o
guards the way."

And as she plucked, the one that seemed to be most wonderful was the one
most bright, gleaming yellow as the sun. "It is yellow like gold," she
said. "If I come with the sign of gold, I shall be welcome. I will pluck
it everywhere I can and carry only yellow flowers." And soon her arms were
full, but somehow her fingers seemed hot and unpleasant and her arms were
heavy, so she dropped some by the way and carried only those that seemed
most desirable.

But some were blue--blue as the sky. "Blue for blue blood," she said.
"Those of royal birth are always to be desired. I shall make my sheaf
largely of blue." So she added one here and another there till she was
satisfied that the sheaf would be of all the sheaves the most beautiful.
But the odor was sickening, and again one after another was dropped till
only a few remained.

And some flowers there were in the path that were red. "One needs fewer of
these," she said, "but surely some must be red. I shall put red flowers
for courage where they shall be seen, for courage is of all the virtues
to be desired." But there were thorns on the red flowers and, try as she
would, she could not hide the thorns so that they might not pierce her
flesh. So there could be few of the red in the sheaf.

Some plants there were that bore no blossoms but the leaves were
beautiful, so she added leaves of this and of that, even though she knew
that in some there was deadly poison. "I can hide it among the rest. It is
so beautiful that it must be a part of my sheaf," thought the girl.

But along the way, there had been many flowers that had been passed
unnoticed. White they were. Often they were small but always they were
pure and sweet. Only once had she plucked one and then she had added it
because of its fragrance. "Oh, yes," she said, "I know white is for purity
but white flowers are old-fashioned. Of course I must have a few but many
would spoil my sheaf. It must be bright with color."

So the days flew by and her sheaf was nearly complete. She had thought it
the most beautiful thing she could possibly make. But one day as she
walked, suddenly she saw, standing erect by the road, a beautiful, stately
lily. Its beauty startled her. She stooped to smell of its fragrance. Then
she glanced from it to the flowers in her sheaf.

If she plucked the lily and tried to place it in the sheaf, its beauty
would be spoiled. What should she do? With all her heart she longed to
t