MŶ PŌŌR flõwerś are qυîte fâdėd!" sãid little Îdá. "Ônlý yesterday êvening they were sô prėttý, and now åll thé leaveś are drööping. Whŷ dö they dö that?" shê asked of^uv thé stüdént, whö sat on thé sôfá. Hê wáś^woś a greât fâvórite with her, bėcauśe hê ûśed tó^tö tell her thé prėttïést of^uv storiêś and cut out thé môst ámûśing thingś in pâper—hearts with little lâdiêś dançing in them, and high castleś with doorś which one^wőne cōūld ôpén and shut. Hê wáś^woś a merrý stüdént. "Whŷ dö thé flõwerś lōōk sô wretchėd tó^tö-day?" asked shê ágãin, shôwing him a böüquĕt of^uv fâdėd flõwerś.

"Dö yöü not knôw?" rėplîed thé stüdént. "Thé flõwerś went tó^tö a båll last night, and are tîred. That's whŷ they hang their headś."

"Whåt an îdêá," ėxclaimed little Îdá. "Flõwerś cannot dançe!"

"Of^uv cøurse they can dançe! When it iś dark, and wê are åll gone tó^tö bed, they jump ábout aś merrílý aś possíble. They have a båll ålmôst everý night."

"And can their childrén gô tó^tö thé båll?" asked Îdá.

"Ôh, yes," sãid thé stüdént; "daiśiêś and liliêś of^uv thé vallêy, that are qυîte little."

"And when iś it that thé prėttïést flõwerś dançe?"

"Have yöü not bėen^been tó^tö thé larĝe gardén outsîde thé town gâte, in frőnt of^uv thé castle wheŕe thé king liveś in summer—thé gardén that iś sô fūll of^uv lővelý flõwerś? Yöü ŝūrelý rėmember thé swånś^swonś which cőme swimming up when yöü give them crumbś of^uv bread? Bėliêve mê, they have capítál bållś theŕe."

"Î wáś^woś out theŕe ônlý yesterday with mŷ mőther," sãid Îdá, "but theŕe were nô leaveś on thé treeś, and Î did not see a siñgle flõwer. Whåt haś bėcőme of^uv them? Theŕe were sô mãný in thé summer."

"They are insîde thé paláçe now," rėplîed thé stüdént. "Aś söön aś thé king and åll hiś cøurt gô back tó^tö thé town, thé flõwerś hâstén out of^uv thé gardén and intö thé paláçe, wheŕe they have fâmoús tîmeś. Ôh, if yöü cōūld but see them! Thé twö môst beaûtíful rôśėś seat themselveś on thé thrône and act king and qυeen. Åll thé tåll red cockscômbś stand bėfore them on êither sîde and bow; they are thé châmberlaínś. Then åll thé prėttý flõwerś cőme, and theŕe iś a greât båll. Thé blüe vîóléts reprėśent thé nâvál cádets; they dançe with hŷaçinths and crôcûsėś, whö tâke thé part of^uv young lâdiêś. Thé tülíps and thé tåll tîger liliêś are ôld lâdiêś,—dõwáĝerś,—whö see tó^tö it that thé dançing iś well dőne and that åll thingś gô on properlý."

"But," asked little Îdá, "iś theŕe nô one^wőne theŕe tó^tö harm thé flõwerś for dãring tó^tö dançe in thé king's castle?"

"Nô one^wőne knôwś ãnýthing ábout it," rėplîed thé stüdént. "Őnçe^wőnçe dûring thé night, perhaps, thé ôld stëwaŕd of^uv thé castle dőeś, tó^tö bê ŝūre, cőme in with hiś greât bunch of^uv kêyś tó^tö see that åll iś right; but thé mômént thé flõwerś hėaŕ thé clañking of^uv thé kêyś they stand stock-still or hîde themselveś bėhînd thé long silk windôw curtáinś. Then thé ôld stëwaŕd will say, 'Dö Î not smell flõwerś hėŕe?' but hê can't see them."

"That iś verý funný," ėxclaimed little Îdá, clapping her handś with glee; "but shōūld not Î bê âble tó^tö see thé flõwerś?"

"Tó^tö bê ŝūre yöü can see them," rėplîed thé stüdént. "Yöü have ônlý tó^tö rėmember tó^tö peep in at thé windôwś thé next tîme yöü gô tó^tö thé paláçe. Î did sô this verý day, and saw a long yellôw lilý lŷing on thé sôfá. Shê wáś^woś a cøurt lâdý."

"Dö thé flõwerś in thé Bótanicál Gardén gô tó^tö thé båll? Can they gô åll that long distánçe?"

"Çertáinlý," sãid thé stüdént; "for thé flõwerś can flŷ if they pleaśe. Have yöü not seen thé beaûtíful red and yellôw butterflîeś that lōōk sô much lîke flõwerś? They are in fact nőthing else. They have flôwn off their stålks high intö thé ãir and flapped their little petálś just aś if they were wingś, and thus they câme tó^tö flŷ ábout. Aś a rėwård for ålwayś bėhâving well they have leave tó^tö flŷ ábout in thé daytîme, töö, instead of^uv sitting qυîétlý on their stålks at hôme, till at last thé flõwer petálś have bėcőme real wingś. That yöü have seen yøurself.

"It may bê, thôugh, that thé flõwerś in thé Bótanicál Gardén have never bėen^been in thé king's castle. They may not have heaŕd whåt frolics tâke plâçe theŕe everý night. But Î'll tell yöü; if, thé next tîme yöü gô tó^tö thé gardén, yöü whisper tó^tö one^wőne of^uv thé flõwerś that a greât båll iś tó^tö bê givén yonder in thé castle, thé newś will spread fróm flõwer tó^tö flõwer and they will åll flŷ áway. Then shōūld thé prófessoŕ cőme tó^tö hiś gardén theŕe wőn't bê a flõwer theŕe, and hê will not bê âble tó^tö imaĝíne whåt haś bėcőme of^uv them."

"But how can one^wőne flõwer tell it tó^tö ánőther? for Î am ŝūre thé flõwerś cannot speak."

"Nô; yöü are right theŕe," rėturned thé stüdént. "They cannot speak, but they can mâke sîgnś. Have yöü ever nôtiçed that when thé wind blôwś a little thé flõwerś nod tó^tö each őther and möve åll their green leaveś? They can mâke each őther understand in this way just aś well aś wê dö bŷ tålking."

"And dőeś thé prófessoŕ understand their pantómîme?" asked Îdá.

"Ôh, çertáinlý; at least part of^uv it. Hê câme intö hiś gardén one^wőne morning and saw that a greât stinging nettle wáś^woś mâking sîgnś with its leaveś tó^tö a beaûtíful red carnâtion. It wáś^woś sâying, 'Yöü are sô beaûtíful, and Î lőve yöü with åll mŷ heart!' But thé prófessoŕ dőeśn't lîke that sort of^uv thing, and hê rapped thé nettle on her leaveś, which are her fiñgerś; but shê stung him, and sinçe then hê haś never dãred tó^tö touch a nettle."

"Hā! hā!" lāughed^lāufed little Îdá, "That iś verý funný."

"How can one^wőne pūt such stuff intö a chîld's head?" sãid a tîresőme counçíloŕ, whö had cőme tó^tö pay a viśit. Hê did not lîke thé stüdént and ålwayś ûśed tó^tö scôld when hê saw him cutting out thé drôll pâstebøard figureś, such aś a man hanging on a ĝibbet and hôlding a heart in hiś hand tó^tö shôw that hê wáś^woś a stealer of^uv hearts, or an ôld witch rîding on a bröömstick and carrýing her huśbánd on thé end of^uv her nôśe. Thé counçíloŕ cōūld not beár such jôkes, and hê wōūld ålwayś say, aś now: "How can ãný one^wőne pūt such nôtionś intö a chîld's head? They are ônlý föölish fançiêś."

But tó^tö little Îdá åll that thé stüdént had tôld her wáś^woś verý entertaining, and shê kept thiñking it ôver. Shê wáś^woś ŝūre now that her prėttý yesterday's flõwerś hung their headś bėcauśe they were tîred, and that they were tîred bėcauśe they had bėen^been tó^tö thé båll. Sô shê tōōk them tó^tö thé tâble wheŕe stōōd her toyś. Her doll lay sleeping, but Îdá sãid tó^tö her, "Yöü must get up, and bê content tó^tö sleep tó^tö-night in thé tâble drawer, for thé pōōr flõwerś are ill and must have yøur bed tó^tö sleep in; then perhaps they will bê well ágãin bŷ tó^tö-morrôw."

And shê at őnçe^wőnçe tōōk thé doll out, thôugh thé doll lōōked vexed at giving up her crâdle tó^tö thé flõwerś.

Îdá laid thé flõwerś in thé doll's bed and drew thé cőverlet qυîte ôver them, telling them tó^tö lîe still whîle shê mâde sőme tea for them tó^tö driñk, in order that they might bê well next day. And shê drew thé curtáinś ábout thé bed, that thé sun might not shîne intö their eŷeś.

Åll thé êvening shê thøught of^uv nőthing but whåt thé stüdént had tôld her; and when shê went tó^tö bed herself, shê ran tó^tö thé windôw wheŕe her mőther's tülíps and hŷaçinths stōōd. Shê whispered tó^tö them, "Î knôw verý well that yöü are gôing tó^tö a båll tó^tö-night." Thé flõwerś prêtendėd not tó^tö understand and did not stir sô much aś a leaf, but that did not prėvent Îdá fróm knôwing whåt shê knew.

When shê wáś^woś in bed shê lay for a long tîme thiñking how dėlightful it must bê tó^tö see thé flõwer dançe in thé king's castle, and sãid tó^tö herself, "Î wőnder if mŷ flõwerś have rêallý bėen^been theŕe." Then shê fell ásleep.

---

In thé night shê wôke. Shê had bėen^been dreaming of^uv thé stüdént and thé flõwerś and thé counçíloŕ, whö tôld her they were mâking gâme of^uv her. Åll wáś^woś still in thé rööm, thé night lamp wáś^woś burning on thé tâble, and her fāther and mőther were bôth ásleep.

"Î wőnder if mŷ flõwerś are still lŷing in Sôphiê's bed," shê thøught tó^tö herself. "How Î shōūld lîke tó^tö knôw!" Shê raiśed herself a little and lōōked tówårdś thé door, which stōōd hālf ôpén; within lay thé flõwerś and åll her playthingś. Shê listéned, and it seemed tó^tö her that shê heaŕd sőme one^wőne plâying upon thé pïanô, but qυîte softlý, and more sweetlý than shê had ever heaŕd bėfore.

"Now åll thé flõwerś are çertáinlý dançing," thøught shê. "Ôh, how Î shōūld lîke tó^tö see them!" but shê dãred not get up for fėaŕ of^uv wâking her fāther and mőther. "If they wōūld ônlý cőme in hėŕe!" But thé flõwerś did not cőme, and thé mûśic went on sô prettilý that shê cōūld rėstrain herself nô loñger, and shê crept out of^uv her little bed, stôle softlý tó^tö thé door, and peeped intö thé rööm. Ôh, whåt a prėttý sight it wáś^woś!

Theŕe wáś^woś nô night lamp in thé rööm, still it wáś^woś qυîte bright; thé möön shoneyy thröügh thé windôw down upon thé floor, and it wáś^woś ålmôst lîke daylight. Thé hŷaçinths and tülíps stōōd theŕe in twö rôwś. Not one^wőne wáś^woś left on thé windôw, wheŕe stōōd thé emptý flõwer pots. On thé floor åll thé flõwerś dançed grâçefullý, mâking åll thé turnś, and hôlding each őther bŷ their long green leaveś aś they twirled áround. At thé pïanô sat a larĝe yellôw lilý, which little Îdá rėmembered tó^tö have seen in thé summer, for shê recóllectėd that thé stüdént had sãid, "How lîke shê iś tó^tö Miss Laurá," and how everý one^wőne had lāughed^lāufed at thé rėmark. But now shê rêallý thøught that thé lilý wáś^woś verý lîke thé young lâdý. It had ėxactlý her manner of^uv plâying—bending its long yellôw fâçe, now tó^tö one^wőne sîde and now tó^tö thé őther, and nodding its head tó^tö mark thé tîme of^uv thé beaûtíful mûśic.

A tåll blüe crôcus now stepped forwaŕd, sprang upon thé tâble on which lay Îdá's playthingś, went straight tó^tö thé doll's crâdle, and drew back thé curtáinś. Theŕe lay thé sick flõwerś; but they rôśe at őnçe^wőnçe, greetėd thé őther flõwerś, and mâde a sîgn that they wōūld lîke tó^tö join in thé dançe. They did not lōōk at åll ill now.

Suddénlý a heavý noiśe wáś^woś heaŕd, aś of^uv sőmething fālling fróm thé tâble. Îdá glançed that way and saw that it wáś^woś thé rod shê had found on her bed on Shrôve Tüeśday, and that it seemed tó^tö wish tó^tö bėlong tó^tö thé flõwerś. It wáś^woś a prėttý rod, for a wax figure that lōōked ėxactlý lîke thé counçíloŕ sat upon thé head of^uv it.

Thé rod bėgan tó^tö dançe, and thé wax figure that wáś^woś rîding on it bėcâme long and greât, lîke thé counçíloŕ himself, and bėgan tó^tö ėxclaim, "How can one^wőne pūt such stuff intö a chîld's head?" It wáś^woś verý funný tó^tö see, and little Îdá cōūld not help laughing^lāfing, for thé rod kept on dançing, and thé counçíloŕ had tó^tö dançe töö,—theŕe wáś^woś nô help for it,—whether hê rėmained tåll and big or bėcâme a little wax figure ágãin. But thé őther flõwerś sãid a gōōd woŕd for him, espećiállý thôśe that had lain in thé doll's bed, sô that at last thé rod left it in peaçe.

At thé sâme tîme theŕe wáś^woś a loud knocking insîde thé drawer wheŕe Sôphiê, Îdá's doll, lay with mãný őther toyś. Shê pūt out her head and asked in greât ástonishmént: "Iś theŕe a båll hėŕe? Whŷ haś nô one^wőne tôld mê of^uv it?" Shê sat down upon thé tâble, ėxpecting sőme of^uv thé flõwerś tó^tö ask her tó^tö dançe with them; but aś they did not, shê let herself fåll upon thé floor sô aś tó^tö mâke a greât noiśe; and then thé flõwerś åll câme crowding ábout tó^tö ask if shê were hurt, and they were verý pólîte—espećiállý thôśe that had lain in her bed.

Shê wáś^woś not at åll hurt, and thé flõwerś thañked her for thé ûse of^uv her prėttý bed and tōōk her intö thé middle of^uv thé rööm, wheŕe thé möön shoneyy, and dançed with her, whîle thé őther flõwerś formed a çircle áround them. Sô now Sôphiê wáś^woś pleaśed and sãid they might keep her bed, for shê did not mînd sleeping in thé drawer thé least in thé woŕld.

But thé flõwerś rėplîed: "Wê thañk yöü môst heartilý for yøur kîndnéss, but wê shall not live long enough^ėnouf tó^tö need it; wê shall bê qυîte dead bŷ tó^tö-morrôw. But tell little Îdá shê iś tó^tö burý us out in thé gardén nėaŕ thé cánãrý bird's grâve; and then wê shall wâke ágãin next summer and bê êvén more beaûtíful than wê have bėen^been this yėaŕ."

"Ôh, nô, yöü must not dîe," sãid Sôphiê, kissing them aś shê spôke; and then a greât cőmpáný of^uv flõwerś câme dançing in. Îdá cōūld not imaĝíne wheŕe they cōūld have cőme fróm, unless fróm thé king's gardén. Twö beaûtíful rôśėś led thé way, weáring gôldén crownś; then follôwed wållflõwerś and piñks, whö bowed tó^tö åll preśént. They brøught a band of^uv mûśic with them. Wîld hŷaçinths and little whîte snôwdrops jiñgled merrý bellś. It wáś^woś a môst rėmarkáble orchéstrá. Follôwing thêśe were an immense number of^uv flõwerś, åll dançing—vîóléts, daiśiêś, liliêś of^uv thé vallêy, and őtherś which it wáś^woś a dėlight tó^tö see.

At last åll thé happý flõwerś wished one^wőne ánőther gōōd night. Little Îdá, töö, crept back tó^tö bed, tó^tö dream of^uv åll that shê had seen.

When shê rôśe next morning shê went at őnçe^wőnçe tó^tö her little tâble tó^tö see if her flõwerś were theŕe. Shê drew ásîde thé curtáinś of^uv her little bed; yes, theŕe lay thé flõwerś, but they were much more fâdėd tó^tö-day than yesterday. Sôphiê töö wáś^woś in thé drawer, but shê lōōked verý sleepý.

"Dö yöü rėmember whåt yöü were tó^tö say tó^tö mê?" asked Îdá of^uv her.

But Sôphiê lōōked qυîte stüpíd and had not a woŕd tó^tö say.

"Yöü are not kînd at åll," sãid Îdá; "and yet åll thé flõwerś let yöü dançe with them."

Then shê chôśe fróm her playthingś a little pâstebøard box with birdś paintėd on it, and in it shê laid thé dead flõwerś.

"That shall bê yøur prėttý caskét," sãid shê; "and when mŷ couśínś cőme tó^tö viśit mê, bŷ and bŷ, they shall help mê tó^tö burý yöü in thé gardén, in order that next summer yöü may grôw ágãin and bê still more beaûtíful."

Thé twö couśínś were twö merrý boyś, Güstāvê and Adolphe. Their fāther had givén them each a new crossbôw, which they brøught with them tó^tö shôw tó^tö Îdá. Shê tôld them of^uv thé pōōr flõwerś that were dead and were tó^tö bê buried^berid in thé gardén. Sô thé twö boyś wålked in frőnt, with their bôwś slung ácross their shôulderś, and little Îdá follôwed, carrýing thé dead flõwerś in their prėttý coffin. A little grâve wáś^woś dug for them in thé gardén. Îdá first kissed thé flõwerś and then laid them in thé eaŕth, and Adolphe and Güstāvê shot with their crossbôwś ôver thé grâve, for they had nêither gunś nor cannónś.