76 LARGE YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER 



flower, but it was even more wonderful than Col- 

 umbine's glory. 



" It's der Large Yellow Lady's Slipper," Herr 

 Wilhelm Fritz said, " and it's an Orchid, just so 

 sure as der ones Wilhelm Fritz tries so hard ter 

 make grow in der glass house." 



Its leaves grew out one above the other from 

 different sides of the stem ; and while larger, they 

 were no more curious than the leaves of the 

 Lily-of-the- Valley. It was the flower at the very 

 top of the stem that was so wonderful. It was 

 not like a real flower, but like an elf, or a sprite 

 that nobody ever sees; for I think things that 

 people only hear about are surely more wonderful 

 than the ones they sometimes see and can touch. 



The color of this flower was yellow, and at first 

 I thought it something the shape of a tiny balloon. 

 At its sides there hung down two curling side- 

 pieces quite long, and narrow. 



" Lady's Slipper," said Herr Wilhelm Fritz, 

 " but strings untied," and he touched the little 

 side-pieces. 



Then he told me that the balloon-like part was 

 one of the flower's petals which had taken that 

 funny shape, and that the long strings were other 

 petals. 



" Wunderschoen, wunderschoen ! " he said 

 again ; but not to me this time. He whispered to 

 the flower. 



He slipped his trowel all around it, and patted 



