may leave this bunch for seed.' 



"So it came about that mother only, of 

 all her companions, was allowed to com- 

 plete a natural life and to realize the hope 

 that we all have in common." 



As seed number Two finished this nar- 

 rative they were all very thoughtful and 

 felt more considerate for each other in 

 their crowded condition. 



Sure enough, within the next day or 

 two a woman with a pan and knife came 

 down the row and began to thin out their 

 number. Seed numbers One and Two 

 trembled as she passed them, but she did 

 not stop to^ take either. 



That evening seed number One whis- 

 pered to her companion : *'You are very 

 fortunate to have had such a noble moth- 

 er. I know now why it is so easy for 

 you to be patient and good." 



"Ah ! you do not know nor understand, 

 or you would not call me good nor thjnk 

 that it is easy for me to be always pa- 

 tient. I love and honor the memory of 

 my mother, but she does not possess the 

 power to make me good. Mother Nature 

 holds each of us responsible for our own 

 acts and judges us accordingly." 



After a thoughtful silence seed number 

 One said : 'T am growing to try to be 

 good and to grow strong and upright," 

 and she stretched herself a little bit high- 

 er in her own effort to appear so. 



A few days, after this a small, tiny 

 worm came creeping and shivering along 

 the ground and stopped first under the 

 leaves of seed number One and asked for 

 a nibble. 



"No," replied the seed, "mv leaves must 

 be kept whole and beautiful, for it is 

 only in this way that I can be my best 

 self and thereby win Mother Nature's 

 approval." 



"But I am starving," replied the worm. 

 "I cannot find a morsel to eat anywhere. 

 Please give me one of your under leaves 

 that I may gain strength to cifawl on and 

 hunt other food. I do not ask your life, 

 Init only a bit of your under leaves, which 

 you can well spare." 



"But it will spoil my appearance," said 

 the seed, "and Mother Nature wants me 

 to be beautiful. And then I can't bear 

 to have a nasty worm touch me," and she 

 rustled and drew up hw b(\'uilil'ul green 

 leaves to sliovv her disgust. 



"Very well," said the wcjrm, "I will 



not take by force what you are not willing 

 to give through mercy. Some day you 

 will know me better," and the worm 

 crawled away. 



He stopped at seed number Two and 

 made the same request. At first she hes- 

 itated, but seeing how near starved the 

 poor worm was and how humbly and 

 meekly he asked for the food, she re- 

 lented. 



"I know," said the seed, "you will spoil 

 the appearance of my leaves and I shall 

 look shabby among my companions, but 

 knowing that you, too, are one of Mother 

 Nature's children, I cannot believe that 

 she would have me withhold life from 

 you. Therefore, I give you of my leaves 

 as giving unto her, leaving the result 

 with her." 



The worm most heartily thanked the 

 seed and began eating. He stayed a day 

 or two, making several large holes 

 through the under leaves, but at the end 

 of that time he had become strong and 

 vigorous, and again thanking her, he 

 crawled away. 



Several days after the worm had de- 

 parted and seeds numbers One and Two 

 had grown to be quite large bunches, the 

 woman with her knife came down the 

 row. She seemed to be in a great hurry 

 and was gathering the largest bunches as 

 she came along. When she reached the 

 two companions she stooped and laid her 

 knife at the root of number Two, but 

 noticing the holes in her leaves she quick- 

 ly changed to seed number One and the 

 knife went home. Poor seed number 

 One fell over on her side and was gath- 

 ered up and placed in the pan. The 

 woman passed on and seed number Two 

 was left standing, but shaking with the 

 emotions of fear, thankfulness and re- 

 gret. For after all, she loved seed num- 

 ber One and was truly sorry that she had 

 been taken. 



All that afternoon seed number Two 

 remained very quiet and her companions 

 knew why. 



"How strange!" they nuu"nuired. 

 "What we thought was her degradation 

 and destruction has really been her sal- 

 vation." 



And they looked uj^on her with awe 

 and whispered : 



"How strange! How strange!" 



M. Alice Spradlin. 



104 



