e your distress. My spirit is pained, yea, what
if I say, sorely troubled and grieved, at this sad catastrophe!
Unfortunate Softsides! truly he was a handsome juvenal, and active of
limb withal. Know, my children, that he found favour in my sight, more
especially inasmuch as I have sometimes thought that I resembled him
not a little, both in feature and disposition, in the joyous days of my
youth. Leave me now to meditate for a season upon this grievous
visitation. In that corner you will find a few beans which I have
collected for you. Peradventure, when you have finished them, I may
relate some little tale or fable for your amusement. Yea, and for your
instruction also, if you will receive it."

So when we had finished the luncheon which the good hermit had provided
for us, we seated ourselves around the entrance of his hole, when,
after a few minutes' recollection, and his usual preparation for a
speech, by closing his eyes for a time, he related the following

FABLE OF THE SUNFLOWER AND THE MIGNIONETTE.

A gigantic Sunflower reared his many-headed stem very far above all the
other plants in the parterre, and affected not a little to despise
their lowly condition and insignificance. A bed of Mignionette, which
grew close to him, particularly excited the anger of this arrogant
fellow. And "what," exclaimed he, "could the stupid gardener be
thinking of, when he planted such miserable, little half-starved
wretches as you in the same border as a kingly Sunflower! Does not my
very name declare my rank and noble origin, in token whereof, I never
fail to pay my respects to the glorious lord of the skies, by turning
my head towards him, whenever he deigns to remove the misty veil from
his countenance? But as for you---- By the by, do you ever mean to
blossom, or have you the vanity to say, that those yellowish tufts
(which at this height I can hardly distinguish from leaves) deserve the
name of flowers? Ridiculous! I have a great mind to say, that if the
mistress of this garden does not remove you, and some other of your
vulgar companions, a little further off, I won't expand another blossom
this summer; I'll kill myself in spite! I will, I declare!"

The Mignionette plants were so diverted at this threat, that for some
time they could not reply to his abusive speech. At length one of them
quietly said, "Vain babbler! to be angry at thy impertinence would
prove that we were as silly as thyself. But know this, thou
em