BETTY AND SUNFLOWERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19608, 9 April 1927, Page 4 (Supplement)

BETTY AND SUNFLOWERS.

It was a very hot morning, and the first day of little Betty's holidays from school; so she selected her favourite dolly and istarted off to the swing, which was under a large, shady tree. Down the little garden path sho went; when she thought she heard a sigh. Sho turned round very quickly, but there wasn't anyone there. Yes! there it was again; this timo almost a grunt, it was so ioud 'Betty stood quite still, lost in wonderment and surprise. Then a faint " Good morning reached her ears; it was tlio sunflower in the big round bed where the path took a bend. " Good—good morning," Btammered Betty, almost .breathlessly. *' 'lsn't it fearfully hot?" continued the sunflower. " Yes," said Betty, " but it will be cool in the shade of the tree, where the swing is." The poor sunflower simply couldn't keep back another sigh, as bo thought of the shadp he couldn't have. Betty felt rather sad, as she knew she couldn't take him with her, as. ho would wither up once he had been picked; then she had a happy thought. "Would you like a drink of water?" she asked. The sunflower began to look brighter, and said there was nothing in the world he would' like better. f?o off went Betty. back to the house, , returned with hfer little watering cln filled to the brim. ; How the sunflower j seemed to drink it | in, right to his very | roots, he was so thirsty. He said the sun bad been shining in his faca all the morning, so Betty asked him why he didn't turn his face away ?

He said he had tried; but it hurt him so. "You know we sunflowers are not built that way," he continued; " our backs are so long and straight and our heads are just put on the top; we are not really meant to bend."

Betty nearly said " what a pity," but stopped herself in time, thinking the sunflower might think she thought he wasn't beautiful.

" But," £aid she, " you can see all that goes on around, being so much taller than the rest of the flowers; I know I just long to be tall like mother sometimes, when I want to see things; and on the dull days . think how bright and pav you make the garden "look." "Oh, yes," said the sunflower, " there's something in that, and I don't feel so bad now I have had that lovely drink." Then, after a moment or 'two, he added: "At night, when you are asleep and the fairies come out, I always dance with the Fairy Queen, being the tallest, while all the others flowers just dance with the smaller fairies, " Then the bees love to visit me and gather honey, so I suppose I have much to be thankful for, though I have stiff old back," said he. " I should say you had," said Betty, and she promised him, :if the next morning was a hot one, she would bring him her little can full of water again; and he thanked her cheerfully. Then she heard the dinner bell ringing, so She rang back to the house again, saying to herself ? " Goodness me, how very the time fiies when anyone talks with the flowers."