The girl and boy with highest records are
Queen and King,
the next highest maids-of-honor and gentlemen-of-the-Court; the others fall in line according to their records on the target, and the entire party strikes out for the nearest stretch of land where wild flowers are to be found. Out from the shade they go into the sunshine, where the new springing grass is tender and green, and a little beyond under the trees where a mysterious perfume, the breath of awakening Nature, pervades the air, where grow the modest blue-eyed violets, the fragrant trailing arbutus, spicy and sweet, the funny Jack-in-the-pulpit, without which no collection of wild flowers would be complete, and where also may be found the rare and beautiful bloodroot, whose stay is so short one can scarce catch a glimpse of its pure, white blossoms ere they vanish.
The Queen Rules,
and the King shares her honors. All the subjects must yield implicit obedience; but, on the other hand, the Queen should issue only unselfish and kind commands, such as are sure to render her people happy, for the thought of their comfort and pleasure should ever be uppermost.
Fig. [420].—Take the flowers up roots and all.
Fig. [421].—Water-proof paper flower-pot May-basket.
The delicate little blossoms of early spring need very careful handling, and it would be well for the King and his gentlemen to be provided with old kitchen knives or trowels, that they may be able to dig around and under the little plants in order to take the flowers up root and all, with the earth clinging to them ([Fig. 420]); each one can then be carefully placed upright in a flat-bottomed basket or box and carried home in safety. Better still would be a number of tiny water-proof paper flower-pots, which may be purchased per dozen for a trifling sum. In each pot place one plant with plenty of damp earth surrounding it, and upon reaching home tie a gay narrow ribbon through holes pierced on each side; the little receptacle will then make a charming May-basket, and the wild flowers will keep fresh and blooming for a long time ([Fig. 421]).