THE VOICE OF THE WOOD
IT was getting dusky in the woods when the little party started
reluctantly for home. The birds were already chattering their good
nights before preparing for sleep and a belated squirrel or two looked
inquisitively down at them.
Now and then one of the children found berries that tempted even Helena
to linger.
"I did not know there were so many yet," she remarked. "I must ask
father to beg the forester to let me come soon again for them alone. Of
course I shall take you all."
As the trees grew a little more scattered, Ruzena, who had been walking
lost in thought, now raised her head.
"Old Susanna," she said, "told me once that the trees talk, but I don't
believe it."
"It's not the trees," said Jozef quickly, "but the spirit of the woods
who answers when you call to him."
Putting his hand to his mouth, he shouted: "O-ho! O-ho!" And from
somewhere came the answer "O-ho! O-ho!"
All the children looked back.
"Let me try," said Helena, smiling. Then she shouted: "_Dobrou noc!_
_Dobrou noc!_ Good night! Good night!"
"_Dobrou noc!_ Good night!" came back as before.
"It's a mocking spirit," said Marouska, walking as close to Helena as
she could.
"It's only the Echo Spirit," returned Helena, laughing.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" was returned from the woods so clearly that Marouska
seized Helena by the hand.
They had reached the edge of the forest. It was still day outside and
Marouska soon forgot that she had almost been really afraid.
She remembered it, however, the next day when a heavy summer shower
came with lightning and thunder.
"I wonder what the spirit does when it rains," she said to herself.
She thought of the birds and squirrels that she had seen. Would the
storm hurt them? She asked her father when he came home after it was
all over. He smiled and said:
"I have to see Zerzan, the forester, about something. You can go with
me to see if any birds are left."
How beautiful the wood looked when they reached it! Every leaf
sparkled, while the birds sang far more than on the day before,
Marouska thought.
"You see," said her father, "that all nature sometimes likes a bath."
"And the spirit of the wood, did he also like it?" inquired Marouska
with some timidity. Then she told her father about the voice that had
answered their call.
"That's the Echo," said her father, and whether it was because he could
not explain it, or whether it was because the forester just then met
them, he made no further explanations. Thus it came about that Marouska
kept her bewildered first impressions for many a day after.