A vigorous branch of a noble vine rose up above the top of the wall and said to himself:"Here
is a sphere which no other branch has taken over, a place where enlarged views and enlarged
capacity are found, where nails and wires are things of the past, and where, of course, fruit of an
extraordinary character may be expected to grow."

So the branch stretched himself higher and higher, until he was very high indeed, and he heard
the gardener say, "Well, well, his time will come."

"Yes, truly," said the branch, "my time will come, no doubt. It ought to come up here. My
brethren below will, of course, do the best they can,, but one must not expect too much of them."

"Nor," said the gardener, "must we expect too much of you."

Slowly, as it seemed to the branch, which was lonely in his elevation, the season for gathering the
grapes came around, but how great was his shame and grief to hear the gardener say, "Never
mind the top branch, it is empty."

Time passed on, and the pruning hook was brought out, and the branch said to the gardener, "Oh,
my master, can you do anything for me?"

Smiling, the gardener replied, "What! are you willing to deny yourself?"

"Yes, master," said he, "I am willing."

"So be it," he said, and instantly the lofty part of the branch was cut off and the remainder brought
down upon the wall and made fast in a sure place.

When another vintage was gathered, the gatherers looked at the humbled branch and saw nothing
but a few folded leaves. "It has not recovered its wasted strength," they said. But the gardener
himself drew near and lifted up the leaves, and behold! there hung upon it the largest, richest
cluster of all.

"Master!" said the branch, "I hid it for Thee:Thou didst prune me in Thy wisdom and bind me
in Thy love."