The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-07-18
"Burburu Picks the
Neighbors' Flowers"
MARION BROWNFIELD

l NAHUM bROW MI
Barbara picks the neighbors' flow
ers," complained Barbara's mother,
who lives in the house next to ours.
81 just don't know what to do with
her! I've punished her, and yet she
persists in running about the neigh
borhood, and sooner or later, her hands
are full of fowers!"
l began noticing three -year-old Bar
bara from the vantage Of our front
breakfast room. While Barbara's
mother was preparing breakfast, one
morning, Barbara in her little sleep
ing garments was discovering a snail
under her own front shrubs. The trail
led her to the sidewalk. Gradually Bar
bara wandered down to the corner. An
early morning bonfire had left some
fluffy black debris and Barbara found
it would crumble. She clapped pieces
of it to dust and then scattered other
pieces along the sidewalk as she loiter
ed homeward, her appetite evidently
reminding her to go to breakfast.
By this time her little face and pa
jamas were as smudged as an orange
grove in frosty weather. Then she saw
yellow jonquil blooming, the only one
as yet open in it's round bed. She hur
ried toward it and smelled it, tenn
porarily refraining from picking it.
She walked around the bed, keeping
her gaze on the flower, then, COM
pletely charmed, she picked the jon
quill and ran home.
Barbara's father, hearing Of her es-
capade, decided to take a hand. "Our
back yard is SMALL" he declared, "but
Barbara shouldn't play out of bounds" I"
He bought her teeter-totter for her
birthday, and he fixed her a rope
swing. For a few days she was con-
tented to remain in her yard.
Then one morning she saw pretty
dandelions on the front lawn. Joyously
she hurried forward and picked them.
meanwhile discovering a gorgeous new
tree-just baby tree-set out in a
neighbor's yard. She ran over to see
ic- A little boy joined her. 81 dare
to pick those pink fowers!" be boasted,
reaching for the neighbor's priced
peach blossoms. Barbara, delighted,
helped him. But before the little tree
was quite denuded, although decidedly
devastated, Mrs. Eastman, the owner.
appeared.
Shouting loudly, the little boy ran.
Barbara merely held her flowers tight
er and hung her head. Barbara S
mother hearing the boys shout, came
out.
ooh, Barbara!" she walled, hurrying
forward, snow | must punish you
again. Mrs. Eastman, Pm so sorry!
Barbara, tell her you're sorry, before
l take you home"
Barbara was crying.
"Tell her you're sorry!" insisted her
mother.
Barbara shook her head as she Sob
bed
you'll be sorry when Daddy comes
home," her mother threatened, taking
Barbara's hand. "Give the lady her
flowers, and tell her you're sorry you
spoiled her new tree"
Barbara choked -"Im sorry -
= SpUllcu-tllt IItC- buI waltz W hScp
the flowers"
"Well | never!" Barbara's mother
gasped. "Of course you can't keep
what doesn't belong to youn'
Later Mrs. Eastman remarked to
me, 81 never saw a child love flowers
so much-I really would have liked to
have her keep them, even though the
tree is wrecked-I wonder it doesn't
occur to Barbara's mother to let her
plant some flowers herself, then she
would learn not to pick them at ran
dom. She'd have grand time with a
few pansy plants. And sunflowers
morning -glories and nasturtiums are
quick and easy to grow"
making garden would be pleas
ant curew l responded. "And | have
been thinking that perhaps her love
of flowers is, to a great extent, love
of color. I'd try her with colorec
crayons, some paints, or even bright
scraps of cloth!'
"Or picking flowers may be the out
come Of Barbara's disposition to ex.
plore-plus love Of color.
"a little time spent in studying Bar.
bara, finding answers to a few simple
questions as to why she picks flowers
and what she wants to do with them,
finished Mrs. Eastman, certainly
would bring better results than mere
punishment"