HOW THE GRASS GREW 27 



sound my heart swelled so with gladness that I 

 burst the shell. The sun called one way, and 

 the moist earth the other ; so I reached upward 

 with a hand and groped downward with a foot, 

 though still anchored by the acorn. The sun 

 warmed me, but as yet I could not feed myself, 

 and lived upon the food wrapped up for me, 

 until to-day. Look ! now I have a rooting in 

 the soil, and leaves to catch the dew, and I have 

 eaten every bit of my food the acorn-shell is 

 empty ! So is it with all seeds. Of all the plants 

 that creep or climb or float upon the water, great 

 or small, tree or bush, the seed birth is the same." 



Tommy-Anne sat still for a long time, her face 

 between her hands ; in fact, she was so still that 

 Waddles became nervous and poked his nose 

 into her face anxiously, saying : " Why don't 

 you speak to something else, mistress? This 

 Oak is very gloomy and not over-polite. I 

 should think, after saying so much about food, 

 the least thing it could do would be to offer us 

 something to eat." 



"Be still, Waddles ; what if it should hear you? 

 Don't you know that Aunt Prue says it is awful to 

 ask for anything to eat if you are visiting, even 

 if you are shrivelling with hunger. The most 

 you may hint at even is a glass of water." 



