The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-10-19
IDADDSEV[N[M
IARY TAL[6l
HAREBELL FLOWERS.
81 MARY 0AHA0R BONNER

"The Musk-ox," said Daddy, SIS 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 1t
all off so that his body doesn't get
wet.
"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 to return them.
"Of course the musk-ox and the UNI
prella bird can't very well lend their
umbrellas because they don't carry
them around by the beak or front paw,
hut 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"
ri thought flowers loved the rain"
said Nancy.
"Yhey need it to make them grow,
don't they?" asked Nick.
"Yes," said Daddy. showers love the
rain. 1t helps them grow and 1t keeps
them fresh. But the harebell. on
which I am going to tell you. sees
that none Of its family will ever
drown.
"Now, the harebell family Of How
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.
severe 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.
"It isn't because of cowardice that
they are careful. No, 1t is because
they have good sense
tWhen 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 1t would I'LL the
little flowers and completely drown
them, and make tlfeIn droop forever.
1.-THE little blue petals aren't strong
enough to stand the rain, and the flow
ers are shaped so the rain would comf
right into them and fill them up-foI
the harebelis are like little bells.
Eyes. they're sensible. They know
that the rain would hurt them IL they
stood up straight, and so they pro
sect themselves. In this way the1
don't need umbrelfas, 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 but
to a much larger bud one day. 'whei
do we open our eyes to see the world
s'Soon, little harebeil. SOON SAT-
the mother.
"Tm anxious to see the. mountain
and the plains, the hills and the val
leys,' said another little bud
| sand I want to see the sun salt
q third.
atm growing very restless, mother
said fourth.
a'Soon, soon, little ones, youth com
out and open your eyes to see th
beautiful world said Mother Hare
ben.
| aswin we be In the world quite
TING motherT another asked.
"Yes. darling the mother harebel
said for we harebeil flowers ar
strong. We stand the wiad and tn
storms; but, little ones, listen. OK on
thing we must be careful
| ~sOf what must we be c8reful'
whispered the little blsds as they be
gan to slightly open their eyes.
"sYou can't held your heads q
straight as they are now that they ar
buds. You must drop your little head
just before you open your eyes, an
not look right up at the sky. For
you did look straight up at the SKY
when the old King Of the Clouds cam
along he would fill four little beil-lik
faces with water, and you woul
drown
"'Oh, Mother. how terribler the
| said.
"That's a warming said their mott
err. II you do as / say. you will b
all right, and VIII i've long to smil
with your little blue faces at the grea
and lovely world And all the htti
harebells did as she said.s ~
Had Experiences
The children had got tired of climt