368 NATURE STUDY. 



plant they are the most precious part of the flower. Why ? 

 Why are they placed in the middle of the flower ? 



The yellow " things " we can call " soldiers," placed 

 there to guard the seeds. Older people call them stamens. 

 The little folks like the idea of their being soldiers, and 

 the thought will do them no harm. Note the yellow pow- 

 der or pollen on the stamens. The real use of the stamens 

 and pollen they cannot understand until they are older. 

 It is well to leave some things unexplained, for future in- 

 vestigation. 



Review the work of the flower and the special work of 

 each part in beautifying the world and in making seeds. 



The main points which the children have learned about 

 the flower may be reviewed, fixed in the mind, and pre- 

 served in a form convenient for future reference and use 

 by working out with them some such " story " as the fol- 

 lowing : 



WHAT WE FOUND IN THE BUTTERCUP FLOWER. 



We have studied the buttercups. 



We never saw before how pretty they are. 



They are yellow like butter. 



They are yellow like the sun. 



They look like gold cups. 



Miss Grey says they get their gold from the sun. 



The sunbeams bring it to them. 



The fairies drink out of the gold cups. 



When the cup spreads out it is like a saucer. 



It has five parts. 



Tommy's flower has seven parts. 



Each part looks like a little gold fan. 



They make the flower look so pretty. 



Under the gold parts we found a green star. 



It has five parts. 



Each part looks like a spoon without a handle, 



