AND HIS PLANT SCHOOL 105 



to their mates, that all the brambles decided to put on 

 their white summer-blossom trimmings. Soon fairy- 

 winged butterflies fluttered and humming bees crooned 

 around them. Then the master came. He visited wild 

 Siberia first and got some of the golden pollen. This he 

 took on a watch crystal and put on the blossoms of the 

 bramble. 



When the plants which grew from the seeds of these 

 blossoms were old enough, hundreds of snowy petals flut- 

 tered in the breeze; but when the master came to examine 

 them he found that they had dropped their snowy blos- 

 soms, and there was no fruit to reward his labors. It 

 seemed as if the brambles were useless, after all, and should 

 have been left in their forest homes. 



The master decided, however, to give them a second 

 trial the next season. Again in fruiting time every young 

 berry pupil in the school was carefully examined, and as 

 there were many thousands, it required much valuable 

 time. Just as the patient teacher was about to give up, 

 he found one berry pupil that was worthy of promotion. 



Boys and girls ought to be glad that in their schools so 

 many are sure of promotion, for in the plant school many 

 hundreds, yes, even thousands, of plants try and fail. 

 Only one little bramble passed the final in this severe 

 work. But never a plant pupil was discouraged. 



The new berry which resulted from the cultivation of 

 the bramble was large and juicy and very dark in color. 



