THE JOURNEY OF A DROP OF WATER
Showing how each single drop plays its part in making the earth fruitful.
In a tiny spring at the foot of a green mossy hill, a merry drop of water once decided to take a journey. “Good-by!” it called to the others, and away it ran, faster and faster until it came to a brook.
Here it had the merriest time running over the shining pebbles, and joining its song to the brook’s as it wound in and out through the forest. It saw the tiny fishes darting here and there, and the dragon flies above. Sometimes the cows came for a long cool drink, and once it passed some children playing on the bank.
It helped to carry the paper sail boats far down the stream, and just as it was thinking how much it would like to turn back to play with the children, the little brook emptied into the river.
Now, it was not so pleasant here for the little drop of water. The river ran too fast and there was not much room to turn about. You see the river had much work to do.
Big boats had to be carried from place to place, and the wheels of the factories had to be turned, and there were many logs to be carried from the timber forests to the saw mills, where there were still other wheels to turn. The river was a very busy place indeed, and every drop had to work.
“Oh, river!” the little drop cried, “please wait for me!” But on the river ran, and by and by the little drop of water was carried into the sea. Here the big waves rolled and tumbled over each other. Farther and farther out it was carried with never a moment to rest. The little drop of water thought the waves were very rough indeed, and wondered if they were never still.
After a while it saw a sunbeam. “Now is my chance,” it thought; “what fun it will be to climb up to the land where the Sun King lives. Good-by, old Ocean; you may roll on without me,” and up and up it climbed until it was too tired to go any higher. Then suddenly it fell off into a cloud and floated through the sky.
After a while the cloud melted and down, down fell the little drop. It was not alone, for hundreds of little raindrops were falling with it. It fell right into the tender leaves of a stalk of corn that was growing in the field. The corn was so grateful that he drank the little drop of water, and let it go down on to its very roots.