Winter and Spring

Winter one day mocked Spring and heaped reproaches on it. As soon as it appeared, no one stayed at rest any longer; one went off to the meadows or the woods, delighting in gathering flowers, lilies and roses, in turning them before his eyes and putting them in his hair; another took ship and, as chance offered, crossed the sea to go and see other people; no one took any more heed of the winds or the heavy downpours. "As for me," Winter added, "I am like a chief and an absolute monarch. I insist that people turn their eyes, not to the sky, but down to the earth, and I force them to fear and tremble, and sometimes to resign themselves to staying indoors all day long." "That is precisely why," replied Spring, "people are glad to be rid of your presence. Of me, on the contrary, the very name seems fair to them, the fairest, by Zeus, of all names. And so, when I have gone, they keep my memory, and, as soon as I appear, they are full of joy."