Many, many years ago, when the earth was young, there dwelt a mighty god of the woods and forests-god Grünwald. Grünwald's castle stood on a high mountain in Germany, surrounded by miles of dense forests.

One day, when Grünwald was out hunting he found a squirrel lying helpless on the ground. Grünwald picked it up and found that it had a broken leg. He was very kind to the squirrel and soon it became his favourite comrade. When the squirrel's leg had healed, Grünwald had become so devoted to his pet, that he did not want to lose him, and so gave orders that the massive castle gates must never be left open.

One day. however, one of the scullery maids, with her head in the clouds, forgot all about the command and left the gates open. The squirrel, seeing all the hundreds of trees surrounding the castle scampered Out of the gate’s and up into the cool green foliage.

Heartbroken Grünwald summoned all his followers to search the woods but all in vain, for the trees were so leafy that searching for a tiny squirrel seemed a hopeless task.

Grünwald summoned all his godly powers and lifting up his arms to heaven he commanded that all the trees should lose their foliage. To the astonishment of all his followers all the leaves fluttered merrily to the ground making a thick green carpet. The bare branches of the trees were silhouetted against the sky and within a few moments the pet squirrel was recaptured.

Grünwald stood in the forest a long time holding his pet, and gazing with wonder at this new tracery of trees and branches. He was so delighted with this new transformation that he decreed that once a year the trees should shed their leaves so that man, too, could share the beauty of a forest in Autumn.

ROSALINDE HACKL, I.J.

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