During their lifetime
we will suppose them to have conversed together.
"I," said the dahlia, "am queen of this garden. I attract every eye that
passes; while you, little clover, are hidden by the tall grass, and
liable to be crushed at any moment."
"Well," replied the clover, "let it be so _now_; but look at our _final
end_. You will be placed in a glass, plucked from your native stem,
where you will wither and die as a worthless thing; while I shall be
felled by the scythe, after I have reached my maturity, and then a
thousand tiny seeds will I strow around me; so that, another reason, I
shall bloom all about the hedges, and my usefulness will be appreciated.
And pray where will you then be?" The dahlia blushed, and hung its head
for shame.
Here, children, is a fable designed to illustrate pride and humility.
Which appears the most beautiful, because the most useful? I know you
will prefer humility to pride. If so, you must remember that the
peculiar traits you now cultivate are forming within you the one or the
other.
Pages:
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84