362 NATURE STUDY. 



gold the jolliest and merriest of the flowers gets from the 

 sun, and of the happiness he scatters about him : 



" A little yellow buttercup 



Stood laughing in the sun ; 

 The grass and leaves all green around, 



The summer just begun, 

 Its saucy little head abrim 



With happiness and fun. 

 The flower smiled up, the sun beamed down, 



As they for years had done, 

 Until as golden as his friend 



The little flower had grown. 



As summer passed and autumn came, 



The flowers above him said, 

 4 Come, buttercup, our work is done, 



It's time to go to bed.' 

 * Not yet,' said he, l the sun still smiles, 



I'll wait till he has fled ; 

 I yet some little seeds can form, 



Some smiles about me shed.' 

 The merry buttercup laughed on, 



And tossed his golden head." 



Get the ideas of the children as to the meaning of the 

 name " buttercup/' and have them tell how the buttercup 

 helps them to discover whether boys and girls like butter. 



They may have observed that when it is found in fields 

 and pastures the cows and horses eat the grass all around 

 it, but rarely disturb this plant. Why ? If the children 

 taste of it (somewhat cautiously, as it has a decided 

 " bite " ) they will discover one way in which Mother 

 Nature protects her children. The cattle learn that the 

 buttercup is a good thing to let alone. 



Some of the sharper eyes may have discovered another 

 of its secrets, the fact that the long stems of the older 

 leaves are enlarged, split open, and hollowed out at the 



