Elizabeth Gordon
Mother Earth's Children / The Frolics of the Fruits and Vegetables

FOREWORD

Aseed, little friends, is really a plant or a tree all wrapped up in a little brown bundle. If you plant it in the ground it will grow, and when it is old enough it will bear fruit, because God has made it so.

¶ Among all the children of Mother Nature, the fruits and vegetables are probably the most useful to us. Wherever we may go some of these little people are there before us, ready to help us by giving us food and to make life easy and joyous for us.

¶ In your Mother’s garden you will always find many familiar friends; in the fields the graceful Grain children will nod and beckon to you; in the orchard the Fruit children will peep out at you from their leafy homes; along the roadside the gay little Berries will give you a friendly greeting, and in the forest you will find the little wild Grapes climbing trees and playing hide and seek with the Bird children.

¶ The publishers, who have already given you the Flower Children, Bird Children, and Animal Children, wish to join the author and the artist in their grateful acknowledgment of the wonderful appreciation which these books have received, and to hope that these new comrades will prove as fascinating as those whom you already know.

¶ For myself, little friends, I thank you from my heart.

Elizabeth Gordon.

MOTHER EARTH'S CHILDREN

LITTLE Miss Radish, pretty thing,
Has her birthday in the spring;
She and the little Onions play
Out in the garden all the day.

WHEN Orchard Oriole sings his song
The Rhubarb children troop along;
They’re hardy, healthy youngsters, too,
And stay the whole, long summer through.

SAID Lettuce, tender-hearted lass:
“Come Dandelion, ’neath my glass;”
But Dandelion smiled and said
She liked the nice fresh air instead.

SAID Spanish Onion: “I don’t see
Why people weep at sight of me;
I’m a nice, friendly sort of chappie
And like to make everybody happy.”

THE Button Mushrooms went to play
With the small Puff Balls one bright day;
They had such heaps of glorious fun,
But all ran home at set of sun.

ASPARAGUS in early spring
Came up to hear the robins sing;
When she peeped out her dress was white;
It turned green in the sunshine bright.

THE Green Pea children went to sail
On the Sauce Pan ocean in a gale;
“This boat’s a shell,” they cried; “Dear me!
We might capsize in this deep sea.”

SAID Spinach: “In my dress of green
I’m just as happy as a queen.
I’m truly glad that I am good
For little babies’ early food.”

LITTLE Wild Strawberry came down
To visit with her folks in town;
She’s a sweet child with charming ways
And blushes modestly at praise.

SAID Endive: “I was born in France
But travel when I get a chance.”
Said Celery: “I travel, too,
But my real home’s in Kalamazoo.”

THE Carrot ladies love to go
To church on Sundays in a row;
And, tall or short, each lady fair
Wears a green feather in her hair,

PEARL Onion, tiny little thing,
Lives out doors from early spring;
She’s German, so I understand,
And dearly loves her father-land.

THE dainty little Water Cresses,
In their pretty bathing dresses,
Like water fairies splash and play
In the cool brooklet all the day.

“CHERRIES are ripe,” said Old Blue Jay
As he flew by one August day;
“Why, he means us,” the Cherries cried,
“Perhaps we’d better go inside.”

WHEN Gooseberry wears a gown of green
She cries and pouts and makes a scene;
But when her gown’s a purplish hue
She never disagrees with you.

THE String Beans love to climb a pole,

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