The Open Air 



as the object of their lives. It is because you do not 

 share us among you without price or difference; 

 because you do not share the great earth among 

 you fairly, without spite and jealousy and avarice; 

 because you will not agree; you silly, foolish people 

 to let all the flowers wither for a thousand years 

 while you keep each other at a distance, instead of 

 agreeing and sharing them! Is there something in 

 you as there is poison in the nightshade, you know 

 it, dear, your papa told you not to touch it is there 

 a sort of poison in your people that works them up 

 into a hatred of one another? Why, then, do you 

 not agree and have all things, all the great earth can 

 give you, just as we have the sunshine and the rain? 

 How happy your people could be if they would only 

 agree! But you go on teaching even the little chil- 

 dren to follow the same silly objects, hum, hum, 

 hum, all the day, and they will grow up to hate each 

 other, and to try which can get the most round things 

 you have one in your pocket." 



" Sixpence," said Guido. " It's quite a new one." 

 " And other things quite as silly," the Wheat 

 continued. " All the time the flowers are flowering, 

 but they will go, even the oaks will go. We think 

 the reason you do not all have plenty, and why you 

 do not do only just a little work, and why you die 

 of hunger if you leave off, and why so many of you 

 are unhappy in body and mind, and all the misery 

 is because you have not got a spirit like the wheat, 

 like us; you will not agree, and you will not share, 

 and you will hate each other, and you will be so 

 avaricious, and you will not touch the flowers, or go 

 into the sunshine (you would rather half of you died 

 among the hard stones first), and you will teach your 

 children hum, hum, to follow in some foolish course 



20 



