CHAPTER XLVl 



REAL AUTUMN 



Although autumn is here, and most flowers 

 are taller than Little Trudy's head, she has not 

 given up running away and finding them for her- 

 self. To-day she was lost again. Tommy went 

 out after her, and a long way off he saw a bunch 

 of flowers that seemed to be walking by itself. 

 This was such a queer thing for them to do that 

 he thought Little Trudy must surely be behind 

 them. When he and the walking flowers were 

 closer together, he saw that this was true and that 

 Little Trudy was holding as many Wild Sunflowers 

 in each arm as she possibly could. She was walk- 

 ing toward home and seemed very cross because 

 Tommy had come to fetch her back. 



These Wild Sunflowers grow all along the sides 

 of the lane that leads from Tommy's house to 

 Grandmother's garden. They look like the Sun- 

 flowers in Uncle Hiram's garden standing up by 

 the fence, only they are smaller. 



Tommy was astonished that Little Trudy had 

 been able to pick so many, for the plants grew 

 much taller than her head. She said: "Stems 

 snap," and showed Tommy how she had given 

 them a quick, sharp break. When they were back 



^92 



