FALL PLANT STUDY. 389 



Here it was cool, and dark, and green, 

 The safest kind of a leafy screen. 

 The toad was happy ; 4 For,' said he, 



* The burdock was plainly meant for me.' 



* Good for a prop,' the spider thought ; 

 And to and fro with care he wrought, 

 Till he fastened it well to an evergreen, 

 And spun his cables fine between. 



'Twas a beautiful bridge a triumph of skill, 

 The flies came round, as idlers will ; 

 The spider lurked in his corner dim, 

 The more that came, the better for him. 



'Good for play,' said a child, perplexed 

 To know what frolic was coming next. 

 So she gathered the burrs that all despised, 

 And her city playmates were quite surprised 

 To see what a beautiful basket or chair 

 Could be made, with a little time and care. 

 They ranged their treasures about with pride, 

 And played all day by the burdock's side." 



A. S. R. 



Will not this be a good thought with which to begin the 

 study of the despised weed ? Why not let the children 

 play for a while with the burrs, and help to make " baskets 

 and chairs " and other " treasures " ? Then we will cer- 

 tainly have the sympathetic interest, which is the best 

 foundation, the only real foundation, for work. 



Study of Burdock Burr. It may be wise to begin with 

 that about which the children know most, or in which they 

 are most interested, the burr, and to centre about that all 

 the study of hooked or barbed seeds. ( See Fig. 35. ) 



After the boys and girls have played with the burrs, or 

 have touched them to their clothes, and are thoroughly con- 

 vinced of their " sticking " properties, have them discover 



