"And the rest she left for us," said the Chief Gardener. "I know now what to call them. We shall call them Bessie's Violets." JUNE JUNE I THEN THEY WENT DOWN INTO THE STRAWBERRY PATCH JUNE, the month of roses, and strawberries. The beautiful month when spring is just turning to summer, and summer is giving us her first rare gifts. In Davy's garden the corn was up, and had grown more in two weeks than the corn planted in the house had grown in four. It was the long sunny days that did this, and the showers that seemed to come almost too often, but perhaps the gardens didn't think so, for they grew, and the weeds grew, too, and kept Prue and Davy busy pulling and hoeing and cultivating. Davy's radishes were big enough to eat just a month from the day they were planted--think of it!--when those planted in the house had taken ever and ever so long. Prue's pansies and sweet-pease, and her other three "sweets" were all up, too, and so green and flourishing. But perhaps the thing that made them both happiest, at this season, was the Chief Gardener's strawberry-patch. Either that or big Prue's roses--they were not sure which. "When I grow up, I am going to have acres and acres of strawberries," said Davy. "And miles and miles of roses," said Prue. "And herds and herds of little Jersey cows that only give the richest cream," said the Chief Gardener. "And we'll put wreaths of roses about the cows' necks," said big Prue, "and drive them home at evening, and milk the rich creamy milk and put it on the fresh strawberry shortcake, just out of the oven--" [Illustration: THE CHIEF GARDENER'S STRAWBERRIES (Members of the Rose Family)] "And eat and eat forever," interrupted Davy. "And be happy ever after," finished little Prue. After that nobody said anything for quite a long time--thinking how fine all that would be, when it came. Then they went down into the strawberry-patch where the big red berries were ripening on the broad, green leaves. And little Prue and her mamma went into the house and came out with two bowls--one quite large bowl--white, with blue vines and flowers on it, and one quite small bowl--white, with blue kittens on it, chasing one another around and around on the outside. And the Chief Gardener and big Prue picked the ripe red berries and put them in the big bowl. And Davy and little Prue picked the ripe red berries and put them into the little bowl. And sometimes the Chief Gardener would eat a berry--a real, real ripe one--just to see if they were good, he said. And sometimes big Prue would eat a berry--a real, real little one--just to see if little berries would do for a shortcake, she said. And sometimes little Prue would eat a berry, and sometimes Davy would eat a berry--big, big berries--just because they looked so good, and tasted so good, that a little boy and a little girl could not help eating them, even if it took some of the berries out of the shortcake they were going to have for tea.