62 WHY TOMMY FELT ASHAMED 



of these little flowers that grow in a bunch to- 

 gether looks quite like the head of a walrus. It's 

 yellow, or purple, or sometimes flowers of both 

 colors grow on the same plant. The reason it 

 looks like a walrus is because the upper leaves of 

 the flowers stand straight up, and turn over in 

 front. Then two tiny bits hang down like the 

 long white teeth of a walrus. The leaves are 

 something like a coarse sort of fern. 



" Philip Todd told me one day that he had 

 found it, and even showed me one of its pressed 

 flowers, so that I might know he was playing no 

 joke. Of course he kept its bunk a secret. The 

 next morning I was up as early as I usually am 

 on Fourth of July. It couldn't have been later 

 than five o'clock. The birds were taking their 

 breakfasts, and sipping at the spring in the 

 meadow, and ever so many were singing in the 

 bushes by the stream's side. 



" I felt determined to find that flower, yet I 

 hardly noticed where I was going. When I 

 came to a turn, I didn't stop to think, ' shall I go 

 this w'ay, or that way?' I just somehow went. 

 But when I did begin to think, I saw I was way 

 down in Miss Amelia's woods, and farther away 

 from home than I'd ever been, at least before 

 breakfast. There was a fine old chestnut-tree in 

 the woods, and I thought to lean up against it a 

 few minutes to rest. Then just as I went toward 

 it a little oven, bird, or golden crowned thrush 



