The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-18

lIARY TALL 01
rW MARY GRAHAMRQNNER
HAREBElL FLOWERS.

"The Musk-ox," said Daddy, us pre-
pared for the rain by the coarse hair
which grows on top of his nice, soft
hair. This coarse hair, as you know,
catches the rain and then he shakes it
all off so that his body doesn't get
wet.
1.-THE umbrella bird can put up some
of his feathers just as people put up
their umbrellas and that protects him
from the rain.
Both the great big musk-ox and
the little umbrella bird are very proud
that they always have their rain pro-
tectors with them. and they have very
little use for people. who forget their
umbrellas and borrow other peoples
and then forget tosreturn them.
"Of course the musk-ox and the UNI
brella bird can't very well lend their
umbrellas because they don't carry
| them around by the beak or front paw.
| but instead have their umbrellas at
| tached to them.
| whenever it rains they are ready
| for it-and do not mind 1t in the least.
"But they aren't the only creatures
to be so careful about the rain-that
is-there are some flowers who are
just as careful"
81 thought flowers loved the rain"
said Nancy.
"They need it to make them grow,
don't they?" asked Nick.
EYES," said Daddy, flowers love the
| r. hoJpc thor, errovu onJ ~ boone
them fresh But the harebell, on
which / am going TO tell you. sees
that none of its family will ever
drown.
snow, the harebcll family of flow
ers are blue in color. The flowers
grow on thin, rather tall stems, and
when the flowers are in bud they grow
very straight and stand right up.
"'We're little soldiers, we are they
seem to say as they stand so straight
and look so lovely. And they never
mind anything.
"They don't mind the cold wind or
the bad weather. except they have
to be careful about the rain.
at isn't because of cowardice that
they are careful. No, it is because
they have good sense.
"When the tiny buds burst into flow.
) ers, If they stayed straight up, as
] they stand when they are buds. ev
cry time the rain came it would fill the
little flowers and completely drown
them, and make them droop forever.
"The little blue petals aren't strons
enough to stand the rain, and the flow
erS are shaped so the rain would come
e | right into them and fill them up-fol
the harebells are like little bells.
'Yes, they're sensible. They know
that the rain would hurt them If they
stood up straight, and so they pro
tect themselves. In this way the.
don't need umbrellas, and it is just al
fine as though they owned umbrellas
when their little heads hang down In
stead of up to receive the rain.
Mother whispered one little bu
{ TO much larger bud one day, 'whel
do we open our eyes to see the world
"'Soon, little harebell, soon,' sal
, | the mother.
II "Tm anxious to see the mountain
and the plains, the hills and the va
leys,' said another little bud.
"'And I want to see the sum- sal
third.
"T'm growing very restless, mother
said a fourth.
~ "'Soon, soon, little ones, you'll com
l. out and open your eyes to see tn
a beautiful world said Mother Hare
= bell.
) "'Will we be in the world quite
! time, mother| another asked.
:, Eyes, darling the mother harebe
!. said, for we harebell flowers al
"a strong. We stand the wind and til
Of storms; but, little ones, listen, of on
- thing we must be careful
"'Of what must we be careful
whispered the little buds as they b