Nature Myths and Stories for Little Children
away went the pudding up into the air. The little giants made little balls and the older giants threw pieces as big as a house. Many pieces went over the mountains and fell down into the valley beyond. Indeed this wonderful pudding was scattered for miles over the whole land, for the giants did not stop throwing as long as there was any pudding left in the pan. When the sun had shone upon it many days and dried and hardened it, people called it pudding stone. You may find it today thrown all over the land, full of the plums which the good woman washed with the waters of many lakes. STORY OF SISYPHUS. Little White Cloud was the Ocean's daughter. The Ocean loved her and wished always to keep her near him. One day, when her father was asleep, White Cloud went out to walk alone. The Sun saw her and said, "Come, White Cloud, I am your king, I will give you a ride upon my bright rays." White Cloud had often longed for this very thing, so she went gladly, and soon found herself among the fleecy clouds in the sky. When the Ocean awoke he called his little daughter. She did not answer. He called again and again, louder and still louder, until the people said, "Listen, it is thundering!" But the Ocean only heard the echo of his own voice from the shore. He rushed high up on the beach and moaned aloud. He ran into all the caves but White Cloud could not be found. Everyone had loved White Cloud, so by this time all the water was white with the crests of the weeping sea nymphs. A great giant was sitting upon the shore near the sea. His name was Sisyphus. He felt sorry for the Ocean and said, "Listen, friend Ocean, I often watch you carrying the great ships and wish that I, too, had a great work to do. You see how dry it is on this side of the mountain. Few people come this way. You are not even now as lonely as I, yet I want to help you. Promise me that you will put a spring upon this mountainside, where all the tired and thirsty people may drink, and I'll tell you where White Cloud is." The Ocean said, "I cannot put a spring upon the mountain, but if you will follow my son, River, he will take you to a spring where he was born." The giant told the Ocean how the Sun ran away with White Cloud. The Sun heard him and was angry. He placed Sisyphus in the sea saying, "You are far too strong to sit idly here upon the shore. You say you want a great work to do; you shall have it. You shall forever use your strength to push these stones upon the shore, and they shall forever roll back upon you." The giant began his work at once, and has worked faithfully every day since that time. Many people do not yet know what his work is. Do you? Do you know what Sisyphus is making? THE PALACE OF ALKINOÖS. On a high plain covered with flowers once lived good King Alkinoös and his 
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