ugh the earth were a brighter and
sweeter place to live in than it had been before his coming.

In a mountain village beyond the Vale of Tempe, there lived a beautiful
lady named Coronis. When Apollo saw her, he loved her and made her his
wife; and for a long time the two lived together, and were happy. By and
by a babe was born to them,--a boy with the most wonderful eyes that
anybody ever saw,--and they named him AEsculapius. Then the mountains and
the woods were filled with the music of Apollo's lyre, and even the
Mighty Folk on the mountain top were glad.

One day Apollo left Coronis and her child, and went on a journey to
visit his favorite home on Mount Parnassus.

"I shall hear from you every day," he said at parting. "The crow will
fly swiftly every morning to Parnassus, and tell me whether you and the
child are well, and what you are doing while I am away."

For Apollo had a pet crow which was very wise, and could talk. The bird
was not black, like the crows which you have seen, but as white as snow.
Men say that all crows were white until that time, but I doubt whether
anybody knows.

Apollo's crow was a great tattler, and did not always tell the truth. It
would see the beginning of something, and then, without waiting to know
anything more about it, would hurry off and make up a great story about
it. But there was no one else to carry news from Coronis to Apollo; for,
as you know, there were no postmen in those days, and there was not a
telegraph wire in the whole world.

All went well for several days. Every morning the white bird would wing
its way over hills and plains and rivers and forests until it found
Apollo, either in the groves on the top of Parnassus or in his own house
at Delphi. Then it would alight upon his shoulder and say, "Coronis is
well! Coronis is well!"

One day, however, it had a different story. It came much earlier than
ever before, and seemed to be in great haste.

"Cor--Cor--Cor!" it cried; but it was so out of breath that it could not
speak her whole name.

"What is the matter?" cried Apollo, in alarm. "Has anything happened to
Coronis? Speak! Tell me the truth!"

"She does not love you! she does not love you!" cried the crow. "I saw a
man--I saw a man,--" and then, without stopping to take breath, or to
finish the story, it flew up into the air, and hurried homeward again.

Apollo, who had always been so wise, was now almost as foolish as his
crow. He fancied that Coro