Eagerly, the Brownies assented. Hanny walked ahead with Connie and Vevi over the soft ground. Entering through a picket gate, they made their way between seemingly endless rows of bright green plants. “All of our fields are now in bud,” Hanny declared. “We will have a very large flower harvest unless rain or a heavy wind should harm the plants.” “I haven’t seen any tulips in bloom except in the greenhouses,” Connie remarked. “Uncle Peter’s are the first in Rosedale. The ones in this field are an especially early variety.” “Is the prize tulip here?” Vevi teased. “I’m not saying,” laughed Hanny. “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. You will have to discover the answer for yourself.” Already, though not fully in bloom, the field was speckled with color. Never had the girls beheld so many different types of tulips. There were rows of tall pink ones, and short, stubby double yellows. Some were variegated with odd markings. “Wait until the parrot tulips bloom!” Hanny declared proudly. “They have ragged, queer-shaped petals that look like the feathers of a bird!” “Your uncle’s prize tulip isn’t a parrot?” Vevi demanded. “No, it is not a Parrot tulip or a Cottage type,” Hanny replied. “I will tell you that much. It is an early bloomer. My uncle developed it from seed.” “Then it must be in this field,” Vevi insisted, allowing her gaze to rove over the brilliant mass of flowers. “Is it in bloom now?” “I can’t say,” answered Hanny, her eyes twinkling. “But it is the most beautiful tulip I have ever seen.” Everywhere Vevi and the other Brownies saw wonderful flowers. All were so pretty that they could not decide which one was nicer than the others. Jane loved a large flame colored tulip. Sunny’s favorite was a tall rose-hued variety with dark throat. Then unexpectedly, Vevi saw the tulip that held her eye like a magnet. Only a single flower was in bloom, surrounded by other tulips in bud. Yet the single specimen, each petal perfect, was breath taking. The flower had a long, straight stem and in color was a pure, golden yellow. Compared to it, all other yellow tulips in the field appeared faded. “There it is! The one I like best!” cried Vevi. “It’s my choice too,” declared Connie. Hanny smiled in an odd sort of way. She seemed very pleased that her friends liked the tulip. “This isn’t the special tulip, is it?” demanded Rosemary. Hanny just kept smiling and did not answer. “Does this flower have a name?” Vevi asked eagerly. “We call it the ‘Golden Beauty.’” “‘The Golden Beauty’,” Vevi repeated triumphantly. “That proves it! Your boat has almost the same name! You can’t fool us, Hanny! We’ve discovered the tulip your uncle intends to enter in the prize contest!” _Chapter Six_ WOODEN SHOES Hanny would not admit that Vevi had guessed which tulip her uncle intended to enter in the blue ribbon contest. All the Brownies clustered about the plant, exclaiming at the beauty of the single bloom.