feel the kisses of the sunbeams. But the poor little violets
drooped for a time, they were so homesick, and whispered to each
other, "Let us give up and die!" A beautiful canary in a cage
over their heads sang "cheer up! chirrup,!" but they would not
listen to him at first.

By and by they said, "Why do you sing that to us? How can we be
happy away from our beautiful home?"

Still the bird sang "cheer up! chirrup! The sun is smiling at you
and I am singing to you. We are trying to make you glad. How nice
it would be if you would only blossom and make some one happy
instead of hanging your heads and trying to die. Do you think I
like to be shut up here? If some one would leave the door of my
cage open, I would spread my wings and fly out of the window, far
away to the green woods and the blue sky. But while I am here, I
may as well sing and be glad. Cheer up! chirrup!"

"Perhaps he is right," said the buds, and they lifted up their
heads and began to grow. One bright spring morning Mother Nature
passed by the window and gave them each a lovely violet cap. Then
they were, glad, and Ruth was happy, too, because her buds had
blossomed.

The cheery canary sang his sweetest carol to them, and the whole
day was bright because Mother Nature's little violet children had
tried their best to be happy and so had made others happy, too.

As the great red sun went down into the west, he heard the happy
bird still singing "cheer up! chirrup!"