How beautiful everything was! Many an old dame cameforth from her door into the sunshine, and shuffled about with greatdelight, glancing at the golden flowers which glittered everywherein the fields, as they used to do in her young days. The world grewyoung again to her, as she said, "It is a blessed time out hereto-day." The forest already wore its dress of dark-green buds. Thethyme blossomed in fresh fragrance. Primroses and anemones sprungforth, and violets bloomed in the shade, while every blade of grasswas full of strength and sap. Who could resist sitting down on sucha beautiful carpet? and then the young children of Spring seatedthemselves, holding each other's hands, and sang, and laughed, andgrew. A gentle rain fell upon them from the sky, but they did notnotice it, for the rain-drops were their own tears of joy. They kissedeach other, and were betrothed; and in the same moment the buds of thetrees unfolded, and when the sun rose, the forest was green. Hand inhand the two wandered beneath the fresh pendant canopy of foliage,while the sun's rays gleamed through the opening of the shade, inchanging and varied colors. The delicate young leaves filled the airwith refreshing odor. Merrily rippled the clear brooks and rivuletsbetween the green, velvety rushes, and over the many-colored pebblesbeneath. All nature spoke of abundance and plenty. The cuckoo sang,and the lark carolled, for it was now beautiful spring. The carefulwillows had, however, covered their blossoms with woolly gloves; andthis carefulness is rather tedious. Days and weeks went by, and theheat increased. Warm air waved the corn as it grew golden in thesun. The white northern lily spread its large green leaves over theglossy mirror of the woodland lake, and the fishes sought theshadows beneath them. In a sheltered part of the wood, the sun shoneupon the walls of a farm-house, brightening the blooming roses, andripening the black juicy berries, which hung on the loadedcherry-trees, with his hot beams. Here sat the lovely wife ofSummer, the same whom we have seen as a child and a bride; her eyeswere fixed on dark gathering clouds, which in wavy outlines of blackand indigo were piling themselves up like mountains, higher andhigher. They came from every side, always increasing like a rising,rolling sea. Then they swooped towards the forest, where every soundhad been silenced as if by magic, every breath hushed, every birdmute. All nature stood still in grave suspense. But in the lanes andthe highways, passengers on foot or in carriages were hurrying to finda place of shelter. Then came a flash of light, as if the sun hadrushed forth from the sky, flaming, burning, all-devouring, anddarkness returned amid a rolling crash of thunder. The rain poureddown in streams,- now there was darkness, then blinding light,- nowthrilling silence, then deafening din. The young brown reeds on themoor waved to and fro in feathery billows; the forest boughs werehidden in a watery mist, and still light and darkness followed eachother, still came the silence after the roar, while the corn and theblades of grass lay beaten down and swamped, so that it seemedimpossible they could ever raise themselves again. But after a whilethe rain began to fall gently, the sun's rays pierced the clouds,and the water-drops glittered like pearls on leaf and stem. Thebirds sang, the fishes leaped up to the surface of the water, thegnats danced in the sunshine, and yonder, on a rock by the heavingsalt sea, sat Summer himself, a strong man with sturdy limbs and long,dripping hair. Strengthened by the cool bath, he sat in the warmsunshine, while all around him renewed nature bloomed strong,luxuriant, and beautiful: it was summer, warm, lovely summer. Sweetand pleasant was the fragrance wafted from the clover-field, where thebees swarmed round the ruined tower, the bramble twined itself overthe old altar, which, washed by the rain, glittered in the sunshine;and thither flew the queen bee with her swarm, and prepared wax andhoney. But Summer and his bosom-wife saw it with different eyes, tothem the altar-table was covered with the offerings of nature. Theevening sky shone like gold, no church dome could ever gleam sobrightly, and between the golden evening and the blushing morningthere was moonlight. It was indeed summer. And days and weekspassed, the bright scythes of the reapers glittered in thecorn-fields, the branches of the apple-trees bent low, heavy withthe red and golden fruit. The hop, hanging in clusters, filled the airwith sweet fragrance, and beneath the hazel-bushes, where the nutshung in great bunches, rested a man and a woman- Summer and hisgrave consort.
  "See," she exclaimed, "what wealth, what blessings surround us.Everything is home-like and good, and yet, I know not why, I longfor rest and peace; I can scarcely express what I feel. They arealready ploughing the fields again; more and more the people wishfor gain. See, the storks are flocking together, and following theplough at a short distance. They are the birds from Egypt, who carriedus through the air. Do you remember how we came as children to thisland of the north; we brought with us flowers and bright sunshine, andgreen to the forests, but the wind has been rough with them, andthey are now become dark and brown, like the trees of the south, butthey do not, like them, bear golden fruit."
  "Do you wish to see golden fruit?"