"I am sure I don't know," said the queen crossly.
Well, the king thought and thought, and at last he hit upon a beautiful plan. He sent to all parts of Spain to buy almond trees to plant. The almond tree has a lovely pink-white blossom, you know.
When the next spring arrived, thousands of these almond trees came into bloom on all the hills around the town. At a distance, the hills looked as if they were covered with white snow.
For once the discontented queen was delighted. She could now keep saying a nice "Thank you" to the king for all the trouble he had taken to please her. And suddenly it seemed to the king as if a black speck in the queen's heart had been washed away and so they lived happy ever afterwards.
THE BOY WHO HATED TREES
Alice L. Beckwith
"Good night, Dick. Remember, now, to wake up with the robins so that you may be ready to help me set out our new trees."
"Good night," answered Dick in a sulky tone, for Dick was cross.
"Trees, trees, trees!" he mumbled to himself, as he began to undress. "I'm so sick of hearing about trees. And now father has bought some old twigs to set out to-morrow, and I want to go fishing.
"I wish I lived in a land where there were no trees. We could get along well enough without them." And with this thought he jumped into bed.
Dick had been asleep perhaps an hour or more when he heard a queer, rustling noise, and then a voice called out: "Here he is—the boy who hates trees!"