THE DANDELION. 43 



violet was awarded annually on May-day to 

 the fortunate competitor in poetry ? Each 

 flower, however humble, is likewise a little 

 world to such winged creatiu'es as nestle 

 among the flowers, or pasture on the leaves. 

 Such as frequent the violet or the primrose 

 would tm-n away from the golden disk and 

 jagged leaves of the cheerful-looking, yet 

 homely dandelion ; and the winged creatures 

 that find provision and a home among her 

 tufts of verdure would not desert them for 

 the scented petals of more favoured flowers. 

 Those flowers nestle mostly on sunny banks, 

 or beside the streamlet's dash, and are ftft- 

 times transplanted to the garden border; but 

 the dandelion sheds the beauty of her golden 

 light in places which all others seem in- 

 stinctively to avoid. No other plant is fomid 

 so constantly springing from the crevices of 

 untrodden pavements, or suspended like stars 

 of verdure from out the crannies of old 



