"Certainly I do," replied Uncle Robert.

"It would be a pretty dead seed," said Donald, "that wouldn't grow in
this soil."

"Are seeds alive?" asked Uncle Robert, smiling.

"Why, I--I don't know," said Donald, looking puzzled. "I never thought
about it. I just said that. They don't look like it, that's a fact, but
they surely wouldn't grow if they were dead, would they?"

"Do all seeds grow in the same way?" asked Uncle Robert.

"I never thought about it," said Donald.

"Neither did I," said Susie. "I just know if I plant mignonette,
mignonette will grow; and if I plant sweet peas, sweet peas will grow.
That's all I ever thought about it."

"Would you like to know?" asked Uncle Robert.

"Oh, yes," said Susie.

"How can we?" asked Donald. "The seeds are in the ground, and we can't
see them."

"If Susie is willing to dig up one of her sweet peas," said Uncle
Robert, "perhaps it will tell us what it has been doing since she
planted it last week."