THE POPPIES 167 



the sleep charm passed over the palace and over the 

 garden like a breath of wind, a tiny poppy seed was 

 in the air, and when it dropped, it dropped not in 

 the garden, but over the wall and away. But the 

 little seed had heard the charm, and when it grew 

 up to be a poppy it whispered it over and over to 

 the little seeds until they learned it. That is how the 

 poppy seeds know the sleep charm. But not all 

 the poppies know it, for although they grew in the 

 garden there, it was only the little seed that dropped 

 over the wall that remembered it. The flowers in 

 the garden, you know, were all put to sleep." 



"Did n't they remember it when they woke up?" 



Herr Trommel shook his head. "They were very 

 sorry, but they knew nothing of what had happened ; 

 no more than the Van Winkle you spoke of." 



The under-gardener was silent a moment. 

 "Do toads and other things that sleep all winter 

 eat the poppy seeds to make them go to sleep I " 



"No," said Herr Trommel, "I think not. You 

 know they might not be able to find them when they 

 wanted to go to sleep. But animals and insects and 

 plants, Liebchen, are sensible folk and can always go 

 to sleep when it is the right time. It is only men 

 who have forgotten how and must get the pop- 



