sea-green tube. Down they slid over the shining floors; and what was
their delight to find, when they reached the end, that they had all
along been expected, and for each one was a little room prepared, and
sweet food for their nourishment! And from this time they had no desire
to go away, but remained each in his own place, and grew every day
stronger and larger and rounder, even as baby in the cradle there, who
has nothing to do but grow.

"Side by side were their cradles, one beyond another in beautiful
straight rows; and as the pollen-grains grew daily larger, the cradles
also grew for their accommodation, until at last they felt themselves
really full of sweet, delicious life; and those who lived at the tops of
the rows peeped out from the opening of the dry leaves which wrapped
them all together, and saw a little boy with his father coming through
the cornfield, while yet every thing was beaded with dew, and the sun
was scarcely an hour high. The boy carried a basket; and the father
broke from the corn-stalks the full, firm ears of sweet corn, and heaped
the basket full."

"O mother," cried Willie, "that was father and I! Don't you remember how
we used to go out last summer every morning before breakfast to bring in
the corn? And we must have taken that very ear; for I remember how the
full kernels lay in straight rows, side by side, just as you have told."

Now Alice is breaking her threads of silk, and trying to see the tiny
opening of the tube; and Annie thinks she will look for the pollen-
grains the very next time she goes to the cornfield.