_Wherein a little girl learns a great lesson in her dreams._
“Mother dear,” said Dorothy, “may I go pick some flowers?”
“Yes, but you must not go far as it is getting late.”
“Very well, mother,” said Dorothy, “I’ll do everything you say,”
and off she scampered to pick flowers.
It was a beautiful day in May and all the flowers were in bloom.
“Oh, how I wish I were a flower!” thought Dorothy. “They are such
beautiful things and they make so many people happy.”
She walked along as happy as happy could be picking flowers and
humming to herself. Presently she sat down to rest, and leaned her
head against the trunk of a big tree.
Soon it grew so dark she could not see. She had forgotten that her
mother had told her not to go far. She looked all around, but could
not see a thing. It was black dark everywhere. Dorothy wondered why
it was so dark.
“Oh, dear, what shall I do! there’s no place to go, and I can’t
stay here.” She walked on feeling her way among the trees until
she saw a light away up on the top of a steep hill. She climbed
the hill in the direction of the light until she came to a little
house. Out at the gate stood an old, old woman gazing up at the
stars.
“Oh, please,” said Dorothy to the old woman, “help me out. I am
lost from home and I do wish I could make somebody happy. Do you
know how I can do it?”
The old woman thought for a minute before she said:
“Yes, I can turn you into a beautiful daisy, and you can grow here
on the hillside, and you will afford somebody happiness.”
“Very well,” said little Dorothy, “that suits me exactly, for I
have been wishing I were a flower.”
The next morning when the old woman awoke she went to her window
and looked among her flowers, and there was the most beautiful
daisy growing among the others.
In a short while an old man passed by and noticed this beautiful
daisy.
“Look what a beautiful flower,” said he to himself, “with its
golden heart and its silver dress. I will take it to Louise, how
happy she will be to see this lovely flower.”
Louise was sick, and when the old man gave her the flower how happy
she was! The little flower afforded Louise pleasure until she grew
well and strong again.
Just then a call came: “Dorothy, Dorothy, where are you, dear?”
Dorothy opened her eyes and answered:
“Here I am, mother, under the big oak tree.” She had only been
dreaming. But as she went into the house she said to herself, “I
wonder if I need to be turned into a flower to give happiness to
others.”