TALES OF THE ORANGE AND LEMON DOLLS
Mr. Cinnamon Stick bade them be quiet, and Orange began her story.
“We come from about the same parts of the world; watch and you will see where.”
The eyes of the audience followed the pair as they heeled and toed over the globe, touching daintily Italy, Spain, Portugal, Florida, and California.
“The California orange is liked best because it has no seeds. It is a deep orange colour with a thick skin.
“The Florida orange is a shade lighter and has a thinner skin.
“We also grow in Mexico—here—but the Mexican orange cannot be shipped because it will not keep. It is sweet and delicious, however, and much loved by the natives.
“One wonderful thing about the orange tree is that at the same time, on the same tree, you will find the buds, blossoms, the green and ripe fruit, because they grow slowly. Also the grape fruit is sometimes grafted on our trees. There are oranges that will hang on the trees for two years, so they can be picked at any time, which is most convenient.
“The trees stand about twenty-three feet apart and must not be chilled for it hurts the buds. When a cold snap comes, the owners build fires here and there in the orange groves and keep them all snug and warm. They must watch the weather reports very closely, as in a short time the cold might ruin the orange crop.
“One thousand oranges have been taken from one tree. When the tree is no longer fruitful, its hard, fine-grained, yellowish wood is valued for inlaid work.
“The orange was first found in India, then spread to Western Asia, Spain, Italy, and is now grown in all tropical lands.
“Now, Lemon may tell us about herself, as that is all I know.”
“I also am from Spain, and all those countries we touched,” said the Lemon Doll.
“I grew on a tree with three thousand in the family.
“We are picked green because then we keep better and the skins are thinner. If we are left in our tree house until grown to full size our skins are thick, and we are sent to England, where we are sugared and dried and named sugared lemon peel.
“We don’t sound like much, but when you see us in heaps and piles in the groceries, and see the lot of money we bring in to the owners, you find we are quite worth while, for we are shipped all over the world, and wherever you are you will usually find us on the table, if you find no other fruit.”
“Right you are, my dears. You are both a most important food, and we are glad we met up with you,” cried Cinnamon Stick.
“And now I’m going to wish again for the Story Sprite. I want a Christmas story.”
“Oh, joy!” exclaimed the audience, rapturously beaming upon the Story Sprite, who sprang from the back log at the magic word “wish,” singing gaily:
“And a Christmas story you shall have. Here is my favourite one. It is called