96 
and grow, until you feel that you know them really 
well. 
First let us look at this bean plant which is breaking 
its way through the earth. 
Just what do you see? 
You see what looks like a thick, green hoop 
(Fig. 105), do you not? 
What is it, this odd-looking hoop ? 
Perhaps some of you still think that it is the 
root, for I remember that I too once supposed 
the root was the part of the plant which first left the bean. 
But- really this 
made by the bent 
that this is -the 
its lower end grows See 
green: hoop. & 
stem. We know 
stem because from 
the root, while 
from its upper part =— grow the leaves, 
flowers, and fruit. 
Certainly it is curious, the way in which this bean 
plant comes into the world. Why does it not grow 
straight up and down, do you suppose ? 
—up with its stem and leaves, and 
down with its root? 
But we must not forget that whenever 
some habit on the part of a plant has 
filled us with surprise, sooner or later 
we have discovered that the plant’s 
reason for it was a good one. 
What reason can the bean plant have for coming into 
the world crooked ° 
Before reading further, try to think this out for your- 
selves. Try each one of you to form an idea of what 
