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diff --git a/old/68908-0.txt b/old/68908-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4248ced..0000000 --- a/old/68908-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3135 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mother Bunny and her flowers, by Laura -Rountree Smith - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Mother Bunny and her flowers - -Author: Laura Rountree Smith - -Illustrator: Penny Ross - -Release Date: September 4, 2022 [eBook #68908] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Charlene Taylor, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER BUNNY AND HER -FLOWERS *** - - Transcriber’s Notes - -Chapter VIII was erroneously headed as VI. -Italics are represented thus _italic_. - - - - -[Illustration: Mother Bunny and Her Flowers] - - - MOTHER BUNNY - AND - HER FLOWERS - - _by - Laura Rountree Smith_ - - _Illustrations - by - Penny Ross_ - - C.H. VAN VLIET Co. - CHICAGO - - - Copyright 1922 - C. H. Van Vliet Co. - Chicago - - Printed in United States of America - - - - - MOTHER BUNNY AND HER FLOWERS - - - - - CHAPTER I - - PLANTING THE GARDEN - - Hark to the Tale of Mother Bun; - If you read on ’till the story is done, - You will have many happy hours - With Mother Bunny and her Flowers. - -One bright spring morning Old Mother Bun was talking to herself. - - Said Old Mother Bun, just for fun, - “It is time the garden was begun.” - -Old Father Bun cried, - - “Time for the rake, and time for the hoe; - We’ll plant a garden in spring you know.” - -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny said, - - “Garden days have come, we know; - May we help the seeds to grow?” - -Old Mother Bun answered, - - “To the garden all may go, - With the rake, and with the hoe.” - -So those cute little Bunnies ran out with rake, and hoe, and -wheelbarrow, and they all worked in Mother Bun’s garden, helping her -prepare the soil for her garden. She was very happy and shook the -packages of seeds in her gingham apron, saying, - - “Vegetables and flowers too, - I will try to raise for you.” - -“Not for me, not for me,” called a voice, and a very wild looking Bunny -peeped over the fence. - - He said, “At times I’m very plucky. - My name is really ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’.” - -[Illustration] - -He offered to help, for every one loved Old Mother Bun, but he was such -a careless fellow, he did not dig the rows straight, and Old Father Bun -soon made him stop, so he sat on a fence. - -When the ground was ready, Old Father Bun drove in stakes at the end of -the rows, and he tied a cord from one stake to another so they could -plant in even rows. - -Old Mother Bun used the hoe and the little Bunnies ran after her and -dropped in seeds. - - “Oh, I forgot, and so, please stop, - Before another seed you drop.” - -“What did you forget, Mother Bunny?” asked Healthy Bunny. - -“Can we help you to remember?” added Pretty Bunny. - -“We are waiting,” said Old Father Bunny. - - Mother Bunny said, “Before we start, - Find out, in planting, how far apart.” - -She read the directions on each envelope to find out how far apart the -seeds were to be planted, and how deep they were to be placed. This -was important, for some seeds grow better planted deep, and some grow -better planted near the surface with a very little dirt scattered over -them. - -That day she planted lettuce and radishes and Old Father Bun said, - - “Such a very little our seeds have cost, - We will not worry about Jack Frost.” - -Old Mother Bun said that early vegetables could stand a little frost -and if we plant North-Grown seeds, the vegetables can even stand a -little snow. - - She continued, “If you please, - I will plant vegetable peas.” - -It was late in March and the air was cool, though the sun shone warm -and bright. - -She said, - - “I’ve planned my garden with much care, - But forgot to make paths, I declare.” - -Old Father Bun said they would help her plan out the paths, and that -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny might use the wheelbarrow and bring over -some bricks to lay in the paths. - -Soon the garden began to look very well indeed. - - Said Father Bun, “Let’s have a talk, - How to plan out garden walks.” - -Old Mother Bun grew thoughtful and said, - - “Let us make the walks so wide, - We can travel side by side.” - -They had plenty of room, so they made their brick walks, or paths as -they called them, four feet wide. - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Now they look very well indeed, - But what will we do with grass and weeds?” - -All the Bunnies sat down and put on their Thinking-Caps, for they -had an old brick walk in the back yard, and grass and weeds crept up -between the bricks every year. - -The Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny said at last, - - “I learned this from the Peddler’s daughter, - Sow salt, and cover it with water.” - -[Illustration: The Cute Little Bunnies Ran Out with Rake and Hoe and -Wheelbarrow] - -Old Father Bun remembered this was a good idea, but he said no salt -must get into the garden soil. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “I have plans now in my head - To make a pretty Flower Bed.” - -They divided off the part of the garden that was left, and planned out -many pretty Flower Beds. - - Old Mother Bun worked hours and hours, - Making a circular bed for flowers. - - She was happy, I’ve heard said, - When she looked at her star-shaped bed. - -She said, “Oh, see the star-shaped bed! Oh, see the garden we planted -last year!” All of them bent down, and it was Old Mother Bun who -discovered the first Crocus. - -Sure enough, there was a purple Crocus in bloom. She said, - - “I am so happy I’ll sing and sing; - Here is a flower to greet the spring.” - -Old Father Bun did a lot of thinking and said presently, - -[Illustration] - - “Ha, ha, I’ve an idea funny; - We’ll make a garden with letters BUNNY.” - -He marked off the letters on the ground and said they would plant there -next day. - -Old Mother Bun picked the Crocus and took it in-doors and set it in a -vase. When they had washed their paws they sat around and admired it. - -Old Mother Bun began to knit for she was never idle. - - Said Mother Bunny, “Do you know - How to plant flowers and make them grow?” - -She looked hard at Happy-Go-Lucky, who did not answer her. - - Said Pretty Bunny, ”As like as not, - I’ll have to buy a flower-pot.” - -Pretty Bunny liked to have a blooming plant in the window. - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Flowers breathe air, I do declare, - With honest toil, they eat from the soil; - Though they stand still and cannot walk, - In Fairyland I heard them talk.” - -The little Crocus in the vase began to nod, and nod, and open its -petals, and, to the surprise of all, began to talk. - -[Illustration] - - The Crocus said, “Please do not doubt me; - There are many legends told about me.” - -Then the Crocus began to tell the story or legend she liked the best. -She said, “I am the little child, Krokus, who was killed by an accident -when Mercury threw a quoit one day, and I was changed at once into a -flower.” (Crocus continued) - - “Here is a story to make you laugh; - I was hidden once in a hollow staff. - A Pilgrim stole a bulb, you see, - And took it to a far country; - So many flowers from it came, - Saffron Waldon is the town’s real name.” - -“Saffron, Saffron, what do I know about Saffron?” asked Old Father Bun. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “As sure as I am wide awake, - I use Saffron in cookies and cake.” - -The Crocus said, “Saffron is made from my stamens; several thousand of -them are needed for one ounce of Saffron.” - - “Some Crocuses are not like me at all; - Some Crocuses also bloom in the fall. - In Persia--a far-off country you know, - The Saffron Crocus delights to grow. - I’ll close up my petals in an hour, - But a hair-dye was once made from my flower.” - -So saying, the Crocus closed her petals and fell asleep. - -Pretty Bunny said, “I wonder if every flower has a story to tell.” - -Healthy Bunny said, “Old Mother Bun, what kind of flowers will you have -in your garden this year?” - - Said Old Mother Bun, “How foolish you talk; - There’ll be Hollyhocks by the garden walk. - The Perennials, you know, my dear, - Always live on year after year.” - -She reminded her children that Annuals, as they are called, grow from -seeds and bloom only one season, while Biennials live over winter and -bloom the next year, and then die. - -[Illustration: SAID OLD MOTHER BUN, “HOW FOOLISH YOU TALK”] - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Let us learn one thing at a time; - Let us all make a simple rhyme.” - -He thought a while and then continued, - - “An Annual is so named for the reason - It blooms and dies all in one season.” - -Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny said, - - “I’ll name an Annual; you see - The Morning Glory appeals to me.” - -Old Father Bun continued, - - “The Biennials are rather queer; - They do not bloom ’till the second year.” - -Healthy Bunny said, naming some Biennials, “How I do like turnips, -beets and carrots, how I do like parsnips.” - -Old Father Bun continued, - - “You’ll know the Perennials, my dear, - For they live on year after year.” - -Pretty Bunny said, - - “The Peonies and Hollyhocks - Are Perennials of which I’ll talk.” - -[Illustration] - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “I could teach you the parts of a flower, - In about a quarter of an hour.” - -The Bunnies drew close while she drew a picture of a Morning Glory and -said, - - “The parts of a flower, I do believe, - Are the roots, stem, and leaves.” - -She drew the little fine roots of the Morning Glory and the long, -winding stem and dainty leaves and flower. - -The Family Clock struck nine, and Old Father Bun said, - - “I interrupt you, I beg pardon; - When may we visit your wild-flower garden?” - -Old Mother Bun had been planting a wild-flower garden for years and -years. The Bunnies had often gone to the woods and dug up a single -plant of its kind for they did not want to rob even the woods of -beauty, and so they had many wild flowers growing in their home garden, -and they had also a lovely bed of ferns. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “We’ll visit the wild-flower garden and see, - Who our first visitor will be.” - -Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny jumped out the open window and ran out in the -moonlight. - -Pretty Bunny and Healthy Bunny went to bed. - -Old Mother Bun tried to remember the names of some of her Flowers. She -made what she called an “Acrostic” which spelled the names of Flowers -read to the right, and spelled the name of a Flower downward. She wrote -the following: - - Crocus - Orchid - Wood-sorrel - Solomon’s Seal - Lily - Indian Tobacco - Primrose. - -The Old Family Clock sang, - - “Tick, tick, tock, this I say - Your visitor is on his way.” - -Old Mother Bun went to bed wondering who her visitor would be in the -Garden to-morrow. She made up her mind to rise at sunrise and see if -any of her visitors had come. - -She said, - - “Some day, if I don’t forget, - I’ll make a Flower Alphabet.” - -The Family Clock remarked, - - “Your ideas are very funny, - Good night, dear Old Mother Bunny.” - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - THE WILD FLOWER GARDEN - - - How many Wild Flowers do you know? - Can you tell the places where they grow? - Do you like these little rhymes so funny? - Do you like to meet Old Mother Bunny? - -Bright and early Old Mother Bun went out to look at her Wild Flower -Garden. She said, - - “Trillium and Anemone, - Your little flowers I long to see; - Wild Ginger and Columbine, - You are also flowers of mine; - Lady’s Slipper and Solomon’s Seal - Many secrets will reveal; - Jack-In-The-Pulpit looks at me - Just as serious as can be.” - -As Old Mother Bun tip-toed about her Wild Flower Garden the flowers -nodded their welcome and began to talk to her. - - The Trillium said, “If you please, - All my parts are in three’s. - You can see, when you have started, - Three petals, three sepals, stigma three parted, - I have many happy hours, - Though I bear Solitary Flowers.” - -Old Mother Bun said, “I am glad you grow in my Garden, and I like the -Solitary Flowers just as well as though they grew in clusters like -those of Lily-of-the-Valley.” - -Just then Old Father Bun looked out the window and called, - - “Old Mother Bun, I beg your pardon; - Who was the first visitor in the Garden?” - -Pretty Bunny just then called out, - - “I’m coming out just for fun, - Old Mother Bun, Old Mother Bun.” - -Healthy Bunny cried, - -[Illustration] - - “There is something makes me want to sing, - Every year, in the early spring.” - -Just as Old Mother Bun began to think a member of her own family would -be her first visitor she heard a whir of wings, and a humming sound, -and a Humming Bird lighted on a Tulip. - -The Humming Bird sang to her, - - “I am happy as can be - Honeysuckle soon I’ll see.” - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “Many years that whir I’ve heard. - Welcome, little Humming Bird.” - -The Humming Bird went from flower to flower, finding honey and nectar -in them. He said he came to visit the garden unusually early, as he was -really a summer visitor. - -The Anemones were the next flowers that wanted to speak. They said, - - “We like to grow here in your bower. - Anemone, also called Windflower.” - -Old Mother Bun had to search for the flower on the Wild Ginger plant. -There was a single flower well hidden beneath the velvety leaves. She -gave a cry of pleasure, for looking up she saw a Yellow Lady’s Slipper -in bloom. The Lady’s Slipper nodded in a friendly way and said, - - “Our flowers are really a delight; - We are pink, showy, or small white.” - -She said there were three species of Lady’s Slippers. She sang sweetly, - - “In colonies we like to grow, - When the merry spring winds blow; - In the woods search for me hours and hours; - I carry from one to three pretty flowers.” - -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny and Old Father Bun came out and leaned -down low to catch the faintest whisper from the flowers. The Solomon’s -Seal whispered, - - “Many secrets I could reveal, - But my name is Solomon’s Seal. - Please observe my bell-shaped flower, - Patiently growing hour by hour; - I am a Perennial, my dear, - But throw us a fresh stalk every year; - As my flowers with a scar they make; - You can tell my age by them without mistake, - In the woods we grow so tall, ’tis said - We tower sometimes above man’s head. - Now, the False Solomon’s Seal, ’tis true, - May appear more beautiful to you.” - -Just then Jack-In-The-Pulpit fairly shouted, - - “I am Jack-In-The-Pulpit come to town; - I am dressed much like a Circus Clown. - Hidden beneath my six leaves green; - My suit is striped, as you have seen, - I am very glad to meet you all, - And I’ll leave red berries in the fall.” - -A voice called merrily, - - “To squeeze my stem you’d better refrain, - For everything I touch, I stain; - I make no exception for any one. - My leaf grows long after my flower is gone; - I am white with gold centre; does it pay - To bloom, as I do, for a single day?” - -All the Bunnies examined the Blood root with the leaf circling round -the stem, and the delicate flowers. - -Old Father Bun remarked, - - “Right down here, in this Fairy Bower, - Let us learn the parts of a flower.” - -Just then a beautiful Butterfly sailed by, and attracted by the color -in the Tulip Bed, sailed down, so, as a Butterfly and Humming Bird came -to the garden that day, Old Mother Bun said, “What fine visitors.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “I will try to teach you, if in my power, - To know and name the parts of a flower; - Calyx, corolla, pistils, and stamens, - Over and over let us name them.” - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “The Calyx is really the flower-cup; - See the gay Tulips springing up.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “To describe is really beyond my power, - The Corolla is the prettiest part of the flower.” - -Father Bun continued, - - “The Stamens inside the Corolla grow, - And the pistils hold the seeds, you know.” - -Just then a shout arose and a voice called, - - “I turn up at odd times, it is funny, - I am Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny.” - -They were all glad to see him, of course, and began to play a Flower -Game. He stood in the centre of a circle they formed and said, - - “Ha, ha, I’m very glad I came, - I’m thinking of a Wild Flower’s name: - Clap him out, clap him in, - With letter ‘V’ the name begins.” - -He pointed to Healthy Bunny who cried, “Violet,” and changed places -with him, calling for a flower whose name began with another letter, as -“D” for “Dandelion” or “Daisy.” The game went on merrily. Every time -after a flower was named the Bunnies skipped round the circle singing, -to the tune of “Twinkle Little Star,” - - “Flower Games we love to play, - In the spring when we are gay; - If you’ll learn the Flower’s names, - You can come and join our games.” - -They had such a merry time that they almost forgot to go in to dinner. - -As they finally sat down to dinner a Fairy Voice called, - - “I am Skunk Cabbage; for me make room, - I am the earliest Wild Flower to bloom. - I am useful to you, you see; - My root is used as a remedy.” - -Though the Bunnies liked Vegetable Cabbage they would not let the Skunk -Cabbage in. - -After dinner was over, Old Father Bun said, “I like to tell stories.” - -Old Mother Bun, who was something of a tease, said, - - “Why don’t you make that into a verse? - It may sound better, or may sound worse.” - -Old Father Bun thought a few minutes and then said, - - “I like to tell stories about Flowers; - I could tell them for hours and hours.” - -Old Mother Bun had picked a Snowdrop and it nodded to them and -whispered, before Old Father Bun could say another word. - -[Illustration] - -The Snowdrop said a story was told about her being made from a -snowflake as an angel breathed upon her, and this comforted Eve, with -the message of Spring, and so the Snowdrop became a flower of comfort -and promise. - -[Illustration] - -As the Bunnies grew thoughtful they noticed a few flakes of snow -falling, and they saw that they took the form of beautiful snow -crystals. - -“Oh, oh,” cried Old Mother Bun. “See the snow falling.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “The snow will not hurt your flowers, I know; - The snow will soon melt and make them grow.” - -Sure enough, the light fall of snow did not hurt the flowers at all, -and soon the sun shone and Shadow Bunny called, - - “Come out and play, come out and play; - Come and enjoy this fine spring day.” - -When evening came the Bunnies were so tired they went happily off to -bed. Old Mother Bun told them a story about her Tulip Bed. She said she -once heard a Folk-Tale about Old Mother Delight who went out one night -with a lighted lantern in her garden, and discovered that the Fairies -had hidden their babies in her Tulips for the night. - -Mother Delight planted more Tulip Bulbs and the Fairies were so happy -they brought her Good Luck. - -Mother Delight looked at one of her Tulips and said, “You look so like -a turban, I believe you were named from your resemblance to it, and you -are so beautiful no wonder they hold a Tulip Festival in Turkey every -year.” - -Old Mother Bun’s voice grew lower and lower and sank to a whisper as -the little Bunnies fell asleep. - -They did not know at that very minute FIVE LITTLE FAIRIES WERE CURLED -UP IN THE TULIPS IN THEIR OWN GARDEN. - -These Fairies were named the Ticklish Elf, the Useful Elf, the Laughing -Elf, the Impish Elf, the Pretty Elf. - -The first letters of their names spelled downward made the name “TULIP.” - -If you read on you will learn what the little Elves did in Mother Bun’s -Garden. - -[Illustration: Old Lady Bunny and Her Tulips] - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - MORE WILD FLOWERS. - - Tulip Fairies, Tulip Fairies, - In your garments light and airy, - Tulip Fairies, we wish you well, - In the garden cast a spell. - -Old Mother Bun called, - - “Time to get up, I give fair warning, - Time to get up this bright spring morning.” - -The little Bunnies did not like to get up and the Elves in the Tulip -Bed said, - - “Let us come help, every one, - For we all love Old Mother Bun.” - -The Ticklish Elf tumbled out of the Tulip Bed head first, and climbed -up the water spout, and into the window where Healthy Bunny and Pretty -Bunny were lying in their little beds. - - He tickled their noses and tickled their toes; - He made them good-natured, as you would suppose. - -The Useful Elf helped them dress. - -The Laughing Elf set them laughing. - -The Impish Elf hid their hair ribbons, and shoes, and played many -tricks upon them. - -The Pretty Elf just sat on the mantle piece and looked as pretty as -pretty could be. - -The Bunnies had a merry time and Old Mother Bun was happy when she saw -her red Tulips, red and yellow, for the Elves had used their paint -brushes to make the Tulips gay. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “Here is also a pretty sight, - My dwarf dandelions close at night.” - -Her wild flower garden was bordered with little dwarf dandelions. - -The Bunnies all went into the garden and the Elves disappeared. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “In a garden we must not shirk; - There is always plenty of work.” - -So they began to pull weeds and talked about watering thirsty flowers. - -Old Father Bun came out with a basket and said he was going to the -woods to get Mullen leaves. He said, - - “I will use the leaves for lamp-wicks, you know, - As the Greeks did once so long ago.” - -Old Mother Bun said, “Be sure to gather plenty of Mullen leaves, for I -will soak them in oil and if any one gets a pain that will help them.” -So Old Father Bun went off singing, - - “Mullen leaves, Mullen leaves - Are good for him who believes; - In witches’ spell or Fairy art - Use Mullen leaves, and pain will depart.” - -The Sunflowers had been sowing their own seeds in Old Mother Bun’s -garden. She was so glad to see them and knew they would attract birds -who liked to eat the seeds. - -[Illustration] - -She knew, too, that oil from them could be used to burn. She continued, -that paper is made from stalk, head, and stem of the sunflower. - -The Humming Bird came and sang, - - “There is one thing I forgot to mention, - I am looking for a wild fringed Gentian;” - He said, “I have looked quarter of an hour - For this wonderful Sky-Blue Flower.” - -Sure enough, the Humming Bird greatly loved flowers of a certain color, -and the Fringed Gentian was nearer the color of the sky than any Flower -that grew. Best of all, the Gentian was really growing in one corner of -Old Mother Bun’s garden, and the Humming Bird hummed with delight. - -The little Bunnies said, - - “Perhaps each Elf wears an invisible cloak, - For time and again we thought they spoke.” - -They liked to imagine that the Elves from the Tulip Bed were about the -garden in the day time, to help them. - - Said Old Mother Bun, “Come and see - The buds upon the lilac tree.” - -The old Lilac bush was full of buds and Pretty Bunny picked a branch -and took it into the house, and set it in a jar of water. - -[Illustration] - -Old Mother Bunny taught the Bunnies the names of all the Wild Flowers -in her garden. There were the Violets and Anemones, the Blood-Root, and -Dandelions, the Wild-Ginger and fringed Gentian, the Jack-In-The-Pulpit -and Trillium, the Flax, and Mustard, and Lady’s Slipper and many others. - -Healthy Bunny whispered to Pretty Bunny, - - “Every year Mother Bun begs - For a plant called ‘Butter-And-Eggs.’” - -They slipped away to look for this wild flower that grows by the -roadside, but they were too early to find it in bloom. - -They met Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny, and Shadow Bunny, and Homeless Bunny, -and they all traveled together and sang, - - “It is merry springtime if you please; - Buds are swelling on the trees. - A little more sun, a little more shower, - Apple blossoms will appear in an hour.” - -It was almost Apple Blossom time. - -Shadow Bunny followed them around everywhere and said by and by, - - “I am learning to talk in verse; - I’ll tell you about the Shepherd’s Purse; - The Flower is called ‘Pick-Pocket’, merry Elf, - For this is a Flower that sows itself.” - -He explained that the farmer disliked this flower for sowing itself, -and spreading over fertile soil they wanted for planting. - -[Illustration] - -Just then, Old Father Bun returned with his pocket full of mullen -leaves and he said he brought home a bouquet of dandelions. He had -buttercups, too, in his basket. He said that he found buttercups all -over the meadows and they were not liked by cows or horses because -of the bitter juice they contained. He said as nothing troubled the -buttercups, they bloomed freely everywhere. He had gathered marsh -buttercups, creeping buttercups and bristly buttercups. - -He said he found some common flax growing a foot and a half high. The -blue flowers were pretty and he said it was a most useful plant, linen -being made from its fibres, and oil from its seed. - -He said while resting in the meadow the Flax told him this story: “The -Earth Goddess Hilda comes to visit us. She comes to the earth to see -how much Flax is planted, and returns by winter to see if there is -enough Flax for spring and if the spinning wheels are all busy. She -rewards the busy people and punishes the lazy ones.” - -After supper the Bunnies gathered round the bunch of Dandelions Old -Father Bun had gathered, and one Dandelion, larger than the rest, began -to talk. It said, “Once upon a time the South Wind loved me, for I was -then a young girl with yellow hair, and for a while I grew more and -more beautiful; but by and by I grew old and faded, for I was touched -by a breath of the North Wind. The South Wind sighed, and soon I was -gone, but the next year the ground was covered with flowers like me. I -am now said to resemble the sun, and, like other flowers, turn toward -it.” - -The Bunnies drew and colored a picture of the dandelion and wrote the -story in a little book to keep. - - Old Mother Bun called just for fun, - “Come to the window, every one.” - -The Evening Primrose was opening. It was uncurling its petals for the -visit of the night moth. - -Pretty Bunny said, “I wonder if it will be the cradle for a wee little -Elf, as the Tulip is.” - -Healthy Bunny said, “I know a funny thing about it. Its root was used -to eat, long before that of the sweet potato.” - - Said Old Father Bun, “It amuses me quite, - Some flowers open, and some close at night.” - -A dwarf dandelion in the garden sang, - - “Little Fairies I will invite, - For I, too, close at night.” - -[Illustration] - -There was music in the garden for the Harebells were ringing; they sang -of the “Bluebells of Scotland.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “A wheelbarrow I’ll buy or borrow, - To help you do more work to-morrow.” - -Old Mother Bun replied, - - “We will be busy indeed, I know, - We have so many seeds to sow.” - -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny went off to bed singing, - - “Little Elves in our Tulip Bed - Have painted them all yellow and red.” - -Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny and Homeless Bunny had gone away, but they begged -to be allowed to come and plant next day. - -Just as the little Bunnies were falling asleep there arose a voice, and -they knew that spring had surely come, for the dear Little Tree Toad, -who ate harmful insects, called, - - “The Tree Toad by the garden bed, - Has many secrets, it is said. - I am not useless, I beg pardon, - But eat insects from your garden; - I sing and sing and seldom stop, - As I go about hippety-hop.” - -The Ticklish Elf peeped in the window early next morning and tickled -the Bunnies with a bit of grass, calling, - - “Let us go to the garden of Old Mother Bun; - There will be fun there for every one.” - -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny got up quickly and dressed and the -Ticklish Elf said, as the Bunnies complained that the grass tickled -their toes, - - “The grass is my friend, for, goodness knows, - I belong to the family of Tickle Toes.” - -“Are there Fairy Families and Flower Families?” asked the Bunnies in -surprise. - -The Ticklish Elf did not answer the first part of the question but went -off singing, - - “The Mint Family and Holly Family, - The Night Shade and Gentian Family, - The Rose and Nettle Family, - Are known to the Elf - Who lives all by himself.” - -So saying, he floated away on a sunbeam and the Bunnies cried, - - “Hurrah for the Elf, we have learned, you see, - Each Flower belongs to a Family.” - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - ROOTS OF A PLANT--THE LEGEND OF COTTON. - - - “Every plant, as I believe, - Is composed of Root, Stem, and Leaves; - When the planting time is done, - Let’s study them with Old Mother Bun.” - -Every one was hurrying next day to finish the seed planting. There were -Morning Glory seeds and Nasturtium seeds to plant by the porch. There -were Pansy seeds to plant in the little round bed by the front door. -There were seeds of Bachelor’s Buttons and Mignonette. - -Suddenly Old Father Bun came with a flag from the house and shouted, - - “Here is an idea, perhaps it’s new, - Let’s plant a flower bed, red, white and blue.” - -“A red, white and blue garden,” said Healthy Bunny. - -“A red, white and blue flower bed,” said Pretty Bunny. - -“Red, white and blue, red, white and blue,” sang the Bunnies together. -Echo Bunny called, “Red, white and blue.” - -Old Mother Bun helped plan the red, white, and blue flower bed. She -said, “We can have Salvia for the red flowers, and Daisies for the -white. For the blue flowers we can have Forget-Me-Nots, or Phlox, Blue -Bells or Gentians.” She said, “Where did you get the idea?” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “I took one cabbage, I hope he’ll pardon, - From Mr. McGregor’s splendid garden. - Then I saw he had the idea, too, - Of planting his flowers red, white, and blue.” - -The Bunnies went to work in real earnest on the red, white, and blue -flower bed. - -When they grew tired working, they played this flower game. - -Old Father Bunny stood in the centre of a circle. - -Father Bunny pointed to any Bunny in the circle saying, - - “How do you do? how do you do? - I think of a flower whose color is blue.” - -He called on any Bunny who had to name a blue flower or go out of the -game. A different color was called for each time and they sang a little -song to the tune of “Lightly Row,” - - “Pink or blue, pink or blue, - Little flowers, how do you do? - Pink or blue, pink or blue, - Other colors too, - Yellow, orange, red or white, - Pink or blue, pink or blue, - I can name, can you?” - -Shadow Bunny, and Homeless Bunny, and Happy-Go-Luck Bunny helped them -play the game. Pretty Bunny and Healthy Bunny could not always name a -flower quickly. - -Those five little Bunnies stood in a row and watched Old Mother Bun -plant her garden, then as a little shower came up all came inside but -Shadow Bunny who called, - - “I hope you will have lots of fun; - I always vanish with the sun.” - -Said Old Father Bun, talking half to himself, - - “Best of all I like the fruits, - But to-day let’s study roots.” - -He said the root is the simplest part of the plant and he said a plant -has a primary root which it sends down into the soil, and some plants -also have secondary roots which spring from the stem. - -Some time before Old Mother Bun had planted a sweet pea. She had -stretched a piece of netting over a glass with water in it, and had -placed the pea on top of the netting. - -The Bunnies saw the roots growing downward. - - Mother Bun said to her son and daughter, - “Roots will grow in earth or water.” - -The Bunnies decided to plant some seeds in this way and watch the roots -grow. - - Mother Bun said, “See the early shoots; - I also like to watch aerial roots.” - -Pretty Bunny said, “What are aerial roots?” - -Healthy Bunny said, - - “It seems to me now, I do declare, - Aerial means something about the air.” - -They remembered that they had learned about Swallows being called -“aerial birds,” because they spent so much time in the air, and so they -asked eagerly where they could find some aerial roots. - - Said Old Father Bun, “Early this morn, - I saw them on stalks of the Indian corn.” - -Old Mother Bun had read of a wonderful tree in India which sent out -aerial roots. - -She said, - - “On the Banyan tree, aerial roots are found, - Which grow from the branches to the ground.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Some air plants, I do declare, - Send their roots into the air; - They live on air, as you can see, - And belong to the Orchid Family.” - -Old Mother Bun remarked, - -[Illustration] - - “The roots about us honestly toil, - To absorb water from the soil.” - -Old Father Bun said in the Nature world about us everything had work to -do, and everything had to do its part. - -[Illustration] - -A wee voice was heard calling, - - “I’m a Useful Elf, a Useful Elf; - May I come in and talk myself?” - -Healthy Bunny went to let the Useful Elf into the house. - -The Wee Elf shook the water off his tiny leaf umbrella and called -merrily, - - “Ha, ha, please let me explain, - Flowers grow in sun and in the rain.” - -He said he had been waiting under a toad-stool to keep dry. He had -noticed the open window and so thought he would come in a while. He -continued, - - “I shake water off my rubber boots, - Much to the delight of the fibrous roots.” - -Pretty Bunny inquired, “Do roots have names?” - -Healthy Bunny said, “Do fibrous roots like water?” - -The Useful Elf nodded and remarked, - - “Fibrous roots, so I’ve heard said, - Look much like slender threads; - Fleshy roots drink water up, - Also store up nourishment; - Try to think, don’t talk like a parrot, - See the tap-root of the carrot.” - -He produced a tiny basket filled with carrots and they had a feast. -When his basket was quite empty he said, - - “There are three kinds of tap-roots I know-- - Beet, radish, and turnips--in that way grow.” - -To the surprise of all, the basket was soon filled with vegetables -again and the Beets called in loud voices, - - “We’re stout and gradually taper down; - We’re the conical roots, just come to town.” - -[Illustration] - -The Radishes blushed and said, - - “We are spindle-shaped, we might as well tell; - We taper downward, and up as well.” - -The Turnips were not to be out-done by the rest so they cried, - - “To the tap-roots we belong; - We are turnip-shaped, wider and long.” - -Those funny little vegetables began to dance, and the Useful Elf began -to dance, and soon the Bunnies were all dancing as though by magic. - -When they had danced themselves quite out of breath they sat down in a -circle and begged the Elf to tell them a Fairy Tale. - -He said, - - “To get me started, I beg pardon, - But mention something in your garden.” - -He looked hard at Old Mother Bun, for her garden was famous to all -Elves and Fairies. - -She said, - - “We have many visitors, let me see, - I will mention the Bumble-Bee.” - -The Elf said the same little verse looking hard at Old Father Bun, - - “To get me started, I beg pardon, - But mention something in your garden.” - -Old Father Bun mentioned a Butterfly and a Toad, a Robin and an Oriole, -a Moth and Dragon Fly, but the Elf screwed up his wee face into many -wrinkles, and it was only when Pretty Bunny cried out that he got -started, and you see for yourself now what she mentioned. - - “Oh, little Elf, wait just a minute; - I saw a web with a spider in it.” - -The Elf capered about and cried out, - - “I have to wind the machinery in my head - By that word ‘Spider’ that you said.” - -He began to tell the Fairy Tale of Cotton, saying,--Once upon a time -there was a Fairy forever spinning, - - If you called for breakfast, supper, dinner, - You never saw so great a spinner. - -She was continually spinning from morning ’till night, - - Her Uncle had willed her, too, you see, - For a spindle, the sting of a Bumble Bee. - -There was another spinner who lived near the Fairy. He was an enormous -spider with stripes upon his back. He did not like to think the Fairy -was a more wonderful spinner than he, so he decided to kill her. She -was frightened and began to run, carefully hiding her spindle, and the -spider ran after her. - - She came to the house of a wee gray Mouse - And said, “May I rest in your little house?” - -The Mouse was busy eating cheese and would not open the door of his -house. - - To the Tree-Toad she told her plight, - He said, “Call on me some other night.” - -You might guess a long time before you could tell who at last -befriended the Fairy. It was a Firefly at last who led her onward by -his fairy lantern. He showed her a pink flower and told her to jump -inside. She did so, spindle, spinning wheel and all, but the ugly -Spider was almost upon her. - -There was nothing left for the Fairy to do but to stab him with the -spindle, so she did so, and the ugly spider fell to the ground. Then -the pink flower closed over the Fairy. - -Though the ugly Spider wove a web over the flower he could not get in. -He said, - - “Now I give to all fair warning - I will catch the Fairy in the morning.” - -Time passed, the Fairy did not come out. The flower lost its petals, -still no Fairy was seen. - -The ugly Spider died but the Fairy was alive and well hidden in the -ball the flower had made. The ball opened soon and out came a pure, -white tassel the Fairy had been spinning! - -We love to think of the industrious Fairy now when we wear a garment -made of cotton. - -The voice of the little Elf sank lower and lower and soon the little -Bunnies were fast asleep. He sang, - - “I wonder how much they’ve heard, I said, - I must go back to the Tulip Bed; - There is fun for me and every one, - In the garden planted by Old Mother Bun. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - LITTLE ELF LAUGHTER - - - Mother Bun is happy, I’ve heard it said, - When she looks at her pretty nasturtium bed; - The geraniums are also blooming well, - And each one has a story to tell. - -When the Tulips had finished blooming for one season, the little Elves -who had rocked to and fro in them liked Mother Bun’s garden so well -that they found other flowers in which to hide. - - “Ha, ha, ha,” sang Little Elf Laughter, - “Here is the flower I’m looking after.” - -He settled in a bright, red nasturtium for a nap. - -Next day he was here, and there, and everywhere. - -When Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny were a little cross at breakfast, -he climbed a morning glory vine and peeped in the window, and screwed -up his face into a thousand wrinkles. - -He looked so sorrowful that the Bunnies laughed in spite of themselves. - -Later, when Old Father Bun looked quite fierce because he could not -find his pipe, little Elf Laughter sang, - - “I am Little Elf Laughter, Little Elf Laughter, - I can find what you’re looking after.” - -When Old Mother Bun was fretting about the house cleaning, the Little -Elf called, - - “Ha, ha, ha, with laugh and song - I will help the work along.” - -When they were all merrily working in the garden and a sudden shower -came up, he would sing, - - “Ha, ha, ha, let’s never scold, - Some one may find the pot of gold.” - -“The pot of gold?” said Old Father Bun. - -“The pot of gold?” inquired Old Mother Bun. - -“Where is the pot of gold?” asked Pretty Bun. - -Then, with a merry laugh, Little Elf Laughter told the story of the pot -of gold at the rainbow end. - -The Nasturtium bed was full of bloom; the pretty flowers nodded to and -fro. - - “We like to grow in this bed each year, - Pick us as soon as we appear, - And there is one thing we might mention, - We really need very little attention.” - -Sure enough, the Nasturtium bed needed little attention after the seeds -were once planted, and the Humming Bird came saying, - - “To me, the Nasturtium bed is sweet, - I always find here quite a treat.” - -The Geraniums fairly shouted, - - “Little Elf Laughter, we’re glad you came; - Geranium is our general name. - Our seed-pod is like the beak of a bird; - We’re named from a word meaning ‘stork’, we’ve heard.” - -[Illustration] - -Little Elf Laughter said, “The seed pod on this flower does look -somewhat like a stork’s bill, I think.” - -Healthy Bunny said, “Are all kinds of Geraniums the same?” - -Pretty Bunny said, “They have different colors. I know that much.” - -Little Elf Laughter ran to one Geranium and pressed the leaf between -his tiny fingers. It smelled a little of peppermint. He said, “This is -the Peppermint Geranium.” - -The flowers were white on this plant, and the leaves were very velvety. - -The Rose Geranium sang, - - “I am very happy, as you suppose; - My leaves when pressed smell like a Rose.” - -Little Elf Laughter pressed another Geranium leaf tightly and sang, -“The leaves on this plant smell of penny-royal.” - -The Ivy-Leaved Geranium did not want to remain unnoticed, so it called, - - “See my Ivy-leaves, what do you think! - Some of my flowers are red, some pink.” - -Little Elf Laughter knew the garden and all the flowers in it well. He -pointed out the horse shoe marks on the leaves of some of the Geraniums -and said, - - “Here’s a different Geranium, as you see; - It belongs to the Horseshoe variety.” - -Next, they saw some showy flowers and Little Elf Laughter said, - - “Our Geranium list is almost done; - Here is Lady Washington.” - -Just then, a voice called, - - “Here I am, I’m a late-comer, - Purple Verbena, I bloom all summer.” - -There was a great stir in the Poppy Bed and the Marigolds looked very -splendid beside a tiny white flower called Love-In-The-Mist. - - Little Elf Laughter cried, “Ho, ho, - See the Pansy faces in a row.” - -All the Bunnies loved the Pansies for the brave little fellows sprang -up early, and bloomed late, and were not afraid of frost or cold. - -While the other Bunnies picked flowers, Old Father Bun ran to and fro -and finally said, - - “Here is the spot, we’ll give it a trial; - Here is the place for my new sun-dial.” - -He was planning to measure time by a sun-dial. He had a metal plate -and dial plane which was marked off to show directions of shadows at -different hours. - -The first sun-dial known was spoken of in one of the books of the -Bible, Isaiah, and the sun-dial is older than any clock or watch. - -He said a moon-dial was made to measure night hours by showing the -shadow of the moon or stars. - -Patter, patter, patter, fell the drops of rain. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “Into the house we’ll go again; - My flowers grow in sun and rain.” - -Into the house they went, and Old Father Bun said, - - “Flowers, shrubs and trees, as I believe, - Always have roots, stems, and leaves.” - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “You will notice the stem, if you’re wide awake, - And see the direction it will take. - An erect stem grows straight up, you see, - Straight and upright as can possibly be; - An ascending stem, slanting from the ground, - By the Bunnies is very often found. - We don’t have to search very far to find - Another kind of stem that is declined; - A decumbent stem is also found, - The lower part upon the ground; - A climbing stem with tendrils, too, - Some day I’ll introduce to you.” - -The Bunnies knew many climbing stems and shouted, “Grape-Vine, Ivy, -Trumpet-creeper, Pea, Gourd.” They also talked about round and square -stems. - -Old Mother Bun said, “What Flower Legend shall I tell to-day?” She went -on in verse, - - “What Flower Legend shall I tell? - I know and love all flowers well.” - -The Bunnies thought for some time, but it was Little Elf Laughter who -suggested, - - “Drink Motherwort and you’ll live long, - So goes the Legend and the Song.” - -Old Mother Bun said, “In far-away Japan, a stream runs down a hill -where motherwort grows, and the story goes that people who drink water -from that stream are always young. The Japanese hold a festival called -‘The Motherwort Festival,’ and they have a drink made from this plant.” - -By and by the rain was over and the Bunnies went off to look for the -rainbow end, for they wanted to find the pot of gold. - -Old Father Bun sat comfortably in his arm-chair and his head went -nid-nid nodding as he said over and over, - - “Old Mother Bun has happy hours, - With new and old-fashioned flowers.” - -Old Mother Bun went out into her garden. - -All the flowers were happy because of the shower. - -Suddenly she heard Little Elf Laughter singing, - - “The pot of gold at the rainbow end - May be found near home, my friend.” - -Old Mother Bun looked down at the end of the garden, and there, sure -enough, she thought she saw the rainbow end. She began to dig and dig, -and she did strike something bright and shining. She found a wee pot of -gold, and whether it belonged to the rainbow end, or the Elves, she did -not stop to ask. - -She peeped inside and said, “I will tell no one yet what I have found; -I will tell no one yet what is inside.” - -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny came home tired. - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Did you find the pot of gold? - Though you are tired, please do not scold.” - -[Illustration] - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “I’ll show you the pot of gold in a minute, - But please do not ask me what is in it.” - -The Bunnies begged Old Mother Bun to tell her secret. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - LEAVES AND A FLOWER ALPHABET - - - Trees in Mother Bun’s garden grow - With many kinds of leaves, you know; - But the little pine tree here - Is evergreen throughout the year. - - “A picnic, a picnic,” cried Old Mother Bun. - Let us go on a picnic just for fun.” - -Old Father Bun winked his eyes and twitched his long ears to and fro -and said, - - “Would you leave your garden for an hour? - You might miss a bud, a leaf or flower.” - -He liked to tease Mother Bun about her flowers. - -Pretty Bunny cried, “Do let me go and get Homeless Bunny and Happy -Bunny, and Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny and invite them all to go with us to a -picnic.” - -Healthy Bunny said, “I will pack our lunch pail.” - -Just then a wee little voice cried, - - “Ha, ha, ha, I’ll help you myself, - I came from the Tulip, the Impish Elf.” - -The Impish Elf came in and jumped into the butter dish and left the -tracks of his little feet all over the oil cloth. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “Don’t play tricks on any one; - Don’t play tricks while I am gone.” - -“Can’t I play a trick on the tree-toad or dragon fly or on the little -white butterflies?” asked the Impish Elf. - -Just then Pretty Bunny saw little white butterflies sailing over the -poppies and sang to the tune of “Twinkle Little Star,” - -[Illustration] - - “Butterflies, how do you do? - Butterflies sail two and two, - Oh, you are a pretty sight, - Butterflies so pure and white.” - -The Bunnies went to the woods for their picnic and after they had lunch - -[Illustration: - Oh! You are a Pretty Sight - Butterflies So Pure and White!] - -Old Father Bun told about some Dryads that lived in the trees. - -“Hark! what is that?” cried Healthy Bunny. - - Click, click, click, like a key, - Sounded near them in a tree. - -The tree-trunk opened and there stood a Woodland Fairy. She smiled -and said, “I will tell you a story about a Nymph who once lived in an -oak tree. She belonged to Ceres, a goddess of long ago. One day a man -ordered the oak, in which she lived, to be cut down, though every one -begged that it be saved. As the woodmen would not cut it down, the -lord who owned the place seized the ax and cut it down himself. Then -the Nymph pronounced this magic upon him, ‘He can eat and eat but will -always be hungry.’” As she finished her story the Nymph disappeared in -the tree. - -The Bunnies tapped on many tree-trunks to see if another Nymph would -come out. They heard a voice call, - - “Ha, ha, ha, let me out, - All day long I sing and shout.” - -[Illustration] - -The voice came from another oak tree, and looking below it, the Bunnies -found a key and unlocked a door in the tree and out came a Dryad with -another story to tell. - -[Illustration] - -She said, - - “A statue of the Virgin, long ago, - Was placed once in an oak, you know. - A shepherd before it his flute would play; - From a church the statue he’d taken away. - He was sentenced to prison for theft, you see, - And the statue taken out of the tree. - That night the statue walked out, they say, - And let the imprisoned shepherd away. - I hope you’ll remember this tale of mine, - Because the image became a shrine.” - -Back into the tree went the Dryad and the Bunnies said, “What wonderful -stories we learn in the woods to-day.” - -Just then a call “Help, help,” was heard. - -Happy-Go-Lucky had fallen into the stream and Homeless Bunny was trying -to get him out. - -They all ran as fast as they could and by and by rescued him; then Old -Father Bun built a fire so they could all warm their paws and whiskers. - -Picking up a branch from the Linden tree Old Mother Bun said, - - “The blade, foot-stalk and stipules see, - The parts of the leaf upon the tree.” - -The Bunnies drew near her to see the branch she was looking at. - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Here is something that I’ve found. - Leaves are simple, or compound, - Simple, when in one piece, ’tis said, - Compound, when more pieces in the blade.” - -The Bunnies gathered leaves about them. They saw that some were -Parallel-veined and some were Feather-veined. Some of the veins in the -leaves ran side by side, and some of them branched out. They saw some -wild grape vine leaves that were still different; they had three main -ribs and veins extending out from them. They were called Radiate-veined. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “We would be here ’till set of sun, - If we studied leaf-shapes every one.” - -Old Father Bun’s eyes twinkled and he said, - - “Leaves have different margins too; - Some of them I’ll introduce to you.” - -Then the first surprising thing happened! - -The wind blew a great blast and down fell many leaves. They made a gay -carpet. - - The little Bunnies cried, “What fun! - It is almost as though autumn had come.” - -Then the second surprising thing happened! For they were in a fairy -woodland. Every leaf began to talk, and by placing it to the ear each -Bunny could hear what it wanted to say. - -One leaf said, - - “My shape is Linear, longer than wide; - I could tell you other things beside.” - -Another voice cried, - - “I am Lance-shaped, to a point I taper; - The wind plays with me many a caper.” - -Another voice cried, - - “I am not nearly as broad as long; - Tell it in verse, I am called oblong.” - -The Oval leaf spoke, and the Ovate-leaf, the Heart-shaped leaf, and -the Kidney-shaped leaf, the Arrow-shaped leaf and the Ear-shaped leaf, -and then the third surprising thing happened! - -[Illustration] - -The breeze sang merrily, - - “So many times before we have met, - Let us have a Flower Alphabet.” - -In trooped Flower Fairies wearing dresses like real Flowers. They -formed a circle, dancing and singing, - - “Amaryllis is my name, - Bouncing Bet, I’m glad I came, - Here are the Canterbury Bells, - Daisies blossom in the dells, - Everlasting flowers in the spring, - Four O’Clock, hear the wee bells ring, - Geraniums grow in the garden bed, - Hollyhocks hold high each head, - Iris is a jolly fellow, - Jack-In-The-Pulpit is black and yellow, - Knotweed is a pretty pink, - So the Tiger Lilies think, - Marigold, Marigold, - Nasturtium loves her, so I’m told, - Oxalis or wood-sorrel, - With Peony had a quarrel, - Quaint, indeed, is Prince’s Father, - Red-Hot Pokers grow together, - Shepherd’s purse with fairy money, - Tobacco plant, thinks quite funny, - Uvularia perfoliate is the lily, - Verbena says hard names are silly, - Water-cress says to yellow-eyed grass - Xyris flexuosa is a hard name, alas! - Yarrow, that common roadside flower, - Zinnia says will bloom many an hour.” - -The merriest flower of all was the Daisy and she sang, - - “Perhaps some one will explain, - When you make a Daisy-chain, - Why you can count for hours and hours, - In my centre tiny flowers!” - -Just then the fourth surprising thing happened! - -A great wind came up and blew Homeless Bunny over hill and dale. It -blew Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny over hill and dale and up onto Primrose Hill. -It blew Shadow Bunny to the end of Nowhere. The little Bunny family it -blew safely home to their own door-step. - - Each Hollyhock raised a stately head, - But not a single word they said; - Growing by the garden wall, - They did not seem surprised at all. - -When the Bunnies got inside, the table was neatly set for supper, and -a wee voice cried, - - “I’ve come to live with you--it’s funny, - But my name is Stay-At-Home-Bunny.” - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “I know that we will love you, honey; - I’m glad to see you, Stay-At-Home-Bunny.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Stay-At-Home-Bunny, I beg pardon, - Have you looked at Old Mother Bun’s garden?” - -The Stay-At-Home Bunny winked her eyes and nodded her head. She -whispered to Old Father Bun, - - “For hours and hours we’ll have to make - A very wonderful Birthday Cake, - Or else at the store we’ll have to try - A wonderful Birthday Cake to buy; - So, come early and enjoy the fun - At the Birthday Party of Old Mother Bun.” - -Old Father Bun looked wise and said, - - “No wonder I look old and wise, - Next week we’ll have a fine surprise.” - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - A BIRTHDAY PARTY - - - A Birthday Party is lots of fun, - So come and see Old Mother Bun. - To her party then let’s repair; - We all will have a good time there. - -When Old Mother Bun’s Birthday came Old Father Bun said, - - “I must pat you, so I am told, - As many years as you’re years old.” - -Old Mother Bun went and hid in the closet. - -Pretty Bunny said, - - “I’ve a present for you, Mother Bun; - Come out now and enjoy the fun.” - -Old Mother Bun peeped out of the closet and saw that Pretty Bunny had -brought her a new table cloth. - - Then Healthy Bunny came hippety-hop; - He said, “I bought this at the shop.” - -He gave Old Mother Bun a new breakfast cap. - - Old Father Bun said, “I declare, - Here’s a new rocking chair.” - -Old Mother Bun was so pleased with her presents that she did not hear -the bell go “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.” - -By and by a voice cried, - - “Old Mother Bun, we beg your pardon, - But here is a party in your garden.” - -Into the garden trooped the Flower Families. - -There was the Pink Family, and the Geranium Family, and the Mint -Family, the Sunflower Family, and the Primrose Family. The Nettle -Family even peeped boldly over the fence!! - - Old Mother Bun said, “I made a mistake; - I never thought of a Birthday cake.” - -Then all the Bunnies shouted and out came Old Father Bun with a -Birthday Cake with many candles upon it. - -[Illustration] - -All the visitors did not arrive on time. - -The Butterflies came in handsome dresses and brought Old Mother Bun a -new mirror. - -The Birds came bringing her a new song book. - -By and by an old Peddler came singing, - - “I am a Peddler with a heavy pack; - Of Birthday presents I have no lack: - To stay at home I have no knack; - I am a Peddler with a heavy pack.” - -The Flower Families crowded around the Peddler and each bought a -present for Old Mother Bun. - -The Peddler had many interesting stories to tell, and the Pretty -Elf told stories, and the Marigold Family told stories, too. The -Pool-Flower had a word to say; the Water-Dragon and Mary Bud said, “Let -us relate our own story, please.” They were all members of the Marigold -Family. - -One of the members of the Marigold Family said, “Once Caltha fell in -love with the Sun-god and looked up at him day after day. All night she -waited for the first rosy hint of the sun’s coming. She became a spirit -reflecting the sun, and she turned into a Marigold.” - -As it grew late, one member of the Marigold Family cried, - - “The Witches are coming, the Witches are coming; - We had all better hide; - The Witches are coming, the Witches are coming; - They soon will take a ride.” - -One and all the Flower Families went home, and Echo Bunny who had come -at the last minute called, speaking of the Witches, “a ride, a ride, a -ride.” - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “The Ragweed is out, without a doubt, - The Witches soon will all come out.” - -Sure enough, five and twenty witches came in the twilight and pulled up -five and twenty stalks of Ragweed and rode away singing, - - “We search in the highways and the ditches; - We are very little Witches; - On Ragweed, we say, we’ll ride away, - A year and a day, a year and a day.” - - The Pretty Elf said a magic charm, - And so the Witches did no harm. - -Old Father Bun said, - - “The party is over, but let me say, - I wish you happy returns of the day.” - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “Let’s gather some leaves; from what I hear; - We are very near the fall of the year.” - -They gathered leaves and went inside and warmed their paws by the fire. - -The little Bunnies noticed that the leaves did not all look alike. They -were different in size, form and color. - -The Pretty Elf sang, - - “Each leaf a fairy is, in pretty gown; - Each leaf a fairy is, come to town. - So close your eyes, if you are wise, - And I will give you a surprise.” - -The Bunnies did as they were told, and when they opened their eyes each -of the leaves they had gathered held a fairy. - - Maple and oak leaves, yellow and brown, - Gay little play leaves, dancing down, down. - -One leaf with a smooth edge said, - - “To talk in verse is very fine; - My margin is an even line.” - -Another leaf, with a fairy in it, cried, - - “I am jagged beyond belief; - I am called a saw-toothed leaf.” - -Another said, - - “I am wavy in margin, as wavy can be, - There are many kinds of leaf like me.” - -Still another leaf called, - - “Let me tell you before we start, - My blade is cut up into parts; - So that my verse may not be one-sided, - Let me say we are lobed, cleft, parted, divided.” - -Each little fairy from the leaf danced to Old Mother Bun and left a -present. - -Just as the Bunnies were wondering if it were bed time, a “rap-a-tap” -was heard and in came the Peddler singing, - - “I have traveled again hours and hours - To see Mother Bunny and her Flowers.” - -Old Mother Bun gave the Peddler a fine supper and asked him to stay for -the night. He said, after supper, - - “I have in my pack a little book; - Bunnies, peep in and take a look.” - -Pretty Bunny and Healthy Bunny thought it great fun to peep into the -Peddler’s pack, and by and by they drew out a wonderful book all about -Flowers. - -It had one chapter called, “Uses of Plants.” - -The Bunnies read aloud, - - “Plants are useful, we declare; - They help purify the air. - Food for animals they yield - In the meadow and the field; - From seed and fibres, we believe, - Clothing is made, and from mulberry leaves; - They help make fuel, which makes light, - You’ll learn when these lines you recite; - Don’t forget, before we’re done, - To mention their use for medicine.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “I take off my hat to Old Mother Bun; - I am serious, not in fun: - Mother Bun’s Flowers so useful appear, - I hope they will grow year after year.” - -The Pretty Elf danced to and fro, - - “Their perfume is a delight to me, - To every Butterfly and Bee; - That plants are useful is a surprise; - I thought they were to delight the eyes.” - -Healthy Bunny said, - - “Old Mother Bun, I love flowers, too; - I will help weed the garden for you.” - -Pretty Bunny said, - - “Old Mother Bun, I’m a faithful daughter; - I will help the flowers to water.” - -They invited the Peddler to stay with them and he almost consented. He -said at any rate he would give them the book about Flowers. - -When the Bunnies were falling asleep, they heard a gentle “pitter, -patter.” - -Said Old Mother Bun, “What can be the matter?” - - The Peddler traveled down the stairs, - Saying, “I hope nobody cares; - I never had place for my abode; - I travel off to the Song of the Road.” - -Next morning the little Bunnies looked under their pillows and each -found a little booklet. One was shaped like a daisy and one like a -buttercup. On each was written an invitation to a Flower Show. The -invitation read, - - “We invite you--this is the reason, - To view plants in and out of season, - So hoppety-skip away you’ll go, - With Mother Bun to the Flower Show.” - -Old Mother Bun said next day, - - “We’re happy as happy can be, you know; - We’re off and away to the Flower Show.” - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - THE FLOWER SHOW - - - “’Tis very jolly fun, you know, - To travel to a Flower Show, - So come and join us, every one; - We’re off and away with Old Mother Bun.” - -One fall day Old Mother Bun said, - - “Off and away we soon will go - To the City Flower Show.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Wait until my Scarecrow is made; - The crows are in the corn, I’m afraid.” - -He went out to make a Scarecrow. - -Old Mother Bun called anxiously, - - “You’ll bring on yourself some disaster, - If you step on my bed of asters!” - -Old Father Bun put up two sticks in the garden and nailed a board -across. He put a hat and suit of clothes on his Scarecrow. The -Scarecrow looked very life-like when he was finished. - - One Bunny thought he could hear him walk; - “I’m a Scarecrow and I must learn to walk, - If not wise when you sleep or rise, - Some day I may take you by surprise.” - -At this very instant Old Mother Bun called, - - “Father Bun, did you hear what I said? - Don’t tumble into my Aster bed.” - -She was so afraid Father Bun would not notice where he was going and -disturb some of her flowers. - -Old Mother Bun loved her fall flowers, so she called again, - - “Of my Petunias have a care; - Father Bun, don’t step there.” - -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny went out and gathered Golden-rod and -brought it home, and set it in great jars by the front door. The -Golden-rod said, - - “By the road I grow, but this I know, - I sing it over, hour by hour, - I sing it over hour by hour - I am your chosen National Flower.” - -Even as the Golden-rod talked, the song-finch and song sparrow came to -see if there were any seeds ready for them. - -Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny came in sight with a surprise for Old Mother Bun. -He had a basket full of the little plant she wanted for her wild flower -garden called, “Butter-And-Eggs.” - -These little plants trembled all over when they were transplanted into -Mother Bun’s garden. - -The Butter-And-Eggs said, - - “We are curious as you know, - We came from Europe long ago; - We’ll tell some secrets by and by; - Our flowers are often used for dye.” - -[Illustration] - -Happy Bunny came hoppety-skip along shouting, - - “Who will go, who will go - To the pretty Flower Show?” - -They could not see Echo Bunny but a voice called, “Flower Show.” - -Homeless Bunny and Shadow Bunny came with their baskets and cried, - - “The time is creeping on, you know; - Let’s all start to the Flower Show.” - - The Stay-At-Home Bunny said, “I beg pardon, - But I will weed a while in Mother Bun’s garden.” - -The Bunnies all took rakes and hoes and began to weed the garden. They -sang to the tune of “Lightly Row,” as they worked. - - “Rake and hoe, rake and hoe, - Weed the flowers and help them grow; - Rake and hoe, rake and hoe, - Jolly fun you know. - By and by come pleasant showers, - All to help the thirsty flowers; - Rake and hoe, rake and hoe, - Help the flowers grow.” - -Soon everything seemed ready and they started off to the Flower Show, -when Old Mother Bun turned her ankle and feared she could not walk -another step, so they set up a wail, - - “Another step she cannot go, - Alas! alas! for the Flower Show.” - -Old Father Bun got a wheelbarrow and they took turns wheeling her. - -When they came to the Flower Show they saw rooms and rooms filled with -Cactus and many curious flowers. - -The Pitcher Plant had each little pitcher partly filled with water. It -said, - - “I tell you I like boggy ground; - I am glad you came around; - Insects get in and laugh and shout, - But I seldom let them out.” - -Pretty Bunny peeped into the Pitcher Plant and saw something sticky on -the inside and hairs pointing downward which made it hard to get out. - -Old Mother Bun was much interested in the Cactus, and reaching out its -thorns, it cried, - - “In the desert go look for me; - I can store up water, you see. - Of our 600 species I shout aloud; - I can draw around me quite a crowd. - Many things this plant affords, - Among them fodder, fruit, and cords.” - -[Illustration] - -All the flowers were beautiful and each one had a story to tell. - -Old Father Bun bought a great basket of chrysanthemums to take home. -One very large flower said, - - “Old Father Bun, do you hear me sigh? - There are no Chrysanthemums in Himaji.” - -This flower said that Chrysanthemums grew all over China except in this -one place, because it was not thought lucky to raise them there. - -The story goes that a great man once had a servant who took care of his -gold plates, and one day one gold plate was missing. The servant was -so afraid that she threw herself in a well, and her ghost comes every -night at the stroke of nine to count the gold plates. - -All about the Flower Show were quaint figures, some of them made -entirely of Chrysanthemums. - -On their way home the Bunnies met Mistress Mary and she was so contrary -she would not tell how her flowers were growing. She only said, - - “The rose is red, the violet blue, - The Gillyflower sweet--and so are you.” - -She looked at Old Mother Bun, for everyone loved her. - -The Bunnies were so tired Old Mother Bun began to tell them a story, as -some of them rode in the wheelbarrow and some of them trudged along. - -[Illustration] - - “There once was a wooden rocking horse, - And I can tell you the story, of course.” - -She continued: “Every night he went to Sleepy Town and one night he saw -Father Bun so sleepy that he said, - - “On the Rocking Horse you can go, - Trot, trot, trot to Dreamland, you know.” - -Soon they met Shy Squirrel and Sleepy Sparrow and they all flew on the -back of the Rocking Horse. - - All night long, all night long, - The Rocking Horse sang his good night song. - -At this very minute in the telling of the story there appeared a -ROCKING HORSE in the road, and the Bunnies got on his back and left the -old wheelbarrow in the road. - - Said the Rocking Horse, “I beg your pardon, - But I want to rock into Mother Bun’s garden.” - -Soon they all arrived and the Rocking Horse rocked all about the garden -and though they begged him to stay for the night he went off singing, - - “On the Rocking Horse you can go, - Trot, trot, trot, to Dreamland you know.” - -[Illustration] - -Next day Old Father Bun was so busy outside that Old Mother Bun -inquired, “What are you doing in the garden?” - - Old Father Bun said, “Since you ask it, - I am making an in-door basket.” - -He planned to put rich earth and slips in it and hang it up in the -window. - -He said, - - “Autumn is coming in this world of ours; - Jack Frost will freeze and tease the flowers.” - -Already the Bunnies had gathered flower seeds. - -Already they had gathered vegetables and put them in the cellar. - -Many plants wanted to be potted and taken in-doors. - - “Don’t forget me,” called each flower-pot; - “I’ll hold a flower, as like as not.” - The window-box cried: “Your next trip, - Come and place in me another slip;” - The Bulbs said to the Bunnies, son and daughter: - “Plant us in earth or plant us in water.” - -They planted some Bulbs in water and watched the long white roots grow -downward day after day, while the green stalks shot upward. - -That night Old Mother Bun was sitting up late when she heard a voice -call, - - “Old Mother Bun, Old Mother Bun, - Look at your Scarecrow, just for fun.” - -She looked out and saw the Scarecrow dancing to and fro and a Wee Elf -peeping out of each pocket. - -She put on a shawl and went into the garden. - - Old Mother Bun went to her Pansy bed, - “We grow the more you pick us,” they said. - -Old Mother Bun picked a basket full of Pansies to send to a sick -neighbor the next day. - - She said, “Some pansies I’ll give away; - I will send some to sick folks every day.” - -“Every day,” called Echo Bunny. - -The Pansies must have heard what Old Mother Bun and Echo Bunny said, -for next day the bed was full of bloom. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - THE GREEN HOUSE BUNNY - - “Mother Bunny, if you please, - Tell us of your Flowering Trees, - And we’ll join in laughter funny - When we meet the Green House Bunny.” - - -One afternoon Old Mother Bun had worked so hard in her garden that she -fell asleep, and she thought instead of autumn it was springtime, and -that she heard all her Flowering Trees talking together. - -The Redbud Tree said, - - “My flowers are pretty, every one believes, - And I put out my pink flowers before my leaves.” - -The Silver Bell Tree laughed and its laughter sounded like a bell going -“tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.” - -The Catalpa Tree sang, - - “The wind shakes my branches, hours and hours; - Down they fall, my big white flowers.” - -The Witch Hazel Tree said, - - “I love to bloom in this garden of yours; - See my flower-parts, in fours.” - -The Hawthorn Tree said, - - “Spring time’s a happy time, every one believes; - I put my flowers out, after my green leaves.” - -A voice sang, - - “Ha, ha, ha, now we see - Flowers on the Nutmeg Tree.” - -The Nutmeg Flowers grow on an evergreen tree. - -The voice continued, - - “If spices are among your needs, - I’ll tell you that we grow from seeds; - After we sprout as like as not, - You’d better put us in a pot; - Transplanted then with care, you see, - We’ll grow into a sturdy tree; - Soon we’ll be growing safe and sound, - And bear fruit all the year around.” - -Old Mother Bun was wakened from her dream by hearing a voice call, - - “Wake up, wake up, at any cost, - We must haste before Jack Frost.” - -Old Father Bun had many flower-pots in a row, and the little Bunnies -were helping him pot Geraniums. - -He said, - - “Dig up the roots with much dirt around; - They will hardly know they have left the ground.” - -Old Mother Bun said, “I had such a wonderful dream! I thought it was -springtime.” - -That evening as they sat by the fire, they heard some one call, - - “Rap-a-tap, rap-a-tap, - Let me in, it’s no time to nap.” - -They opened the door and the cutest little fellow stood, hat in hand, -saying, - - “Ha, ha, you may think it funny, - But I’m called the Green House Bunny.” - -[Illustration] - -He told Old Father Bun there were plenty of bricks in the back -yard to start in building the Green House, and there were some old -window-lights that would do for the hot beds. - -Next day they all set to work in real earnest and began to build. - -Old Mother Bun began to think of selling her flowers. - -She wrote cute little cards saying, - - “Come and see what I have new; - Chrysanthemums I introduce to you.” - -Many of the potted plants fairly trembled in their pots as they thought -of having a nice warm place to spend the winter in and a real Green -House. - -The little Bunnies were planning one corner for their bulbs. They were -planning to plant slips in a bed of sand. - -The Green House Bunny sang to the tune of “Yankee Doodle,” - - “If you will plant a slip each day, - I’ll tell you what we’ll do, Sir. - If you will plant a slip each day, - We’ll soon have something new, Sir!” - -Chorus: - - “If you’ll learn to name them all, - There’s no way of knowing, - In the springtime or the fall, - Pretty flowers are growing.” - -The Green House Bunny remarked, - - “Before I go on my vacation, - I want to talk about propagation.” - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “Green House Bunny, before you go, - Will you tell us how plants grow?” - -The Green House Bunny answered, - - “I like plants better far than weeds; - They multiply by buds and seeds.” - -He took the Bunnies out into the garden and bent a branch down to the -ground. He cut a notch in it, and covered it with earth. He said it -would root by and by and could be cut off then from the main branch. - -He said we could also make plants grow from slips, seeds, and bulbs. - -As they went back into the Green-house, the Green House Bunny showed -them a picture of a water-lily, saying, “A Water-Nymph hides in the -shape of a water-lily, and becomes a beautiful maiden when she chooses -and, - - “A naughty little water-sprite - Lives under the leaves from morn till night.” - -The little water-sprite tries to play tricks on any one who gathers the -Water-lilies.” - -So saying, - - The Green House Bunny went hippety-hop, - Off and away to his own little shop. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “We Bunnies will have capital fun, - For now our Green House is nearly done.” - -Old Father Bun said, - - “Off and away to the woods I’ll go; - I’ll bring back treasures, as you know.” - -Healthy Bunny and Pretty Bunny went with him, and my! what treasures -they did find to bring back! - -They brought gay autumn leaves, and milk-weed pods, and wild grapes, -and nuts, and they sang, - - “Autumn time, autumn time, - Merry hours in every clime, - Autumn days, autumn days, - See the bonfire’s purple haze.” - -All went merrily with the Bunnies until Pretty Bunny grew ill. She was -sleepy all the time and nothing seemed to interest her. - -The sunshine said, “I will wake her.” - -The raindrops said, - - “I’ll tinkle, tinkle on the window pane; - I will make Pretty Bunny laugh again.” - -Pretty Bunny did not laugh at the raindrops. - - What next happened do you suppose? - There crept on a vine a little late rose. - -It crept up, up, up, and peeped in at Pretty Bunny and inside the rose -was curled up Little Tickle Toes, the merry Elf. - - He tickled her toes and tickled her nose, - And made her happy, as you would suppose. - -[Illustration] - -Soon Pretty Bunny was well and helped Old Mother Bun protect her roses, -and cover the fern bed and soon snow fell on Old Mother Bun’s garden, -but the flowers in the Green House were blooming merrily, and many -customers came to buy. - - “Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” went the Green House Bell, - How many times a day I cannot tell. - -Nearly every house in Bunnyville had a blooming plant in the window. - -Old Father Bun went off every evening into his little work-shop. He -kept up a great singing and humming and all the Bunnies wondered what -he was doing. He said to himself, - - “I have been working hours and hours - To try to make some paper flowers.” - -He took a Tulip petal, and traced around it on card board and used this -as a pattern. He cut many petals from red crepe paper for his Tulips. -He placed wire between two paper petals and glued them together, then -he wired all the petals together and put a little yellow round on the -end of his stem, which he wrapped with green paper. - -While he was doing this, Old Mother Bun had some fun of her own. She -cut out some birds and butterflies of paste-board and painted them -gayly. She fastened them on twigs and set them around in the flower -pots. - -[Illustration] - -When Old Father Bun came out with his paper Tulips everything looked -very gay. - -Late that night, when the rest of the Bunnies were sleeping, Old -Mother Bun looked out into her garden covered with snow. She sighed for -her flowers but a fairy voice called, - - “Don’t let me ever find you weeping, - For your flowers are only sleeping, - Safe in Mother Nature’s keeping.” - -The Moon peeped out from a cloud and said, - - “On your garden I am streaming, - Airy, fairy moonlight gleaming, - While your little flowers are dreaming.” - -A little star twinkled and hummed, - - “I twinkle, twinkle in the blue, - And a watch I keep for you, - Because I love the flowers too.” - -The Sun-dial showed the days were getting shorter and shorter. - -It said, - - “After winter comes the spring; - In every season let us sing, - And just be glad of everything.” - -Pretty Bunny and Healthy Bunny dreamed that night that they were -sailing away, away, in milk-weed cradles. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - A FLOWER PLAY FOR ANY DAY. - - - Old Mother Bun went to her garden bed; - “Pansies are really blooming,” she said. - “Mid sun and shower, in half an hour, - We’ll see many a dainty flower.” - -The winter had been hard and long. - -Old Mother Bun had patched and mended the Bunnies’ clothes, and Old -Father Bun had mended and patched the furniture, and, except for -visitors to the Green House, they had seen little of the outside world. - -One morning the Pansies lifted their heads and the Crocuses began to -grow. Said old Mother Bun, “I sing and sing, For all these flowers are -signs of spring.” - -Old Father Bun heard the Birds singing and he said, - - “All the Birds are on the wing, - Their songs are truly signs of spring.” - -[Illustration] - -It was at this very minute that Healthy Bunny said, - - “Hear that noisy clitter-clatter, - What, indeed, can be the matter?” - -The March Hare came bounding in the window. - -He upset the cups and saucers and spilled the cream from the pitcher. - - “I run here, and there, and everywhere; - I am the jolly Mad March Hare.” - -He was so noisy it was some time before Old Father Bun’s voice could be -heard. He said by and by, - - “Can you suggest anything - To help celebrate the spring?” - -The March Hare turned two somersaults and said, - - “I may be here, I may be away, - But why not give a Flower Play?” - -“Hurrah, hurrah,” cried Pretty Bunny. - -“Hurrah, hurrah,” cried Happy-Go-Lucky Bunny. - -Shadow Bunny said, “I hope you will give the Play on a sunny day, so I -can be there.” - -The Friendly Tree Toad chirped, - - “You will have to buy costumes for your play; - Really Bunnies, I see no other way.” - -The Bunnies sat down in a circle and put on their thinking caps, for -they had no dimes or pennies with which to buy costumes for the Flower -Play. - -Suddenly, without any warning whatever, Old Father Bun began to laugh -and Old Mother Bun began to laugh, and Healthy Bunny said, - - “Old Mother Bun, you never told - What you found in the pot of gold.” - -Old Mother Bun got the pot of gold she had found at the rainbow end, -and took off the cover. Out rolled more gold pieces than you have ever -dreamed of! - -She had forgotten all about the pot of gold. - -Now, they could buy costumes for the Flower Play. - -They began to think about the Play. - -The March Hare said he would be the Clown, and the Tree Toad said he -would be ticket-seller. - -They built a real little stage in Old Mother Bun’s Garden, and they -studied their parts until one bright May day when the sun shone warm -and bright, the March Hare gave the prologue and the Play began on the -day set for it: - - “We do not need to beg your pardon - For giving a play in Mother Bun’s Garden; - The sun is bright, the scenery right, - And so our neighbors we invite; - The Flowers we introduce to you, - In their costumes bright and new; - We are a little nervous; this is the reason, - Frost comes sometimes out of season; - We’ve just begun to have much fun - In the Garden of Old Mother Bun.” - -The Play then began. - -Pansies. “See, we are the Pansies with happy faces and kind thoughts. -We do not fear Jack Frost. We do not fear a little snow. We will dance -for you and sing for you.” - -1st Pansy. “Are any of our enemies about?” - -2nd Pansy. “Are there any insects and bugs to worry us?” - -3rd Pansy. “There is no sign of our enemy, Hail.” - -4th Pansy. “Oh, we must hide; here come real enemies, the Careless -Children! Some of them will step on us, some of them will pick us with -such short stems we will be useless.” - -[Illustration] - -Careless Children-- - - “We are Careless Children, oh me, oh my; - To be careful we never try. - We do not mind what any one’s said; - Ha, ha, let’s go to the Pansy bed.” - -March Hare-- - - “Ho, ho, ho, don’t you dare; - I’m the bad little, sad little - Mad March Hare!” - -Careless Children-- - - “We beg your pardon, we beg your pardon; - We see we are in Mother Bun’s Garden!” - -Hollyhocks-- - - “We love the Birds and love the Bees; - We have few enemies, is you please.” - -Song, tune “Lightly Row.” - - Hollyhocks, hollyhocks, - Growing by the garden walks, - Hollyhocks, hollyhocks - Hear their merry talks, - Red and yellow, pink and white, - Standing in the bright sunlight, - Hollyhocks, hollyhocks, - Growing by the walks. - -Insects (humming behind scenes) - - “We are insects, if you please, - We destroy Flowers and Trees.” - -Tree Toad. - - “No, no, no, I beg your pardon; - You’ll not destroy them in Mother Bun’s Garden. - I am a Tree Toad, with work to do; - I will call useful Sparrows too.” - -Sparrows-- - - “We’ll drive the insects all away, - Mother Bun, for you; - We’ll drive the insects all away, - And this is what we’ll do; - We’ll sing and play as well we may, - And enjoy our holiday.” - -(The Tree Toads give a little dance). - -Daisies (dancing in pairs). - - “We’re Daisies who dance, - We lightly advance, - And skip in two’s, if you please; - We’re Daisies who dance, and lightly advance, - We love the Birds and Bees.” - -Hail. - - “I’m old King Hail, I seldom fail - To give some one a fright; - My hail stones come, a tum, ti, tum, - At morning, noon, or night.” - -March Hare. - - “I’ll put you to rout, without a doubt; - You’re just a rough old roustabout.” - -(They have a battle and Hail goes out.) - -Little Elves rise from Tulips at the back of the stage singing to the -tune of “Twinkle Little Star.” - - “Flowers are blooming everywhere, - Sweet Bird songs are in the air, - See their colors gay unfurled, - Spring has come o’er all the world.” - -March Hare. - - “I cut up some capers, I do declare, - I am the comical Mad March Hare, - If you like our play, we say, - Call on us another day.” - -The little Play was over and all the visitors went home. - -Old Father Bun said, - - “I’ll sit down now in my arm chair, - And smoke away with never a care.” - -“Will you?” said the Scarecrow in the garden. - -“Will you?” cried the Sun Dial. - -Old Mother Bun said, - - “I’ll sit down and knit a heel or toe; - I’ll sit down and knit an hour or so.” - -“Will you?” they all cried. - -Suddenly such a rapping and tapping was heard, such a stamping of feet -that all the Bunnies went to the door to see what was the matter. - - There was a surprise party for Mother Bun! - -All the Bunnies came trooping in, and Old Father Bun did not have his -quiet smoke, and Old Mother Bun did not knit her heel and toe, but they -had a merry time, and the most delightful thing was still to happen! - -After they had brought in hampers of good things, a great wagon drove -up, and in it was a wonderful garden seat. - -The Bunnies set up a shout. - - “Good bye, good bye, ’till next we meet; - Old Mother Bun, here is a garden seat. - We wish you many happy hours, - In the Garden with your Flowers.” - -All the Bunnies went homeward. - -[Illustration] - - Said Old Mother Bun, “Good bye, good bye; - To be happy I always try.” - -She looked at Old Father Bun who took a puff at his pipe, saying, - - “Good night, but I give all fair warning, - We’ll meet in the Garden to-morrow morning.” - - Mother Bun nodded her wise old head - And dreamed of Elves in the Tulip Bed; - She said, “The story is done, my dear, - But I’ll plant a new garden every year.” - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER BUNNY AND HER -FLOWERS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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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