COCKLE BURR, THE ROUGH-NECK 119 



not grow any ears to produce com another year," 

 timidly asked the weak stalk. 



"Mister! Say, that's good. Where do you get 

 that stuff? You poor nut, just help yourself. Get 

 what you can and I'll do the same. You hothouse 

 pets need a nurse to look after you. You needn't 

 think that you are the only ones that have a right 

 to grow here. The old guy plows around me the 

 same as he does you. There are just as many of us 

 growing here in this field as there are of you bums, 

 and we have just as much right to live as you have. 

 Believe me, old top, I am going to get all I can 

 while the gettin' is good, and if you don't like it, 

 just do what you durn please," returned the cockle 

 burr as he chuckled to himself, shook around a bit, 

 scratched the corn plant as he did so, and sent word 

 down to his roots to get busy and take everything in 

 sight. 



"Tear into 'em. Scrappy," sang out the button 

 weed in an adjoining hill. "These birds are in fast 

 company and don't know it. I've got a pair of 

 mollycoddles here with me. Been making faces at 

 me for the last six weeks. The old man seems to 

 think as much of me as he does of them, so I ain't 

 worryin'." 



"Well, we were planted here for a purpose," 



