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diff --git a/38063-h/38063-h.htm b/38063-h/38063-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..32144d5 --- /dev/null +++ b/38063-h/38063-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,8054 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + +<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> + +<TITLE> +The Project Gutenberg E-text of The Sun's Babies, by Edith Howes +</TITLE> + +<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.t1 {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 200%; + text-align: center } + +P.t2 {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 150%; + text-align: center } + +P.t3 {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 100%; + text-align: center } + +P.t3b {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 100%; + font-weight: bold; + text-align: center } + +P.t4 {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 80%; + text-align: center } + +P.t4b {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 80%; + font-weight: bold; + text-align: center } + +P.t5 {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 60%; + text-align: center } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; } + +P.letter {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.footnote {text-indent: 0% ; + font-size: 80%; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.finis { font-size: larger ; + text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +H4.h4center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgcenter { margin-left: auto; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: auto; } + +</STYLE> + +</HEAD> + +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sun's Babies, by Edith Howes + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Sun's Babies + +Author: Edith Howes + +Illustrator: Frank Watkins + +Release Date: November 19, 2011 [EBook #38063] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SUN'S BABIES *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + +</pre> + + +<BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-cover"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-cover.jpg" ALT="Cover art" BORDER=""> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-front"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +[Frontispiece: "'Why has your tree no flowers while ours are pink?'" (missing from book)] +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t2"> +The +</P> + +<P CLASS="t1"> +Sun's Babies +</P> + +<BR> + +<P CLASS="t2"> +By Edith Howes +</P> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +Author of "Fairy Rings,"<BR> +"Rainbow Children," etc.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t3"> +With Four Illustrations in Colour by<BR> +FRANK WATKINS<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t3"> +Cassell and Company, Ltd +</P> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne +</P> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +1913 +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +First published October 1910. +<BR> +Reprinted September and November 1911, August 1912, January 1913. +<BR><BR> +ALL RIGHTS RESERVED +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t2"> +CONTENTS<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent" STYLE="margin-left: 10%"> +<A HREF="#pxi">The Sun-Man's Babies</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p1">The Snowdrop Baby</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p3">Little Golden Heart</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p5">Dickie Codlin</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p7">The Apple Fairy</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p12">Johnny Crocus</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p15">The Daffodil Baby</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p19a">Daffodils</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p19b">Willy Wallflower</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p23">Sweet Violet</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p27">The Cherry Children</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p29">The Daisy Fairy</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p32a">My Garden</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p32b">Bed-time</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p33a">Pansy</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p33b">May Fairies</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p36">The Dragon</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p39">Gold Broom and White Broom</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p42">Kitty Crayfish's Housekeeping</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p45">The Garden Party</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p47">Bluebells</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p48a">Cowslips</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p48b">Of Royal Blood</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p52">Billybuzz the Drone</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p55">Honey</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p56">On the Hillside</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p59">The Sun's Nest</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p60">Crikitty-Crik</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p62">The Discontented Root</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p65">Creepy-Crawly</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p68">Blackie</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p71">Little Birds</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p72">The Brownies</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p75">Brave Rose-Pink</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p78">Sweet-Pea Land</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p79">Mrs. Frog, Mr. Frog, and the Little Frog</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p83">Buttercups</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p85">Spinny Spider</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p88">Spinny Spider's Children</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p92">Tinyboy</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p97">The Mosquito Babies</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p99">The Scrambler</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p102">Woollymoolly</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p105">Thistle-Mother</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p109">Sally Snail's Wanderings</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p113">Milly Mushroom</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p116">Wiggle-Waggle</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p119">The Leaf Fairies</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p122">Bunny-Boy</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p125">Love-Mother</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p128">The Hill Princess</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p136">Urchins in the Sea</A><BR> +Where White Waves Play—<BR> + (I) <A HREF="#p139">Red-Bill</A><BR> + (II) <A HREF="#p142">The Sea-Squirt who Stood on his Head</A><BR> + (III) <A HREF="#p147">Bobby Barnacle's Wanderings</A><BR> + (IV) <A HREF="#p152">Little Starfish</A><BR> + (V) <A HREF="#p156">Kelp</A><BR> + (VI) <A HREF="#p159">Black Shag</A><BR> + (VII) <A HREF="#p163">Through Days of Growth</A><BR> + (VIII) <A HREF="#p167">Fanny Flatface</A><BR> + (IX) <A HREF="#p174">The Oyster Babies</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p178">Fanny Fly</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p180">At Sunset</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p183">Summer Tears</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p184">The Wheat People</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p186">Chick-a-Pick</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p189">Chick-a-Pick's Crow</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p192">The Gorse-Mother</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p196">The Proud Paling Fence</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p200">Tail-up</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p205">The Rain-Fairy</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p208">The Disobedient Sunbeams</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p211">White-Brier</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p214">A Trip into the Country</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p217">Grey-King</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p220">The Season Fairies</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p223">Spring Story</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p226">Spring Time</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p227">Summer Story</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p230a">Summer Time</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p230b">Autumn Story</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p233a">Autumn Time</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p233b">Winter Story</A><BR> +<A HREF="#p236">Winter Time</A><BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t2"> +LIST OF PLATES +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +<A HREF="#img-front"> +"'WHY HAS YOUR TREE NO FLOWERS WHILE OURS ARE PINK?'"</A> . . . <I>Frontispiece</I> +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +<A HREF="#img-092"> +"WHEN SHE SAW TINYBOY, SHE HID HER FACE SHYLY IN HER CURLS" +</A> +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +<A HREF="#img-120"> +"IN THE WOOD THE LEAF FAIRIES WERE BUSY MAKING THEIR LEAVES" +</A> +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +<A HREF="#img-206"> +"SHE WENT TO THE AFTERNOON CLOUDS AND ASKED THEM TO PLAY WITH HER" +</A> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="pxi"></A> + +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE SUN-MAN'S BABIES<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +<I>The Moon-Man sent his stars to bed,<BR> + And turned a pitying eye<BR> +To where the Sun-Man sailed alone,<BR> + Across the eastern sky.</I><BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +<I>"Poor thing!" he said. "How sad to have<BR> + No children round your knee.<BR> +A thousand thousand stars are mine<BR> + How lonely you must be!"</I><BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +<I>The Sun-Man laughed a jolly laugh.<BR> + He pointed far below,<BR> +To where the shining busy earth<BR> + Swung golden in his glow.</I><BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +<I>"A million million babes are mine,"<BR> + He said, "on yonder earth;<BR> +My sunbeams wrap them all the day,<BR> + To me they owe their birth.</I><BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +<I>"A million million babes smile up<BR> + From dawn till day is done.<BR> +And when I say my last good-night<BR> + I kiss them every one."</I><BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p1"></A> + +<P CLASS="t2"> +THE SUN'S BABIES +</P> + +<BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE SNOWDROP BABY +</P> + +<P> +The Snowdrop Baby lay in her little cradle under the ground. Do you +know how white and smooth the Snowdrop cradle is, and how snugly the +silky sheets are tucked round the baby? +</P> + +<P> +Above the ground it was summer. The birds sang, the bees hummed, the +roses and pinks talked to one another across the beds. "What a number +of flowers are out this year!" they said. "The garden is full of +blossom." Do you know that the flowers talk? +</P> + +<P> +The Snowdrop Baby listened to it all. "I am not needed yet," she said. +She turned over and went to sleep. +</P> + +<P> +Summer passed, and autumn came. Asters and dahlias talked to one +another now, and tiger lilies bloomed in the garden. +</P> + +<P> +The Snowdrop Baby woke and listened. "My time is not yet come," she +said. She slept again. +</P> + +<P> +Winter came. Frost following frost killed all the flowers; storm after +storm blew the dead leaves away, leaving the brown stalks bare. Snow +fell, and melted. A tiny drop crept down to where the Snowdrop Baby +lay. Do you know how the water-drops creep down? +</P> + +<P> +"Your time has come," it said. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said the Baby joyfully; "I am making my white frock. Soon I +shall go up." +</P> + +<P> +Next day she was ready. She pushed her way through the soft wet earth, +and reached the top. Up yet, and up, till she hung on her green stalk +high above the ground. +</P> + +<P> +How beautiful she looked in her snowy frock! Pure white it was, except +for here and there a splash of softest green. Do you know how lovely +Snowdrop Babies are? +</P> + +<P> +She turned her face to the ground, for the sun dazzled her, and made +her shy; but a bird saw her. "A Snowdrop! A Snowdrop!" he sang. +"Spring is coming, sweet spring is coming!" Do you know how sweet +spring is? +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p3"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +LITTLE GOLDEN HEART +</P> + +<P> +A field-daisy opened her golden heart, and looked up at the blue sky. +The warm sun shone on her, and the morning wind blew softly over her; +but the daisy was afraid. "The world is so wide, and I am so small," +she sighed. "I cannot be of any use. Perhaps it would be better to +fold my petals and hide my head." +</P> + +<P> +A bee flew down and settled on the daisy. "Dear little Golden Heart, +how sweet you are!" she whispered. "How your white petals shine! +Their tips are pink, as if the wind had kissed them. Will you give me +honey and pollen to make bee bread for the babies in the hive?" +</P> + +<P> +The daisy shook with joy. "Take all I have," she said. "How glad I am +to find that I am loved and needed!" +</P> + +<P> +A lark dropped from the sky, singing a glorious song that told about +the beauty of the clouds. He saw the daisy. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear little Golden Heart, how sweet you are!" he sang, as he came +down. "How your white petals shine! Their tips are pink, as if the +wind had kissed them. Will you stay there and bloom so that my babies +peeping from their nest may watch you all the day? They love to look +at pretty, shining things." +</P> + +<P> +"Gladly, gladly!" cried the daisy. "How sweet it is to think that they +should like to look at me!" +</P> + +<P> +A little girl came tripping over the short grass. When she saw the +daisy she ran to it and knelt beside it. She touched it lovingly. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear little Golden Heart, how sweet you are!" she said. "How your +white petals shine! Their tips are pink, as if the wind had kissed +them. Will you stay here and bloom till I may bring the baby out to +see you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, how willingly!" whispered the daisy. Now her golden heart was +full of joy. +</P> + +<P> +"What a happy, happy world!" she thought. "Although it is so wide, +there is a place for me. I can be useful and give pleasure. What +could be better than that?" +</P> + +<P> +Thankfully she spread her shining petals to the sun. When night came +she folded their tips together, and hung her head, to rest till morning +light again brought happiness. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p5"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +DICKIE CODLIN +</P> + +<P> +The spring winds rocked Dickie Codlin to and fro as he lay in his +scented cradle, and the happy bees buzzed their honey song over him. +For he lay wrapped in his tiny egg-skin in the heart of an apple +blossom. Mrs. Moth had gently laid him there only a day or two before. +</P> + +<P> +The pink apple-petals loosened their hold and dropped to the ground, +and the flower closed up and grew into an apple. And Dickie Codlin +hatched himself out of his egg-skin and grew into a little caterpillar, +with a pink and white skin and ever so many fat, short legs. He still +lived on in the heart of the apple. +</P> + +<P> +It was a delightful place to have for a home, for the walls were made +of the food he liked best, and all he had to do was to turn himself +round and nibble. So he stayed there, eating and growing, till he +could not grow any bigger. Then he ate his way out to the skin. +</P> + +<P> +He stood in the entrance of the opening he had made, and looked down. +"Dear me!" he said, "it seems a long way to the ground. But I must +reach it somehow." +</P> + +<P> +He sat down on the apple and spun a silk thread, fixed it to the hole +through which he had come, and dropped by it. "Good-bye, apple-home," +he called as he went; but the apple said nothing, for its heart was +eaten out. +</P> + +<P> +When he reached the ground he hurried to the trunk of the tree, crawled +up it till he found a loose scrap of bark, and crept under this safe +hiding-place. +</P> + +<P> +"Now I am going to make my new clothes for my wedding," he said; so he +spun a little silk workroom for himself. Into this he crept, and here +he made his new clothes for his wedding. He made a brown velvet suit +and beautiful bronze-tipped wings trimmed with gold-dust. +</P> + +<P> +By and by he came out looking wonderfully neat and handsome. Off he +flew into the warm, scented air to be married to pretty Miss Codlin. +It was a splendid wedding. Everybody wore new clothes and danced in +the maze dance, and after that they had a honey feast. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p7"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE APPLE FAIRY +</P> + +<P> +She was usually a busy little fairy, but one year she grew lazy. "I am +going to take a rest," she said; "I don't see why I should work so +hard. I shall sleep all the winter and play all the summer, and the +apple-tree can take care of itself." +</P> + +<P> +She curled herself up in her snug little bed, down amongst the roots of +the apple-tree, and there she slept through the winter, creeping out +only now and again to peep and shiver at the cold, wet world outside. +No work was done in the workroom, where in other winters she had been +so busy, and so, when the spring came, and all the other apple-trees +were wreathed in sweet pink flowers, hers alone stood bare and brown. +</P> + +<P> +The bees came round the tree, buzzing their surprise and +disappointment. "Wake up, Apple Fairy!" they called. "The spring has +come, and your tree is bare. Where are our honey-cups and +pollen-bags?" The moths and early butterflies came fluttering round +the bees, for they too were anxious about the honey-cups. But the +Apple Fairy gave them no satisfaction. "Go away," she called from her +bed; "I don't care about your old honey-cups; I am going to rest." So +they had to fly away to other trees. +</P> + +<P> +The birds came next. "Why, Apple Fairy, where are your flowers?" they +chirped. "At this rate there will be no apples, and that will be a sad +loss to us, for yours were the sweetest in the garden." +</P> + +<P> +"Go away," called the Apple Fairy. "I don't care about your old +apples; I am going to rest." +</P> + +<P> +"How very strange!" said the birds to one another. "This is not like +our little Apple Fairy of other springs." They flew away to the +flowered trees to sing. +</P> + +<P> +The sun shone brightly, the air was clear and warm, and the apple +fairies came up from their workrooms for their spring dance on the +young clover-leaves. "But where is our little sister?" they asked. +They ran to her tree, only to find it bare and empty. +</P> + +<P> +"Where are you, little sister?" they called. +</P> + +<P> +She came up and stood on a branch to look at them. +</P> + +<P> +"What is the matter?" they asked. "Why has your tree no flowers, while +ours are pink? Where are your petals? Perhaps you have not yet had +time to unroll them all. Shall we help you?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, thank you," she said; "I am having a rest; there will be no apples +this year on my tree, for I have slept all the winter and am going to +play all the summer." +</P> + +<P> +The fairies looked shocked. "You mustn't do that!" they cried. "Why, +if we all did that there would be no apples at all!" +</P> + +<P> +"I don't care about the old apples," she said sulkily, and down she +went again. +</P> + +<P> +She came up a few minutes later to peep at the happy fairies dancing on +the clover, while the birds sang their gayest songs, and the crickets +played their little banjos; but she did not join them, for she felt +that they did not approve of her laziness. "Ah, well, my leaves will +soon be out, for I put the buds on last summer," she said to herself. +"When they come I shall make a swing, and swing all through the long +sunny days." +</P> + +<P> +Soon the leaves opened out. She made the swing, hung it on a branch, +and sat in it in the pleasant shade, while the other fairies polished +up the growing apples and formed the buds for the next year's leaves. +She was not really happy, but she tried to think she was. She was +rather lonely, and, somehow, it was dull when there was nothing to do. +But she did not go down to her work; she swung herself to and fro, to +and fro, till the autumn came, and the apples on the other trees were +ripe. +</P> + +<P> +One day a merry, childish voice floated through the garden: "Oh, +grandpa! it's my birthday, so I have come for an apple off your best +tree." +</P> + +<P> +Then at last the Apple Fairy hung her head, and was sorry, for her +punishment had come. Every year, on her birthday, pretty little Elsie +had been given the best apple in the garden, and every year until now +the Apple Fairy had been proud to know that it had been picked from her +tree. Now, alas! she had no apples. Elsie would be disappointed; and +she was very fond of Elsie. +</P> + +<P> +Elsie was indeed disappointed. She listened to her grandfather as he +told her how his best apple-tree had failed this year, and how he +thought he must cut it down if it did not do better next year. Then +Elsie came and stood under the tree and looked up anxiously into the +branches. "I am so sorry!" she said aloud. "I wonder if it will have +apples on next year? I do hope it will." +</P> + +<P> +"It shall! Indeed it shall!" cried the Apple Fairy. She sprang to the +end of a branch so that Elsie could see her. "I have been lazy," she +said. "I have slept all the winter and have played all the summer, but +now I shall work. You shall have apples next year. Good-bye, little +Elsie! Here is my swing." +</P> + +<P> +She took down her swing, put it into Elsie's hands, and went down to +her workroom. Elsie was so astonished at the sight of a real fairy and +a real fairy swing that she could find nothing to say; but, when she +came again the next year, the apples on her favourite tree were again +the finest in the garden, and the Apple Fairy was again busy and happy. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p12"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +JOHNNY CROCUS +</P> + +<P> +"Wake up! Wake up, little Johnny Crocus! Sit on my knee and begin to +grow." +</P> + +<P> +Johnny woke up, sat on his mother's knee, and began to grow. His +mother fed him on rich white food, and wrapped him warmly in soft +blankets, so he grew big and strong. They lived together under the +ground, in a little round house with brown walls. +</P> + +<P> +One day Johnny said: "Now, I should like to go up and see what the +world is like. May I go up to-day?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not yet," said his mother. "You must make your flower first." +</P> + +<P> +So Johnny set to work to make his flower. In the middle he set the +pistil with its fans. Round the pistil he put the orange-coloured +stamens with their long narrow sacks on their heads, ready to be filled +with pollen. Outside the stamens he made a row of petals, small and +closely folded now, but soon to grow big and wide. Then he wrapped a +fine white silk cloak round the whole flower to keep it from harm. +</P> + +<P> +"My flower is made," he said to his mother. "May I go up now to see +what the world is like?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not yet," said the mother. "Make your leaves first." +</P> + +<P> +So he made his leaves and set them closely round the flower. They were +long and thin and pale yellow, for they could not turn green till they +reached the sunlight. +</P> + +<P> +"My leaves are made," he said to his mother. "May I go up now to see +what the world is like?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not yet," said his mother. "Make your pollen first." +</P> + +<P> +So he made his pollen, and filled the long sacks with it. Then his +flower was quite ready. He wrapped one white silk cloak after another +over flower and leaves together, till they were so snugly covered that +no greedy insect could reach them. +</P> + +<P> +"My pollen is made," he said to his mother. "May I go up now to see +what the world is like?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said his mother. Johnny jumped for joy. He pushed and pushed +through the brown earth above him; at last out popped his little head +into the light. +</P> + +<P> +The winter had not yet gone; snow still lay in shaded places. But the +sun was shining, and he shone now full on Johnny Crocus. The silken +cloaks fell away, the leaves sprang out and turned green, and slowly +the flower opened its beautiful golden heart to the warmth of the +sunshine. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, there is Johnny Crocus!" called the sun. He shone more brightly +than ever on the gleaming petals. +</P> + +<P> +"If Johnny is up we must be stirring too," said the other crocuses. +They sprang up and nodded and laughed to Johnny across the ground. +Then the snowdrops peeped out, and soon the whole garden woke up, and +the spring came. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p15"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE DAFFODIL BABY +</P> + +<P> +It was winter time, and the Daffodil Baby lay wrapped in her warm brown +blankets under the ground. But she was not a contented Baby; she +wanted to be up above the ground to see what the great world was like. +"It is very dull down here," she said to her little friend, the +Earth-worm. "Do please go up and see if it is time for me to rise." +</P> + +<P> +The Earth-worm wriggled his way to the top of the ground, but he soon +came back, shivering with cold. "Don't think of going up yet," he +said; "lie down and sleep again in your warm blankets. On the earth +there is nothing to be seen but snow and ice. You would be frozen if +you went up now." +</P> + +<P> +So the Daffodil Baby lay down and went to sleep, and slept for many +days and nights. By and by, however, she woke and grew restless again. +"Please see if I may go up yet," she said. The kind Earth-worm went up +again, but came back as quickly as before. "Stay where you are," he +cried. "It has rained so much that all the garden is flooded. You +would be drowned if you went up now." +</P> + +<P> +The Daffodil Baby had to lie down again. She tried to sleep, but she +only grew more restless day by day. At last she begged the little +Earth-worm to go up once more and see what the world was like. This +time he came back smiling. "You may safely go up now," he said. "The +snow and floods are all away, and the sunbeams are there. They are +looking for you." +</P> + +<P> +The Daffodil Baby jumped for joy. She sprang out of her blankets and +began to push her way up as fast as she could, wrapping herself as she +went in a warm, thick cloak of green. When she reached the top she +felt the little sunbeams lay their warm hands on her, and she heard her +tall leaf-brothers say to one another: "Here comes Baby." But she did +not look out from her cloak, for she said to herself: "I must make my +frock and grow bigger before I shall be ready to play with the +sunbeams." +</P> + +<P> +She worked away busily under her green cloak, and grew taller and +taller every day. The little Earth-worm often came out to look at her, +but all he could see was the green cloak. "Why don't you come out and +see the world?" he would shout from his lowly place on the ground. She +always answered: "Wait a little longer. I am making my frock." +</P> + +<P> +At last, one beautiful spring morning, the frock was finished. "I am +coming out now," cried the Daffodil Baby. The Earth-worm wriggled up +to the top, and the sunbeams flew down to help. They tugged at the +thick green cloak with their warm hands till it flew open. Out sprang +the Daffodil Baby—a Daffodil Baby no longer, but grown into the +loveliest little Daffodil Lady. Her frock was all yellow and frilled, +and she wore the daintiest little green shoes. She was very beautiful. +The Earth-worm heard everybody say that. +</P> + +<P> +"What a glorious world!" cried the little yellow lady. "Now I am going +to be very happy." And so she was. She played with the sunbeams, +danced with the winds, and talked merrily to her green-leaf brothers. +The bees and the moths came to see her every day; one warm day the +first butterfly of the season came to visit her. +</P> + +<P> +But with all her good times she did not grow proud. She was just as +friendly with the Earth-worm, now when she stood so far above him, as +she had been when under the ground. She often had long talks with him +in the early mornings before the bees were awake. "Why don't you climb +up here?" she asked him one day. "It is much nicer swaying in the +wind, and I could talk to you so much more easily." +</P> + +<P> +"I should grow giddy up there," answered the Earth-worm. "It is not +the place for me at all. Besides, I shall be able to talk to you all +through the long winter, when you are in your blankets again." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p19a"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +DAFFODILS<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Oh the golden daffodils,<BR> + That open in the spring,<BR> +When gorse blooms out on all the hills,<BR> + And birds begin to sing!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +They nod their heads, their yellow heads,<BR> + All down the garden walk;<BR> +As if they wish to leave their beds,<BR> + And run about, and talk.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Suppose they could! What jolly fun<BR> + To see them run and play!<BR> +Like golden children from the sun,<BR> + Come down to spend the day.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p19b"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +WILLY WALLFLOWER +</P> + +<P> +The sun shone gaily, for it was the middle of summer. The flowers in +the garden made love to the bees and tossed their pretty heads at one +another. Only Willy Wallflower stood green and straight, for his +flowers had not yet come. +</P> + +<P> +"Wake up, Willy Wallflower!" called the Roses. "It is time you showed +us your flowers." +</P> + +<P> +"Not yet," said Willy Wallflower. "They are not ready." +</P> + +<P> +"How slow you are!" cried the White Lily. "If you do not hurry, the +summer will be over and the bees gone. Then what will be the use of +your flowers?" +</P> + +<P> +"I cannot help it," said Willy. "I was planted late, and am now busy +making my wood. I will bloom when my time comes." +</P> + +<P> +The summer passed and the autumn came, but still Willy Wallflower had +no flowers, though he grew taller and stouter every day. Then the cold +winter came. The flowers shivered themselves away to nothing, the bees +took to staying in the hive all day. +</P> + +<P> +The snow and ice passed, and the keen spring winds began to blow. Now +Willy Wallflower was ready to make his flowers. He wrapped the little +buds in their warm round tunics and set them in clusters amongst their +sheltering leaves. "Grow high and open out," he said. +</P> + +<P> +Slowly they grew high, and at last one mild day they pushed aside their +tunics and opened out. They were very beautiful; four red velvety +petals spread widely out on each side; in the middle there were six +pale yellow stamens and a fluffy double pistil-head. Below the fluffy +head was the long, slender seed-case, where the tiny baby seedlings +waited for the pollen grains that were to make them grow. +</P> + +<P> +"Where is our pollen?" the babies cried eagerly. +</P> + +<P> +"Be patient," said Willy Wallflower. "Soon the bees will bring it." +</P> + +<P> +But the bees were long in coming. Day after day Willy Wallflower and +the babies waited, listening anxiously for the busy wings that did not +come. The honey-cups were filled with sweetest honey, the petals +poured out their delicious scent into the surrounding air, but no bees +appeared. +</P> + +<P> +"Wait a little longer," said Willy Wallflower. "They will surely come +soon." +</P> + +<P> +In the hive the bees hung in a mass on their comb to keep warm. In the +centre was the Queen; round her clung her people, row after row, all +quiet and orderly, and doing their best to help one another. As the +outer ones grew cold they passed into the centre; at meal-times the +inside ones passed out the honey to the others. From mouth to mouth it +was passed till it reached the other row, everybody waiting his turn +and showing no greediness. Every now and again they beat their wings +to keep warm, but otherwise they were still, as they had been all the +winter. +</P> + +<P> +One day a warm breath of air floated in through the door. "That feels +like spring!" cried the bees. "Perhaps the flowers are waking." +Scouts were sent out to see. +</P> + +<P> +Soon they came back. "The crocuses and primroses are opening," they +reported, "and Willy Wallflower is all in bloom waiting for us." +</P> + +<P> +"Then let us go!" said the bees. They flew straight out to Willy +Wallflower. +</P> + +<P> +"At last! at last!" cried the wee green babies joyfully. The bees +dipped deep into the sweet honey-cups, carrying the pollen from the +stamens of one flower to the fluffy pistil-heads of others. Then the +pollen grains ran down into the seed-cases and helped the babies to +grow into seeds. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p23"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SWEET VIOLET +</P> + +<P> +A little girl brought a violet plant and a pansy plant to her teacher. +</P> + +<P> +"See!" said she. "These were given to me. May I grow them in school?" +</P> + +<P> +"Certainly," said the teacher. "Here are two little pots. We will +plant them both, and set them on the broad window-sill. You can water +them each day, and we shall see how well they will grow." +</P> + +<P> +"This is dreadful," said the Pansy to the Violet, as they stood side by +side on the window-sill. "How shall we bear the dust and heat of this +room after the fresh sweet air of the garden? I am sure I shall die." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! it is not quite so bad as that," said the Violet. "It certainly +is not so pleasant as the garden, but when the window is opened one +feels better." +</P> + +<P> +"My leaves are covered with dust already. How is one to breathe?" +grumbled the Pansy. +</P> + +<P> +"So are mine," said the Violet; "but never mind. Don't think about it. +Let us turn our attention to making our flowers." +</P> + +<P> +"You don't mean to say that you think of making a flower here!" cried +the Pansy. "What would be the use? You would never be able to make +good seed, for no bee or butterfly will ever find its way in amongst +these close buildings." +</P> + +<P> +"One never knows what may happen," said the Violet; "and it is better +to be busy than to mope." +</P> + +<P> +She set to work to make her flower, and took just as much care over it +as if she had been out in the garden. She covered the slender stalk +and pointed sepals with soft white fur, and filled her seed-box with +tiny green balls. Then she drew honey guides down her blue silk +petals, made her pollen, and filled her quaint honey-bag with honey, +just as if she expected a bee or a butterfly at any moment. +</P> + +<P> +"You are wasting your time," said the Pansy, who was doing nothing. +</P> + +<P> +"I am busy, and that keeps me happy," said the Violet. She scented her +petals and set their brushes on them. +</P> + +<P> +"My violet has a flower on it!" cried the little girl. "Oh, how sweet +it smells!" She watched the sun shining through the blue petals as the +flower hung over the pot, and her eyes shone with pleasure. All +through the day she turned to look at the Violet as soon as each little +task was done, and at night she told her mother what had happened. +</P> + +<P> +"I shall not mind if no bee finds me now," said the Violet. "My flower +has given so much happiness that I am content, even if I never make +good seed." The Pansy had nothing to say. +</P> + +<P> +A few days later a wonderful thing happened. A bee came buzzing in at +the open window and flew straight to the Violet. +</P> + +<P> +"Sweet Violet," he said, "I have found you at last. Your scent came +out to me as I was passing, and I have sought for you in all the +windows. Have you any honey for me?" +</P> + +<P> +"Plenty!" cried the Violet joyfully. "Dip deep and take all I have, +dear friend." +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you," said the Bee. "I will give you some pollen from your +cousins in return. They are blooming in a window-box in the next +street." +</P> + +<P> +He brushed tiny pollen grains off his head and gave them to the Violet. +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you," said the Violet. "Please take some of mine back to my +cousins." She laid some of hers on his head, and he flew off. +</P> + +<P> +Filled with joy, the Violet set to work to make her little green balls +into seeds. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, if I had thought a bee really would come, I would have made a +flower too," said the Pansy. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p27"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE CHERRY CHILDREN +</P> + +<P> +It was early spring. The Cherry Children woke up and called: "Mother, +may we go to play now?" +</P> + +<P> +"Wait till I have made your fairy boats," said the Cherry Mother. +</P> + +<P> +They lay still and waited, and she made their fairy boats, with white +silk sails. Then they sprang up and played in the sunshine, sailing to +and fro on the spring winds, and throwing tiny scent-balls out into the +air. The bees and butterflies and silver moths came to visit them; +everybody laughed and chattered and was happy. +</P> + +<P> +After a while the Cherry Children grew tired. +</P> + +<P> +"Mother," they called, "we have played enough. We should like to rest +now." +</P> + +<P> +"Creep into your little green cradles," said the Cherry Mother. "Rest +there and grow while I make your cradles big." +</P> + +<P> +They crept into their cradles. The mother gently loosened the white +sails and dropped them on the ground, where they lay like scented +snowflakes. Then she made the cradles bigger as the children grew. +She lined the wooden walls with softest satin, and covered them with a +thick green covering. The winds blew and rocked the little cradles to +and fro; from the neighbouring trees the birds sang soft lullabies, and +watched and waited. +</P> + +<P> +The green cradle coverings turned deep red. Once more the Cherry +Children woke up. +</P> + +<P> +"Mother, we wish to grow," they called. +</P> + +<P> +"The birds are coming. They will carry you away to grow," replied the +mother. +</P> + +<P> +The birds came in flocks and carried the Cherry Children away in their +beaks. They pecked off the sweet red coverings and ate them, dropping +the hard wooden cradles on the ground. There the autumn leaves covered +them when they fell, and the rain showers washed them farther and +farther into the soft earth. +</P> + +<P> +One day the wooden cradles split open at the sides, and out peeped the +Cherry Children. They grew down and up, and soon wherever a cradle had +fallen there stood a young cherry tree, slender and green. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p29"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE DAISY FAIRY +</P> + +<P> +She was a dainty little fairy, and all her work was daintily done. The +river bank was so gay with her sweet, pink-tipped daisies that +everybody admired it. The bees loved the spot. +</P> + +<P> +One day she noticed that a hill standing near had no flowers on it. +</P> + +<P> +"I must make that beautiful too," she thought, so she flew across and +planted a daisy-seed near the top. +</P> + +<P> +"That is absurd," said the Hill. "How can a thing so tiny be of any +use to me?" +</P> + +<P> +"Wait and see," said the Fairy. To the seed she said: "Swell and +sprout and grow up and down." +</P> + +<P> +The seed swelled and sprouted, and grew up and down; when the Fairy +came again it had a root and a stem. +</P> + +<P> +"Now make your leaves," she said; when next she came the leaves were +made. "Very well done," she said. "Now I will help you to make your +flowers, for they are most important." +</P> + +<P> +So she and the daisy worked together at the flowers. First they made a +stem, slender and green, with a knob at the top. On this they seated +the flowers like tiny golden bells round and round in rings. In each +flower they put a store of honey for the bees and of pollen for the +neighbour flowers. Then they set a row of fine large white petals +round the edge to catch the eyes of the bees, and the Fairy tipped them +with pink. Last they made the green leaf coverings for the outside to +keep away unfriendly insects. +</P> + +<P> +"Fold yourselves over the flowers till the morning," the Fairy said to +these leaves, "and then open widely to let the bees come in." +</P> + +<P> +From her river bank the next morning the Fairy saw the daisy shining in +the sunlight. She pointed it out to a bee. "There is a fresh daisy +full of honey-cups," she said. The bee flew to it at once. He stood +in the middle of the flower, unrolled his long tongue, and supped up +the sweet honey from flower after flower, turning himself round and +round till he had dipped into every one. +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, tiny daisies," said the Bee. "That was delicious honey." +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, Mr. Bee," said the Daisies, "for you have mixed our pollen, +and now our seed will grow well." +</P> + +<P> +The Daisy Fairy came again and said: "Drop your petals, close your +green leaf coverings, and make your seed." +</P> + +<P> +She came again when the seeds were ripe. +</P> + +<P> +"Now scatter your seeds," she said to the daisy, and to each little +seed as it fell she said as before: "Swell and sprout and grow up and +down." The seeds did as they were told, and soon there was a ring of +strong young daisy plants growing round the first one. Again the +flowers were made and the seeds scattered; in a short time the hill was +starred with pink and white. +</P> + +<P> +"It is wonderful!" said the Hill. "I should never have believed it if +I had not seen it." +</P> + +<P> +"It was a tiny seed," said the Fairy, "but it has made you beautiful." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p32a"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> + MY GARDEN +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +I have a garden of sweetest flowers,<BR> + Beside the orchard wall.<BR> +The sun sends sunbeams, the clouds send showers,<BR> + To make them gay and tall.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Marigolds, wallflowers, cowslips, pinks,<BR> + Pansies, and mignonette!<BR> +Forget-me-not blue its star-eye winks;<BR> + Roses their buds have set.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +But dearest of all, in their border low,<BR> + Bloom the daisies so wee.<BR> +Pink and crimson, or as white as the snow;<BR> + Daisies, daisies for me!<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p32b"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +BED-TIME<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Ticketty Tacketty, tick, tack, tock!<BR> +Now then, young man, just look at that clock!<BR> +Off with your shoe, and off with your sock.<BR> +Ticketty Tacketty, tick, tack, tock.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p33a"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +PANSY<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Pansy so velvety, pansy so wide,<BR> + Pansy with heart of gold,<BR> +How I wish I could stay outside<BR> + Till I saw your petals unfold!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +When do you open them, pansy so blue?<BR> + I watch, but never see.<BR> +One day there's a bud; the next, there's—you!<BR> + You are <I>such</I> a puzzle to me.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Do you open them softly in the dark,<BR> + While stars watch overhead?<BR> +Or fling them wide with the morning lark,<BR> + Before I am out of my bed?<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p33b"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +MAY FAIRIES +</P> + +<P> +"Come out and dance," called the Snow Fairies to the May Fairies. +</P> + +<P> +The May Fairies peeped out of their homes in the hawthorn trees and +shivered. +</P> + +<P> +"No, thank you," they said. "It is too cold out there. Besides, we +are busy making our buds." +</P> + +<P> +They made tiny red-tipped buds and set them on the branches of the +trees, two at the foot of each thorn. Then they crept down into their +warm homes again to wait for the spring. +</P> + +<P> +With the spring came the merry Sunbeams. +</P> + +<P> +"Come out and dance," they called. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! are you there?" called back the May Fairies. "Then we must open +our buds, so we have no time to dance." +</P> + +<P> +They worked hard, blowing out the buds with their dainty breath, till +at last the leaves opened and the trees were dressed in fluttering +green. +</P> + +<P> +The Spring Fairies came tripping past, waving tasselled catkins in +their hands. +</P> + +<P> +"Come out and dance," they called. +</P> + +<P> +"We have no time. We must make our flower-buds," replied the May +Fairies. +</P> + +<P> +They made their wee round flower-buds and set them on the trees, and +blew into them and puffed them out till they looked like tiny +snowballs. Harder and harder they blew, until at last the flowers flew +open. Then the trees looked as if showers of white stars had fallen on +them from the sky in snow-time. How lovely they were! The little +flies came from far and near to feast, buzzing out their thankfulness +to the fairies for the sweet honey. +</P> + +<P> +The Summer Fairies came with roses and forget-me-nots. "Come out and +dance," they called. +</P> + +<P> +"We have no time," called back the May Fairies. "We have to make our +berries." +</P> + +<P> +They gently loosened the white petals of the flowers and set them +floating on the wind. Then they made the little green seed-balls into +berries, blowing them big and round so that the seeds should have room +to grow, and polishing the outsides till they turned red and glowed +like garnets in the sunshine. What a feast the birds had! +</P> + +<P> +When the fairies had finished it was autumn. +</P> + +<P> +"Come and dance," called the Leaf Fairies as they fluttered past in +their brown and crimson robes. +</P> + +<P> +"We are coming," called back the May Fairies, "for now our work is +done." They flew down from their tree-homes, free at last to dance +through all the golden autumn days. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p36"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE DRAGON +</P> + +<P> +He was not a pretty fellow by any means when he lived in the water. +Indeed, the mosquito babies thought him the ugliest and +fiercest-looking creature in the world; but as he ate them up whenever +he could catch them their bad opinion of him was hardly to be wondered +at. +</P> + +<P> +They all lived in the pool. The mosquito babies felt that it would +have been a happy life if it had not been for the Dragon. He would lie +so still and grey in the water that they would think he was only a +stick, but as they came near his horrid mask would open, and out would +shoot his cruel jaws; they would be swallowed before they had time to +think any more. What an appetite he had! It seemed as if all the +mosquito babies in the pool would never satisfy him. +</P> + +<P> +But one day his appetite failed. "I feel very queer," he said. "I +will go up into the air." He crawled slowly up a reed and hung on to +it above the water, and there he seemed to sleep for days and weeks, +neither moving nor eating. The mosquito babies could have a good time +now—if there were any left. +</P> + +<P> +As he hung there his skin grew strangely hard and dry and shrunken, as +if it were becoming a lifeless case. And that is just what was +happening. Inside it the Dragon was growing into something quite +different from what he had been. +</P> + +<P> +One morning he stirred. "How close and dark it is in here!" he said. +"I must go out." +</P> + +<P> +He put his head against the end of the case and pushed hard. Crack! +went the dry skin, and out popped his head. "This is tiring work," he +said; he stopped to rest and to grow used to the strong light. +</P> + +<P> +Soon he began again. He pushed and pushed till the opening grew wide +enough for his body; then he crawled slowly out and stood on top of his +old skin. He felt strange and damp and chilly at first, but the sun +was delightfully warm, so he stood still, to be dried and comforted. +</P> + +<P> +"How changed I am!" he thought. Indeed, the change was wonderful. The +flabby grey body and the ugly mask and claws were gone. In their +places he had a long, slender body barred with black and gold, a +shapely head with two big bronze-green eyes and delicate feelers, and +six supple finely-jointed legs. +</P> + +<P> +And he had wings! Yes, four beautiful, beautiful wings. He raised +them one by one to dry them. He quivered with joy as he looked at +their delicate lacework and lovely colours. "How fine they are! And +how glorious it will be to fly!" he thought. +</P> + +<P> +Soon he was dried and warmed. He spread his glittering wings, rose +into the air, and sailed away to play with his cousins and catch +moths—a Pool Dragon no longer, but a shining Dragon-fly. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p39"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +GOLD BROOM AND WHITE BROOM +</P> + +<P> +On a piece of waste land lived the Broom cousins. +</P> + +<P> +"My leaves are bigger than yours," said Gold Broom to White Broom. +</P> + +<P> +"Size is not everything," said White Broom to Gold Broom; they were +always sparring at one another. +</P> + +<P> +Buds came on the branches. Then the flowers sprang out and danced in +the sunshine. +</P> + +<P> +"How pale and small your children are!" said Gold Broom to White Broom. +"Mine are golden and well grown. See how strong and happy they look." +</P> + +<P> +"Yellow is such a common colour," said White Broom to Gold Broom. +"White is much more refined. My children are not overgrown, but they +are dainty. And how sweetly they are scented!" +</P> + +<P> +The bees and moths came flying amongst the flowers, unrolling their +long tongues and sipping up the honey. +</P> + +<P> +"Are not my children the best?" asked Gold Broom of the bees. +</P> + +<P> +"Are not mine?" asked White Broom. +</P> + +<P> +"That is hard to decide," said the Bees. "We love them all alike. +Gold Broom's children have more honey, but White Broom's honey is +sweeter to the taste." They flew away to their hive, leaving the +mothers to argue it out. +</P> + +<P> +The children took no part in the discussion. They were too happy to +quarrel. They played and danced every day, till at last they grew +tired. Then they dropped their bright wings and shut themselves away +in their little green houses. +</P> + +<P> +Here they sat in rows on round stools and grew fat. The walls were +lined with wool, so that the cold could not come in; every day Gold +Broom and White Broom sent food up the stalk-passages to them. Thus +they were comfortable and happy. +</P> + +<P> +But outside the mothers were still quarrelling. +</P> + +<P> +"My houses are bigger than yours," said Gold Broom. +</P> + +<P> +"As I told you before, size is nothing," replied White Broom. "Anyway, +mine are much finer in shape." +</P> + +<P> +The houses turned brown and black, and the children turned brown and +black. They were big and strong now, and they wished to come out. One +by one Gold Broom and White Broom twisted the walls of the houses. Out +sprang the children into the world. Pop! pop! pop! Such a splitting +and twisting of little house-walls curling back upon each other! Such +a jumping of brown and black children far out over the ground! +</P> + +<P> +"Mine jump the farthest," said Gold Broom. +</P> + +<P> +"Mine jump much more gracefully," said White Broom. +</P> + +<P> +The children lay on the ground. The sun shone on them, the rain +softened their hard coats. They swelled and burst, tiny shoots came +out, and in a little while the ground was green with hundreds of young +broom plants. +</P> + +<P> +"Mine are growing the best," said Gold Broom. +</P> + +<P> +"What nonsense you talk!" said White Broom. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p42"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +KITTY CRAYFISH'S HOUSEKEEPING +</P> + +<P> +Kitty Crayfish passed the first part of her life clinging under her +mother's bent tail. But one day her mother said: "You are old enough +to take care of yourself now, little Kitty. Make a house in the bank, +and always creep into it while you change your shell." +</P> + +<P> +She swam to the bank at the side of the stream, gently placed Kitty on +a flat stone, and left her there. Kitty was not at all afraid. She +was very tiny, but she was exactly like her mother in shape, and had +the same strong claws and jaws. She set to work at once to burrow in +the bank, and soon had a neat little house made. Tired with her hard +work, she threw herself down and slept. +</P> + +<P> +When she woke she felt hungry; so she went out to look for food. She +walked forwards, creeping on eight of her queer jointed legs; but when +she reached the water she turned round and swam backwards, using the +blades of her wide tail as front paddles, and bringing all her swimming +legs and swimmerets into play. +</P> + +<P> +She made a good meal, for there were plenty of worms and grubs and tiny +fish on the mud-floor of the stream, and her nippers were long and +strong. While she was feeding, Old Man Crayfish came striding along +the mud-floor. He would have eaten her for dinner if he could have +caught her, for he was very fond of tender babies now and again. But +she saw him coming, and was off before he could reach her. She swam +back to her new home, well pleased with herself. Her housekeeping had +begun well; she felt that she was able to take care of herself. +</P> + +<P> +A few days later her mother peeped in at the door. +</P> + +<P> +"You seem very comfortable," she said; "but are you not coming out +to-day?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," said Kitty; "I don't feel very well. My shell feels far too +tight." +</P> + +<P> +"Ah! it is going to split," said her mother. "I can see it looks very +thin. You are quite right to stay in. Don't show yourself till the +new one is hard, or somebody will devour you." +</P> + +<P> +Kitty stayed in her house, lying still and feeling very queer. By and +by her shell split across the back, just beneath her shield. She +pushed her head out through the slit. Then she slowly drew the rest of +her body out, till she stood quite outside her old shell, shivering and +cold, and a little afraid. Her old covering lay there, legs and +feelers and shield and tail; even the skins of the eyes on their little +stalks. She herself stood in a new shell, exactly the same in shape, +but quite soft. +</P> + +<P> +Afterwards Kitty became accustomed to these wonderful changes; for she +grew so fast that she had to have a new shell eight times during the +first year of her life, five times the second year, and once every year +after that till she stopped growing. Each time she had to hide in her +house till the new shell became hard enough to protect her; then she +swam out again, hungrier and stronger than ever. +</P> + +<P> +She has been living in her burrowed house for years, making it bigger +as she herself grew bigger. She is there to-day. She is a +mother-crayfish now, and carries her little ones under her tail until +they, too, are big enough to keep house for themselves. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p45"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE GARDEN PARTY +</P> + +<P> +It was a lovely summer morning. Everybody in the garden was busy, for +in the afternoon the flowers were to give their great garden-party. +The bees and flies and moths and butterflies and little beetles were +all invited. +</P> + +<P> +In the pansy plot the pansies put on their best velvet frocks, and +brushed their little green shoes. The lilies dressed themselves in +white, and hung bags of golden dust around their necks. The sweet-peas +and roses and larkspurs were gay in many-coloured silks. They +sprinkled scent over themselves, and filled their honey-jars full of +sweetest honey for their visitors. All was cheerfulness and hustle. +</P> + +<P> +At last the afternoon came and the visitors arrived. What excitement! +Such a buzzing and chattering! Such a bowing and smiling and polite +shaking of wings and feelers! The bees and moths and flies and +butterflies and little beetles flew about, singing with pleasure and +drinking the delicious honey provided for them. They told the smiling +flowers how lovely they were, and the flowers in return dusted them +with their golden dust. As the visitors flew from flower to flower +they carried the golden pollen dust with them, leaving a little here +and there; thus the flowers were able to exchange. +</P> + +<P> +At last the party was over. The guests flew home well pleased, and the +garden was quiet again. Night came; the flowers dropped their heads, +and many slept. +</P> + +<P> +But in the darkness some were awake, and they began to whisper to their +neighbours: "Did you exchange?" The answers came: "Yes." "We did +too." "So did we." "I shall not open to-morrow," said a pansy. "My +exchanges are all made, and my seeds are beginning to grow. The bees +found my honey easily, because my honey-guides helped them; so they +carried all my pollen away, and brought plenty from my cousins." +</P> + +<P> +"That is so with us," said many of the others. But some said: "We must +keep open a little longer. Our seeds are not all growing." So they +opened again next day, and gave little parties of their own, till all +the exchanges were made and all the seeds were growing. +</P> + +<P> +The sunny days passed, and now where the flowers had been were little +seed-cases; some round, some pointed, some oval, but all filled to the +brim with healthy young seeds. The sun shone on them, and they grew +and grew till the cases would hold them no longer. Then there was a +splitting and a bursting and a popping everywhere, and out sprang the +little seeds, to begin a new life for themselves. As the young +seedlings sprang up on every side, the older plants looked at them with +pride. "We have very fine children," they said. "Next year we must +give another garden-party." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p47"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +BLUEBELLS<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Bluebells, bluebells, did the fairies make you?<BR> +Do they fly to you at night and ring you and shake you,<BR> + And dance on your slender stalks?<BR> + Do they stroke you and love you,<BR> + And whisper above you,<BR> + And take you for fairy walks?<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p48a"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +COWSLIPS<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +O sweet the smell of the cowslip bell!<BR> + Was ever flower so sweet?<BR> +I picked it where its soft leaves fell<BR> + Around its dainty feet.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +How slender is its golden throat!<BR> + How soft its scented face!<BR> +It hangs from out its green pale coat<BR> + With pretty drooping grace.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p48b"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +OF ROYAL BLOOD +</P> + +<P> +She was certainly a very grand princess. From the first the nurse-bees +fed her with rich golden honey instead of the bee-bread that the common +children received. She had a royal bedroom, too, very much larger than +the others. At meal-times the nurses were always waiting with her +honey; all day long they guarded and watched her, and fanned fresh air +with their wings into her bedroom. So she grew big and strong. +</P> + +<P> +One day she said: "I have finished growing, and shall put on my royal +robes. Close the door so that nobody can see me while I dress." +</P> + +<P> +The nurses closed the door, and she put on her royal robes. When she +was ready they rushed to open the door again. She came out beautiful +and shining. +</P> + +<P> +"Now I am going to be Queen," she said to the bee-people who had +gathered round her. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," they said. "The old Queen has gone to a new home and left this +one to you. Hail! Queen of the hive!" They bowed before her with +great respect, and walked backwards when they left the room. +</P> + +<P> +Guards and honey-bearers were appointed for her, and maids of honour to +keep her robes in order. So the new Queen entered into her royal state. +</P> + +<P> +"I am going to be married," she said. She flew out of the hive and +rose high in the air, and there she was married to Prince Drone. +</P> + +<P> +"I must be busy," said the Queen, "or there will be no young bees for +next season." +</P> + +<P> +Up and down the hive passages she went, placing a little egg in each +bedroom, and leaving it there to be hatched by the warmth of the hive. +Up and down she went till thousands of eggs were laid. +</P> + +<P> +All were busy and happy in the hive and everything went well. Then one +sad day word went round that the Queen was missing. In a moment +everybody left their work and rushed wildly through the hive, looking +for her in every room and buzzing out their fear and sorrow. She was +not in the hive! +</P> + +<P> +Her guards were questioned. They reported that she had gone for a +short flight in the fresh air, saying that she did not need their +attendance. Scouts were sent out in all directions to look for her, +while the bees stood about in groups, too anxious to do anything but +wait for news. +</P> + +<P> +One by one the scouts returned, reporting no success in their search. +Others were sent out, and still others, but they too returned with no +news. Then the buzzing died down to a sorrowful silence, for the +bee-people felt that their Queen was lost. "She must have met with her +death out there," they whispered. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly a joyful call came from a returning scout; next moment the +Queen came flying in, tired and ruffled and shaking with fear. How her +people crowded about her in their joy! They caressed her, stroked her +trembling wings, and begged her to tell them what had happened. +</P> + +<P> +"I flew rather far from the hive," she said, "and a huge monster called +a boy threw his cap over me and then picked me up in his hand. I would +not sting him as you might have done, so I was helpless. He carried me +round the garden to another boy-monster, and they agreed to pull off my +wings. Think of my terror! I struggled hard to escape, and at last +managed to slip through the clumsy fingers of the monster, and flew +home. Oh dear, it was terrible! I shall never again go out by myself." +</P> + +<P> +"No, you must not," said her people. "We could not bear to lose our +dear Queen." +</P> + +<P> +They comforted her, and fed her, and soon the hive was going on again +in its old, happy way. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p52"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +BILLYBUZZ THE DRONE +</P> + +<P> +"You are lazy," said the boy who watched the bees. "Why don't you work +like the others?" +</P> + +<P> +Billybuzz the Drone helped himself to a little more honey from the best +pantry; then he turned his big brown head slowly towards the boy who +watched the bees. +</P> + +<P> +"You people will never take the trouble to understand us," he said. +"You call us lazy, but we cannot work. We are not made like the +workers." +</P> + +<P> +"How is that?" asked the boy. "Surely you can fly about and gather +honey? That is easy enough." +</P> + +<P> +"Not if one's tongue is too short," replied the Drone. "The Worker +Bees have long, hairy tongues to lick the honey out of the deep +flower-cups, but my tongue is too short, and would not reach far enough +down." +</P> + +<P> +"But you could gather pollen to make bee-bread for the baby bees," said +the boy. +</P> + +<P> +"I have no pollen-basket," said the Drone. +</P> + +<P> +"Can you not make wax?" +</P> + +<P> +"No. I have no wax pockets in my coat." +</P> + +<P> +"Then you could be a soldier-bee, and help to guard the Queen and hive." +</P> + +<P> +"I should be useless. I have no sting." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, well, at any rate you could be a nurse and give the babies their +meals, like those nurses over there." +</P> + +<P> +"Why should I? Why should I work at all when I am the King?" +</P> + +<P> +The boy stared. "You a King!" he cried +</P> + +<P> +"Yes. Did you not know that we have a King and Queen?" asked the Drone. +</P> + +<P> +"I knew that you have a Queen; we often hear about her. But I didn't +think about a King." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I am the King—at least, I intend to be soon. At present I am a +Prince. When my Queen comes out we shall be married, and then I shall +be King. There are other drones waiting, but they shall not have her. +Listen—she is singing in her golden room now. That means that she is +coming out soon. I must be ready for the beautiful Queen." +</P> + +<P> +He walked out of the hive into the sunshine. Here he brushed himself +and spread his shining wings and looked very big and handsome. There +was a stir in the hive, and the young Queen flew out and mounted into +the air. With a rush Billybuzz flew swiftly after her, followed by the +other drones who had been waiting. Whoever could catch the Queen first +was to marry her, so they all did their best. Higher and higher they +flew, till they were all out of sight. +</P> + +<P> +The boy waited below, and presently the disappointed drones came back, +bringing the news that Billybuzz had won the race. So Billybuzz the +Drone married the Queen, and became King. +</P> + +<P> +A few days later the boy again came to watch the bees. +</P> + +<P> +"Where is Billybuzz the King?" he asked a drone who sat at the front +door in the sunshine. +</P> + +<P> +"Dead!" said the drone. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me!" said the boy. "How did that happen?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, he just died," said the drone. "We all die very soon after we +become kings. We are not made to live as long as the workers or the +queens." +</P> + +<P> +"Is that so? Then I would rather be born a worker than a king," said +the boy. +</P> + +<P> +"Everyone to his taste," said the drone. "A short life and a merry one +for me." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p55"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +HONEY<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +A little golden flower-cup,<BR> + A little golden bee.<BR> +A little store of honey made<BR> + For Nell, and Jack, and me.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +A little crystal honey-jar,<BR> + A little pantry shelf.<BR> +A naughty little Nelly-girl<BR> + Falls down, and hurts herself.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p56"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +ON THE HILLSIDE +</P> + +<P> +The sun shone gaily, the skylark sang her morning song, and the +crickets chirped their merriest; but the things that usually lived so +peacefully on the hillside were quarrelling. +</P> + +<P> +It was the wind who began it. As he lifted the pollen from one patch +of grass-flowers and carried it to the next he cried boastingly: "What +a friend I am to you tiny creatures! If it were not for me you could +bear no seed. I am indeed useful. I am sure nobody does so much good." +</P> + +<P> +"How absurd!" cried the bees. "Anyone would think you did all the work +of the world. You certainly carry the grass pollen, but think of the +flowers whose pollen we carry. What would the clover here do without +us? And the wild flowers, and the flowers in the gardens and orchards +all over the world. We are certainly the most useful." +</P> + +<P> +At this thousands of earth-worms popped their heads above the ground. +"If you are talking about usefulness, don't forget us," they said. +"You see very little of us, for we come out at night when most of you +are asleep. But think of all the work we do. We burrow and burrow +here in our millions, ploughing the ground day after day till every +inch is opened up to let in the sweet air and drain away the water from +the surface. How could the flowers and grasses live if we did not do +this? Think how fine we keep the soil, powdering it as we do in our +burrowings! And how rich we make it by dragging down decaying leaves +into our holes every night. The world would be a sorry place for +everything that grows and lives if we did not work so hard. We are +surely more useful than anybody." +</P> + +<P> +The grasses waved their flowered heads. "All that is true enough," +they said; "but nobody can possibly be more useful than we are. Think +how we clothe the land and give food to hundreds of animals and shelter +to millions of insects." +</P> + +<P> +A little cloud sailed softly down on to the hill-top to listen. "What +could any of you do without the clouds?" she asked. "You all depend on +our rain for your lives; you must confess you are less useful than we +are." +</P> + +<P> +"Ho! ho! ho!" laughed the merry sun. "Fancy quarrelling this fine +morning! Now I will tell you, and this will settle it once for all. +You are all useful, and not one of you could be spared, and not one of +you could do well without the other. Everything helps everything else. +The worms help the grass, and the grass feeds the worms; the bees help +the flowers, and the flowers feed the bees; the wind helps the clouds, +and the clouds become rain and help the wind in its work. And I am +here over you all, and if it were not for me nothing could live, so, +after all, I am the most useful. If I did not shine there would be no +grass, no worms, no flowers, no bees, no wind, and no clouds. Now go +on with your work." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p59"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE SUN'S NEST<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Winnie and I went sailing fast<BR> + Out to the golden West.<BR> +We wished to see the Sun drop down<BR> + Into his shining nest.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Our ship was soft and pearly white—<BR> + A dear little cloud up high.<BR> +We sailed along at sunset time,<BR> + Across the flaming sky.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Winnie stood up and laughed with joy;<BR> + Her curls blew round her head.<BR> +The golden clouds raced past our ship,<BR> + To see the Sun to bed.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +The nest was made of red, red cloud,<BR> + Hung like a rosy swing:<BR> +An angel stood on either side—<BR> + We heard them softly sing.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +The tired Sun came dropping down,<BR> + And cuddled in his nest.<BR> +The angels spread their snow-white wings<BR> + To guard him through his rest.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +The soft wee clouds went home with us,<BR> + The sky grew grey and blue;<BR> +The stars peeped out and laughed and winked,<BR> + And said: "Good-night, you two!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p60"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +CRIKITTY-CRIK +</P> + +<P> +Mrs. Cricket flew busily round, looking for a good place for her eggs. +"This will do," she said at last. "Here is plenty of food for them +when they hatch." She flew down close to the roots of a soft green +plant, pierced a hole in the ground with her piercer, placed the eggs +in it with her egg placer, and flew off. +</P> + +<P> +"Just the very dinner I like best," said Mr. Beetle to himself; he ran +to the hole, dug out the eggs, and ate them up. +</P> + +<P> +He thought he had them all, so he went away; but there was one left, +hidden under a grain of earth. After a while it hatched out into +Crikitty-Crik. +</P> + +<P> +Crikitty-Crik could not fly, or sing, or lay eggs, for he was only a +tiny cricket-baby. All he could do was eat, but that he did +thoroughly. He gobbled up every scrap of soft vegetable food he could +find in the earth, and as his mother had chosen a good place for him he +found plenty and soon grew fat. His front legs were specially made for +burrowing, and his jaws were made for nibbling. +</P> + +<P> +One day he stopped eating and said: "I should like to fly." So he let +his skin grow hard, and he shut himself up in it, and made his wings. +He altered the shape of his mouth, too. "For I am going to suck leaves +when I am a grown-up cricket," he said. +</P> + +<P> +When everything was ready he pushed himself out through the top of his +old skin and left it lying on the ground. Then up he flew to suck the +juices of the leaves. +</P> + +<P> +Such a handsome fellow he was—all green and gold and fine lace-work. +And he could make music, for under his body he had grown two little +flat sounding boards. When he moved his hind-legs quickly over these +they made the cricket-song: "Crikitty-Crik! Crikitty-Crik! What a +fine world it is!" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p62"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE DISCONTENTED ROOT +</P> + +<P> +The Root was grumbling again, and everybody felt unhappy. "It's not +fair," she said. "Why should I have to stay down here in the dark +while you can all live in the sunshine? It is work, work, work all day +down here, finding water and food for you all; while you do nothing but +enjoy yourselves." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, you must not say that," cried the stems. "We are as busy as you +are. Your work would be useless if we did not spend our time carrying +water and food from you to the leaves and flowers. And think of the +weight we are bearing. You cannot say your work is harder than ours." +</P> + +<P> +"It certainly is not harder than ours," said the leaves. "Think of all +that goes on in our workshops. We supply as much food from the air as +you from the earth. You must not say we are not busy." +</P> + +<P> +The flowers bent their heads and spoke. "Dear little Root-sister," +they said, "do not make us unhappy with your discontent. Life is very +full of work for all of us. You must give us food or we cannot live, +and we flowers must make our seed or the family would die out, so we +help each other. Your work lies in the dark earth, certainly, while +ours is in the sunshine; but the life up here would not suit you. I am +sure you would die if you tried to live above the ground." +</P> + +<P> +But the Root would not understand. "Fine words," she said, "but no +comfort to me! Oh! I wish I could go up into the sunshine." +</P> + +<P> +One day she had her wish, for a slip of the gardener's spade turned her +above the ground. She was delighted, but the others were in despair. +"Oh, dear, whatever will become of us now?" they cried. "If only the +gardener would see you and put you in again!" But the gardener did not +notice; it lay there all day. +</P> + +<P> +"The sunshine is delightful," said the Root, though really its glare +and heat were making her feel quite dizzy. +</P> + +<P> +"How hot the sun is! And how parched we are!" sighed the drooping +flowers. "Now we must die, and our poor little half-formed seeds will +never grow into beautiful plants." And they laid their tender faces on +the hot earth and died. +</P> + +<P> +The afternoon wore on. The gasping leaves and soft stems almost died +too, but the coolness of evening and the night dew revived them a +little; when the morning came they tried to lift themselves and live on +in spite of the hot sunshine that came again. +</P> + +<P> +As for the Root, she was longing now for the gardener to come and put +her in the earth. She had been dried and withered by the heat, then +half frozen by the cold night dew; now here was another day to face in +this glare of light and cruel sunshine. She knew now that the flowers +were right in saying that the life above ground would not suit her. +"If the gardener does not come soon I shall die, too," she thought. +</P> + +<P> +The gardener came, saw the upturned Root, and set it in its old place. +"I will never grumble at my life again," said the Root as the soft cool +earth closed in around her. +</P> + +<P> +"How thankful we are!" whispered the leaves faintly. "Now we shall +live again." +</P> + +<P> +But the flowers said nothing, for they were dead. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p65"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +CREEPY-CRAWLY +</P> + +<P> +At first Creepy-Crawly was nothing but a tiny egg on a blade of grass; +but when he hatched out into a caterpillar he was Creepy-Crawly indeed, +for though he had about sixteen pairs of legs, they were all so tiny +that he could not be said to walk on them. But he crawled about quite +happily, and was well content with life as he found it. +</P> + +<P> +"Why don't you grow long legs like me?" said the Spider. "It must be +terribly slow work crawling about like that." +</P> + +<P> +Creepy-Crawly did not stay to answer. Out of his body he drew two +threads as fine as the spider's own, glued them together with his mouth +into a rope, and dropped by the rope from the branch to the ground. He +did not like Mrs. Spider. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I wouldn't wear a green coat if I were you," said an Earth-worm +whom he met. "Brown is a much nicer colour." +</P> + +<P> +"Brown may be best for you who live in the ground," said Creepy-Crawly, +"but green is better for me. The birds would like me for dinner, you +know, but they cannot see me so well if I look like the leaves I feed +on." +</P> + +<P> +"You should wear a hard shell on your back." said a Beetle. "You are +absurdly soft." +</P> + +<P> +Creepy-Crawly wriggled quickly out of the beetle's sight, and a +Butterfly who saw him laughed. She said: "Better grow wings, +Creepy-Crawly. They are the best means of escape from your enemies." +</P> + +<P> +Creepy-Crawly looked wistfully at her as she flew off. "Yes," he said +to himself, "that is what I should like—to fly through the air in that +grand, free way. That would be glorious! Ah, well! I have no wings, +but I may as well be as happy as I can." +</P> + +<P> +Creepy-Crawly had been eating hard for weeks, but now he began to feel +less and less hungry and more and more drowsy. One day he curled +himself up under a dead leaf and went to sleep; there he slept on and +on for week after week without waking once to eat. +</P> + +<P> +As he slept his skin turned brown like the worm's, and hard like the +beetle's; but inside the skin a still more wonderful change was taking +place. From his body six slender jointed legs with clawed toes grew +slowly out, followed by four wings, which promised to be broad and +beautiful when they had room to open. From the head grew two long +feelers with little knobs at their ends. Over body, head, and wings a +coat of tiny, many-coloured scales spread itself, softer than down, and +as beautiful as the rainbow. +</P> + +<P> +Creepy-Crawly woke up at last, but he was Creepy-Crawly no longer. He +pushed his way out of his hard shell and stood on the dead leaf to dry +himself. He spread his wings in the sun; he shook his six jointed legs +one after the other; he turned and twisted himself this way and that in +his delight. +</P> + +<P> +"Who would have thought I should have come to this?" he said to +himself. "Now I am a Butterfly. I am like the one that spoke to me +that day. I will fly through the air as she did, and find her, and +show her how I have changed." +</P> + +<P> +He spread his beautiful wings and rose up into the warm air, and flew +away to drink honey from the flowers and to dance with his butterfly +cousins. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p68"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +BLACKIE +</P> + +<P> +At first Blackie was only a tiny speck in an egg, but he grew so fast +that he soon filled the shell. Mrs. Blackbird covered him with her +warm feathered body, and turned him over every day so that he should +grow evenly; and Mr. Blackbird sat on a branch and sang: "How the sun +shines! How bright is the world!" +</P> + +<P> +It was delightfully warm and cosy in the little shell-house, so Blackie +was content for a long time. But when he had grown as big as the shell +would let him, and had used up all the food that had been stored for +him, he wished to come out. He pecked at the shell, and his mother +heard him. +</P> + +<P> +"That is well," she said; "so you are ready to come out into the world. +Peck hard till you make a hole. Then poke out your head." +</P> + +<P> +He pecked hard, and Mrs. Blackbird helped gently from her side. +Presently a hole was made, and out popped the little head. +</P> + +<P> +"Cheep!" he said. "Cheep! Cheep!" +</P> + +<P> +"Push with your shoulders till you crack the shell," said his mother. +He pushed and pushed, and soon the shell split, and he stepped out. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you are not very handsome," said his father, looking in over the +edge of the nest, "but you will be much better looking when your +feathers come." +</P> + +<P> +He certainly was not handsome, for he was bald all over, and his mouth +looked too big for his body. But he did not know that, so he was quite +happy. "Cheep!" he said. "What a brown world it is!" For all he +could see was the inside of the nest, and he thought that was the world. +</P> + +<P> +"Here is a worm," said Mrs. Blackbird. How that big mouth of his +opened! In the weeks that followed both father and mother had to work +hard to keep it filled. But they had their reward, for Blackie grew +big and strong, and his feathers came. +</P> + +<P> +He could look over the top of the nest now. "Cheep! What a green +world it is!" he said; for all he could see was the tree, and he +thought that was the world. The wind blew, and the branches swayed to +and fro and rocked the nest till he fell asleep. +</P> + +<P> +"Come out and learn to fly," said his mother one day. "Stand on the +edge of the nest and fly down to the branch below." +</P> + +<P> +She showed him how to do it, and he peeped over the edge of the nest +and watched her. But it looked such a long way to the branch that he +was afraid. He crept down into the nest again and would not come out. +"What nonsense!" said Mrs. Blackbird; and she tumbled him out with her +beak. He landed safely on the branch, as she knew he would. Then she +and Mr. Blackbird sat beside him and showed him how to grasp with his +toes, and how to spread out his wings. With the greatest patience they +taught him step by step to fly, leading him first from twig to twig, +then from big branch to big branch, and last from tree to tree. +</P> + +<P> +Then he was taught how to find his food—taught how to pull a worm out +of its hole, where to look for caterpillars and grubs, and how to catch +a fly on the wing. At last he knew it all, and he could earn his own +living. +</P> + +<P> +Then he, too, sat on a branch and sang like his father: "How the sun +shines! How bright is the world!" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p71"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +LITTLE BIRDS<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Pretty Dearie! Pretty Dearie!"<BR> + Hear the gay father-bird sing to his wife.<BR> +"Pretty Dearie! Pretty Dearie!<BR> + Ours is a beautiful life.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Sweetest Birdie! Sweetest Birdie!"<BR> + Hark how he calls while she sits on her nest!<BR> +"Sweetest Birdie! Sweetest Birdie!<BR> + Of all the world I love you best."<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p72"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE BROWNIES +</P> + +<P> +Amongst the roots of the grass in the lawn lay hundreds of tiny eggs. +One by one they hatched out as the sun warmed the earth and the soft +showers moistened it, and soon the grass roots were alive with tiny +grubs. They crawled about, cutting the poor grass roots and stems with +their hard little jaws, and at once beginning to grow fat on the pieces +they bit out and swallowed. All day and every day they ate, for their +one aim in life was to be big and strong. "Then by and by our wings +will grow and we shall fly," they thought. They were not as brown now +as they would be when their wings had grown. Only their heads and jaws +were brown as yet; their soft ringed bodies and curled-up tails and six +jointed legs were all grey-green. +</P> + +<P> +They had a lazy time under the ground, for they had nothing to do but +to burrow and eat; but that just suited them. They made such good use +of their time that the master of the garden looked with despair at the +brown patches in his lawn. "Those dreadful grubs!" he said. "They are +spoiling my beautiful lawn." +</P> + +<P> +They lived there for three or four years. Then one by one they all +stopped eating. They were so fat that they could hardly move, and so +drowsy that they didn't want to. So they curled themselves up and went +to sleep, and did not wake for many a day. +</P> + +<P> +As they slept their skins grew hard and transparent, and new ones grew +underneath. Two wings grew along their sides, though there was not yet +room for them to open out, and two brown shields grew to cover them. +</P> + +<P> +One by one the Brownies woke up. "Our wings have come! We must go out +and fly!" they said. +</P> + +<P> +They stretched their dried outside skins till they cracked open down +the middle of the back. Then they pushed themselves out of the +opening, and crawled out under the grass blades to dry themselves in +the sun. Slowly and carefully they stretched out their fine new wings, +tried their feelers, and lifted their strong brown shields till they +hardened in the air. +</P> + +<P> +They were brown beetles now, and they felt proud of themselves. They +crept about to show themselves and to look at one another, and they +chattered together and made plans for flying off when they were ready. +</P> + +<P> +Just as evening came they were all ready to go. They lifted their +wings again and again to let the air into their bodies, then up they +flew, out into the wide garden-world. +</P> + +<P> +Away at the back of the house there was a patch of growing potatoes. +They soon found it out. They alighted on the leaves and began at once +to eat them, for they were hungry after their long sleep. +</P> + +<P> +They feasted all night, but when the daylight came they slipped under +the leaves and hung there out of sight. They had been so long used to +the darkness under the earth that now they preferred shady corners to +open daylight. +</P> + +<P> +"Those dreadful brown beetles have been here and spoilt my potato +plants," said the master of the garden. "I wish I could catch them." +He did not know that they were hiding under the leaves quite close to +him. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p75"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +BRAVE ROSE-PINK +</P> + +<P> +Autumn was passing, and Jack Frost was frightening all the flowers +away. Even the seeds could not bear to stay above the ground, but +crept underneath out of the cold. The tiny underground elves gathered +them and carried them away to the Earth-mother's warm nurseries, and +tucked them into soft cradles till it should be time to return them to +the garden for the spring growth. +</P> + +<P> +But a sweet-pea seed refused to come down. "No," she said; "I do not +wish to lie in a cradle all the winter. I wish to stay here and grow. +I am already sprouting, and I intend to go on." She would not be moved. +</P> + +<P> +The elves went to the Earth-mother. +</P> + +<P> +"There is a sweet-pea seed above the ground, Rose-Pink by name, who +refuses to come below," they said. "What shall we do with her?" +</P> + +<P> +"Tell her that Jack Frost will nip her with his cruel fingers if she +stays there," said the Earth-mother. +</P> + +<P> +The elves took the message, but soon returned. +</P> + +<P> +"She says she is strong and hardy, and will laugh at Jack Frost," they +reported. +</P> + +<P> +"Tell her the Storm-king will beat her down with his great winds, and +break her back," said the Earth-mother. +</P> + +<P> +They went again, but returned and said: "She says she will grow little +tendrils with which to hold tightly to the fence, so that the great +winds cannot tear her down." +</P> + +<P> +"Tell her that the Snow-queen will bury her in her cold white +snowflakes," said the Earth-mother. +</P> + +<P> +"She says she will not die, but will push her head through the cold +white snowflakes," they said when they came back. +</P> + +<P> +"Then leave her alone," said the Earth-mother. "She is brave, and +perhaps her courage will carry her safely through the winter. If it +does her reward will come in the summer." +</P> + +<P> +So Rose-Pink was left alone, and went on growing quietly by the fence, +taking advantage of every little bit of sunshine that came her way. +Jack Frost nipped her with his cruel fingers, but she only laughed at +him; the Storm-king tried to beat her down with his great winds, but +she clung to the fence with her little tendrils; the Snow-queen buried +her in her cold white snowflakes, but she pushed her head through and +lived on. +</P> + +<P> +At last the winter passed, and the soft spring air blew over the +garden. The elves brought back the seeds and set them in their places. +"Rose-Pink must be dead," they said, and they ran to look. +</P> + +<P> +"I am alive and well, and very happy," sang Rose-Pink from half-way up +the fence. +</P> + +<P> +She grew fast now, and soon reached the top of the fence. Then came +her reward; for while the other sweet-peas were only half grown, her +little buds came and her flowers opened out. Such glorious flowers +they were, flushed like the sunrise sky. Rose-Pink sang for joy, and +breathed out scented happiness on every breeze. +</P> + +<P> +"You have come long before your sisters," said the Bees. "Nothing in +all the garden is so sweet and beautiful as you." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p78"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SWEET-PEA LAND<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Oh, have you been to Sweet-pea Land,<BR> + Where little brown seeds once lay?<BR> +And have you seen the tall green swings<BR> + That cover that Land to-day?<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +And have you seen in Sweet-pea Land<BR> + The dear wee ladies who swing?<BR> +They've blowing frocks of blue and pink<BR> + As light as a silken wing.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +And have you smelt in Sweet-pea Land<BR> + The scent the wee ladies throw<BR> +From each to each, as up and down<BR> + The wonderful green swings go?<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +And have you heard in Sweet-pea Land<BR> + The question-song of the bee?<BR> +"Dear Lady Pink, Dear Lady Blue,<BR> + Have you some honey for me?"<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Oh, come with me to Sweet-pea Land,<BR> + Where little brown seeds once lay;<BR> +Where green swings rock in the summer wind.<BR> + And pretty wee ladies play.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p79"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +MRS. FROG, MR. FROG, AND THE LITTLE FROG +</P> + +<P> +"Do you mean to say I was ever like that?" asked Mrs. Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course you were. We all were," said Mr. Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"I don't believe you," said Mrs. Frog. "Why, it is nothing but a +little ball of jelly with a spot in it. How can it grow into a frog?" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I don't know exactly how it does it," said Mr. Frog, "but you +can see it is an egg, and eggs grow into the most wonderful things." +</P> + +<P> +"I am not going to believe this one will grow into a frog till I see +it," said Mrs. Frog; and she swam away. +</P> + +<P> +The egg lay in the water under a lily leaf. It certainly did not look +in the least like a frog; indeed, it did not at first seem alive at +all. But the spot began to spread, and day by day it grew till at last +a tiny tadpole came out of the jelly and hung on to the lily leaf. +</P> + +<P> +Mrs. Frog saw it, and called Mr. Frog to come and look. +</P> + +<P> +"You were wrong," she said. "It is not a frog. It is only a kind of +wormy thing." +</P> + +<P> +"Give it time," said Mr. Frog. "We all began like that." +</P> + +<P> +"What nonsense you talk, Mr. Frog! If it's a frog, where is its head? +Where is its mouth? Where are its legs? The thing is nothing but a +jelly-worm stuck on a leaf. And you tell me I was once like that! I +have no patience with you. I shall not stay to hear another word." +</P> + +<P> +Left to herself, the little tadpole dropped from the lily leaf and swam +about in the water. In a day or two the head and mouth appeared, and +funny, frilly breathing gills grew out from her sides. Then these went +away and inside gills grew. A hard little beak grew on her mouth, just +the thing for nibbling leaves and stalks. Now she spent all the day +eating vegetable dinners and growing. How fast she grew, to be sure! +</P> + +<P> +Mrs. Frog came one day to see how she looked. "Do you call that a +frog?" she asked Mr. Frog scornfully. "Whoever saw a frog with a tail? +Or eating leaves? Or breathing like a fish?" +</P> + +<P> +"My dear, think back," said Mr. Frog. "Have you no memory of a time in +your youth when we all swam together in the water, never wishing to go +up on the land? You had a lovely long tail in those days. And do you +not remember how sweet those green things tasted to us?" +</P> + +<P> +A puzzled look came into Mrs. Frog's eyes, and a dim remembrance +flashed across her brain. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, well, I shall watch," she said. +</P> + +<P> +So every day Mrs. Frog jumped into the pool and swam round the little +tadpole, watching the changes that took place. Soon she saw the +hind-legs begin to grow. Then one day the tadpole left off eating, and +startling changes began to take place. The tail dwindled away, giving +up its strength to feed the body; the horny beak dropped off; the mouth +widened and widened, till it went nearly round the head; the tongue +grew big; the eyes and the front legs came out through the skin. Day +by day the changes went on, and Mrs. Frog was at last convinced that +the little tadpole was really a frog. +</P> + +<P> +When she saw the little creature rise up to the surface and swim to the +shore, breathing as frogs breathe, and when she saw her jump up on the +land and catch a fly and eat it, she went home. +</P> + +<P> +"You were right, after all," she said to Mr. Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course I was," said Mr. Frog. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p83"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +BUTTERCUPS +</P> + +<P> +It was not at all a pretty spot, this swampy bit of roadside. A coarse +grass was the only thing that grew on it, for its soil was always wet +and spongy. +</P> + +<P> +Its neighbours despised it. "If you grew pink-tipped daisies and +pretty white bells like mine," said the Hill, "the children would love +you." "Or if you grew red and white clover like mine," said the Field, +"they would love you." "Or if you grew wild roses like mine," said the +Hedge, "they would love you." +</P> + +<P> +But the swampy ground could grow neither daisies nor bells nor clover +nor wild roses. It lay there, ugly and useless and sad. +</P> + +<P> +One day a bird dropped a clinging seed from its feet as it passed; that +was the beginning of the wonderful change that came to the despised +piece of ground. The tiny seed sank into the soft wet earth, sprouted, +and grew. Soon it was a well-grown plant, with beautiful broad leaves. +It stretched its soft green stems over the ground, rooted afresh on +this side and on that, and spread and spread and spread. How quickly +the white roots grew! The damp soil suited them perfectly. +</P> + +<P> +"This is a splendid growing place," they said. +</P> + +<P> +"You dear things!" said the Ground. "How pleased I am that you have +come! I will do my very best for you." +</P> + +<P> +The summer and the winter passed, and spring came. From the new plants +little round buds pushed up their heads. They grew fast, and opened +out into golden flowers. "Buttercups! Buttercups!" shouted the +children. They ran down the hill to where the new flowers shone in the +morning sun. How lovely these golden flowers were! How their polished +petals glittered! They looked like fairy-cups in the children's hands. +</P> + +<P> +The swampy ground has never been sad since, for now it is always +beautiful, and the children love it. Year after year they watch the +little buds unfold; then they fill their hands and pinafores with the +golden buttercups, and carry them home as treasures to be loved and +prized above all other flowers. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p85"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SPINNY SPIDER +</P> + +<P> +"Why don't you grow wings?" asked the Red Butterfly. "And whatever is +the good of having all those legs? Eight! Why, I am sure six are +enough for anybody. You are not at all handsome." +</P> + +<P> +Spinny Spider turned herself round and round, and looked her velvety +body all over with her six eyes. +</P> + +<P> +"We seem to look at things from different standpoints," she said. "I +have no fault to find with my shape. I don't admire wings at all, and +I certainly need all my legs. But I have no time to argue. I have my +web to make." +</P> + +<P> +She ran to the top of the hedge and found a nice space between several +twigs. Then she sat still, and from a little spinneret on each side of +her body she drew hundreds of fine threads of silk, so soft and gummy +that they looked like honey. With the tiny combs she carried on each +hind foot she combed the threads in the air till they dried and +hardened; then she twisted them into a single silken rope. +</P> + +<P> +She worked hard, and soon had made enough of the rope to reach to the +opposite twig, so she put a drop of gum on it and let it float in the +air till it caught the twig and stuck there. "This is a good start," +she said. Now she climbed a higher twig and made another rope, and +dropped it across the first one at right angles. Then she made several +more, fastening them all together in the middle and gumming them +tightly to twigs at the ends, until at last the foundation of the web +was made. It looked like the spokes of a wheel without the rim. +</P> + +<P> +She began to spin a finer rope. As she spun she moved slowly from +spoke to spoke, drawing the new rope with her and gumming it firmly to +each spoke. Round and round she went in ever-widening circles, till +the web was complete. +</P> + +<P> +Then she stood for a moment to admire her finished work. And well she +might admire, for a moonshine wheel in a fairy coach could not be more +beautiful than this. The delicate white silk glistened and shone in +the sunlight, and here and there on every circle were set tiny drops of +gum that gleamed like golden balls. +</P> + +<P> +In the centre there was no gum, for that was to be Spinny's waiting +place. She curled herself up to rest after her work and to wait for +her tea. And her tea soon came. A gnat came flying past in a hurry, +caught one of his wings in the web, and in a moment was struggling for +his life. "The gum will hold him," thought Spinny to herself. "I need +not move." The gum did hold him, and his struggles only tightened the +web about him. In a few minutes he was dead; Spinny went over to him, +and had him for tea. Then she rolled herself up again. +</P> + +<P> +Presently a big blue-bottle fly came noisily buzzing along, and +blundered into the net. +</P> + +<P> +"Goodness gracious! what's all this?" he shouted; and he banged and +kicked with all his wings and legs. Such a commotion! "He will smash +my web and get away, after all," cried Spinny, and she was out to him +in a moment. Quickly she spun a few threads and bound them round him +to hold him. Then she unsheathed two sharp claws in her feelers. She +drove these into the fly, holding them still for a second while a drop +of poison from her poison bag ran down each claw into the wound. Very +soon Blue-bottle was dead. +</P> + +<P> +"This is a splendid tea!" said Spinny. "The wings are too hard and +dry, but the body is just what I like." +</P> + +<P> +"You savage creature!" cried the Red Butterfly, who had seen the death +of the fly. "How can you bear to be so cruel?" +</P> + +<P> +"Again we look at things from different standpoints," said Spinny. "I +cannot eat honey like you, but am made to live on flesh and blood. +What seems cruelty to you is only my nature, and I cannot help my +nature. I must get my food in this way, or I should die." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p88"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SPINNY SPIDER'S CHILDREN +</P> + +<P> +"What are you making now?" asked the Red Butterfly of Spinny Spider. +</P> + +<P> +"A round cradle for my babies," said Spinny Spider. +</P> + +<P> +"Really! And where are the babies?" +</P> + +<P> +"They are not here yet. Don't talk to me. I am busy." +</P> + +<P> +She went on working, spinning fine silk threads and weaving them +carefully into a ball-shaped cradle. +</P> + +<P> +Then she put her little white eggs in it, and picked it up and carried +it about with her. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you are a silly!" cried the Butterfly. "Fancy carrying that +weight about with you wherever you go. Why don't you do as I do?" +</P> + +<P> +"What do you do?" asked Spinny Spider. +</P> + +<P> +"I leave my eggs on a stalk or a leaf," said the Butterfly. "The sun +hatches them, and I have no further trouble." +</P> + +<P> +"And do you mean to say you do nothing more for them?" +</P> + +<P> +"Nothing at all." +</P> + +<P> +"Don't you even go to see how they are? Why, something might eat them!" +</P> + +<P> +"I lay them as far out of sight as I can," said the Butterfly. "That +is all I can do." +</P> + +<P> +"That way would never suit me," said Spinny Spider. "You call me +cruel, but I say you are heartless." +</P> + +<P> +"It is my nature. I cannot help it," said the Butterfly. "As you +yourself said, we look at things from different standpoints." +</P> + +<P> +Spinny Spider said nothing, but hugged her precious burden more closely +to her. By and by, however, a wasp was caught in her nest, so she hid +the cradle for safety in the darkest corner of her little house near +by, while she attended to Mr. Wasp. +</P> + +<P> +After a few days the children came out of their shells. What a crowd! +They ran all over the little house and peeped into everything. "Come +out and see the world," said Spinny Spider. She led them out into the +sunshine. +</P> + +<P> +Wicked Mr. Striped Spider was passing the door. "Good day, Spinny +Spider!" he said. "That is a fine family of yours. May I look at the +little dears?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, indeed!" cried Spinny Spider, for she knew he only wanted to eat +them. +</P> + +<P> +She placed herself in front of them, and a great fight began. Mr. +Striped Spider was hungry, and if he could only kill Spinny Spider he +might have the whole family for dinner. But Spinny Spider was fighting +for the lives of her children, and her love for them gave her strength +and fierceness. Mr. Striped Spider soon lay dead at her feet. Then +the family had him for dinner. +</P> + +<P> +The Red Butterfly had seen it all. "How you fight!" she said. "What +are you going to do next?" +</P> + +<P> +"Come in and see," said Spinny Spider. +</P> + +<P> +"No, thank you," said the Butterfly. She flew off. She knew Spinny +Spider's ways too well. +</P> + +<P> +The children began at once to make dainty little webs for themselves, +and to catch their own food. Spinny Spider saw with pride that without +any teaching they were able to make their webs as perfectly as she +could. They soon started out in life on their own account, each one +looking after himself. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p92"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +TINYBOY +</P> + +<P> +Tinyboy lived in a big red poppy. It was a pretty house. The walls +were red silk, and the floor was black velvet, and there were plenty of +soft velvet balls to play with. In the day-time the bees and +butterflies came to see him; at night, when the poppy shut its petals, +he crept down into the seed-box and slept in his warm blankets. +</P> + +<P> +But Tinyboy grew very lonely, for he had no one to play with. The bees +and butterflies were always in such a hurry that they had no time for a +game, and he had no one else to talk to. He was really a merry little +fellow, but just now he was so lonely that he grew quite cross. +</P> + +<P> +He sat on his doorstep and kicked his heels, and said: "Oh, dear! I +wish I had somebody to play with. I'm tired of this big, lonely house, +and those silly bees and butterflies that are always in such a hurry. +I do wish somebody would come and play with me." +</P> + +<P> +"How cross you are to-day," said a Red Butterfly who heard what he +said. "If you are so rude we won't come to see you at all," she went +on. "Fancy calling us silly!" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, well," said Tinyboy, "you know I didn't mean it. Only I'm so +lonely, and you never will stop to play with me." +</P> + +<P> +"I should think not," said the Butterfly. "I have my work to do, and I +can't stop to play. Why don't you go out and look for a playmate?" +</P> + +<P> +"How can I?" asked Tinyboy. "You know I can't get out of this house. +It's so high up that I should fall and hurt myself if I stepped out. I +can't fly like you, for I have no wings." +</P> + +<P> +"No, neither you have! I forgot about that," said the Butterfly. +"Well, I feel sorry for you, so I'll tell you what I shall do. I shall +give you a ride round the garden on my back, and we'll look for a +playmate for you." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, that will be grand," said Tinyboy. "I'm ready now." +</P> + +<P> +"Jump on, then," said the Butterfly, "and hold tight." +</P> + +<P> +Tinyboy jumped on and held tight, and off they started. +</P> + +<P> +It was a wonderful ride. Tinyboy had never been out of his house +before, so he knew nothing about the other flowers in the garden. When +he saw the roses and lilies and pansies and bluebells he thought this +must be the great world he had heard the bees talking about. +</P> + +<P> +"Is this the world?" he asked. +</P> + +<P> +The Butterfly laughed. +</P> + +<P> +"No," she said; "this is only a garden. Over the hedge there is +another garden, and past that there is another, and many more after +that. It takes more gardens than one to make a world." +</P> + +<P> +"Ah, well. I'm sure it is pretty enough to be a world," said Tinyboy; +and so it was. The sun shone, the birds sang, the bees and butterflies +flew gaily about their work, and the flowers laughed and nodded to one +another across the garden. It was all lovely; Tinyboy would have liked +to ride all day on the Butterfly's back. But he knew the Butterfly +must soon go on with her work, so he began to look about for a playmate. +</P> + +<P> +"Let us see if anyone is at home here," said the Butterfly, stopping at +a large pink rose. +</P> + +<P> +"Come out, Rose-lady!" she called, and out came the prettiest little +lady you ever saw. She was dressed in soft pink silk, and her hair was +yellow and fluffy. She came out smiling at the Butterfly, who was her +friend, but as soon as she saw Tinyboy she hid her face shyly in her +curls and ran back into her house. The Butterfly called and Tinyboy +called, but she was too shy to come out again, so they had at last to +fly away to another flower. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-092"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-092.jpg" ALT=""When she saw Tinyboy she hid her face shyly in her curls"" BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +"When she saw Tinyboy she hid her face shyly in her curls" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +The Butterfly stopped next at a bluebell's door. He had no need to +call out there, for a little lady dressed all in blue sat on the +doorstep. +</P> + +<P> +"Good day, Red Butterfly," she called as they came near. "Who is this +on your back?" +</P> + +<P> +"This is Tinyboy," said the Butterfly. "He is looking for a playmate. +Will you come?" +</P> + +<P> +The blue lady looked at Tinyboy and shook her head. "I don't like +red," she said, pointing to Tinyboy's red clothes. "I like boys in +blue suits." +</P> + +<P> +"That's right," called a merry voice from the next bluebell. Tinyboy +looked and saw a little fellow in a bright blue suit laughing up at +him. "The blue lady is my playmate," he said, "and you are not to take +her away." +</P> + +<P> +So Tinyboy and the Butterfly went on. By and by they came to a big red +poppy with a black velvet floor. "Why, that is just like my house," +Tinyboy said when he saw it. "Is it my house?" +</P> + +<P> +"No," said the Butterfly. "Your house is at the other side of the +garden. Tinygirl lives here." +</P> + +<P> +The Butterfly stood on the edge of the poppy, and Tinyboy looked in. +There sat a dear little Tinygirl on the doorstep, swinging her feet +just as Tinyboy had done in his house, and looking just as lonely as he +had been. She was dressed all in red silk, and her wee cap of black +velvet was just like his. +</P> + +<P> +She smiled at Tinyboy and Tinyboy smiled at her, and said: "Will you +play with me?" +</P> + +<P> +"Of course I will," she said at once. "Come into my house and play +ball." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p97"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE MOSQUITO BABIES +</P> + +<P> +On the top of the pool floated a dainty raft of mosquito eggs, glued +together by their careful mother to keep them from sinking. In a day +or two tiny wrigglers came out of the eggs, and began to dart about in +every direction to find their food. +</P> + +<P> +They were the queerest little water-babies! Their bodies were long and +jointed, and from every jointed bit little bundles of swimming hairs +stuck out on both sides. They had feelers on their heads, and they +breathed through their tails—of all strange places! When they wanted +a fresh supply of air they stood head downwards in the water, with +tails stuck up to breathe. +</P> + +<P> +How those babies did wriggle about, to be sure! They seemed never to +be still for a moment. They would take in air, then sink to the bottom +of the pool and draw in tinier creatures than themselves with their +mouth hairs, then, having made their meal, wriggle up again to the top. +And every movement was so wonderfully quick! It had to be so, indeed, +for young dragon-flies and water-spiders and many other enemies were +always waiting to swallow them if the chance came. +</P> + +<P> +After a few days the wrigglers changed their shapes in the strangest +ways. Funny round shields grew over their heads, and two little tubes +grew up from the top of each shield. These tubes stood above the water +when the babies were at the top, and now the tail curled round, and was +not used for breathing any more, for the babies breathed through the +two little tubes. +</P> + +<P> +Under the shield the babies were busily making their wings and growing +into mother and father mosquitoes. But though they were so busy, they +did not rest; they moved about almost as much as ever, but now their +heads were so heavy that they tumbled and bobbed up and down instead of +wriggling. So everybody in the pond called them tumblers. +</P> + +<P> +Now came their last days in the pond. One by one they pushed +themselves out of their old skins, and stood on top of them to dry +their wings. Then they left their old home, flying off to the nearest +bushes for their first rest, and from there seeking out their food. +"We want only juices," said the father mosquitoes; "juices of fruit or +sweet green things." +</P> + +<P> +But the mother mosquitoes said: "We want blood. Nothing but blood. +Where is it? Where is it?" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p99"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE SCRAMBLER +</P> + +<P> +He was a young blackberry plant; but he was so tiny that he could +scarcely be seen. Indeed, there was such a crush of growing things +round him that it was a wonder he was not choked. He had started life +under a hedge where the tangled weeds grew so thickly that even air was +scarce; it looked for a time as if the little Scrambler must die. +</P> + +<P> +But his heart was bold; he did not give up. He pushed and pushed till +he rose a little higher and could breathe a little more freely; then he +grew a number of strong curved hooks on his arms. +</P> + +<P> +"Kindly allow me to hold on to you," he said to the nearest weeds. He +held on to them with his hooks and rose yet higher in the crowd. +</P> + +<P> +"Take your hooks out. You are hurting us!" cried the weeds. They +tried to grow above him and to crush him down, but he had the start +now, and he made the most of it. Higher and higher he grew, holding on +to the taller plants, and sending out new hooked branches on every side +to help in his support. At last his head rose above all the +surrounding plants. He could breathe freely in the sweet air. "Ah! +this is delightful!" he cried. He grew fast, spreading himself out +widely on both sides. +</P> + +<P> +Next he turned his attention to the hedge. "I must climb to the top," +he said, "so as to escape its shadow and get all the sunshine there +is." Hook by hook and branch by branch he climbed up the side of the +hedge until he could look over the top. +</P> + +<P> +"Why don't you grow thick stems of your own instead of hanging on to +other people?" grumbled the hedge. But the Scrambler took no notice; +he was busy making his flowers. "Now that I have been so successful, I +must do my duty and bear seeds," he said to himself. +</P> + +<P> +When the buds opened he was starred with pretty white blossoms tinged +here and there with pink. He put plenty of honey in the honey-cups, so +the insects came in crowds and carried his pollen from flower to +flower. "That is well," he said. "Now my seeds will set." +</P> + +<P> +Soon the petals fell and the seeds set. "I must make a sweet berry, so +that the birds will carry my seeds away to grow," he said. So he set +his seeds in berries that turned black and sweet and juicy. The birds +came and picked them, and carried the seeds away to grow. +</P> + +<P> +"I wonder you like to see your children going so far away from you," +said the Hedge. +</P> + +<P> +"It is the best thing for them," replied the Scrambler. "There is no +room for them here. They would be choked if they fell beneath my +branches." +</P> + +<P> +There was indeed no room for them there. The Scrambler had not only +covered the top of the hedge, but had grown over the other side too, +down to the ground. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p102"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +WOOLLYMOOLLY +</P> + +<P> +Woollymoolly blamed the sweet-peas and sunflowers and gold and purple +pansies; but I blame Woollymoolly for not doing as he was told. He +never would do what he was told, and that caused all the trouble. When +he was only a few weeks old he jumped down from the railway truck, away +from his mother; and though she called him and called him and called +him, he just ran and ran and ran till he was lost. Then a big kind +lady found him and took him home and fed him; and he became a Pet Lamb. +</P> + +<P> +At first she gave him milk, but as soon as he could eat grass he was +tethered to a peg in the back garden and allowed to nibble for yards +and yards and yards all round. That should have been enough, for there +was plenty of grass; and if he tired of grass there was clover; and if +he tired of clover there were soft sow-thistles and milky chickweed. +But after the first week he never was content with the back, for +through a hole in the fence he could see in the front the sweet-peas +and sunflowers and gold and purple pansies. +</P> + +<P> +His peg was moved from day to day, to give him fresh choice of the +grass and clover and soft sow-thistles and the milky chickweed, but he +would not be content. He raced round and round and tugged at his rope, +until one day the peg came out. Then with a rush he was on his way to +the front garden, dragging rope and peg behind him. But his mistress +heard the patter, patter, patter of his naughty little hoofs, and she +ran fast and caught him, and hammered the peg in again. Then she told +him plainly what to do. "Stay where you are tied," she said. "This is +your garden, all amongst the grass and the clover and the soft +sow-thistles and the milky chickweed. You must never, never go into +the front to eat my sweet-peas and sunflowers and gold and purple +pansies." +</P> + +<P> +She was good to him. She brought him juicy turnips, and he grew big +and fat and strong. One day she let him wander in the road, and at +once he thought of the forbidden front. The little gate was shut and +latched, but through the picket fence he could see the shining of the +flowers, the sweet-peas and sunflowers and gold and purple pansies. So +he waited and he waited and he waited, till at last that careless, +lazy, good-for-nothing butcher boy forgot to shut and latch the little +gate. Then in crept Woollymoolly, and all the sunny day, while his +mistress forgot him in her household work, he gobbled up the sweet-peas +and the sunflowers and the gold and purple pansies. +</P> + +<P> +At last his mistress thought of him, and went to bring him in. She +searched up the road and down the road and back and forth across the +road, and at last she found him gobbling in her garden. "Oh, you +wicked, wicked lamb!" she cried. "You have eaten all my flowers. You +have pulled and smashed and trampled all my pretty garden. You have +greedily gobbled up my sweet-peas and sunflowers and gold and purple +pansies." +</P> + +<P> +The next day came the careless, lazy, good-for-nothing butcher boy +again, but this time when he went he carried with him in his cart the +lamb who would not do as he was told. "I have done with him!" his +mistress cried. +</P> + +<P> +What happened to him afterwards I will not say, though maybe you can +guess. At any rate, he never disobeyed again, nor walked amongst the +sweet-peas and the sunflowers and the gold and purple pansies. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p105"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THISTLE-MOTHER +</P> + +<P> +Thistle-mother looked up and saw that the winter was over, for the sun +was creeping higher and higher in the sky, and the birds were +practising their spring songs. So, unfolding her arms, she spread them +over the ground, and began to push herself up into the warm air. +</P> + +<P> +Her home was on the roadside, where grasses and weeds grew so closely +together that it was hard to find room. As she grew, they began to +complain. "Don't push so," they cried. "And oh! how horribly prickly +you are! You are scratching us dreadfully." +</P> + +<P> +"I am very sorry," she said, "but I really cannot help it. I seem to +grow like this without knowing it." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you might at least go somewhere else to live, where you will not +disturb so many people," they grumbled. But this was just what she +could not do. She went on growing; as the others shrank back from her +prickly arms she could look over their heads. +</P> + +<P> +One day she saw a cow eating the grasses near her. She shuddered as +its long tongue twisted itself round their poor helpless stems, and +forced them into its great mouth. When it passed her by untouched she +felt thankful that she had so many thorns on her arms. "At last I know +why I grow like this," she thought. "The prickles are very useful, +after all." +</P> + +<P> +When the summer came she began to make her children's cots. She wove +the overlapping sides of brightest cot-green, strong and fine. Then, +remembering the cow, she put a sharp prickle at each point, and closed +the points together. She made warm fluffy beds, and in them she placed +her children. +</P> + +<P> +They were tiny, helpless things, white and soft. They looked up at the +shining walls as she gently put them in their cots, and asked: "Mother, +must we always stay in here?" +</P> + +<P> +"No, dear ones," said the mother; "when you are strong and brown you +shall fly out over the world. But rest now while I make your wings." +</P> + +<P> +Nothing daintier or more beautiful than their wings had ever been seen. +They were snow-white and glistening, and long and fine, and softer than +the softest silk. She tied them firmly to the little shoulders, and in +the middle of each wing she placed a long lilac-coloured plume. Then +she gently opened the cots a little, and the plume-ends floated out +into the sunshine. The children sang for joy. +</P> + +<P> +"We have the most beautiful wings in the world," they sang. "Now we +can fly away." +</P> + +<P> +"Not yet," said Thistle-Mother. "Wait a little longer. You must grow +brown and strong first." +</P> + +<P> +The lilac plumes glowed in the sunshine, and the cots swung in the +summer winds. "Now your time is coming, for your plumes are turning +brown," said Thistle-Mother; the children looked at one another, and +saw that they themselves had turned from white to lilac. +</P> + +<P> +"Shall we be brown next?" they asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," she answered, "when your plumes are curled and twisted. Rest +again." +</P> + +<P> +Soon the plumes were curled and twisted, and Thistle-Mother opened the +cots widely at the top. Now the children were brown and strong. When +they saw the blue sky they sprang to meet it; but, instead of flying +up, they tumbled in a heap on their mother's arms. +</P> + +<P> +Thistle-Mother laughed tenderly at them. "You were in too great a +hurry," she said. "Lie here till the wind comes. He will lift your +wings and give you a start, and then you can fly away. And, children, +when you have seen the world, and feel ready to settle down, be sure to +choose a good growing-place. Then in time you too will become +Thistle-Mothers. Ah! here comes the wind. Good-bye, my little ones." +</P> + +<P> +"Good-bye, mother dear," they called gaily, for the wind was lifting +them and spreading their wings. They floated up into the air, and flew +off, their beautiful white feathers glistening like silver in the +sunlight. "What a glorious place the world is!" they called to one +another as they flew over the land. They went everywhere and saw +everything. Those who remembered Thistle-Mother's words chose a good +growing-place and settled down and became Thistle-Mothers themselves; +but the careless ones, who forgot—well, nobody knows what became of +them. +</P> + +<P> +Left alone, Thistle-Mother folded her tired arms and sank into the +ground, to sleep till summer and cot-making time should come again. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p109"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SALLY SNAIL'S WANDERINGS +</P> + +<P> +"I smell strawberries," said Sally Snail. "They are somewhere across +the road. I shall go and find them." +</P> + +<P> +"Nonsense!" said the others. "It is too dangerous a journey. There +are always boys and carts and birds, and all sorts of monsters on the +road. You will never reach the other side alive." +</P> + +<P> +"I am going," said Sally. She started off on her strong, creeping +foot, leaving a shining wet trail behind her. +</P> + +<P> +Her curly shell covered her back, but her head was thrust well out, so +that the eyes on her two long horns could see the roadway and give +warning if danger were near. With her shorter horns she followed the +scent of the strawberries. +</P> + +<P> +Half-way across the road a starling saw her. He flew down at once, +thinking he had found an easy tea. But Sally Snail was too quick for +him. In an instant she drew her head and foot into her shell, and sat +down so firmly on the ground that the starling could not move her. He +pulled at the shell, but he could not pull it off the ground. He +pecked at it, but he could not pierce it with his beak. +</P> + +<P> +"I will wait till you come out," he cried. "You can't stay here +always!" But a boy came running down the road, and threw a stone at +the starling. The frightened bird flew off, and Sally Snail continued +her journey. The boy did not notice her, so she reached the hedge in +safety, crawled through, and found the strawberries. +</P> + +<P> +What a feast she had! She cut pieces out of the sweet fruit with the +files in her mouth, sucked them in, and swallowed them. "If the others +knew how good these are, I am sure they would all come too," she +thought. +</P> + +<P> +She stayed there till all the strawberries were gone; then she had to +go back to eating leaves again. +</P> + +<P> +"There is a cabbage garden through that next fence, I am sure," she +said one day. "I shall go and see." So she travelled next into the +cabbage garden. Here she found her cousins, the Slug family. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me, how strange you all look!" she said. "Why don't you grow +shells on your backs?" +</P> + +<P> +"Don't give yourself airs. We have as blue blood as you," said the +Slugs. They were touchy about their soft backs. +</P> + +<P> +"How cross you are! I shall go and visit my cousins in the pond," said +Sally. +</P> + +<P> +However, the cabbages were very good, so she stayed till they were all +cut and taken away. Then she crossed the garden, slipped through the +fence, and came to the pond. Here her cousins, the Water Snails, were +gliding across the top of the water, shell downwards, like a boat, and +foot up like a sail. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! how lovely to be able to do that!" said Sally as she watched them. +</P> + +<P> +"I have found you again!" said the Starling coming down with a swoop +and a sharp peck. +</P> + +<P> +Sally slipped into her shell, but this time she was not quite quick +enough. The starling had caught one of her long horns, and now flew +off with the eye from the end of it. +</P> + +<P> +"It doesn't matter," said Sally. "I can easily grow another." +</P> + +<P> +She crept under a bush and lived there for a time, and when she came +out again another eye had grown at the end of the horn. +</P> + +<P> +"I shall go home now," said Sally. She went home and told the others +all about her travels. "We must certainly cross to the strawberry +garden next year," said the Snails, "but now winter is coming fast—we +must bury ourselves." +</P> + +<P> +They crept into the ground, sealed up the mouths of their shells with +lime so that no enemies could enter, and went to sleep for the winter. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p113"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +MILLY MUSHROOM +</P> + +<P> +She was very tiny at first, and quite brown. Her mother laid her +gently on the ground and said: "Creep down into the warmth and grow." +So Milly crept down into the warmth, and grew into a little white girl +as thin as a thread. For a year she stayed under the ground with her +brothers and sisters; then they all put on their best velvet hoods and +puffed themselves out to go up into the world. +</P> + +<P> +Billy Button sprang up first. He called down to Milly: "Come up, +little sister. The sun is shining through a silver mist and everything +is glorious." +</P> + +<P> +"I am not quite ready," said Milly Mushroom. "I must grow bigger +first." +</P> + +<P> +She puffed herself out as fast as she could, and at last was ready to +go up. She tied her hood over her face to keep the wind off her soft +cheeks. Then she too sprang up. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, dear," she said, "how strange it feels up here!" +</P> + +<P> +"You will soon grow used to it," said Billy Button. "Hurry up and +grow, and turn pink like me." +</P> + +<P> +Milly grew and grew and turned pink like Billy Button. Then she untied +her hood and peeped out, showing her soft cheeks and pretty white +collar. +</P> + +<P> +"What a great world it is!" she said. "It is all so wide and high. I +am a little afraid." +</P> + +<P> +"This is only a bit of the world," said Billy Button. "I know, for the +Flying Beetle told me. He has travelled far, and has seen wonderful +sights. Ah! how I should like to travel!" +</P> + +<P> +"I would rather stay at home," said Milly. She was trembling a little; +everything seemed strange up here in the strong light. +</P> + +<P> +"Grow close to me," said a friendly Thistle. "I will shelter you with +my long arms." She stretched out one of her arms, and Milly nestled +beneath it and was comforted. +</P> + +<P> +All that day and night she and Billy Button grew so fast that when the +next morning came they hardly knew one another. +</P> + +<P> +"How big you are, Billy!" said Milly. +</P> + +<P> +"So are you," said Billy. "You are quite a mushroom lady now. But +goodness gracious! Whatever is that? What a monster! And how it +shakes the ground!" +</P> + +<P> +A boy was walking over the field with a basket in his hand. He was +gathering mushrooms. He stooped and pulled Billy Button from the +ground. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, the cruel monster! Oh, poor, poor Billy!" sobbed Milly Mushroom. +</P> + +<P> +But Billy was not at all frightened. "Hurrah! I am going to travel at +last!" he cried. "Good-bye, Milly. I shall see the world now." +</P> + +<P> +He was popped into the basket and carried off, while Milly was left +shivering under the thistle's arm. +</P> + +<P> +She soon forgot her fright, however, though she often wondered what +happened to Billy Button, and whether he enjoyed his travels. She grew +taller and bigger every day, and changed her hood for a big flat hat so +wide and shady that the little field-mouse could sit under it and talk +to her. And the thistle covered her from sight with its friendly arms, +so no monster ever found her to put her in his basket and carry her off. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p116"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +WIGGLE-WAGGLE +</P> + +<P> +Mrs. Earth-worm made a hole under the ground and put an egg in it. +Round the egg she wrapped clear jelly to serve as food for the little +one when it should hatch. Then she went back to her burrow. +</P> + +<P> +Soon Wiggle-Waggle came out of the egg. He was the tiniest worm you +could imagine, but he had a fine appetite; he ate all the jelly his +mother had left for him. Then he began to nibble at the earth, and he +liked it so much that he went on nibbling. There were all sorts of +nice things in it—scraps of leaf and stalk and root and seed—just the +things he liked best. The more he ate the bigger he grew; soon you +would hardly have known him. +</P> + +<P> +One day he thought: "I wonder what it is like above the ground? I will +go up and see." +</P> + +<P> +He began to burrow in an upward, slanting direction, breaking down the +earth with his hard little mouth, and swallowing it out of the way. At +last he reached the surface of the ground and poked his head through +into the daylight. But he drew back quickly into his burrow again, for +the strong light hurt him. He could not see it, for he had no eyes, +but he could feel it on the skin of his head, and he did not like it. +"It makes me feel quite ill," he said. He pulled some loose earth into +the mouth of his burrow, and coiled himself round till night fell. +</P> + +<P> +Then he came out once more. Ah! things were very different now! The +air was cool and moist, and delightfully dark; hundreds of neighbour +worms were crawling over the ground, feasting and talking and visiting +one another. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! there you are at last," said his mother from the next-door burrow. +"I have been listening for you. Fix your tail into the top of your +burrow, and sway yourself round and feel for your food. Then you can +slip back easily if an enemy comes near. There are many enemies about, +so listen carefully. And never stay up till daylight comes, or a bird +will catch you." +</P> + +<P> +So Wiggle-Waggle entered into the busy night-life of the garden. At +first he followed his mother's advice, keeping his tail in his hole +while he felt for green leaves, dragging them into his burrow. Later, +he grew more venturesome, and crawled out over the ground to make the +acquaintance of his neighbours. He lined his burrow with soft leaves +and gathered tiny stones together to hide the entrance from the eyes of +his enemies. Life was busy and pleasant, and he grew big and strong. +</P> + +<P> +But one night he stayed up too long; when the red light of morning +sprang up in the eastern sky he was quite three feet from his home. He +hurried, darting his head as far forward as he could reach, sticking +his front bristles in the ground, drawing his body up in a loop, +dropping it, and then darting his head forward again. He went swiftly, +but not quite swiftly enough. An early blackbird saw him, and swooped +down upon him. His head and half his body were already in his burrow, +but the blackbird's beak closed on his tail. +</P> + +<P> +He stuck all four rows of sharp bristles like tiny pins in the ground, +and held on for his life, while the blackbird pulled hard for its +breakfast. Snap! crunch! tear! It was dreadful. Poor Wiggle-Waggle +parted in the middle, and the blackbird flew off with half of him. +</P> + +<P> +Wiggle-Waggle was not dead, but he felt very unwell. He wriggled down +to the bottom of his burrow, and kept very quiet for a long time. And +a wonderful thing happened. New rings of body, and then a new tail, +grew on the broken end, and soon he was a whole worm again, with only a +join-mark to show that an accident had happened. +</P> + +<P> +When he goes up at night now to feed and visit his neighbours, he is +very careful not to stay too late. He is still living in his old home, +unless the last heavy rain has flooded his burrow and washed him out. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p119"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE LEAF FAIRIES +</P> + +<P> +In the wood the Leaf Fairies were busy making their leaves. They made +them of every shape and size, for each fairy had her own idea of what +looked prettiest. Some made them long and narrow, like tall and +graceful ladies; some made them round and dumpy, like fat little men; +some made them heart-shaped, and some cut up the edges till they were +all dainty points and curves. Some placed them sitting down on the +branches, while others set them on slender stalks. There was no set +rule for anything. Each fairy followed her own pretty fancy. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-120"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-120.jpg" ALT=""In the wood the Leaf Fairies were busy making their leaves"" BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +"In the wood the Leaf Fairies were busy making their leaves" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Most of the leaves were green, but a few were splashed with yellow or +veined with red or lined with silver. Everywhere they covered trees +and bushes and low-growing ground plants, growing here in clusters, and +there singly or in pairs. The fairies swung themselves far out on the +branches to admire their handiwork. +</P> + +<P> +"Now you must be busy," they said to the leaves. "In the daytime you +must help the roots to gather food for yourselves and all the +family—roots and stems and flowers and seeds; and at night when we +have swept the passages you must throw out the rubbish." +</P> + +<P> +"Shall we never have time to play?" asked the leaves anxiously. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said the fairies. "When the family is fed each day you may +dance with the winds and play hide-and-seek with the sunbeams, and when +the autumn is here and all your work is done, we ourselves will take +you for a pleasure trip." +</P> + +<P> +The leaves were content, and at once set to work. The fairies made +tiny kitchens for them, and here they gathered the food for the family +and prepared it for their use. The fairies carried it to roots and +stems and flowers and seeds, so they all grew strong and well. At +night the fairies swept the passages so clean that not a grain of dirt +was left anywhere; the leaves threw out the rubbish from their kitchen +doors. +</P> + +<P> +Summer passed and autumn came. "You have worked well," said the +fairies to the leaves. "Now you shall have your pleasure-trip." +</P> + +<P> +They dressed the leaves in gay frocks, all gold and crimson and bright +brown; they loosened them from the trees and set them floating on the +wind. "Now follow us," they said; and the fluttering leaves followed +them. First they whirled and danced on the ground beneath the trees, +then they rose in the air and flew away, away—nobody knows where. You +could not have seen the fairies leading if you had been there, for they +are not visible to mortal eyes; but you would have seen the leaves +following them. Where they went to I can't tell you. They never came +back, though it is said that the fairies did. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p122"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +BUNNY-BOY +</P> + +<P> +"Now, Bunny-Boy," said his mother, "look after the house while I am +away, and mind you do not go outside, for there are boys about to-day." +</P> + +<P> +"What nonsense!" thought Bunny-Boy to himself. "As if I could not run +faster than any boy. And I have been waiting for a chance to go and +see the world, so I shall go to-day." +</P> + +<P> +As soon as the Bunny-Mother was out of sight, he slipped out and ran +away, this naughty Bunny-Boy, with his little white tail bobbing, and +his eyes shining with delight. "Now, I shall see what the great world +is like," he thought. +</P> + +<P> +He came to a skylark sitting on her nest. +</P> + +<P> +"Good-day, Lady Skylark!" he said. "I am going to see the world. +Would you like to come with me?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh dear no, indeed," said the Skylark. "I have to sit on my eggs. +Does your mother know you are going?" Bunny-Boy ran off at once. He +did not want to answer that. +</P> + +<P> +He came next to a little hill, where other Bunny-Boys and Bunny-Girls +lived. They all came running out to see him, and said: "Stay and play +with us." +</P> + +<P> +"No," he said; "I am going to see the world." +</P> + +<P> +"Where is that?" they asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Somewhere over that big fence," said Bunny-Boy. "You may come with me +if you like." +</P> + +<P> +"We do not want to come," they said. "You stay here with us." But +Bunny-Boy would not stay. He ran off again. The others called out: +"We will tell your mother of you." But he only ran the faster. +</P> + +<P> +He went through the big fence, and came into a field of oats. Here men +were busy cutting the oats, and Bunny-Boy was so frightened by the +noise they made that he scampered out of that field into the next. +This was a field of grass, and Bunny-Boy thought: "Now I can begin to +enjoy myself." +</P> + +<P> +Just then he heard a bark, and a big dog rushed over the grass after +him. A boy came with the dog, and now poor Bunny-Boy had to run for +his life. How he did run! But the dog could run too, and he nearly +caught Bunny-Boy. His mouth, with its sharp teeth, was just open ready +to snap on Bunny-Boy's back, when Bunny-Boy saw a hole in front of him, +jumped into it, and was saved. +</P> + +<P> +At the bottom of the hold he found a Bunny-house, and some kind +Bunnies, who let him stay there till the dog and its master had gone +away. Then he crept out, and went sadly home. +</P> + +<P> +"I will always do what you tell me," he said to his mother that night. +"It was dreadful out in the world. I would much rather stay at home +and mind the house." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p125"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +LOVE-MOTHER +</P> + +<P> +A potato and a rusty nail lay side by side in an old shed. Through the +winter they found very little to say to one another, but when the +spring came the potato grew restless and talkative. +</P> + +<P> +"This is a poor life for us," she said. "Do you not feel that it is a +waste of time lying here like this?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not at all," said the rusty nail. "If you had been knocked about as +much as I have you would be glad to lie still." He was bent in the +back and had lost half his head, so he had a right to talk. +</P> + +<P> +"But I want to grow!" cried the potato. "I want to go down into the +dark warm earth, where it is so easy to grow. Then I should send up +white stalks that turn green when they reach the sunlight, and bear +broad leaves and beautiful flowers. My children would grow on my +white, stalks under the ground. Ah! that would be life indeed!" +</P> + +<P> +"You seem to me to be talking nonsense," said the nail. "I once lived +in a kitchen, where a great many potatoes were cooked every day, but +none of them had the beautiful leaves and flowers you talk about." +</P> + +<P> +But the potato was not listening now, for something seemed to be moving +inside her. "I feel so strange!" she cried. "I am sure something is +going to happen." +</P> + +<P> +The next moment something did happen. The skin was pushed open, and a +little white shoot poked its head out. "I am growing!" cried the +potato joyfully. "Oh, I wish somebody would put me in the ground." +But, alas! nobody understood potato-language, so she lay there for +several days longer. Then a little boy who was playing saw her and +picked her up. +</P> + +<P> +"Here is a potato growing without any ground," he said. "I shall plant +it in my garden." +</P> + +<P> +He carried her to his garden, made a hole, and planted her. She +nestled thankfully down into the warm earth as he covered her up. "At +last I am put into my right place and can really grow," she said. And +grow she did. Shoot after shoot ran up from her sides, spreading out +in the sunlight into broad green leaves and beautiful lavender coloured +flowers. And the little potatoes came, all along the white underground +stems. Bigger and bigger they grew, till they were as big and fine as +their mother had been. How proud she was of them! +</P> + +<P> +But as they grew she dwindled and lost her strength, for she was giving +all the substance of her body to feed her children. "What is the +matter, little Love-Mother?" they asked tenderly. "Why do you grow so +weak and thin?" They did not understand where their food came from, +but she knew and was well content. "It is my life, but they need it, +and I am happy in giving it," she said softly to herself. +</P> + +<P> +So day by day she grew less and less, till with a loving sigh she died. +"I am happy," was her last thought, "for I have done my part in the +world, and now, like the rusty nail, I am glad to rest." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p128"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE HILL PRINCESS +</P> + +<P> +It was when Roy and Charlie were out rabbiting that they met the Hill +Princess. They had gone much farther than they usually did, and that +is how they found her. It was in a long gully at the foot of the +tallest hill of all, and she had come down the side of the hill to meet +them. She was tall and beautiful, and her robes were as green as the +grass in the gully, while her crown was all of starry white clematis +flowers. +</P> + +<P> +"Have you had a good time?" she asked. The boys were too shy to speak +at first—she was so grand and wonderful. But they knew it was polite +to answer when you are spoken to, so Charlie plucked up courage and +said: "Yes, thank you." +</P> + +<P> +"That is right," she said kindly. Then she stood and looked at them +for quite a long time, while the boys grew shyer and shyer under her +searching eyes. At last she spoke. "I am trying to feel your hearts," +she said. "I can feel those of my own people at once, but yours are +hard to understand." +</P> + +<P> +The boys did not know what she meant, but they were too shy to ask. +She went on: "I should like to show you my Palace, but I must first +know whether it is safe to trust you. Can you keep your word?" +</P> + +<P> +"I can!" cried both boys at once. The thought of seeing the Palace +took away their shyness. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said the Princess, "if I take you to the Palace, you must first +promise not to tell anybody about it—not even your mothers. No mortal +has ever before seen it, and I do not wish others to come to look for +it; so you must not tell them about it. Do you promise?" The boys +promised at once, and the Princess said: "I shall always hold you to +that. See that you keep your word. Now come." +</P> + +<P> +They followed her a few steps up the side of the hill. Here she +stopped, and tapped with her foot on the ground. Instantly a door flew +open in the hillside, and they entered. The door swung to behind them, +and they found themselves in the Princess's throne-room. +</P> + +<P> +It was a magnificent room, wide and lofty. The walls and roof and +floor were all of glittering limestone, lit up by magic star-shaped +lights of brilliant colours. In the centre stood a throne of solid +gold, with a rug made of crimson flower-petals thrown half over it. +"Don't the petals fade?" asked Roy as they admired the beautiful rug. +</P> + +<P> +"Nothing fades in my Palace," answered the Princess. +</P> + +<P> +She led them from room to room, talking kindly to them, and showing +them quite proudly all the beauties of her home. It was indeed a +wonderful Palace. Each room was different from all the others. In one +the walls were made of gold, in another of silver, in another of opal, +and in others of emerald or ruby or diamond, until one's eyes almost +tired of the brilliance. +</P> + +<P> +The furniture was as beautiful as the walls, but the boys noticed that +the chairs and tables and sofas and beds were all made very low, except +those for the Princess herself. Indeed, so close to the ground were +they that Charlie asked the Princess: "Are your people very little, +Hill Princess?" +</P> + +<P> +The Princess laughed. "Come and see them," she said, and she led the +way out to the back of the hill. Here they found themselves in an open +space covered with grass and flowers and little bushes. On every side +rose a high straight bank, covered with bush creepers, and behind the +bank rose tall bush trees to hide the place from view. "This is our +playground," said the Princess, "and here are my people." +</P> + +<P> +The boys looked round eagerly. All they could see were rabbits and +hares and birds and insects—rabbits and hares and birds and insects +everywhere—hundreds of them playing on the grass, amongst the flowers, +in the bushes. The boys were puzzled. +</P> + +<P> +"Where are the people?" asked Charlie. +</P> + +<P> +The Princess laughed again. "The hill creatures are my people," she +said. "There, the animals can talk and work and play just as you can. +The hares and rabbits do the work of the Palace; the birds fly in with +our food from the surrounding country; and the insects take our +messages. So work is provided for all. For their play they come here, +and here they are so much at peace with one another that everyone is +safe. To hurt anything is impossible here." +</P> + +<P> +Now all this time Charlie had been thinking: "What a grand place for +rabbiting!" So he looked up with rather a red face at the Princess's +words. She knew what he was thinking, for she said: "See if you can +touch Little Hoppy." She pointed, as she spoke, to a wise-looking +rabbit who sat close to her feet, looking up at her with loving eyes. +</P> + +<P> +Roy and Charlie both bent down to catch Little Hoppy, but they found to +their astonishment that, although he sat quite still, they could not +touch him. Again and again they tried, but every time something seemed +to push away their hands. It was not the rabbit—he never moved. +Neither was it the Princess. She stood smiling beside them. "It's +magic," said the Princess. +</P> + +<P> +"Come and play marbles," said Little Hoppy. The boys jumped. So the +rabbits could talk in this strange place, could they? And play +marbles, too? Why, yes, there were several marble rings in the +playground, with bunnies and birds all playing together and chattering +as fast as any crowd of boys. And hares were playing leap-frog. And +groups of bush-robins were nursing tiny dolls. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, this is a comical place," said Roy. "May we go and have a +game?" he asked the Princess. +</P> + +<P> +The Princess shook her head. "It is too late to-day," she said. "You +must leave us now, or it will be dark before you reach your homes. But +keep your promise to me, and I will give you a stone that will guide +you to the Palace another time. Then you may come earlier and so have +time for a game." +</P> + +<P> +The boys were overjoyed. "That will be first-rate," they said. "When +may we come again?" +</P> + +<P> +"The moon was full last night," answered the Princess. "Come always on +the day after the full moon. See—these will guide you." She picked +two small stones off the ground and gave them one each. As she touched +them they gleamed and shone like opals; but when the boys took them +they lost their light. "Do not lose these," she said. "If you keep +your promise these stones will guide you to the Palace and open the +door for you." She took them back through the Palace and out on to the +hillside again. The boys thanked her and said good-bye, and she went +in, shutting the door behind her with a word. When it was shut, you +could not tell it was there, for the grass and tussocks grew over it. +</P> + +<P> +Roy and Charlie went straight home, talking all the way about the +wonderful things they had seen and heard. "We must watch carefully for +the next full moon," said Roy at his gate, as they stood for a moment +to say good-night. "Yes, indeed," said Charlie, "what a time we shall +have!" Then he hurried home. +</P> + +<P> +"Have you had a good time, Charlie?" asked his mother at tea-time. +</P> + +<P> +"Rather!" said Charlie. "I don't believe anybody ever saw so many +wonderful things as we saw to-day." And then he grew so excited at the +thought of it all that he forgot about his promise, and told his mother +and father about the Princess and the Palace. He knew before he had +finished that he had done wrong, but that did not stop him. And the +worst of it was that neither his father nor his mother believed him. +His mother at first looked very grave, and asked him if he had been in +the sun without his hat, but his father said: "Nonsense! the sun was +not hot to-day. See that he doesn't read too much, Mary. We don't +want him to learn to spin yarns like this." Then he was sent to bed. +</P> + +<P> +Roy did not break his promise. He told his father and mother about his +rabbiting, and about things he saw on the hills and in the gullies, but +he said nothing at all about the Princess and the Palace. It was hard +to keep silent when it was such a wonderful secret, but he remembered +his promise. +</P> + +<P> +And that is how Roy found the Palace again and Charlie did not. When +the day after the full moon came, they both started out, but Roy's +stone led him straight to the Palace, while Charlie's led him all the +afternoon away from it. They were magic stones, and had power to +punish and reward. So Roy was led to the Princess, and had all sorts +of wonderful games with Little Hoppy, while Charlie, because he had not +kept his word, was led astray and not allowed to follow Roy or find the +Palace for himself. And he has never found it yet. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p136"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +URCHINS IN THE SEA +</P> + +<P> +Baby Urchin was vexed. "The grown-ups have all the fun," he said to +his brothers and sisters. "Every day they play on the beach, while we +are told to stay here amongst these stupid rocks and seaweeds. On the +beach they have glorious times. I have often heard them talk about it. +Why shouldn't we go?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, indeed," said the others. "Let us all go." +</P> + +<P> +They swam eagerly from their playground between the rocks—the queerest +babies you ever saw. They looked as if they were made of chalk and +glass; and each had about twelve long arms, sticking straight out in +every direction from the funny white body. +</P> + +<P> +They were fast swimmers; they went gaily on, never thinking of possible +dangers. But a hungry fish saw them, and came straight at them with +wide-open mouth. Snap! The cruel jaws closed together, and a hundred +Baby Urchins fell down the great throat. Then those who were left +turned and swam for home as fast as their terrified arms could take +them. +</P> + +<P> +"You were very disobedient, and you all deserved to be eaten up," said +the grown-up Urchins when they heard what had happened. "And besides, +it is no use coming to the beach yet. You can't possibly roll on the +beach with those long arms of yours." +</P> + +<P> +"It seems to take such a long time to grow up," said Baby Urchin. +</P> + +<P> +"Eat plenty," said the grown-ups, "then you will soon be like us." +</P> + +<P> +Time passed. The little Urchins did not again try to reach the beach, +but they ate plenty and they grew big. Then they began to change. +Their funny arms grew shorter and shorter till they disappeared +altogether; their bodies grew thicker; and then at last their shells +began to come. +</P> + +<P> +"Now we are growing up!" cried Baby Urchin joyfully. +</P> + +<P> +Their shells grew fast, and so did the babies inside, changing their +shape altogether. Up and down the round shells ran rows of tiny holes, +and in between the rows of holes scores of little white balls grew out. +On the balls movable spines grew, and through each hole peeped a new +leg ready to stretch far out when it was needed for swimming or +walking. Under the shell was the mouth; from it five strong white +teeth hung down to crush the seaweed and break it up for food. On top +of the shell were tiny eye specks. +</P> + +<P> +At last they were ready. "Come on," cried Baby Urchin. "Nobody can +hurt us now." He led the way to the beach. They all followed, +swimming with their legs and spines, and looking like hedgehogs in the +sea. +</P> + +<P> +What a time they had when they reached the beach! They swam in with a +wave, rolled over and over on the beach, burrowed with their tiny +spines in the soft sand, and then swam out with the next wave. "It is +splendid to be grown up," they said. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p139"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +WHERE WHITE WAVES PLAY +</P> + +<P CLASS="t3b"> +I.—RED-BILL +</P> + +<P> +In a sand-strewn hollow of a rock ledge on a tiny island lay a +seagull's egg, yellow and grey and brown, to match the yellow and grey +and brown of the sand and rocks. White waves played beneath it, +dancing each day to the foot of the ledge, and throwing handfuls of +spray up its rocky side, but never breaking over the top. Sea winds +whisked above it, but never blew it from its sandy bed. No hungry hawk +spied it from his vigilant soaring place; no hunting dog found it. +Safe from harm, and quickened by the genial sun and the warmth of the +mother's tender breast, the speck of life inside the egg grew slowly to +a seagull baby. +</P> + +<P> +When the baby first peeped out from the soft darkness of his mother's +sheltering wings the world looked very wide and dazzling. Overhead the +big blue sky shone brightly, sunshine flooded all the air; nearer home +gleaming points of light, like little stars, flashed on all sides +amidst the sand. He drew in his head. +</P> + +<P> +"The light is too bright, mother," he said. "It hurts my eyes. But +what is that sweet sound I hear?" +</P> + +<P> +"Dear one, those are the white waves at play. They are the kind +friends who carry your meals to shore. See—here is your father with a +sea-worm for your breakfast. Open your bill and swallow." +</P> + +<P> +He was the fluffy darling of his parents, their sole care and joy. Day +after day, week after week, they waited on him, by turns guarding him +and fishing for him, bringing him soft delicious morsels of crab and +pipi and tender fish. Under such faithful feeding he grew fast. Each +day he looked over his ledge. +</P> + +<P> +"The waves, mother!" he said. "The white, white waves! They are +always calling. May I not go yet to the sea?" +</P> + +<P> +"Not yet," his mother would reply. "Baby gulls must wait till feathers +grow in place of down." +</P> + +<P> +Feathers grew in place of down. Baby wings broadened and grew strong, +and at last he could fly. +</P> + +<P> +"The waves still call, mother," he pleaded. +</P> + +<P> +"Come, then," said his mother at last, and down they all went to the +sea, and the joy of life began. +</P> + +<P> +He was as yet only a mottled brown baby, not nearly so handsome as his +dove-backed parents with their breasts of snow. But his pink webbed +toes oared their way gleefully through the clear water, and his little +brown bill learned to snap the fleeing fish as cunningly as the crimson +beaks of the older birds. +</P> + +<P> +What a life that was! They soared over restless waves on +scarcely-moving wings, swooping low and dropping where the flash of +fins proclaimed a feast. They circled tiny bays whose seaweed carpets +clothed the floors in rainbow hues; or rode like fairy craft upon the +ever-rolling breakers on the shelving shores. When fierce winds blew, +they wheeled and screamed like spirits of the storm, laughing to see +the surface of the sea torn up and flung against the high coast rocks. +</P> + +<P> +Slowly, as the months rolled by, the little Red-bill's feathers changed +from mottled brown to pearly grey and shining white; scarlet flamed on +bill and feet. The full bright beauty of his kind was on him. +</P> + +<P> +Mating season came. "Little love," he said to his chosen one, "I know +an island where our egg will be safe and our baby sheltered. There, +where white waves sing and dance all day, he shall be loved and tended +as I was loved and tended." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p142"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +II.—THE SEA-SQUIRT WHO STOOD ON HIS HEAD +</P> + +<P> +Far out into the waters of a quiet bay stretched a wooden jetty, old +and rotting and scarcely ever used. The browned and blackened timbers +that showed above the water-line were by no means beautiful, but at +their feet was fairyland. Here, in pale green clearness, forests of +delicate seaweeds bent their gold and amber beads to the gentle +movement of the water; swift-finned fishes, gay in scarlet and silver +and bronze, swam the forest pathways and chased each other in and out +cool shaded bowers beneath the filmy branches; most beautiful of all, +myriads of long-tubed sea-squirts waved their pink and crimson balls +from the jetty piles, like great closed poppies in the sea. +</P> + +<P> +How they waved! Up and down, backwards and forwards. Not moved by the +water, but moving in the water, though never freed from the jetty +piles. After all, these were not flowers, but animals. +</P> + +<P> +Continually they opened their pink, round mouths to let the water pass +through their bodies, in the hope that each fresh mouthful might +contain a meal. Again and again, squirt! They were forced to throw +out some fragment of shell or rock which had floated in and caused +annoyance. +</P> + +<P> +At the foot of one pile there was some excitement, for a baby +sea-squirt was setting out to see the world. He was impatient to be +off, but his mother was giving him a great deal of advice. If you had +seen him lying in the water you would never have recognised him as the +sea-squirt's son. No mother and son were ever more unlike. She was +big, with a thick-skinned tube half a yard long, and a ball at the top +shaped like a quince; he was tiny and soft, and looked like a baby +tadpole. She was gaily coloured; he was colourless and jelly-like. +She was fixed to the jetty pile; he could swim. Yet, in spite of these +great differences, mother and son they were. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear child," she said, "whatever you do, never stand on your head." +</P> + +<P> +"Of course not," he replied; "I shall never wish to." +</P> + +<P> +"But you will wish to," cried his mother. "You won't be able to help +it. It runs in the family. Listen, son. Once I was like you; I could +swim and move about to find my food. Before me, all our grandfathers +and grandmothers for millions of years back were for a part of their +lives like you. If they had never stood on their heads they might have +grown eyes and backbones and fins, and become as great and clever as +the fishes. But because those old grandparents became lazy and stood +on their heads till they grew to the rocks, we in turn have all grown +lazy, and we in turn have been punished by the loss of our swimming +powers. If you could only break loose from the family's bad habit, you +might start a glorious free race of sea-squirts. All the most +successful creatures in the sea are those that have backbones and eyes. +You have the beginnings of these two things in you, but if you stand on +your head you will lose them, as I have done. You will become fixed +and helpless like the seaweeds. Promise me never to stand on your +head. Promise me that you will keep moving." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, mother. Oh, yes. Good-bye. Good-bye." The impatient little +fellow could wait no longer. +</P> + +<P> +"How grown-ups talk!" he thought. "As if I should ever wish to stand +on my head!" +</P> + +<P> +He swam about for several hours, enjoying himself exceedingly in this +great wet world. At last he came to the end pile of the jetty. Here, +to his great astonishment, there suddenly came upon him the most +overpowering desire to stand on his head. To stand on his head! The +very thing his mother had foretold. Well, she was right, after all, so +perhaps she was right in advising him to keep moving. "I will swim +on," he said. +</P> + +<P> +He swam on bravely. But before him was the wide open sea, with no +comfortable piles to rest against. And oh! how he longed to rest. +Just to put that heavy head of his down against something firm—how +delightful that would be! That was a splendid pile, that last one! So +strong and wide. It could not matter if he rested just a few minutes. +He really would not stay long. +</P> + +<P> +So, forgetting his promise, this foolish baby swam back. Down went his +head against the comfortable pile, and alas! there he has stayed ever +since. His mother's wise words faded from his mind. He was too lazy +to stir. From his head tiny tubes grew on to the wood, holding him +there for life. +</P> + +<P> +What a change has come over him! Tail and little growing eye and +backbone, all have died away; in their place has grown the long tube +with the gaily-coloured fleshy ball at its end, through which the water +runs with every wave, bringing sometimes food, sometimes nothing but +sand and stones. Gone are the old swimming powers, the old free life. +Gone is all chance of growing into something strong and grand and +successful. He is beautiful, but he is helpless. +</P> + +<P> +I wonder does he ever think of what might have been? Does he ever say, +sadly: "If I had but kept moving on!" +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p147"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +III.—BOBBY BARNACLE'S WANDERINGS +</P> + +<P> +The Barnacles lived on the rocks with the Mussels and Limpets and red +Anemones. There were hundreds and thousands and millions of little +shell-houses, set so closely together that scarcely any room was left +for pathways. Twice a day the friendly waves, like busy white-capped +waiters, hurried up the shore with a feast of tiny sea creatures in +their soft, wet hands. Then, one by one, doors were carefully opened +while the waiting shell-people took in their food, but were soon shut +again, for fear of lurking enemies. +</P> + +<P> +It was a quiet life, but so safe that the rocks became overcrowded. +When Bobby Barnacle and his brothers and sisters and cousins were +hatched out of their little egg-cases and swam from their mother's +acorn-shell houses, the old Barnacles were alarmed. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me!" said the very oldest. "What a swarm of you! For goodness +sake don't come back here to settle after your swim. We are crowded +already." +</P> + +<P> +"Plenty of room in the sea!" laughed Bobby. "Come on everybody. We +are not thinking of settling down yet. We are going to have a grand +time first. I am sure I shall never wish to spend all my time in one +place. A roving life for me!" +</P> + +<P> +Headed by Bobby, the shoal of Barnacle babies set off on their travels. +They certainly did not look in the least like settling down. They swam +and dived and frolicked and tumbled and whisked about in the dancing +waves as if possessed by the very spirit of movement. To such atoms of +energy, sitting still on a rock was plainly an impossibility. They +were queer, tiny, soft-bodied creatures. Thin, delicate shields on +their backs were their only shells. They each had three pairs of legs, +one eye, and a funny, spiky tail. As they went they ate hungrily, +swallowing sea animals so tiny that scores of them would go into a +small girl's thimble. +</P> + +<P> +"Look out!" Bobby shouted suddenly. As he spoke he turned to the right +and swam for dear life, hiding at last under a tangle of ferny seaweed. +The others were too late to save themselves. A great fish had +swallowed them all in three snaps of its cruel jaws, and Bobby was left +alone in the wide sea. He was badly frightened, but presently he swam +out from his hiding-place and continued his travels. It was somewhat +lonely, but he soon grew accustomed to that. Indeed, he began to like +it. He swam and ate and whisked about in the water as cheerfully as +ever, keeping his one eye well opened for possible enemies. A shoal of +cousins from a sea rock met him. +</P> + +<P> +"Come and play with us," they said. +</P> + +<P> +"No," said Bobby; "I'm going to travel." +</P> + +<P> +Out to sea he went, amongst all the wonders of the white-crested water. +Below him lay great colonies of bright corals and sponges and +sea-anemones, living their simple quiet lives. Around him rushed and +darted eager, busy fishes, keeping him ever on the move to evade their +hungry jaws. Many a narrow escape he had, but he was so nimble that he +never was caught. +</P> + +<P> +As he grew, his skin and shield became too small for him. "This is +most uncomfortable," he thought. Split! Skin and shield dropped off. +New ones had been growing underneath, but these at first were soft, and +he had to shelter under seaweed till they hardened. To his great +comfort they were soon firmer than the old ones. Several times he +moulted in this way, and each time the new skin and shield came harder +and stronger, making him safer from his enemies. +</P> + +<P> +One day a strange thing happened. He lost his appetite. "Whatever is +the matter with me?" he wondered. He soon discovered. He was changing +his shape. Another eye grew, and three more pairs of legs, and a +shield on the front as well as the back. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, I am a fine, strong fellow now," he thought. "I feel as if I +could do wonders." +</P> + +<P> +He swam on faster than ever. Indeed, his activity was marvellous. He +seemed to shoot through the water. But, strangely enough, he still +could not eat, so it is no wonder that at last he grew tired. +</P> + +<P> +"I think I must settle down on something," he said. "This life is +really most exhausting. And yet I don't want to sit down on a rock and +stay in one place all my life. I wish I could find something moving." +</P> + +<P> +Something moving came through the water, something so huge that to the +tiny Barnacle its side was like the side of a world. It was a whale, +but Bobby was not afraid. As it slowly lifted its great body through +the waves he made his way to it and clung on with all his strength. +The whale plunged on his mighty way to colder seas, bearing his little +unfelt rider with him. +</P> + +<P> +"Hurrah!" said Bobby. "Now I shall still travel on, without being +obliged to do my own swimming." +</P> + +<P> +A more wonderful change than ever before came over him. A tiny bag of +cement opened from his head and glued him to the whale's skin. Six +strong shells grew round him in an acorn ring, exactly like those of +his mother's shell-house on the rock. Four more grew into a door. +When he opened the door he could shoot out his twelve curled legs and +kick his food down into his mouth in the shell-house. So there he was, +living head down and toes up on the whale, and glued so tightly that he +could never fall off. +</P> + +<P> +He was grown-up now. All his changes were over. His appetite came +back, and he went travelling easily and comfortably with the whale. +For all you or I know to the contrary, his roving life may be still +going on. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p152"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +IV.—LITTLE STARFISH +</P> + +<P> +He floated in the depths of the cool salt sea, an egg so small as to +remain unnoticed and undevoured. Later, he hatched into a queer-shaped +creature, not at all like a starfish, rather like a lump of jelly, with +a thick end pushed out here and there. He swam and ate, and grew +larger every day. From the sea-food he ate his wonderful little body +had power to draw minute particles of lime and build them into a +star-shaped framework within itself. Slowly the firm star grew, +spreading its rays on every side, and absorbing into itself the soft +walls of his earlier body, until at last he was a starfish. +</P> + +<P> +He was strangely made. His mouth was underneath the middle of his +body, a small red eye lay at the tip of each ray-arm. His legs, scores +of them, were small and white, and could be pushed out or drawn in at +will from his ray-arms. Drawing in sea water through narrow passages +in his body, he could fill these legs and make them firm, and so crawl +up the steepest rocks or creep slowly over the smooth sea-floor. When +he did not wish to walk he drew the water from his legs and tucked them +up inside his arms. The last foot of each ray-arm was at once his nose +and finger, for by it he smelt and felt. On his back were spines, some +of them snapping in the sea like scissor-blades, to keep his skin clean +and free from parasites. +</P> + +<P> +He roamed slowly here and there in search of food. Companies of +brother starfishes went with him. They were a hungry crowd, and so +numerous that soon there was very little left to eat in their valley of +the sea. +</P> + +<P> +"I shall travel," said Little Starfish. "Perhaps I shall find a better +feeding-place." +</P> + +<P> +He set off. Sometimes he swam, sometimes he floated with the waves, +sometimes he dropped to the bottom and crawled over the sand or rocks. +After several days he came to land. The tide was going in; the waves +were dancing gaily up the stony beach. +</P> + +<P> +"Carry me, please," said Little Starfish. +</P> + +<P> +He laid himself in the arms of a wave and was carried merrily up the +beach and left in a pool amongst the rocks. +</P> + +<P> +"This is a good feeding-place," said the wave, as she set him down. +</P> + +<P> +It was indeed a good feeding-place. All the rock creatures had opened +their shells to feast on the myriads of tiny things brought in by the +tide. The pool was awhirl with life. Shrimps darted to and fro, +barnacles and limpets raised themselves from their rocks, furry-legged +hermit crabs ran about under their borrowed shells. Best of all, +tempting rock oysters, fat and juicy, sat with their shells agape, to +catch their daily meal. Little Starfish's mouth fairly watered at the +sweet smell of them. Pushing out his scores of white sucker-feet, he +pulled himself up inch by inch to where the first one sat. As soon as +the oyster felt him near, snap went the shell. But Little Starfish was +too quick for him. One strong ray-arm was in the shell before the +edges met, and hope was over for the oyster. Little Starfish swallowed +him, and then crawled on to find another as delicious. +</P> + +<P> +"So glad to find you at home," he joked, as he poked his arm into the +next open shell. +</P> + +<P> +"We'll see about that," remarked the oyster. He snapped his shell +hard, hard. How it hurt! He was a powerful oyster, and the edges of +the shell caught the arm in a tender spot. Crunch! went the oyster +viciously, and off broke the arm in the middle. Little Starfish swam +painfully away from that terrible oyster, leaving half an arm in the +shell. +</P> + +<P> +"How tiresome!" he said. "Now I shall have to give up travelling while +I grow again." +</P> + +<P> +He crept away into a safe hiding-place under the sea. There he grew a +new half-arm, coming out again as strong as ever, but far more +cautious. Many another feast he had on the oyster rocks, but never +again did he hunt so recklessly. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p156"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +V.—KELP +</P> + +<P> +A tiny sea-weed spore loosened itself from its place in a forked branch +of the mother sea-weed, whirled itself round and round in the water, +and began to sink towards the sea-floor. A passing current caught it, +lifted it, and carried it far past its old home to where a cluster of +bare rocks guarded the shore. Here, broken up by the rocks, the +current weakened. The spore, carried into the calmer waters of a +sheltered pool, eddied, trembled, and slowly sank. From the spore +sprang amber-coloured rootlets, fixing it firmly to a rock. A little +amber-coloured stem grew upwards through the sea, growing ever thicker +and stronger as the weeks went on, till at last it reached the top. +Drawing its daily food from the nourishing sea, the plant went on from +strength to strength. Amber branches grew; amber leaves, veined and +thin and long, swayed with every movement of the water. Spores formed +and loosed themselves, and whirled and slowly sank, to grow in turn to +neighbour plants amongst the rocks. +</P> + +<P> +Year after year passed by, through winter's rains and summer's gentle, +sun-kissed days, till many years had flown. From the tiny spore, which +in that earlier day was borne so helplessly, had grown a mighty forest. +Great lifting, drifting trees of kelp, their roots like iron bands +about the rocks, their heavy limbs upheld by rows of air-filled floats, +swayed back and forth with every rolling wave. Hidden, protected by +the giant boughs, what life was here! What a wonder-scene of beauty! +Delicate sea-plants, red and purple and green, waved their slender +fronds beneath the shelter of their stronger forest brothers. +Bright-scaled fishes darted through the trees. Shell-fish, safe in +spiral, fluted homes, climbed their trunks and cut with saw-edged +tongues sweet daily meals of amber leaf and stem. Sea-urchins and +starfishes crawled over their roots; anemones spread their lovely cruel +arms to catch their prey; shell-less sea-snails, crystal clear, hid +between the branches, peering out with bright black eyes at all that +passed in this gay water-world. At night, a million tiny +phosphorescent creatures shone and glowed from every leaf and branch +and stone, as if a million fairy lanterns had been lit beneath the sea. +</P> + +<P> +A great storm came. Far out to sea the black clouds lowered; they +loosed their lightning sheets. The leaden rollers rose and fell and +muttered to the thunder's crash. Sea-birds screamed and fled to land. +From the line where sea met sky came the hoarse, roaring wind, lashing +little waves into foaming billows, tearing them up and flinging them +far through the maddened air. Below the surface of the sea the +swimming, crawling creatures sank like startled shadows to the floor +for safety till the storm was past. Only the great kelp trees were +left to bear its brunt. Wave after wave crashed against the branches, +tossed them this way and that, whipped off their floats and leaves, +tore the slighter stems away and strewed them high upon the rocks. +</P> + +<P> +When the storm was over, and sunny days had come again, and children +played and paddled on the beach, the sand was strewn with little +floats. The children stamped on them, and laughed to hear them pop as +the pent-up air escaped. One toddler wondered loudly what they were +and where they grew. Down among the rocks the wearied seaweed raised +its torn and battered branches through the sea, and set to work again +to grow its slender stems, its ridge-veined leaves, its scores of +pointed amber floats. Slowly its full beauty returned, till once again +the fairy lights shone on the old gay life of wonderland. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p159"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +VI.—BLACK SHAG +</P> + +<P> +Black Shag was a lonely bird, but she liked her loneliness, and drove +away intruders. Her special haunt was a narrow inlet of the sea, +winding between peaceful bush that overlooked the little lapping waves. +Here she would swim for hours, her graceful head sometimes erect, +sometimes bent beneath the sea to watch for prey. A silvery gleam, a +movement of a fin, and like a hurled stone she would dive and pursue, +hunting the fleeing fish until she overtook it. Seizing it in her +long, hooked bill, she bore it up to the air, there to gulp it whole +down her capacious throat. Then below she would go again to hunt for +further feasts. Her appetite was marvellous; she was no delicate lady +in her feeding. Fortunately, fish were plentiful and varied in her +inlet of the sea. +</P> + +<P> +Tired of swimming, she would fly up to her favourite perching place—a +great bare rock that overhung the water. Here she spread her long +black wings to dry them in the sun, and preened her bronzy back and +white throat band and glossy breast. She could not, like a duck, shake +herself but once and then be dry, for so little oil have her kind for +their feathers that "as wet as a shag" has become a world-wide saying. +But sun and winds helped in her drying, and time made no calls on her. +For long hours she sat there at her ease, silent, solitary, satisfied. +</P> + +<P> +Winter passed. With the first warm breath of early spring, when fresh +life woke in bush and shore and sea, her last year's mate came up the +inlet seeking her. "Come with me," he said. At the words +mother-longings stirred in Black Shag's heart. Into her thoughts came +memories of nest and shining eggs, of helpless babies, and her love for +them. She left her rock. With her mate she flew along the coast to +where her people built their rookery year by year. Here were friends +and busy life. High cliffs faced the sea. On the top, where strong, +coarse grasses grew, nests were built beside each other. Sticks were +gathered and twisted in and out, grass blades were pulled and laid +amongst the sticks; then the nest was ready for the eggs. +</P> + +<P> +Three handsome green-white eggs soon lay in Black Shag's nest. Then +followed the long sitting, the mother's patient sacrifice of food and +freedom; till at last the eggs were hatched, and three half-fluffed, +half-naked babies lay beneath the sheltering breast. They showed no +beauty to a casual eye, but their mother thought them perfect. In her +fond eyes no baby birds could be more sweet and lovable. Gone was now +the old life for Black Shag, with its leisureliness and ease. With +three children to feed and guard, the days became a rush of work. "You +must help, father," she said to her mate. In turns they fished, +swallowing enough for the babies as well as themselves, then returning +to the nest and drawing up from their long food-bags the delicious oily +fish that the children loved. +</P> + +<P> +The babies grew fat. Fluffy down grew so thickly over them that they +began to look like brown and white balls of wool. Nestling together, +they kept one another warm; gradually Black Shag found herself able to +leave them for longer and longer periods. They fished together now, +she and the father Shag. As the children grew bigger still, and more +and more able to take care of themselves, the parents stayed away all +day. They flew off in the morning to their favourite fishing waters, +satisfied their own hunger, and loaded themselves with extra fish, then +returned at nightfall to feed the clamouring little ones. +</P> + +<P> +The summer months passed by. In the nest the children grew full-sized +and feathered. "Learn to swim and fish for yourselves," cried Black +Shag, and she tumbled them one by one into the water below. There they +floundered about till they learned to paddle with their black webbed +feet. Then the mother left them, knowing that her work for them was +done. +</P> + +<P> +Back to her old haunt she went, to live again, till spring returned, +her life of leisured ease. In her narrow inlet, where peaceful bush +overlooks the little lapping waves, she hunts her daily feasts, or sits +for hours upon her bare brown rock, silent, satisfied, alone. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p163"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +VII.—THROUGH DAYS OF GROWTH +</P> + +<P> +On a grassy tableland a pair of albatrosses made their nest. They dug +a ring of earth and pushed it into a central mound, then hollowed out +the top and lined it with grass. Here the mother laid her one white +egg. Father and mother took turns in sitting on the egg. When the +little one was hatched they again took turns in feeding him and +sheltering him from cold sea winds. All through the summer days and +nights they tended him with utmost love and care, until, when autumn +came, they could safely leave him in the nest. Then back to their old +sea life they went, skimming the rolling waves throughout the day, but +winging their patient way at each fresh dawn to feed their little one. +</P> + +<P> +Where they had left him, there the baby albatross sat in his nest, day +after day, week after week, month after month. His thick brown coat of +down kept him warm, his rich morning meals supplied his growth, his +stillness fattened him. Motionless he sat, hour by hour. Above him +sea birds wheeled against the bright blue sky and golden sun. Winds +danced among the grasses; storms drove over the hills. Half a mile +away the racing waves boomed loudly up the beach. At night the quiet +stars looked down on his contented sleep. +</P> + +<P> +A wild duck came and looked at him. +</P> + +<P> +"How slow you are!" she cried. "Why don't you move? My babies learned +to fly and swim long months ago, yet they are not so old as you." +</P> + +<P> +He turned untroubled eyes towards the sea. +</P> + +<P> +"Some day," he said, "I shall follow where the white waves lead. My +time has not yet come." +</P> + +<P> +The wild duck flapped impatiently. +</P> + +<P> +"Slow!" she said. "If you were mine I'd turn you off that nest before +another day had passed." +</P> + +<P> +She flew away. The baby albatross still sat and watched the sky and +sun, and listened to the waves. +</P> + +<P> +Summer came again. One afternoon the parent birds returned. They +stroked their little one and fondled him with loving beaks. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear one, you must leave the nest," his mother said. "We need it for +this season's egg." +</P> + +<P> +The baby was dismayed. "But I do not wish to go! The nest is mine," +he said. +</P> + +<P> +"It is not good that you should stay too long in it," his mother said. +"You are nearly twelve months old. It is time for you to learn to fly +and swim. Come off, and exercise yourself." +</P> + +<P> +But the baby was afraid. "I don't know where to go," he said. "I must +stay here." He would not move. +</P> + +<P> +Between the mother and the father passed an understanding look. With +their strong bills they gently turned him off the nest and rolled him +on the ground. "Pick yourself up and go down to the sea," laughed the +mother. She sat on the nest to keep him off. +</P> + +<P> +The baby picked himself up and looked at them. It was hard to +understand this treatment, after all their loving care of him. +However, he had rather liked his feelings when he flapped his wings to +right himself, so he flapped them once again. He raised himself and +tried to fly; he waddled several steps on his wide webbed feet. But he +was fat and heavy, and his limbs were soft and quite unused to +exercise; he was soon glad to rest. +</P> + +<P> +"Keep at it," said his mother. "Power will come with use." +</P> + +<P> +For several days he stayed about the nest, encouraged by the parent +birds to exercise his wings till he could fly. Then very slowly he +made his journey to the sea, walking, flying, resting, sleeping on the +way, for many days and nights, till at last that long half-mile was +passed, and the welcome beach was won. +</P> + +<P> +Here he learned to swim and catch his food, the juicy cuttle-fish that +floated on the sea. He grew and gathered strength, but his flights +from land were short—his power was not yet at its full. +</P> + +<P> +Another year passed by. Again with autumn days the parents left the +nest to go to sea. From the waves a noble bird rose up to accompany +them. His snowy plumage glistened in the sun, his wide-spread wings +cut through the air with a majestic grace. It was the baby albatross, +grown at last to his full strength. Sailing, gliding, rising high +above the shining waves, dipping low on downward curve, he followed to +the far-off shoreless tracts, there to live his life of tireless +flight, the splendid marvel of the sea. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p167"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +VIII.—FANNY FLATFACE +</P> + +<P> +Where the waters of an estuary entered the sea were many wide and sunny +shallows. Here the flounders fed, and here in early summer their +little eggs, laid in the quiet water, rose up and floated at the top. +Rocked on the gentle waves, warmed daily by the golden sun, the eggs +hatched into flounder babies. Hundreds and thousands of them there +were, crystal clear except for two black eyes, and so very small that +they could only just be seen. The tide came in and swept them to and +fro, and somehow Fanny lost the shoal and was carried out to sea. +There the big waves jostled her about, the great sea creatures +frightened her. She was lonely and sad and terrified. "Whatever will +become of me?" she thought. +</P> + +<P> +On the third day she fell in with a shoal of tiny whitebait, all about +her own age and size. "I am lost; please let me swim with you," she +begged. +</P> + +<P> +"You poor little thing! Of course you may," they said. So for several +days she swam with them towards the shore, playing and feeding in happy +forgetfulness of all past misery. At this time she was so like the +whitebait that no stranger could tell the difference. She had the same +long slender body, the same round head and pointed tail. A week passed +by. One day she said: "I must go down to the sand. Good-bye." +</P> + +<P> +Before they had time to speak she had dropped from their midst. "How +very extraordinary!" said the whitebait to each other. For a day or +two they played about as usual, but by-and-by one said: "The thought of +Fanny worries me. Suppose we go down to see what has happened to her?" +</P> + +<P> +"A good idea," said the others. +</P> + +<P> +They found her lying aslant near the bottom of the sea. +</P> + +<P> +"Are you sick? Why don't you come up?" they asked. "You look very +queer, lying on your side like that." +</P> + +<P> +"I feel very queer," she said. "Can you see what is the matter with my +left eye?" +</P> + +<P> +The whitebait crowded round to look. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, it has moved!" cried one. "It seems to be coming round the +corner of your head." +</P> + +<P> +"I thought it felt strange," said Fanny. +</P> + +<P> +"What a comical shape you are!" said another little fish. "You seem to +be growing flat." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, dear! I wonder whatever is the matter with me? I don't think I +shall ever come up to the top again," sighed Fanny. +</P> + +<P> +The others tried to cheer her. "Don't be downhearted," they said. +"Perhaps you will feel better to-morrow. Maybe you have eaten +something that disagrees with you." +</P> + +<P> +"But what a pity! She is certainly losing her beautiful shape," they +remarked to one another as they swam away. "And that eye is a most +mysterious business." +</P> + +<P> +They came back again a day or two later. Fanny—could it be +Fanny?—was on the sand. She wriggled up to meet them, and they stared +more and more. She was not now long and slim, but flat and wide. And +her eye! It had gone quite round the corner, and was now on the same +side of her head as her right eye. Strange to say, she looked +perfectly happy. +</P> + +<P> +"I am well again," she said. "See, my eye has gone round out of the +way, and I am so flat that I can lie comfortably on this nice +sea-floor. Isn't it splendid?" +</P> + +<P> +"It is a very ugly change," said one. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, dear, do you think so?" asked poor Fanny. "At any rate, the +change is most convenient," she went on, brightening. "See—one lies +on the sand, so. One's flatness allows one to wriggle partly under the +sand, so as to escape one's enemies; and one's eyes are both on top, +where they are most needed. You had better come down and grow flat, +too." +</P> + +<P> +"Not for the world!" cried the others in chorus. "What a life, lying +in the sand! And what an ugly shape! Are you going to stay here +always?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said Fanny. "The food here suits me." +</P> + +<P> +"Good-bye, then. We are off to the top," they said. +</P> + +<P> +As they swam away one impudent little creature turned round and called: +"Good-bye, Fanny Flatface!" That is how poor Fanny got the name. +</P> + +<P> +"How are you to-day, Fanny Flatface?" the thoughtless little fishes +would call as they swam over her head. They thought it a clever thing +to say. +</P> + +<P> +She would bury herself in the sand and pretend not to hear, but it made +her most unhappy. She thought of all the other fishes she had seen. +"None of them are flat," she said, "and none of them have two eyes on +one side of the head. How dreadful I must look!" Lonely and +miserable, she lay there for months, keeping herself well hidden from +sight. +</P> + +<P> +One day she left the spot, hardly knowing why, and floated with the +tide into the estuary mouth. A sunny shallow seemed to draw her with +the memory of early days. She swam boldly in. Yes, this was her old +first home. What had become of her brothers and sisters? Would they +receive her, now that she had changed so terribly? +</P> + +<P> +The mud floor moved, and scores of flounders raised themselves and +looked at her. Flat! As flat as herself! And each with two eyes on +one side of the head. What comfort! She was no monstrosity, after all. +</P> + +<P> +"Who are you?" they asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Fanny," she replied. +</P> + +<P> +They all came out to look at her. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, it really is Fanny!" they exclaimed. "But how you have grown! +How bright your red spots are! And how softly silvered is your +under-side! How white and strong your teeth! You are certainly the +beauty of the family. Have you come to live with us?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, oh yes," she answered joyfully. What happiness was hers, after +the long months of shame and loneliness! +</P> + +<P> +It was a pleasant life they led. By day, while the warm sun shone, +they basked below the mud. At night they feasted on the shoals of +shrimps and jointed darting creatures that filled the water over them. +As they slowly moved from bank to bank their upper skins changed colour +with the colour of the floor on which they fed, and thus securely hid +them from their enemies. +</P> + +<P> +One day the whitebait, grown now to little herrings, came up the +estuary. "Why, there is Fanny Flatface," said one. +</P> + +<P> +Her sister flounders rose beside her. The herrings gaped in wonder. +"So that was just your way of growing up!" they said at last. +</P> + +<P> +"Just my way of growing up," said Fanny cheerfully. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p174"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +IX.—THE OYSTER BABIES +</P> + +<P> +The Oyster-Mother was talking to her babies. "You are leaving me to +make your own way in the sea," she said. "Keep in mind what I have so +often told you, that everybody bigger than yourself is an enemy to be +avoided. Here is something else to remember. When you are tired of +swimming about, and wish to settle down to grow your shells, choose a +clean gravelly bank or a firm rock floor. Sand or mud, if you choose +those, would sift into your shells with every tide, and you would soon +be choked. And when your shells are made, never forget that an +oyster's chief concern in life is to know when to shut up. A moment +too late in that, and life is over for you." +</P> + +<P> +The babies swam out of the shell. This was not their first expedition, +but in former times they had stayed near their mother, ready to slip in +at the first scent of danger. Now they were to take care of +themselves. No babies could have looked less fitted to do it. So tiny +were they that the whole three hundred of them, placed head to tail in +a line, would not have measured longer than one's middle finger. +Boneless, shell-less, weaponless, their only safeguard was their +water-like transparency. It seemed impossible that creatures so tender +could live in the savage sea, where hungry monsters roamed incessantly +in search of prey. Yet they were not afraid. Perhaps they were too +young to think. Up they went. Near the surface of the sea they met a +shoal of cousin babies. +</P> + +<P> +"We are going to travel before we settle down," said the cousins. +"Will you join our party?" +</P> + +<P> +"We shall be delighted," said the babies. +</P> + +<P> +The shoal set off. There were millions now, darting here and there, +their tiny round bodies flashing like crystal globules through the +water, their belts of swimming hairs wafting the microscopic creatures +of the sea into their ever-ready mouths. For days they travelled, +growing every hour a little larger, but still defenceless in the savage +sea. Sometimes lurking enemies dragged off stragglers from the edges +of the shoal; sometimes a great fish drove through their millions with +his mouth wide open, swallowing all that came within his path. Then +the ranks closed up again and went onward as before; but the shoal was +smaller than at first, and the babies grew more watchful. At last they +were tired, and a little frightened too. +</P> + +<P> +"Let us find a settling-place and grow our shells," said one. +</P> + +<P> +They sank to the sea-floor. It was sand. That would not do. They +drifted on. The sand gave place to mud. That would not do, either. +They drifted on again. At last a stretch of gravel, clean and firm, +lay beneath them. "A splendid place," said the babies, joyfully, +remembering their mother's words. Down they dropped, each one settling +on a stone and there fixing himself for life. +</P> + +<P> +Now came the marvellous making of those strong shells which were to be +their safe retreat from every enemy. Furnished by the rich seafood, a +limy fluid formed in each soft baby's body, to ooze through tiny pores +in his outer skin, and there to harden into shell. Day by day, week by +week, the beautiful growth went on, till a two-walled house was made, +with lustrous pearly lining and a powerful hinge to pull the edges of +the walls together. +</P> + +<P> +At first the shells were thin. Hungry whelks, finding them, could bore +round holes in them with their sharp-pointed shells and so reach the +juicy babies; wandering starfishes could clasp them in their long +ray-arms and swallow shell and baby whole. But as the months and years +passed by, and the surviving babies grew to greater size, layer after +layer was added to the shells, until at last, rock-hard and strong, +they kept out all intruders. +</P> + +<P> +Now the oysters were secure. From helpless, shell-less, reckless +babies they had grown to cautious, well-defended dwellers in the sea, +living quiet lives in peace within their firm shell walls. When no +enemy was near their shells lay open; their fringed, delicate gills +were hung out and waved to and fro to catch their food. But at the +first alarm there was a quick withdrawing of the gills, an +instantaneous closing of the shelly walls. To the enemy all was +firm-locked, silent, hidden. The babies had grown into full knowledge; +they had learned when to shut up. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p178"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +FANNY FLY +</P> + +<P> +Rover the dog left a bone only half cleaned under the fence, and forgot +to go for it again, so Mrs. Fly laid her eggs on it. In a day or two +the eggs hatched out into tiny white creatures with no legs. They ate +hard for a few days at the meat left on the bone, and then settled down +and kept still while they changed into flies. When they broke their +way out of their old skins you would hardly believe they had once been +white and helpless, for now they were dark in colour, with wings that +gleamed as they moved, and wonderful eyes and feelers and legs. +</P> + +<P> +Fanny Fly was one of them. She was a beauty. Her eyes were big and +red-brown in colour, and so wonderfully made that she could see behind +her just as well as in front. From each side of her chest two fine +wings sprang out, gleaming with green and red; under them were her two +balancers. On her back she wore a shining purple cloak. She had six +legs, all jointed so that she could bend them in any direction, and all +furnished with the most wonderful things, claws and suckers for holding +on to the roof, and tiny combs and brushes for keeping herself neat and +clean. +</P> + +<P> +She flew first to the garden and sucked honey with her short tongue +from any flowers that were not too deep. Then through an open window +she flew into the house. "Here I shall have a good time," she said; +and a good time she certainly did have. +</P> + +<P> +She melted sugar in the basin with the juice from her mouth, so that +she could suck it up; she sipped honey and treacle from the jars in the +pantry that were left uncovered for even a moment; she stood on the +meat and sucked juices out of that. Nothing came amiss to her. +Whatever was there became food to her, so she was always fat and happy. +</P> + +<P> +She played with the other flies on the window-panes and across the +ceiling; they all danced in the air and buzzed till they were tired. +She had many narrow escapes—from spiders in dark corners, from +dusters, and from small boys who wished to catch her. Once she was +nearly drowned in a dish of jam. On the whole, however, she had a very +good time. +</P> + +<P> +But the summer drew to an end, and the winter came. "I must find a +snug corner, or I shall die of cold," said Fanny Fly. +</P> + +<P> +She looked for a hiding place in the house, but the best corners had +all been taken by other flies; so she slipped out through the window +and crawled into a clump of grass roots and stalks under the hedge. +There she went to sleep till the warm days came again. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p180"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +AT SUNSET +</P> + +<P> +A tiny pool lay looking up at the cloud-flecked sky. His water-spiders +and insect-babies went about their eager businesses beneath his +surface, but he took very little notice of them. His thoughts were +busy with the clouds so far above him; all day he was longing to be +with them. The evening came and the clouds flocked round the setting +sun, turning gold and crimson in the wonderful light; then the little +pool longed more than ever to be with them. "If that could only be my +life!" he sighed. "To live in the blue sky and to be made beautiful!" +</P> + +<P> +A passing wind heard his words and repeated them to the clouds. They +told the kindly sun, and he sent a message by his sunbeams to comfort +the little pool. "You shall come up here some day," he bade them say; +"but you have many duties to perform before you can be a sunset cloud. +Do well your present work, and wait with patience." +</P> + +<P> +Then the pool rejoiced. Day after day he did his lowly work with +infinite care, nourishing his flowers and rushes and tiny +water-creatures, and turning a bright and patient face to the sky and +his loved clouds. +</P> + +<P> +One hot day the wonderful change came. The sun looked down, saw the +work so well done, and gently lifted him through the air to the sky. +</P> + +<P> +This was glorious. He was now a fluffy white cloud, sailing over the +sky and joining the other clouds in their games and dances. In the +morning they played shadow-flight across the hills of the earth; in the +afternoon they danced slow dances high above the sea. +</P> + +<P> +The time of sunset came, and the new cloud wished to go with the others +to be made beautiful. But they said: "No, little brother; that is not +possible till you have done cloud work." So he was left lonely and +white in the east, untouched by the sun's lovely light. +</P> + +<P> +In the night came his old friend the wind. "You are to go down again +to the earth," was the message it brought. It blew coldly on the +little cloud till he shivered and fell in a thousand drops of rain upon +the earth. There the drops lay till morning amongst the grateful +flowers and grasses, giving them fresh life, and bearing bravely the +disappointment of being sent to earth again. The sun looked down in +the afternoon and raised him up, and once more he floated joyfully +across the sky. +</P> + +<P> +Then the fierce storm wind came and froze him with its icy breath. +Down he fell again upon the earth, this time as clattering hailstones. +"This is all very trying," he said; "but it seems to be my work, so I +must not grumble." +</P> + +<P> +Again he was drawn up. Then the snow-wind came and silently froze him +into feathery snowflakes, and drove him down upon a mountain side. +Here he lay for many days, till at last he was drawn up once more. And +now the sun said: "You have done well and waited patiently, little +cloud. To-night you shall have your reward." +</P> + +<P> +So when the time of sunset came the little cloud sailed into the west +with the others. There the sun smiled at him and shone so gloriously +on him that he turned golden and red, and glowed more brightly than any +there. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p183"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SUMMER TEARS<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +The little clouds ran off to play<BR> + Across the summer sky;<BR> +Their sunshine mother called them back—<BR> + They all began to cry.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Their tears fell down as drops of rain<BR> + On dusty garden beds;<BR> +The flowers opened wide their cups,<BR> + The leaves held up their heads.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +And "Thank you, gentle clouds," they said,<BR> + "For drops so big and wet;<BR> +We were so thirsty. Did you know?<BR> + Don't leave off crying yet."<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p184"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE WHEAT PEOPLE +</P> + +<P> +It was spring. The winter storms were over, the sun was beginning to +warm up the earth, and everything was stirring. Under the ground the +Wheat Babies were pushing off their warm blankets and struggling out of +their cradles. "We wish to go up now and see what the world is like," +they said. They pushed and pushed until at last their heads were above +the ground, and they could see what the world was like. "What a +beautiful place!" they said. "How blue the sky is! And how golden the +sun! All around the birds are singing." They grew tall and graceful, +and waved and nodded to one another across the field. +</P> + +<P> +Now it was early summer. The wheat boys and girls had grown up, and +were busily building their little houses. Such dainty little houses +they were, with shining walls and polished floors and delicate green +silk hangings. Then the wheat people stood on their doorsteps and +waved feathery flowers out of the doorways as a signal to the wind. +</P> + +<P> +"We are ready to be married," they called. "Come and marry us, please." +</P> + +<P> +The wind came blowing gently out of the West, took them on its broad +wings, and carried them to one another's houses to be married. The +birds sang, the sun shone, the crickets played the wedding tune on +their little banjos, and the wee wheat people were as happy as could be. +</P> + +<P> +The later summer came, and in each house the door was shut to keep the +draught from the dear wee baby that had come. There was no time to +stand on the doorstep now, for everybody was busy, feeding the baby and +making a store of food for it when father and mother should be gone. +</P> + +<P> +Autumn came. The Wheat People turned golden, for they were growing +old; and gold, not grey, is the sign of age amongst the Wheat People. +In each house the baby lay in its cradle wrapped in snow-white +blankets, and surrounded by rich white food for the winter. +</P> + +<P> +The reaper thundered into the field, and the tired Wheat People fell +gratefully before the sharp knives, for they were glad to rest. "Our +children are provided for, and that is all that is necessary," they +thought as they lay dying in the sheaves. +</P> + +<P> +Winter came. The field was ploughed and bare, but in the barn the new +Wheat Babies slept in their snug cradles till they should be placed in +the warm moist earth and the time of spring and growth should come +again. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p186"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +CHICK-A-PICK +</P> + +<P> +Chick-a-pick lived in a round white house with shining walls. All +about him was white soft food; he floated at the end of a ball of +yellow food. He himself was only a speck. Have you found out yet that +his house was an egg? +</P> + +<P> +He grew bigger, for Hen-Mother sat over him day and night, cuddling him +under her warm breast. Every day she turned his egg-house over so that +he should grow evenly. Each time she did that he floated from the +bottom of the egg-house to the top, to be near the warm Hen-Mother. +This kept him moving, and made him grow strong. As he grew he used up +the white food and the yellow food, till by-and-by there was no food +left in the house, but only Chick-a-pick. Have you found out yet that +Chick-a-pick was a chicken? +</P> + +<P> +One day he wished to come out. He tapped on the inside wall. "Peck +hard," called his mother. "I will help you from the outside." +</P> + +<P> +Chick-a-pick pecked hard with his little new beak. Hen-Mother pecked +softly with her big strong beak, and presently a hole was made. Out +popped Chick-a-pick's head. "Cheep!" he said. +</P> + +<P> +"Well done, little son," said his mother. "Now push with your +shoulders and break the shell." +</P> + +<P> +He pushed and pushed with his little new shoulders, till crack! went +the shell in halves. Out he stepped. Have you found out yet that +Chick-a-pick was strong? +</P> + +<P> +"You are the first. Cuddle under my wings till your brothers and +sisters come out," said the Hen-Mother. +</P> + +<P> +"Cheep! cheep! cheep!" went the brothers and sisters one after the +other. Chick-a-pick listened and watched from his snug corner. +</P> + +<P> +"Now we are all here," said the Hen-Mother at last. "Cluck! cluck! +cluck! What a fine brood you are! Yellow and black and white, and all +covered with the softest, prettiest down I ever saw. How dainty your +toes are! How bright are your eyes!" +</P> + +<P> +She led them out for a little walk. "Cluck! cluck! cluck!" she said. +"See—here is soft food spread for you. Cluck! cluck! You may have it +all. I shall not eat till you are satisfied. I could not bear my +chickens to go hungry. Cluck! cluck! Eat plenty. Eat plenty." +</P> + +<P> +Have you found out yet how kind Hen-Mother was? +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p189"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +CHICK-A-PICK'S CROW +</P> + +<P> +The chickens ate fast and grew fast, and feathers came where down had +been. Chick-a-pick was the strongest of the whole family. He +certainly ate the most. +</P> + +<P> +One day Hen-Mother said: "You are old enough now to take care of +yourselves. I am going to lay eggs. Chick-a-pick, you are the +biggest. Look after the others, and always remember that the strongest +should help the weaker ones." +</P> + +<P> +At first the chickens could not understand the change. They followed +Hen-Mother as they had always done, and ran to be fed whenever they saw +her eating. "This will not do," she said. "You must learn to find +your own food, or you will never be ready to take your places in the +big world." At last she pecked them and drove them away from her, for +she was wise. +</P> + +<P> +"Come with me," said Chick-a-pick to the others. "I will take care of +you." +</P> + +<P> +He found food for them, and called them to it as he had heard the Big +Rooster call to the hens. At night they huddled together for warmth in +their coop. It was then that they missed their mother most. +</P> + +<P> +"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" sang the Big Rooster from the top of the fence. +How Chick-a-pick wished he could do that! It was such a beautiful +song. The notes rang out so far that he felt sure they must be heard +all over the world. If only he could make a song like that! +</P> + +<P> +"I will try," he thought. +</P> + +<P> +He jumped on a tub. The others crowded round to look at him. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you going to do?" they asked. +</P> + +<P> +"I am going to sing like the Big Rooster," he said. +</P> + +<P> +He flapped his wings and tried, but no sound came. Again he flapped +and tried. This time a sound came, but such a sound! He nearly jumped +off the tub with surprise at the queer noise. His brothers and sisters +ran away in a fright. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't do that," they begged. "It is terrible. It sounds like a dog +barking." +</P> + +<P> +"Perhaps it will be better next time," said Chick-a-pick. "I'll try +again." +</P> + +<P> +He tried again, whilst the others stood against the fence to watch. +Flap, flap, flap! "Adoo! Adoo!" he shouted. Oh dear! why wouldn't it +come right? It was really a very ugly noise. +</P> + +<P> +"It is dreadful," said the others. "You will never be able to sing +like the Big Rooster, so you may as well give up trying." +</P> + +<P> +"I shall go on trying," said Chick-a-pick, "for that is the only way to +learn. Go away if you don't like the noise. I am going to practise." +</P> + +<P> +He practised. Presently the sound grew a little better. He practised +again the next day; the sound grew better still. He practised again +the third day, and at last, hurrah! out came a real "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" +</P> + +<P> +He did it again and again. Yes, there was no mistake. The song was +not so loud and clear as the Big Rooster's, but it was the real song +for all that. Some day it would grow more powerful. +</P> + +<P> +The brothers and sisters heard him, and came to listen. +</P> + +<P> +"Well done, big brother," said the sisters. "Now we see what comes of +trying." +</P> + +<P> +"If you can do it, so can we," said the brothers. They jumped on the +tub and practised as he had done, and by-and-by they could all crow. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p192"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE GORSE-MOTHER +</P> + +<P> +The Gorse-Mother lived hidden away in the middle of a big gorse bush on +a hill. She was an extremely busy person, for, like the old woman who +lived in a shoe, she had so many children she scarcely knew what to do. +She had not whipped them all soundly, for she had a tender heart, for +all her thorny looks; but she had put them to bed. Wrapped in their +little brown blankets, they lay in hundreds all round her. You would +have called them buds, but they were little Gorse Babies. +</P> + +<P> +The Gorse-Mother was tired, for the making of all those blankets had +been a great work. But she knew there was no rest for her yet. "The +sunshine grows hotter every day," she said. "The children will soon +find the blankets too warm. I must make their satin-tents." +</P> + +<P> +She set to work at the satin-tents. After several weeks of labour she +had them ready. How beautiful they were! They were yellow and +scented, with fluted sides, and a peaked top, and the daintiest green +velvet mats for the floor. The children sprang out of bed and danced +with pleasure at finding their tents all ready for them. And the +Gorse-Mother's heart was glad, for now for a while she could rest. The +sun shone, the birds sang, the golden satin-tents swayed in the wind, +and everybody was happy. +</P> + +<P> +In the afternoon a bee came. "May we ask him in, mother?" asked one of +the children. +</P> + +<P> +"Certainly. He is your best friend," said the Gorse-Mother. +</P> + +<P> +They asked him in, giving him nectar from their little cups, and making +him very welcome. As he left the Gorse-Mother said: "Tell the other +bees that we invite them to a nectar-feast to-morrow." +</P> + +<P> +The bee flew off. He told the other bees of the Gorse-Mother's kind +invitation, and next day they came in scores to the nectar-feast. +</P> + +<P> +What a day that was! Nectar cups were filled to the brim, and the bees +were feasted royally. They stored the sweet juice in their bags for +the hive, and filled their little hair-baskets with pollen. They flew +from tent to tent, and became most friendly with the children. +</P> + +<P> +Weeks passed by, and the Gorse-Mother roused herself to work again. +"The children are growing fast," she said. "I must make their +elastic-houses." +</P> + +<P> +She unfastened the walls of the satin-tents and let them fall away. +Where each tent had stood she built a green elastic-house. Strong and +tightly shut were these little green houses; on each floor stood a row +of tiny stools. +</P> + +<P> +The children were tired after their weeks of pleasure. They were quite +content to do nothing all day but sit on their stools and grow. +</P> + +<P> +"Sit still and be good," said the Gorse-Mother, "and remember to grow +big. Your houses will grow with you. As you turn brown they will turn +brown, and as you turn black they will turn black. After that you may +go out into the world." +</P> + +<P> +Things happened exactly as the Gorse-Mother said they would. As the +children grew, their elastic-houses stretched so that there was always +room for them. When the children turned brown the houses turned brown; +and when the children turned black the houses turned black. +</P> + +<P> +"Now remember what I tell you," said the Gorse-Mother. "When your +houses pop open, jump as far out into the world as you can, for if you +fall close to me you will have no room to grow and spread. When you +reach the ground, the first thing to do is to find a soft place, and +the next thing is to grow. And don't forget to grow plenty of thorns. +Now good-bye. Make big bushes all round me, and I shall be proud of +you." +</P> + +<P> +One by one, with a noise like tiny pistols, the houses popped open. +The children remembered their mother's advice. They jumped far out +into the world, found a soft place, and grew. In a few years they were +big bushes all round the Gorse-Mother, and she was proud of them. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p196"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE PROUD PALING FENCE +</P> + +<P> +"Such common-looking little things! Whatever are you?" asked the +Paling Fence. +</P> + +<P> +He was new and very proud. He stood up so straight that he could see +all over the garden. Indeed, he thought himself the master of it. The +seeds had been planted close to his feet, so he felt he had the right +to question them. +</P> + +<P> +The biggest seed spoke up from her place in the ground. "Just now we +are only seeds," she said; "but we think we shall be something bigger +and finer some day. We have a feeling inside us." +</P> + +<P> +"Feeling, indeed!" snapped the Fence. "Ugly little black things that +you are, what feelings can you have? I can't think why the gardener +put you near me." He stood straighter than ever, and would not look +down again. +</P> + +<P> +The little seeds felt shy and rather sad, but they said nothing. Day +after day they lay quietly in the ground, waiting for something to +happen. +</P> + +<P> +And something did happen, for by-and-by they all began to swell. +Bigger they grew, and rounder and softer. One fine day several of them +cracked open, and the next day several more. From every crack a little +white shoot pushed itself out. It pushed and it grew, and it turned +down and burrowed into the earth, for all it wanted was water and +darkness. +</P> + +<P> +From the top of each little shoot another shoot peeped out. It pushed +and it grew, and it turned up and peeped through the top of the ground, +for all it wanted was fresh air and sunshine. At last a long row of +white little shoots looked out through their holes in the ground. +</P> + +<P> +The Sun looked down and saw them. "Dear me!" he said. "This won't do. +Go down, Sunbeams, and tell those shoots to change their colour." +</P> + +<P> +The Sunbeams came flying down. "You must change your colour, little +shoots," they said. "Hurry up and turn green. The great Sun cannot +bear to see white shoots above the ground." +</P> + +<P> +The shoots turned green at once. +</P> + +<P> +The Paling Fence was angry. "The idea of the Sun taking notice of such +common things!" he grumbled. "He has never yet sent a message to me, +though I have been here quite two months. I hope those shoots are not +going to grow tall. They will hide me if they do." +</P> + +<P> +Now that is just what the little shoots did. They grew taller every +day; they sent out leaves and branches on every side; soon they +stretched out waving hands towards the Fence. +</P> + +<P> +"Please allow us to hold to you," they begged. "We are not strong +enough to grow so tall alone." +</P> + +<P> +The Fence stood more stiffly than ever. "No! don't you dare to touch +me!" he cried. +</P> + +<P> +They turned themselves this way and that, they tried to cling to him; +but he would not help them. "This is dreadful," they sighed. +"Whatever shall we do?" +</P> + +<P> +Next day the gardener came. He brought a hammer and nails and cord. +He drove the nails into the fence and tied the cord up and down and +across. Now the waving hands had something to cling to. +</P> + +<P> +The Fence was so angry that it really could not speak. "Then I am to +be hidden," he thought. "So new and handsome as I am, too! The +gardener must be mad." +</P> + +<P> +The sun shone, the birds sang, the green plants grew; only the Fence +was unhappy and cross. At last he was almost hidden from sight. "Oh, +well, it is everybody's loss!" he said loudly—only nobody was +listening. +</P> + +<P> +Buds formed on the plants. They burst open. Out sprang bright flowers +like fairy boats to sail on the summer winds. Rose and blue and purple +and lilac, how their soft colours glowed in the sunshine! Tiny +yellow-hatted ladies sat in each boat to spread the sails. They +scattered scent about, and invited the bees to afternoon tea. The tea +was delicious, and the bees went away, buzzing their thanks. "Such +beautiful boats! Such dainty little ladies!" they said. +</P> + +<P> +The Paling Fence could hardly bear it. "Stupid things!" he muttered. +"But wait till the gardener comes. He will surely cut them down when +he sees how I am hidden." +</P> + +<P> +The gardener came. A friend walked with him. "How beautiful your +sweet-peas are!" he said. "They make a splendid covering for the +Fence." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," the gardener said. "The Fence was necessary, but it was very +ugly. Now the sweet-peas have made it beautiful." +</P> + +<P> +The Fence heard the words. At last it understood, and its foolish +pride was broken. For a long time it stood thoughtful and silent. +"Well, well," it said slowly; "I have been very much mistaken. But if +I can't be beautiful I can at least be kind and friendly to those who +are beautiful." And from that day the Paling Fence and the sweet-peas +stood happily together. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p200"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +TAIL-UP +</P> + +<P> +Tail-up was the queerest-looking caterpillar in the garden. He would +persist in walking on his front three pairs of legs and sticking all +the rest of his long body into the air. Nobody could help laughing at +him. He had several pairs of legs at the back, but after one look at +them he refused to use them. +</P> + +<P> +"Nobody could call them legs," he said scornfully. "They are only +suckers." So he walked on the front legs, with his tail stuck high in +the air. No wonder everybody called him Tail-up. +</P> + +<P> +Before he was a day old he started off to see the world. His mother +had never left the little basket-house in her life, but Tail-up was +different. He wanted to see everything there was to be seen, and also +to eat everything there was to be eaten. +</P> + +<P> +What an appetite he had! Nothing came amiss to him. He had no teeth, +but his strong jaws could do quite enough damage to the plants in the +garden. +</P> + +<P> +"What a greedy fellow you are!" said a woolly brown caterpillar one +day. "I have a good appetite, I know, but your life is one long meal." +</P> + +<P> +"Let him alone," said a passing bee. "Let him eat all he can. The +time will come when he will live quite without food." +</P> + +<P> +Both caterpillars stared. "Whatever do you mean?" asked Tail-up. +</P> + +<P> +"Wait and see," said the Bee. +</P> + +<P> +"I believe you are talking nonsense," said Tail-up. He hurried away to +find another meal. +</P> + +<P> +He was never at a loss for food, for when he had devoured all the +choicest bits off one tree, he dropped to the ground by a silk rope and +made his way to a fresh one. +</P> + +<P> +This silk rope was another of his oddities. He kept whole coils of it +in his body. When he wanted to reach the ground he brought the end of +one of the coils out of his mouth and gummed it on to the branch where +he sat. He then slid off the branch, hanging by the rope. Slowly and +carefully he came down, letting out more rope as he needed it, until he +reached the ground. There he broke the rope and hurried away to climb +the next tree. +</P> + +<P> +After a day or two he thought: "I will make a house. It shall be just +like mother's, smooth and cosy inside, but so strong that nothing can +break its way in." +</P> + +<P> +He set to work to weave a basket-house, doing a little each day between +his many meals. He drew the silk thread out of his own body, and wove +the house round and round his upreared tail. "It would be tiresome to +have to go back to it each night," he said, so he carried it with him. +He looked more comical than ever now, going about with his partly-built +house on his tail. +</P> + +<P> +He fastened tiny twigs here and there on the outside, to deceive the +birds. "They will think it is a stick," he said, "and thus I shall be +safe." He put a strong silk thread round the wide end as a draw-cord. +Now the little house was finished. He could crawl in, pull the cord to +shut the door, and safely go to sleep. +</P> + +<P> +Just about this time he began to lose his appetite. "Dear me! this is +very remarkable," he thought. "I wonder if that bee was right, after +all? I certainly feel queer. I think I'll have a good long sleep." +</P> + +<P> +He hung his house to a branch of a tree, crept into it, tied the front +door securely, and went to sleep. And there he slept on and on, day +after day, night after night, without ever waking to eat. +</P> + +<P> +While he slept, skin and little legs shrivelled up and fell away from +him, and a new skin, hard and thick and scaly, took their place. +</P> + +<P> +"This is a queer state of affairs," he said, waking for a moment. "I +feel quite different." +</P> + +<P> +He slept again. Another change came. Six long, thin legs grew, +tightly packed away under him; softly feathered wings and feelers +slowly came. +</P> + +<P> +He woke again. "I must go out into the world," he said. +</P> + +<P> +Wriggling and pushing, he worked himself half out through the back door +of his house. Wriggling and pushing still, he cracked the hard +chrysalis skin and sprang on to the top of his house. +</P> + +<P> +He unrolled his feathery wings and waved them fast in the air to dry +them. What a fine fellow he was now! How the sun shone, after the +long darkness of his house! How beautiful was the day! +</P> + +<P> +"Good-bye, old house," he said. "I shall never need you again, for now +I can fly from my enemies." He darted swiftly through the air to lead +his new life—a new life indeed, for he never again needed to eat. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p205"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE RAIN-FAIRY +</P> + +<P> +A rain-fairy sat up from her sleep in a pink poppy, stretched herself, +and yawned. "Oh, dear!" she said. "It is morning again, and I have to +work. The same old work, day after day, on the same old earth. How +tired I am of it! I think I will go up to the blue sky and play with +the sunbeams and clouds. It must be lovely up there." +</P> + +<P> +She flew up to the sky. For some time she wandered about admiring the +strange and beautiful things in this new land. When she grew tired of +that she went to the Sunbeams and said: "May I play with you?" +</P> + +<P> +"We are not playing," said one of the Sunbeams politely. "We all have +our day's work to do. I am just going to ripen the early strawberries, +and my little sisters are coming to help me. Our cousins over there +have to look after the roses. Indeed, we are all too busy to play." +</P> + +<P> +She flew off. +</P> + +<P> +The Fairy went to the white morning clouds. "Play with me, please," +she begged. +</P> + +<P> +"We really have no time just now," said the Little Clouds. "We have a +shower and a rainbow to prepare before noon." +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me! Everybody seems to be as busy here as we are down on the +earth," thought the Fairy. She wandered about again till the +afternoon. Then she went to the Afternoon Clouds and asked them to +play with her. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-206"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-206.jpg" ALT=""She went to the Afternoon Clouds and asked them to play with her"" BORDER="2"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center"> +"She went to the Afternoon Clouds and asked them to play with her" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"We are far too busy," said the Afternoon Clouds. "We have to shade +two hills and a valley from the heat of the Sun, and make a crown for +the mountains you see below you." +</P> + +<P> +The Rain-Fairy could not find anyone who had time to play, so she had +to spend the day by herself. It was dull and lonely, but she would not +go down to the earth. "They surely must play some time. I will wait +and see," she thought. +</P> + +<P> +Sunset came, and the Clouds and Sunbeams all passed in turn before the +great Sun to report to him on their day's work. The Rain-Fairy went +with them, for she saw that each one passed on from the Sun to a great +cloud-hall, where a star-dance was to be held that night. Soon she +herself stood before the Sun. +</P> + +<P> +"A Rain-Fairy in the sky!" said the Sun in surprise. "What have you +done to-day, little Rain-Fairy?" +</P> + +<P> +The Rain-Fairy hung her head. "I have done no work," she said. "I was +tired of working on the earth, so I came up here to play." +</P> + +<P> +The Sun's kindly smile changed to a frown, "Then you may not go to the +star-dance," he said. "Go back to your work on the earth. We have no +time for play here till our day's work is done." +</P> + +<P> +The Fairy returned sadly to the earth, but she had learned her lesson; +she took up her work again and did everything well. She closed the +dainty flower-cups that the rain might not wash their colours out, and +dried the soft petals again when the shower had passed. She hid the +butterflies and moths in dry hiding places when it rained hard, and she +covered the wee birds in their nests. Day after day she worked +patiently, remembering how the Sunbeams and Clouds found no time for +play. +</P> + +<P> +One day the Sunbeams came to her with a message. "The great Sun has +watched your work," they said, "and he is well pleased. He bids us say +that as a reward you are invited to the star-dance to-night." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p208"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE DISOBEDIENT SUNBEAMS +</P> + +<P> +The story ended only to-day, but it began thousands and thousands of +years ago. In those days the sun shone as he shines now, and the +Sunbeam Children had their work to do before they were free to play, +just as they have now. Some had to coax the flower-buds out of their +cosy blankets; some had to stroke the round cheeks of the berries till +they turned red; some had to slip through the clear water to nurse and +comfort the fish babies. But in those days there were five little +Sunbeam Brothers who liked play much better than work. Day after day +they played at hide-and-seek between the leaves of a tall tree, instead +of doing the tasks that were set for them. Time after time they were +warned, but they would not reform; at last the Sun in his anger +punished them with a terrible punishment. +</P> + +<P> +"Enter into the trunk of the tree," he commanded. "Now," he said, when +they had tremblingly obeyed him, "you shall remain there as long as the +tree remains. When it falls you shall be free, but not till then." +</P> + +<P> +This was a dreadful sentence to the Sunbeams. To be shut away from the +light and the air and the other Sunbeams was bad enough, but to have to +endure it all through the life of the tree was worse. They dared not +rebel, however; they had to submit quietly to their imprisonment; the +years went by and the tree lived on. +</P> + +<P> +But a worse fate came. Just when the tree was growing old and their +freedom seemed near, the whole forest sank, and the sea flowed over it. +Tons and tons of sand and gravel were brought by the waves and flung +upon the forest, choking it up till the tops of the great trees were +covered. The five crouched in despair at the foot of their tree. They +could not die, for death is impossible to Sunbeams; but how were they +to be delivered now? Under this great weight of earth and water they +might be imprisoned for thousands of years before anything happened to +release them. +</P> + +<P> +And that is just what happened. For thousands of years the forest lay +under the sea, not decaying, but slowly changing from wood to coal. +Then a change came. The land was pushed up again by heat from below; +by and by it rose high above the sea. But now the trees were hidden by +the earth above them, over which grass and plants soon grew. The +Sunbeams were still imprisoned. +</P> + +<P> +Then one day men opened the earth and dug out the coal, and the piece +containing the Sunbeams was placed on the fire and burnt. At last +freedom had come. Quivering with joy, the five Sunbeam Children sprang +out and danced on top of their prison house. +</P> + +<P> +"How bright those flames are, and how they jump!" said the children +sitting round the fire. +</P> + +<P> +The coal burned to red embers and fell to the bottom of the grate. +Spark! spark! Up flew the five Sunbeam Children out through the tall +chimney to live again their life of work and play. +</P> + +<P> +"It was a dreadful punishment, but it has taught us a lesson," they +said. +</P> + +<P> +"I am glad to hear it," said the Sun. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p211"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +WHITE-BRIER +</P> + +<P> +She grew at the very end of the rose-garden, next the road—that is +what vexed the other trees. +</P> + +<P> +"You are only a common Brier," they said, "and yet you are placed in +the most prominent position. Everybody who passes can see you, while +we are half-hidden by your spreading branches." +</P> + +<P> +"Look at us!" cried the Red Roses. "Are we not worthy to be seen? Our +petals are like rich velvet, not pale and colourless like yours. In +the morning light we glow like massed rubies, but you cannot glow at +all." +</P> + +<P> +"We are like bits of the sun brought down from the sky," said the +Cloth-of-Gold Roses, "and yet you have the presumption to stand between +us and the passers-by." +</P> + +<P> +"If you were even a Sweet-Brier it would not be so bad," sighed the +Tea-Roses; "but you have no scent, so what is the use of you?" +</P> + +<P> +Then the biggest of the Pink Roses spoke. "You have only one row of +petals," she said severely. "That stamps you at once as of low birth. +We others are all of higher growth than that. Look at my petals, set +so closely one above another that you cannot see between them! You are +a nobody, and yet you are allowed to retain the best position. It is +most unfair." +</P> + +<P> +White-Brier had listened to it all in a sorrowful silence, but now she +spoke: "I am sorry, indeed, to be in the way," she said. "I should be +glad to be at the back of the garden, for I know you are all much more +beautiful than I am. But I was placed here, and here I am bound to +grow. I cannot help having only one row of petals and no scent. It is +my nature." +</P> + +<P> +The other roses only turned their backs on her at this, but the bees +crowded into her flower-cups to comfort her. "Don't take any notice of +their jealousy," they said. "If you have only one row of petals, still +they are so white and delicate that they can compare with any in the +garden; if you have but little scent, you have a sweeter heart than any +rose here. We love you best of all, and will do our best to carry your +pollen well, so that your seed-balls may be well filled." +</P> + +<P> +The summer passed; one by one the roses faded and showered their petals +on the earth. Autumn came, and the green leaves turned red and yellow +and then brown; and they, too, dropped upon the earth. Winter came; +the proud rose-trees stood bare and thorny, shivering in the winter +storms. +</P> + +<P> +But White-Brier was not bare. Her roses and leaves had indeed faded, +but the little seed-cases below the flowers had grown into green balls +that swelled and turned red, and now the whole bush was hung with +scarlet berries. How they glowed as they swung in the wind! The +passers-by stopped to look at the bush. "What a beautiful rose-tree!" +one of them said to the master of the garden. "What a glorious bit of +colour in this gloomy winter weather!" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," he said; "that is why I planted the tree in the front of the +garden. In the summer there are many beautiful flowers everywhere, but +in the winter there are so few, that it is good to have a tree like +that where everyone can see it." +</P> + +<P> +Then the proud roses were ashamed, and begged White-Brier's pardon. +"You are more beautiful than we are now," they said. +</P> + +<P> +But White-Brier did not grow conceited. "It is nothing," she said. "I +must grow according to my nature—that is all. But my heart is singing +for joy that I am beautiful at last." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p214"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +A TRIP INTO THE COUNTRY +</P> + +<P> +"Always do what I tell you, and you are sure to be right," said Mr. +Bantam. "Chukitty-chuk; Biddy Bantam, don't make eyes at me. +Chukitty-chukitty-chuk. I see a fine new perch across the yard. Let +us all go and stand on it." +</P> + +<P> +"I would rather stay here," said Biddy Bantam. "Besides, I don't think +that new perch is safe." +</P> + +<P> +"Nonsense! It's as strong as strong," said Mr. Bantam. "Come on. +Bessy Bantam too." He strutted round the two little hens and hustled +them across the yard. +</P> + +<P> +"I don't like the look of it," said Biddy crossly. "It came in on +these two big wheels this morning, and a horse was pulling it. How do +we know it won't go out again?" +</P> + +<P> +"You can easily jump off if it does, can't you?" cried Mr. Bantam. +"Chukitty-chukitty-chuk! What a fuss you make! Follow me and you will +be quite safe." He flew up and settled himself on the perch. +</P> + +<P> +"It is certainly cool in the shade of that big box on top," said Bessy. +She flew up beside Mr. Bantam. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, well, since you are both up, I suppose I may as well come," said +Biddy, and she too flew up. +</P> + +<P> +It was very hot and still in the yard. The bantams put their heads +under their wings and went to sleep. They slept on, not knowing how +time was passing, till dark. +</P> + +<P> +Now the perch they were on was the axle of a farmer's cart, and the +"big box," as Bessy called it, was the cart itself. After dark the +farmer put his horse in again and drove away home, not knowing that +there were three little bantams fast asleep on his axle. It was a +drive of four miles, but the bantams never woke till the glare of a +lantern made them open their eyes and blink. +</P> + +<P> +The farmer was taking his things out of the back of the cart. When he +saw the bantams he whistled with surprise. "Well, of all the funny +things!" he cried. "These must be Nellie White's bantams. They have +evidently perched on my axle and ridden home with me. I must take them +back to-morrow, or Nellie will think they are lost." +</P> + +<P> +He took them gently off the perch and put them in a box. "What did I +tell you, Mr. Bantam?" said Biddy. "Here we are, shut up in a horrid +dark box; nobody knows what will happen to us next. And all because we +followed your advice." +</P> + +<P> +"Never mind," said Bessy. "It is snug and warm in here, and we can +sleep comfortably till morning, anyway." Mr. Bantam had nothing to say. +</P> + +<P> +The next day the farmer took them back to Nellie White. She was +delighted to see them again, and they were delighted to be back in +their own yard. +</P> + +<P> +"I really thought we were going to be killed and eaten," said Mr. +Bantam. +</P> + +<P> +"Never talk to me about new perches again," said Biddy. "The fright I +have had!" +</P> + +<P> +"Well, after all, no harm has come to us," said Bessy, "and we can all +say we have had a trip into the country, even if we were asleep when we +went." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p217"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +GREY-KING +</P> + +<P> +The Pigeons left their house and flew out for their morning exercise. +Up and down, and round and round, they went in a flock. "Follow me," +called the leader. "Fly fast and swoop!" The white of their +under-wings flashed as they passed, and they made a soft, silken rustle +as they skimmed lightly through the air. It was beautiful to watch +them. +</P> + +<P> +But Grey-King sat on top of the house, and would not exercise. He was +the swiftest flyer amongst them, and had won so many races that he had +grown conceited. "No," he said, "I am going to rest. I can easily +beat you all without any practice." +</P> + +<P> +"But the great race of the year is to come off in a fortnight," said +the others. "Pigeons from all the country-side will be flying. Think +what a disappointment it would be to everyone if a stranger won! We +look to you to uphold the honour of our house." +</P> + +<P> +Grey-King only laughed. "Haven't I won every race for years?" he +asked. "The honour of our house is safe, for no stranger can beat me." +</P> + +<P> +He turned himself round and round in the sunshine, fluffed out his grey +feathers proudly, and sat down on the housetop again. Every day while +the others exercised he sat there, watching their movements and giving +them plenty of good advice, but feeling quite certain that he had no +need to join them. +</P> + +<P> +The day before the great race the pigeons were all put into their boxes +and sent away by train to their starting-point. "Grey-King is sure to +win, I suppose," said a friend to the master as he helped him place the +pigeons in their boxes. +</P> + +<P> +"I thought so till a fortnight ago," said the master; "but he has not +been exercising lately. I cannot understand what is the matter with +him, but I am afraid he has no chance of winning." He did not know +that Grey-King's only ailment was conceit. +</P> + +<P> +Grey-King was angry. "How absurd to say I have no chance!" he thought. +"I'll show him how superior I am when I start. I feel quite upset." +</P> + +<P> +He fussed and fumed for a long time in his box before he could settle +down to the train journey; when they were set free the next day he +started off for home with a great sweep of wings to show how well he +could fly. He was soon ahead of all the rest. +</P> + +<P> +But there was a head wind, and he had grown fatter and heavier with +sitting about so much; his muscles were soft from want of exercise. +Soon he began to tire and to fly more and more slowly. One by one the +others passed him; and the race was won by a stranger. Grey-King came +home last, tired out and utterly ashamed. "I will never again be too +proud to exercise," he thought. "It serves me right." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p220"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +THE SEASON FAIRIES +</P> + +<P> +In the days of long ago four fairies stood before the Sun. "You shall +be the Season Fairies," he said; for he was the King of the Year. +</P> + +<P> +To the first he gave a robe of green and a silver wand. "Take these," +he said, "and fly slowly up and down above the earth from pole to pole. +As you pass, each land shall clothe itself in green to match the colour +of your robe; as you wave your silver wand, all baby-things shall +spring from their winter cradles and begin to grow. Take with you +rousing winds and showers, to wake the babies from their sleep, and a +million warm and golden sunbeams in which to fold the tender growing +things when they have risen." +</P> + +<P> +The Spring Fairy went forth in her robe of green, waving her silver +wand. As she flew from land to land the earth clothed itself in green +to match the colour of her robe, and all baby-things sprang from their +winter cradles and began to grow. +</P> + +<P> +To the next fairy he gave a rosy robe and a wand wreathed in flowers. +"Take these," he said, "and follow Spring, for you are Summer. As you +pass from land to land the earth shall blossom out, and a million +million flowers shall shine above the green of Spring. The baby-things +shall grow to their full size and beauty, and shall proudly wave their +flowered heads. Take with you bright cloudless heat and long fine days +and soft night dews." +</P> + +<P> +The Summer Fairy followed her sister Spring. As she went a million +million flowers blossomed out above the green, and the baby-things grew +up to their full size and beauty. +</P> + +<P> +To the third fairy he gave a robe of red and a wand of gold. "Follow +Summer," he said, "for you are Autumn. As you pass from land to land +the blossoms of the earth shall change to fruit; the grown-up babies +shall make cradles for the babies of next year. Red and brown shall +turn the leaves, red and purple shall hang the berries, and as you wave +your wand the corn that covers half the land shall change to gold. +Take with you still hot days and little creeping evening winds." +</P> + +<P> +The Autumn Fairy went forth in her crimson robe. As she passed the +blossoms changed to fruit, the grown-up things made cradles for the +babies of next year. +</P> + +<P> +To the last fairy he gave a robe of white and a sparkling wand of +diamonds. "You are Winter," he said. "As you pass, you shall lull all +growing things to their season's sleep and rest, that they may wake +refreshed when Spring returns. Take with you rain and hail and ice and +frost, and the white snow-covering for the sleeping earth." +</P> + +<P> +The Winter Fairy followed her sister Autumn up and down the earth from +pole to pole. As she went all growing things folded themselves away +for their season's rest. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p223"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SPRING STORY +</P> + +<P> +Elsie lay on a couch by an open window, trying to grow strong again. +She had been hurt, and had to lie here for a year. As she had always +been an outdoor girl she found it hard to stay so long indoors. But +the sunbeams and the little winds came in to play with her, her +favourite tree outside the window made funny leaf shapes to amuse her, +and, best of all, the Season Fairies came to tell her the doings of the +outdoor world. +</P> + +<P> +This is what the Spring Fairy said: "Each day the sun shines more +brightly, and everything is waking from its winter sleep. The spring +wind knocks at the close-shut doors of the winter houses, and calls +again and again till they are opened. Buds burst, leaves and flowers +dance out, and everything is gay. +</P> + +<P> +"In the garden plots crocuses and snowdrops and golden daffodils nod to +one another across the ground, primroses and violets scent the air, and +hyacinths ring their merry chimes. Pink-tipped daisies open their +golden eyes here and there on the lawn; the grass-blades shoot up +straight and green. +</P> + +<P> +"I flew through the kitchen garden on my way here. The radishes have +already sent up two thick leaves, and the young cabbages stand in stiff +rows like soldiers, each trying to grow a heart. I peeped under the +ground. There everything is sprouting. The peas and beans have burst +open at the sides, and strong white shoots have come out. The potatoes +are growing stems out of their eyes, and are sending down white roots +to search for water. Under the ground, too, the young grubs are waking +up and moving fast, ready to devour all that they can find. +</P> + +<P> +"Down in the fruit garden, the trees are a glorious mass of white and +pink; for cherry-trees and plum-trees, apple-trees and pear-trees, are +all decked out in their sweet spring dresses. The air is filled with +their fragrance, and snowy petals soon begin to float on every little +wind. +</P> + +<P> +"The bees are busy there, gathering honey and pollen to take home to +the newly-hatched bee-grubs. The gooseberry and currant bushes have +opened their queer little flowers to the bees, and, low on the ground, +the strawberry spreads its white petals, inviting them to its honey +feast. +</P> + +<P> +"In the pool below the fruit garden queer swimming creatures rush +eagerly about in search of food, for the warmth of the spring has +reached them. One day they are to grow into gnats or mosquitoes or +dragon-flies, but they are not thinking about that just now, all their +thoughts are on their meals. +</P> + +<P> +"From grass-blades and leaves everywhere the tiny eggs are hatching +that were laid by moths and butterflies; caterpillars creep out from +them to wander off in search of food. +</P> + +<P> +"In the wheat-field millions of green blades are shooting up; on the +roadside grasses and thistles, dandelions and ragwort, and a hundred +little weeds, are pushing and jostling each other for their summer +places. The hedges are shining with the gold of gorse and broom; in +the trees dainty nests are being made for eggs as dainty. +</P> + +<P> +"A tender bleating rises all day from the meadow at the foot of the +hill, for there the mother sheep watch over their snowy lambs. The +lambs frisk and gambol on the soft grass, and the mothers call to them +with the mother-note that has come with the spring." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p226"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SPRING TIME<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Spring time is a merry time,<BR> + A merry time is Spring!<BR> +The little birds come out for straws;<BR> + They build, and hop, and sing.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +The daffodils and crocuses<BR> + Spread out their golden heads;<BR> +Sweet cowslips hang their scented bells<BR> + Above the garden beds.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +The cherry-trees are white with flowers,<BR> + The apple-trees are pink.<BR> +The green leaves wrapped in woolly buds<BR> + Peep out at you and wink.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +The winds rock lightly in the trees:<BR> + The sunbeams dance and play.<BR> +Come out! Come out! The sky is blue,<BR> + The world is fresh and gay.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p227"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SUMMER STORY +</P> + +<P> +With the summer came the Summer Fairy. She said: "The sun is high in +the sky; at noon-day the air shimmers with the heat. The flower garden +is gay with roses and poppies and Canterbury bells, the lawns and +clipped hedges are like green velvet. +</P> + +<P> +"Down in the vegetable garden the peas and beans are filling their +pods, and the cabbage soldiers have all grown hearts. The mother +potatoes are feeding their little ones with their own white bodies; the +turnips and carrots are swelling as fast as they can. Under the ground +some of the caterpillars have coiled themselves up and gone to sleep; +others have finished their sleep and have flown out on many-hued wings +as butterflies or moths. +</P> + +<P> +"In the fruit garden the trees are green. The flowers have long ago +dropped their petals and shut their doors while they made their seeds. +The strawberries and cherries are nearly over, the gooseberries and +currants and raspberries are ripe, but the apples and pears and plums +are green and hard on the trees. The bees have left the orchard and +betaken themselves to the flower garden, but the birds are feasting +royally in the gooseberry and currant bushes. +</P> + +<P> +"I peeped into the pool below the fruit garden. The young gnats and +dragon-flies have crept up the bushes for their great change, and from +there have flown away, when this was over, to earn their living like +the rest of the world. +</P> + +<P> +"In the wheatfield the green corn stands high, and waves its tasselled +flowers in the summer breezes. The grasses and weeds on the roadside +are all in flower. In the meadows the lambs have grown big, and the +sheep are gladly being shorn of their hot woolly coats. The young +birds are leaving their nests in the trees and learning to fly, the +fathers and mothers teach them with infinite love and care. +</P> + +<P> +"There was a great commotion in the bee-hive this morning, for a young +queen had wakened from her chrysalis sleep, and the old queen in her +jealousy would have stung her to death. There was much running about +and loud buzzing. Everybody was too excited to think of going out to +look for honey; but at last they came to an agreement, and some of the +bees went with the old queen to look for a new home while the rest +stayed in the hive with the new queen. The old queen flew to an +apple-tree in the orchard; her people surrounded her in a dense mass to +protect her till a hive was brought and they were safely housed. +To-morrow they will be as busy as can be, making their new honeycomb. +Already they have started." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p230a"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +SUMMER TIME<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Roses red, roses white,<BR> + Up the hedges climb.<BR> +Gardens are a lovely sight!<BR> + This is summer time.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Clover red, clover white,<BR> + Bloom among the grass.<BR> +All the world is filled with light;<BR> + Skies are clear as glass.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Cherries red, cherries white,<BR> + Show with each new breeze.<BR> +Linnets sing in sweet delight<BR> + High on rocking trees.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p230b"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +AUTUMN STORY +</P> + +<P> +The Autumn Fairy said: "The sun is a little lower in the heavens now, +but at morning and evening the land flames with the gold and red of his +royal robes. Gold and red! These are the autumn colours, the colours +of the fruitage that fulfils the promise of the spring. +</P> + +<P> +"Asters and dahlias and tiger-lilies are blooming in the flower plots, +and seeds ripen in the places of the flowers that were there in summer. +Pop, pop! What a constant noise the pods keep up as they burst and +scatter their seeds. It is so loud that it almost drowns the buzzing +of the bees. Out jump the seeds as far as they can, to find a new home +for themselves. +</P> + +<P> +"I watched a beetle as he walked under a larkspur. A pod burst above +him and scattered its seeds on his head. 'How those great nuts hurt,' +he cried. 'It is not safe to remain under this tree,' and he hurried +off to a safer place. To him the larkspur seemed a giant tree, and its +seeds huge nuts. +</P> + +<P> +"In the fruit garden there is rich harvest, for plums and pears, apples +and peaches and apricots gleam with red and gold amidst their tinted +leaves. The chestnuts are ripe in their prickly nests, and the walnuts +fall with a thud and split open to show their fine shells. +</P> + +<P> +"In the wheatfield the golden corn falls before the sharp knives of the +reaper, and the sheaves are set in stooks ready for the carrying. +There is dismay amongst the larks and field-mice, for their shelter is +taken from them; but the heart of the farmer is glad at the richness of +the crop. +</P> + +<P> +"On the roadside the grasses bow their heavily seeded heads, begging +the wind to carry their children to a good growing place; the thistle +seeds rise up on their own shining wings, and float away to find a +place for themselves. +</P> + +<P> +"The nests in the trees are deserted, for the little birds have grown +up and now perch on the branches with the older ones. From some of the +trees the tired leaves are dropping one by one. They have done their +work well, so the tree-mother gently loosens them from the branches and +gives them leave to rest." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p233a"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +AUTUMN TIME<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Autumn time is apple time!<BR> + Time for pears and plums.<BR> +Corn is golden in the fields.<BR> + How the reaper hums!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Lilies shine in garden plots,<BR> + Berries in the bush.<BR> +Brown pods burst along the hedge,<BR> + Where the ripe seeds push.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Come with me to Orchard-land;<BR> + Grass will do for chairs.<BR> +Leaves fall off and tumble fast—<BR> + So do juicy pears!<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p233b"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +WINTER STORY +</P> + +<P> +The Winter Fairy said: "The sun is so busy on the other side of the +world that he has not time to climb high in our sky. The Storm King, +the Snow Queen, and Jack Frost have their way now, turn and turn about, +with no powerful sun to check them. To-day it is Jack Frost's turn. +He has drawn fairy pictures on your windows, frozen the little pool +below the fruit garden, and flung glittering lace-work over all the +land. +</P> + +<P> +"In the garden plots all the flowers have fled except the hardy winter +roses; the fallen seeds have hidden themselves as far down under the +warm earth as they could creep. +</P> + +<P> +"Everything is resting. The fruit-trees stand bare and brown and +still, and you might think their life was gone. But on every branch +sit the little buds which the tree-mother made in the long days of the +busy summer. They are snugly wrapped in thick woolly blankets till the +sun returns and the air is warm again. Then they will fling aside +their coverings and dance out in the wind. +</P> + +<P> +"Everything is waiting for the spring. The flies have hidden +themselves away under the grass and in the hedges, and have gone to +sleep till the cold dark days are done. Butterflies and moths have +laid their last eggs and have hidden themselves away, to die, most of +them. Bees keep close within their hives; the hum of insect life is +stilled. +</P> + +<P> +"The snails have buried themselves in the ground, sinking into their +shells and fastening their little doors so tightly that no enemy can +come in. Round the pond, too, the frogs have buried themselves in the +soft mud to sleep till winter is over, leaving only openings enough for +air. +</P> + +<P> +"The wheatfield is being ploughed, that Jack Frost may break the earth +for next year's crop. On the roadside the empty grass-heads stand, +white and beautiful with fine frost-work, but dead beneath their beauty. +</P> + +<P> +"Of the birds who sang their joyous way through the other seasons only +the braver ones are left. The rest have flown to find a warmer land +till spring returns. So ends the tale." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="p236"></A> +<P CLASS="t3b"> +WINTER TIME<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Snow, snow! How the winds blow.<BR> + Across the sky the white flakes go.<BR> +Their steps are fast—their steps are slow—<BR> + They mean some mischief, that I know.<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Cold, cold! Jack Frost is bold.<BR> + He nips the toes of young and old.<BR> +But better laugh than cry and scold.<BR> + Come for a slide with me. Take hold!<BR> +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +Run, run! The slide is done.<BR> + We'll warm ourselves without the sun.<BR> +Now snow is here and frost's begun,<BR> + The Winter will be splendid fun.<BR> +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="t4"> +PRINTED BY CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED, LA BELLE SAUVAGE, LONDON, E.C. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sun's Babies, by Edith Howes + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SUN'S BABIES *** + +***** This file should be named 38063-h.htm or 38063-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/0/6/38063/ + +Produced by Al Haines + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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