar-blood in him after all," said the nearest poplar. The
others whispered their assent along the avenue.

"Let us now see what happens," said the oak.

6

The summer passed as usual. The sun shone until every living thing
prayed for rain. Then it rained until they all cried to Heaven for
sunshine.

The willow-tree, however, was not the worst off. He was easily contented
by nature. And then he was so greatly pleased with his new crown that he
thought he could manage, whatever happened.

Up in the top, in the middle of the wreath of green branches, was a hole
which had come when the keeper had chopped off the crown. The hole was
not so very small even; and, when it rained, it was full of water, which
remained for a good while after the sun had dried the ground again.

One day, a blackbird came flying and sat down up there:

"May I take a drop of water from you, you dear old Willow-Tree?" he
asked.

"With the greatest pleasure," said the willow-tree. "By the way, I am
not so very o