SAINT GUIDO. 8 



which rose nearly to his head, though it was not yet 

 so tall as it would he before the reapers came. He 

 did not break any of the stalks, or bend them down 

 and step on them ; he passed between them, and they 

 yielded on either side. The wheat-ears were pale 

 gold, having only just left off their green, and they 

 surrounded him on all sides as if he were bathing. 



A butterfly painted a velvety red with white spots 

 came floating along the surface of the corn, and 

 played round his cap, which was a little higher, and 

 was so tinted by the sun that the butterfly was 

 inclined to settle on it. Guido put up his hand to 

 catch the butterfly, forgetting his secret in his desire 

 to touch it. The butterfly was too quick — with a snap 

 of his wings disdainfully mocking the idea of catching 

 him, away he went. Guido nearly stepped on a 

 humble-bee — buzz-zz ! — the bee was so alarmed he 

 actually crept up Guido's knickers to the knee, and 

 even then knocked himself against a wheat-ear when he 

 started to fly. Guido kept quite still while the humble- 

 bee was on his knee, knowing that he should not be 

 stung if he did not move. He knew, too, that humble- 

 bees have stings though people often say they have 

 not, and the reason people think they do not possess 

 them is because humble-bees are so good-natured and 

 never sting unless they are very much provoked. 



Next he picked a corn buttercup ; the flowers 

 were much smaller than the great buttercups which 

 grew in the meadows, and these were not golden 

 but coloured like brass. His foot caught in a 

 creeper, and he nearly tumbled — it was a bine of 

 bindweed which went twisting round and round two 



