“We must walk past the library,” Connie said, recalling Miss Mohr’s
final instructions. “I wonder why she asked us to do it?”
“It is out of my way to go that direction,” declared Rosemary. “Do you
think it would matter if I walk past some other time?”
“No, we must all go now--together,” Vevi insisted. “Miss Mohr said it
was important.”
“That’s right,” agreed Connie. “She spoke of a surprise. One from
Peter.”
The girls started off, walking in pairs. Vevi and Connie were ahead,
followed by the others.
“What surprise could Peter have left for us?” Vevi speculated.
“A package of books perhaps,” Rosemary guessed.
“He may have given the troop a piece of his fine Delft ware,” Sunny
declared. “I would like that for a gift.”
Thinking of various possibilities, the girls began to walk faster. Soon
they came within view of the library.
“How will we know about the surprise?” Jane asked in perplexity. “Are
we supposed to go into the building and ask one of the librarians?”
“Well, if we aren’t dopes!” suddenly cried Vevi.
She stopped short and began to laugh.
“What’s wrong with you?” demanded Jane.
“The surprise!” cried Vevi. “One can see it a mile away! It’s a
wonderful one too!”
The other Brownies were bewildered by the little girl’s words. But only
for a moment.
“Oh, I see it too!” exclaimed Connie.
She and Vevi both began to run toward the library.
Then Jane, Rosemary and Sunny joined the race.
The surprise, everyone now knew, was a beautiful flower bed!
As the girls approached closer, they could see it plainly.
The circular bed which Miss Mohr had given to the Brownie Scouts for
their very own, now was a mass of blooms.
Yellow and gold and brown tulips blazed in the sunlight. The Brownies
never had seen a more gorgeous sight.
“Oh, it’s wonderful!” cried Vevi, dancing about the bed. “Just what I
wanted!”
“It’s our very own too!” added Sunny.
“Look at the center of the bed,” directed Connie.
Mr. Van Der Lann had so arranged the tulips that they resembled the
clover-shaped Scout emblem.
The letters “G. S.” were spelled out in bright yellow tulips.
“That stands for Girl Scouts,” commented Jane. “I do wish Mr. Van Der
Lann had made a ‘B’ to stand for Brownie.”
“All Brownie Scouts fly up to become Girl Scouts when they’re old
enough,” declared Connie. “I like our flower bed just as he made it.”
“So do I,” agreed Rosemary. “I think this is the nicest surprise our
troop ever had.”
“The very best,” echoed Sunny.
“How do you suppose Mr. Van Der Lann made the tulips grow so fast?”
speculated Jane. “Why, it’s almost miraculous!”
“He couldn’t have planted bulbs, that’s certain,” replied Connie. “I
know! He must have brought potted plants from Windmill Farm!”
“However he did it, I guess it proves the Brownie Story,” asserted Vevi.
The other girls asked her what she meant.
Vevi grinned happily and bent down to sniff the fragrance of a big
yellow tulip. Then with twinkling eyes, she replied:
“Don’t you see? It’s magic, pure magic!”