42 Nature Myths and Stories.

They soon missed the strong steady hand of their
master.

Up, up they went, far into the sky, above the stars,
and then plunged downward toward the earth.

The clouds smoked, the mountain tops caught
fire, many rivers dried up and whole countries
became deserts.

Great cities were burning, and even Poseidon
cried out in terror from the sea.

Then the people on earth learned with what great
wisdom the path of the sun was planned.

Helios saw that the whole world,would soon be
on fire, and cried to father Zeus to save the earth
from the flames.

Zeus searched all the heavens for clouds and
hurled his thunderbolts from the sky. .

Phaethon fell from the chariot, down, down into
a Clear river.

The naiads cooled his burning brow, and gently
sang him to sleep.

His sisterscame to the banks of the river and wept.

That they might be always near Phaethon, Zeus,
in pity changed them into poplar trees, and their
tears became clear amber as they fell into the water.

At last the tired horses became quiet, and the
great car rolled slowly back into its old path.

But the deserts and barren mountain tops still
tell the story of the day Phaethon tried to drive the
chariot of the sun.