"I am busy, and that keeps me happy," said the Violet. She scented her petals and set their brushes on them. "My violet has a flower on it!" cried the little girl. "Oh, how sweet it smells!" She watched the sun shining through the blue petals as the flower hung over the pot, and her eyes shone with pleasure. All through the day she turned to look at the Violet as soon as each little task was done, and at night she told her mother what had happened. "I shall not mind if no bee finds me now," said the Violet. "My flower has given so much happiness that I am content, even if I never make good seed." The Pansy had nothing to say. A few days later a wonderful thing happened. A bee came buzzing in at the open window and flew straight to the Violet. "Sweet Violet," he said, "I have found you at last. Your scent came out to me as I was passing, and I have sought for you in all the windows. Have you any honey for me?" "Plenty!" cried the Violet joyfully. "Dip deep and take all I have, dear friend." "Thank you," said the Bee. "I will give you some pollen from your cousins in return. They are blooming in a window-box in the next street." He brushed tiny pollen grains off his head and gave them to the Violet. "Thank you," said the Violet. "Please take some of mine back to my cousins." She laid some of hers on his head, and he flew off. Filled with joy, the Violet set to work to make her little green balls into seeds. "Well, if I had thought a bee really would come, I would have made a flower too," said the Pansy. THE CHERRY CHILDREN It was early spring. The Cherry Children woke up and called: "Mother, may we go to play now?" "Wait till I have made your fairy boats," said the Cherry Mother. They lay still and waited, and she made their fairy boats, with white silk sails. Then they sprang up and played in the sunshine, sailing to and fro on the spring winds, and throwing tiny scent-balls out into the air. The bees and butterflies and silver moths came to visit them; everybody laughed and chattered and was happy. After a while the Cherry Children grew tired. "Mother," they called, "we have played enough. We should like to rest now." "Creep into your little green cradles," said the Cherry Mother. "Rest there and grow while I make your cradles big." They crept into their cradles. The mother gently loosened the white sails and dropped them on the ground, where they lay like scented snowflakes. Then she made the cradles bigger as the children grew. She lined the wooden walls with softest satin, and covered them with a thick green covering. The winds blew and rocked the little cradles to and fro; from the neighbouring trees the birds sang soft lullabies, and watched and waited. The green cradle coverings turned deep red. Once more the Cherry Children woke up. "Mother, we wish to grow," they called. "The birds are coming. They will carry you away to grow," replied the mother.