218 PHILIP FINDS FLOWERS 



the vine was and how it reached out its tendrils 

 like fingers and climbed. 



It's as sure-footed as a donkey, he thought. 

 Traveler's Joy was one of the first flowers he had 

 learned to know when he was no older than Little 

 Trudy. His mother then used to hang it in the 

 house after its flowers had fallen, and long feath- 

 ery ends were attached to its little seeds. These 

 had caused Philip a great deal of wonder, be- 

 cause his mother did not think them pretty enough 

 to wear in her hat, when he liked them so much 

 better than ribbons and lace. 



If that strange girl were sensible, Philip 

 thought, she'd sit here on this wall, and not lie out 

 in a sunny field of clover blossoms. But although 

 he waited some time, thinking he might see her, 

 he got up after he had eaten his fill of elderberries, 

 and pulled himself free from the vine. 



She's harder to find than a rare wild flower, 

 he thought, and crossed the next field, and went 

 back to where the plank is laid across the stream. 



" Here are flowers, real beauties 1 " Philip cried 

 so loudly that a little bird sipping in the stream 

 looked at him and flew away. " If I'd have found 

 that girl now, I would have brought her here to 

 show her how beautiful you are. ' Jewel-weed,' 

 that's your name, and you are like jewels. You 

 hang on stems as fine as threads, and you are 

 shaped like a lady's earring, or some pretty thing 

 she dangles from her neck. I like your bright 



