"Come up, little brother, wake and grow; such beautiful things I see up here in the light! Come out of the dark and climb with me.'

"But the fat little brother seed would not, though she begged him so; he only stretched himself, and turned over for another nap, forgetting about his beautiful blossom and all. Higher and higher and higher against the tall fence climbed the dear little sister plant, reaching out her broad leaves for the sunbeams to flit across, and one morning she was so tall, why, she peeped right over the fence!

"We told you so!' said the sunbeams.

"We told you so!' chirped

the birds.

"We told you so!' said the raindrops.

The sunflower

"But the little sister plant, though she had reached to the top of the fence, did not stop trying, but grew still taller, as she kept watching the sun and thinking of the beautiful blossom which had been promised her and bright like the sun.

yellow

"By and by a green bud came, growing larger and rounder each day, and again the little climbing sister seed whispered to the little fat brother underground, begging him to

come, but he would not try. Another bud came to the little sister and another and another, until there was a cluster of buds tucked away in their green shawls, waiting for the time to open.

"Then, one happy, happy morning, when the flowers in the old garden waked, there stood the glorious sunflower plant, bearing high her cluster of wide-open blossoms each one beautiful and yellow like the sun but, though they often smiled at the sun, they kept their heads bowed towards the earth-watching for the little brother, calling for him to try.

"And so to-day you see them still, ever bending, ever watching for the little brother who would not come."

From "Little Folks' Land."

Petunia, a kind of flowering herb; drow'sily (drouʼzili), in a sleepy manner; splen'dor (splĕn'der), great beauty; flit, move across lightly and rapidly; clus'ter (klus'ter), bunch.

STUDY HELPS

What question does this story answer?

Who tells the story?

When did the flowers like to hear stories?

What did the redbird say about the two seeds?

Why did the earth mother love the sun?

What did the earth mother do with the seeds, and what did she say to them?

Read passages that show how the little sister seed was different from the little brother seed.

Which seed would you rather be like? Why?

Who promised to help them?

What finally happened to the little sister seed?
Tell the whole story.

BABY SEED SONG

E. NESBIT

Little brown seed, oh! little brown brother,
Are you awake in the dark?

Here we lie cozily, close to each other:
Hark to the song of the lark-

"Waken!" the lark says, "waken and dress you,
Put on your green coats and gay;
Blue sky will shine on you, sunshine caress you -
Waken! 'tis morning-'t is May!"

Little brown seed, oh! little brown brother,
What kind of flower will you be?

I'll be a poppy-all white, like my mother;
Do be a poppy like me.

What! you're a sunflower? How I shall miss you

When you're grown golden and high!

But I shall send all the bees up to kiss you;

Little brown brother, good-by!

Co'zi ly (ko'zili), in comfort, snugly; ca ress' (ka res'), to touch tenderly, to pet; green coats (kōtz) ănd gãy, the foliage and blossoms of plants.

STUDY HELPS

Who is talking to the little brown seed?
What is meant by "awake in the dark"?

What did the lark sing to the baby seeds?

Why is May the morning of the flowers?

What colors do you usually find in a poppy bed?
How tall do sunflowers grow?

Do you think the flowers love each other?

TWO AND ONE

FRIEDRICH RÜCKERT

Thou hast two ears, and but one mouth,—
Remember it, I pray!

For much there, is that thou must hear,
And little say.

Thou hast two eyes, and but one mouth,-
Ponder and reason well!

Full many things thou art to see,
And few things tell.

Thou hast two hands, and but one mouth,-
Nature has rightly done;

For she hath given two for work,

For eating, one.

Pon'der, to think on long and carefully; rea'son, to consider arguments for or against.

STUDY HELPS

Write the three questions that are answered in this poem.
Read the words that answer each question.

Think of some good reasons for not talking about all you hear

or see.

What lesson about eating do you think is taught by the last stanza?

When V and I together meet,

We make the number Six complete.
When I with V doth meet once more,
'Tis then we two can make but Four.
And when that V from I is gone,
Alas! poor I can make but One.

Mother Goose Rime.

A wasp met a bee and said to him: "Pray, can you tell me what is the reason that men are so ill-natured to me while they are so fond of you?

"We are both very much alike, only that the broad golden rings around my body make me much handsomer than you are; we are both winged insects; we both have honey, and we both sting people when we are angry; yet men always hate me and try to kill me, though I am much more familiar with them than you are, and pay them visits in their houses, and at their tea table, and at their meals, while you are very shy and hardly ever come near them; yet they build you curious houses and take care of and feed you in the winter very often. I wonder what is the reason?"

The bee said: "Because you never do them any good;