66 



LUTHER BURBANK 



their leaves in laughter, as if they were tittering and clap- 

 ping their hands. The wind always enters into their en- 

 joyment, and can tell some of the most beautiful stories 



of 'all. 



This was the trick of 

 the tulip poppy. When 

 a bee lit upon her bright 

 blossom, she closed her 

 two inner petals tightly 

 together and held him 



^ ast > as y u wou ld catch 

 a butterfly with your 

 two hands. Mr. Bee 

 then set up a furious 

 buzzing, which grew 

 louder and louder, call- 

 Poppy, ing for help. If the mas- 

 ter chanced to be where 



the cry reached his ear, he sometimes unclasped Miss Tulip's 

 hands and gave Mr. Bee his freedom, otherwise he must 

 remain a prisoner until she chose to let him go. This was 

 a funny way to send her golden pollen to other poppies, 

 but it was a good way, for when Mr. Bee escaped he was 

 laden with the yellow dust, and, lighting upon another 

 poppy, he left much of it there. Mr. Bee never seemed 

 to understand this trick of paying for the honey he sipped, 

 for bees are always heard humming in the poppy class 



