The Magic Speech Flower / or Little Luke and His Animal Friends

led with the sweet odor of blossoming flowers. To little Luke, sitting on the doorstep of the farmhouse an

-pee-chee the Robin chanted his morning song.

ong Sparrow trilled, "Sweet, swee

Come with me, come and see," over and over. Then he dropped down into the gr

ups and daisies. He was very proud of himself and wanted everybody to know just who he was. So he sang his own name over and over. With his name-song he mixed up a lot of runs

is beak and croaked, "Caw, caw, caw, caw." What he meant to say was, "Corn, corn, corn, corn." Sam, the hired man, heard him and ca

ed slowly about in great circles. When he saw Sam with his g

imself among the thick branches of the apple tree. Kil-loo the Song Sparrow hopped into the thickest part of

s and set every little leaf quivering and whispering. Then he ran across the meadows and the wheat fields. As he

ed, "Come away. Come and play." Just then a great bumblebee flew by and n

rop it, I say." But Old Klaws only growled and gripped the little rabbit tighter. Little Luke seized the old cat by the back of the neck and choked him till he let go. The little brown rabbit

gate, and into the meadow beyond. All at once Bob Li

y. He did not find the nest, but he did find a fine cluster of ripe, wild strawberries. He forgot all about the nest and began to pick

ellow bird. That was Mrs. Bob Lincoln. Little Luke put aside the grass and there was th

Little Luke could not understand what they said, but part of it sounded like, "Let it be! Don't touch, don't touch! Go away, please,

r her eggs. But Mr. Bob flew to a tall weed in front of little Luke. There he sat and swung and teetered and sa

branches was the nest of O-pee-chee the Robin. Both Mr. and Mrs. O-pee-c

egg in his front paws. He had not yet broken the shell when he saw little Luke. At first he thought he would run

So lie picked up a small round stone and threw it at the robber squirrel. His aim

e branch and across to another. From the end of that he dropped down to the fenc

Mee-ko and understood exactly what had happened. He flew a little way after the thieving squirrel. Then he came back and lit on the highe

-to the Black Spider had built the web as a trap to catch flies in. But this time there was something be

d bee meat for dinner or not. She knew very well that bees are stronge

o the Honey Bee was not so much entangled by the web that he could not sting

him free. Ah-mo rubbed himself all over with his legs and tried his wings carefully to see if t

righten them, and besides, he thought the buzzing had a friendly sound to it. It seemed to

looked around to see what old Mrs. Ik-t

he heard Mrs. Chee-wink making a great outcry. She was flying about a little bushy fir tree not bigger than a currant bush. "Chee-wi

tick that was lying on the ground. When he came to the bush, Mrs. Chee-win

never have made all that fuss for nothing. So he took hold of the fir bush and pulled the b

was strong enough to flutter a good deal and Mother Chee-wink had flapped her wings in

id down to the ground. Little Luke hit him again, this time squarely on the head. Th

n to the ground. It seemed more scared than hurt, so he put it carefully into the

. Then she said, "Chee-wink, chee-wink, to-whee, chee-wink, to-whee," two or three times very sof

was using the hard shell of the dead branch for a drum. "Rat, a tat, tat," he went faster and faster, till the beats ran into

eaming for joy. Little Luke stopped under the old apple tree and listened to Ya-rup's

ould not fly. Little Luke knew that it must have fallen out of the nest by accident. So he ran after the frightened little bird and picked it up very carefully. Just then O-loo-

est. Soon he saw it in a tangle of

ard the nest. O-loo-la seemed to guess what he meant to

d it so full that there was scarcely room for another. Little Luke saw that the bird he held was smaller than the others. So he took one of them ou

over his head and began to sing very happily. The little boy though

o a beautiful spring which gushed from under a tall rock. He lay do

down between the roots and leaned his head against the tree. It was a very comfortable seat. So he sat there and dreamed w

d peered at him with his bright, inquisitive eyes. As little Luke sat very sti

nt to him. All at once he heard a loud hum. He opened his eyes and there was Ah-mo the Honey Bee just before his fa

flower. He leaned over and looked at it. Its petals were blue as the sky, except near t

s Mee-ko saw what he was doing, he fairly screamed. To little Luke it

efore, but never before had he thought there was any sense in it. It se

ch and down the tree behind little Luke. Then he leaped to the ground and ran across to another tree. When he thought he was safe,

es, he wanted the strange flower. As soon as he reached out his hand for it again, Mee-

wonder what is the matter with him. Wha

s nose. Its odor was strangely sweet. From the broken stem some clear juice oozed out upon his hand. Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew down and sipped it. Then he rose and began to buzz around little Luke's head. Withou

re his face. He looked up and could scarcely believe his eyes. There in a

e end of the line stood Mit-chee the Partridge, Ko-leen-o the Quail, and O-he-la the Woodcock. On the branches above them were Ya-rup the Flicker, O-pee-chee the Robin, O-loo-la the Wood Thrush, Har-

ly and looked at Wa-poose the big Rabbit. Wa-poose hopped forward a step or two and stood up on his hind legs. Hi

peech Flower and tasted its blood. By its power you are able to understand the speech of all the wild folk of field and forest. This g

setting of the sun, has done five deeds of mercy and kindness towar

the little boy, who in turn gazed at them with wonder-filled eyes. Then he spoke. "Five

when he was trying to steal the eggs from the nest of O-pee-chee. You helped Ah-mo escape from the trap of wicked old Ik-to.

the Master of Life has made and you must tell no one what has happened to you. If you give heed to these two things, we will all be your friends. Wh

before little Luke's eyes and he heard someone say, "Wake up, little boy, it is almost noon

a lonely cabin on the other side of the mountain, and sometimes came t

een. But he held in his hand a broken and crumpled flower. He put the flower in