FALL PLANT STUD 



Just then the robin heard another bird calling till 

 flew. 



For a time all was quiet. Soon there was a new voice, so bright, 

 and happy, and full of sunshine, that I turned toward the buttercup, 

 the most sunshiny thing I could see. The plants call him "Little 

 Sunshine." But you shall hear for yourself. 



"The milkweed leaves," said the buttercup, "told me a secret 

 the other day. They seemed to be just dancing with joy, and I asked 

 them what made them so happy. * Why, don't you know,' said 

 they. l We thought everybody must know it. Don't you see these 

 pretty flowers above us ? For months and months we have been 

 working for those, and waiting for those, and now, now ' how the 

 leaves danced 'they are here. But that isn't all. Something else 

 is coming. When the flowers drop off then, then oh ! won't it 

 be wonderful." But that is all they would tell me. They went on 

 dancing and laughing, but would not talk. I smiled and smiled at 

 them until I suppose they thought they had to say something. Then one 

 of the leaves added, ' Would you like to know, Little Sunshine ? It 

 is a great secret, and we cannot tell any one. But you wait until 

 next fall and you will find out.' 



"I asked the flowers. One of them said, 'We would like to tell 

 you, Little Sunshine ; but it is a long, long story, and we are very 

 busy making honey to feed these hungry bees. You wait until next 

 fall and you will find out.' " 



As the buttercup was speaking some bees came towards him. He 

 smiled at them he smiles at everything, you know and said, "I 

 must see what I can do for these bees." Then all was quiet again. 



By this time I wanted to find out for myself what made the milk- 

 weed leaves so happy. It was fall now, and perhaps I could see if I 

 watched the milkweed carefully. 



Very quietly I moved toward the milkweeds and sat down. At 

 once I heard a new sound. At first I thought it was the rustling of 

 the leaves, it was so low and gentle ; but soon I could hear what 

 seemed like hundreds of little voices. You may be sure I lay very 

 quiet, and listened and listened. Many voices were saying so softly 

 and gently, " Please can't we get out ? " Others, and they sounded 

 sleepy, said, " Oh, no ! we are not ready yet. We want to stay a 

 little longer. It is so soft and warm here in our cradle." 



Cradles ? Where were the cradles ? I could not see any. The 

 voices seemed to come from near the top of the milkweed stem, from 

 some green things I had heard called milkweed pods. 



