not understand why his mother should not have everything she wished for.
As soon as he heard the word "dates," he began to look at the tree. He
wondered and pondered how he should get the dates. There came almost
wrinkles on his forehead under the fair locks. At last a smile passed over
his face. Now he knew what he would do. He went to the palm, stroked it
with his little hand, and said in his gentle, childish voice:

"Bend down, palm. Bend down, palm."

But what was this, what could this be? The palm-leaves rustled, as if a
hurricane rushed through them, and shudder upon shudder passed through the
tall stem. And the palm felt that the little one was the stronger. It
could not resist him.

And with its high stem it bowed down before the child, as men bow down
before princes. In a mighty arch it lowered itself towards earth, and at
last bowed so low that its great crown of trembling leaves swept the sand
of the desert.

The child did not seem to be either frightened or surprised, but with a
joyous exclamation it ran and plucked one cluster after another from the
crown of the old palm.

When the child had gathered enough, and the tree was still lying on the
earth, he again went to it, stroked it, and said in his gentlest voice:

"Arise, palm, arise."

And the great tree raised itself silently and obediently on its stem,
whilst the leaves played like harps.