“I think the flowers are quite pretty,” Mary Frances ventured to say.
“Oh, you know them when you see them?” asked Jack. “That’s good, because we can go on with our story faster if you know some of the wild flowers. You would like to gather some out of our fairy garden, wouldn’t you? Well, you may take some of all that are in bloom at this time of year, after we finish telling you what we so much want you to learn about our dear flowers.”
“Now, it is Bet’s turn,” he went on, turning toward the dainty little fairy, who began to bounce happily up and down on the branch of the tree.
The girls were delighted with her dancing. At length she stopped and began to talk in her musical voice.
“I am going to talk a little about the flowers,” she said, “and shall mention only the ones known by most people, because we have such a short time for your lesson. I shall just mention them, and if you do not know them, please interrupt me, and Jack and I will take you through the garden to show them to you. Do you know the—
| Daisy (Other names: Ox-Eyed Daisy, White Weed) | — | This charming gold and white, wheel-shapedflower, which is a troublesome weed to thefarmer, blooms everywhere afield from May toNovember, from Canada to the southern States, andto the Mississippi River. It is perhaps the bestknown wild flower in the Eastern United States. | |
| Great Mullein (Other names: Velvet Dock, Aaron’s Rod, Flannel Leaf) | — | Almost everywhere this tall rod, bearing yellowflowers, which resemble huge buttercups, may beseen from June to November. Its velvety leaves,which grow in rosettes on the ground, are soft tothe touch, but if sheep or cows try to eat them,the down upon them becomes splinters in thetongues of the animals. That is one reason itgrows so widely—the down saves the leaves fromharm. This same down is sometimes used by hummingbirds to line their tiny nests, which are nolarger than a large thimble, yet hold twohumming-bird babies. The seeds of the great Mullein are eaten bygoldfinches, or they would scatter yet moreabundantly. The great Mullein is a native of Europe. |
“My winter coat is made of velvet dock,” said Bouncing Bet.
“Mine is made of flannel leaf,” Jack added.
“Yet they are both made of the leaves of the great mullein,” laughed Mary Frances.