Page:Stories and story-telling (1915).djvu/284

 Anna Jane blew once. "One o'clock," said she.

"Go on," cried the dandelion. "My head is at your service."

Anna Jane went on blowing and counting. "Two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock." The whole head was off.

"Thank you, dandelion," said Anna Jane, although she was not sure whether the dandelion could hear without his head. "It's time for us to be going home."

So Anna Jane and Mary went home at the right time.

THE WONDERFUL CHANGE

It was time for the caterpillar to shut himself in and prepare for a new life. So he chose a low branch and began spinning his cocoon about him. He made it firm and strong, so that no one should break through it and disturb him. It wrapped him about like a shroud. The caterpillar lay down in it and waited.

Days passed and a new day came. The caterpillar burst from the cocoon, changed most gloriously; no longer a crawling worm, but a splendid butterfly with wings. At first he tried his wings timidly. Soon he spread them wide and flew up into the sunshine.

Grown people as well as little children wondered at the change, and felt joy in it.