[Illustration: What the Flowers told Martha]
Martha was visiting her grandmother, who lived in the country. At the
back of the farmhouse was a very large porch, and in the front of that
a garden in which grew all kinds of flowers.
One afternoon, when everyone else was taking a nap, Martha sat on the
porch. It was warm and a bee was buzzing around the flowers. Every
little while he would fly around Martha's head.
"I wish I had someone to play with," thought Martha. "Everybody is
asleep and I am lonesome."
"The flowers want you to come into the garden," buzzed the bee.
Martha listened, for she could not believe the bee was really speaking
to her, but she heard again, "The flowers want you to come into the
garden."
Martha walked down the path to the Rose Bush. "I'll find out if that
bee is telling the truth," she said.
"I am so glad you came," said a Rose, and as Martha looked it seemed
that she could almost see the face of a little girl in its petals. "I
wanted some one to talk to," said the Rose.
"So did I," said a Lily.
"We all are glad to see you," said a Tulip, "for we never have anyone
to talk to."
"I never knew before that you could talk," said Martha.
"Of course we can," said the Rose, "but we are tired of telling stories
to one another."
"Oh! can you tell stories?" asked Martha as she seated herself on the
ground beside the flowers.
"Yes, indeed!" said the Rose. "I'll tell mine first."
"Did you ever hear how the Rose happened to have thorns?" she asked.