Stoneless prunes. 



CHAPTER XXXI 

 THE WAIF OF THE SCHOOL 



Half-pit, a poor little French outcast, was allowed a 

 home in some of the large gardens of France simply be- 

 cause he was a curiosity. Every other prune had his 

 kernel covered with a hard shell or stone, but only about 

 one-half of Half-pit's kernel was covered, and so he was 

 called by his peculiar name. He was very small, no larger 

 than a cherry, and very sour and bitter. Poor little Half- 

 pit was never invited into a garden except to show his 

 curious stone. 



Now, the master of the plant school, who sees good in 

 everything, admitted Half-pit to his school and gave him 

 a place among the other plum pupils. But his fruit was 

 so small and sour, his body and limbs so scraggy and 

 crooked, that the master was very much discouraged 

 at first. 



Near Half -pit in the great plum-prune class stood "Ve- 



140 



