POOR ROBIN'S PLANTAIN 95 



Herr Wllhelm Fritz had not carried the Yellow 

 Lady's Slipper back again to the woods after ray 

 party, and planted it in its own spot, because it 

 is so rare and already vanishing. But the Wild 

 Geranium is as far from being rare in this part 

 of New York State as Goldenrod, or Daisies. It 

 isn't picked enough either by country children to 

 make it vanish, because they know how soon it 

 fades. Strangers to the woods are sometimes 

 pleased with its pretty face and take it away in 

 great bunches. 



" The flowers," Tommy went on to say, " have 

 a queer little way of scattering their seeds. When 

 these are ripe, the long cranesbill pods burst open 

 and out they jump in many directions. They open 

 just as though they were made of elastic. Some- 

 times I have given them a little crack for the fun 

 of seeing the seeds pop out." 



The clump of Wild Geranium that I like more 

 than any of the others is near Old Adam, and 

 beside it there are many little fern leaves which 

 are quite white. Tommy doesn't understand 

 about these little leaves being so white when all 

 the other ferns are green. This Is something he is 

 going to ask his father about. 



When we went last along the little path that 

 leads to the village, and which is a short cut across 

 the back of Tommy's place, he stopped a minute 

 and called out: 



" So here you are, Poor Robin's Plantain ! " 



