PRAIRIE ROSE 59 



"Listen," said Sassafras, "I hear a wagon coming, 

 and men talking. I expect they are going to make 

 me a call. Yes, it must be, as one of them came to 

 see me last year." Just at this point two men drove 

 up to the edge of the ravine. After getting out of 

 the wagon, as soon as they saw Prairie Rose, they 

 took spades and began to dig carefully around the 

 roots of the bush. As soon as they had it loosened, 

 they wrapped burlap sacks around the ball of earth 

 and roots, and then, after putting Prairie Rose in 

 the wagon, they drove away. All this time the other 

 trees and shrubs were just dying of curiosity. 



"What on earth do those fellows want with Prai- 

 rie Rose?" acidly remarked Sassafras. "I can see 

 what they would want with me, but that rose bush 

 doesn't taste good; neither does it contribute any- 

 thing to anyone that I can see." 



"Well, Prairie Rose has a beautiful bloom, you 

 will have to admit, adds beauty to the community in 

 which he resides, and gives protection to his animal 

 and bird friends," ventured Sumac. 



"Evidently he has some attractive characteristics 

 to be the only one selected. He is not going to be 

 destroyed, because those men were very careful in 

 digging him up, and it is my impression that his life 



