There was once a little girl who had a garden of her own, in which she planted a great many seeds. But somehow her seeds did not grow into flowers very fast. Do you know why?
It was because she kept digging them up every day, to make them show her the new leaves and buds. She vexed Mother Nature so by her worry and hurry that the wise old lady frowned until her cap ruffles shook, and said:
"That child shall have no flowers this year. When she plants her seeds, she must trust me to make them grow, and not peep into my work-shop so often."
The little girl who owns the flower-pot we give you this week will not put the good old mother in a pet. She knows that Nature is very busy waking up the sleeping flowers, and making their new spring dresses. And of course when the rain comes pit-a-pat on the roofs, and the wind goes racing along, driving the surf on the shore, that little girl knows that Dame Nature is full of her annual house-cleaning. When she is done, how everything will shine! The world will look as bright as a new penny. So let us all say,
"Little old woman, whither so high?"
Hark! What was that voice which came down the chimney?
"To sweep the cobwebs out of the sky."
To be sure! Now whose is this pretty flower-pot?
"Mine," says Dot. "Mine," says Fanny. "Yours," says Lulu to her little sick brother.
Somehow Lulu seems to deserve it most, but the Postmistress thinks we will all share the flowers together.