THE PRIZE DAFFODIL

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 92, 15 October 1932, Page 10

THE PRIZE DAFFODIL

(Original, for Spring-in-the-Eing, by "Sunny," aged 17.)

"Spring.is coining, Spring is coming, .Birdies building your n-e-s-t-s" The untuneful and husfcy voico of Thomas, junr., floated downstairs. Twice Mr. Filbert looked annoyedly up from his paper, then, a\ last ho coxxld stand it no longer. Flinging his paper down with- a jerk that, upset his coffee, he pushed his chair back and strode to tho bottom of tho stairs. "For.goodness sake stop making that noise, Thomas,: and come down and got your breakfast!". "Oh, don't you like the song? It's our new spring one, father, and teacher said we have, to practise it at home. . . ' 'Weave together straw and feather, Everything....." "Thomas, will you stop that confounded row when I tell,you!" thundered his father. "All right, father. I'm coming down this minute. I'm just cleaning my teeth." ' *' "Father, ,tho spring will bo here soon, won't it? Teacher told us it would. Just exactly when docs it come?" '-.'■''. "Don't ask' so many questions, Tommic dear," said his mother. "Hurry up and eat your porridge, there's a good boy." "An* teacher said wo can have a spring flower show, just like the one the grown-ups have—only of course it'll be a better ono. It?s on the same day, too. Teacher's giving a prize for tho best daffodil. I think I'll win it, 'cos my flowcra'arc lovely." Mrs. Filbert hid a smile as she thought, of her son's garden. It was

a little plot at the end of the yard, and there wore a few struggling . bulbs planted there. The ..bulbs had been pulled up once or twice to compare roots .ivith Phyllida's—phyllida was tho littlo girl next door, and Thomas's special friend—and with all their ill treatment it was no wonder they wore not thriving. '■".."

"There's Phyllida. at tho gate now. Do hurry,. Tommioj you'll bo late for school again." '

'' Hullo, 'Lida.''

"Hullo, Tommie." ' "Come on, 'Lida. I'H raco you to Thomson's store!" And tho littlo girl in tho navy gymn. frock and the boy in tho grey suit went dashing down the street.

"Tho' flower show will be on' Tuesday morning at. 10 o'clock," the teacher gave out. "Tho grown-ups aro having theirs at 2 o'clock in tho afternoon, and you will have a half-holi-day."

"Hurrah, hurrah!" chorused all the children.

"How are your flowers V inquired Tommie of 'Lida.'as they played horses home from school that day.

"They aro lovely, Tommie. My <lafTodil is as big as that"—with a very largo sweep of her hancl^. "I'm surd I'll win tho pri2o for the girls. It's tho loveliest doll with real eyelashes, .ancl eyes that go to sleep." The little boy coughed in disgust. "A popgun's much better than a silly 010 doll!" he said. Then: <<■ Good-bye, 'Liaa/'jjß they csrme, to their gates. "Sec you to-morrow."_-.

Just tlion along came' Andrew Green —"such, a nice .little .boy," as Mrs.

Filbert always told Tommie. "So well behaved."

"Hallo, Thomas, arc you going infor the flower show?" inquired the saintly Andrew. ~ .

| "You bet!" was Tonimic's answer. "I really think I'll win the prize with my daffodils," continued Andrew. "They Are very good ones—father said they ..were, and I'm going to ask Miss Spencer, if she would give me a copy of Plutarch's "Lives instead Of a popgun. It's a more sensible prize." Tommio might; have had something to say, but his mother called him, and he ran down the garden path. " . • ' "■Frederick,-.Mrs. Green asked me to tell you that sho hopes you get the silver cup this year in the spring show," Mrs, Filbert told her. husband at .dinner table that night. . ;..■;"■ ; •■ '.

"I hope I do, too, my dear,'' Mr. Filbert said, deeply, interested, in his roast mutton and green peas.; At last the ..day of tho spring showdawned. ; Tommio went down the gardon path and inspected his plants. There wcro only two left now, as Nifty tho whito rabbit had eaten one. Certainly tho two daffodils'did not? look very wonderful. And'the pop-gun was such a beauty, too—it made a ripping noise. Tommie had already tried it one day when he and 'Lida had been.kept in. 'Lida had nursed the doll also.

Sudenly ■Tommio had an idea. He ran down the path, mumbling' to himself all tho while something that' sounded, like: "I'm only going to have a loan of it, that's all.". In a .'few minutes he came'to his father's special show garden. There, dancing softly in the breeze, was.the championship daffd-

tlil. Tpnnnie looked at it for a minute. Then ho reached out his hand and picked it. "It's quito all right," he-said. "I'm going to bring it back again." Of course Tommio's daffodil won the prize, and 'Lida's won it for the girls, too. Then, a terrible thing happoned. Miss Spencer informed the boy that she intended keeping his bloom and putting' it in tho grown-ups' show. There was simply nothing else to do. so he and 'Lida just disappeared.. They went fishing, but somehow it wasn't half so interesting as usual. . . It was the next morning. The glamour had gone from the popgun, and Tommie was called.-into his father's study. In Tarn the boy explained that ho had only borrowed, the bloom. , It certainly won the prize, and after a minute or two of explanation Mr." Filbert had convinced the judges that it was his, but even thence decided .his son wanted a spanking^ so he got it. Through the window Tommie could see 'Lida, so ho opened it andf leaned out.

"Did ho hurt you awfully much, Tommio?" sho- asked1.- •

"Dieatlfullr, 'Liaat I'm all covered -in bruises," he tola her. "I hate tlio. spring. If it hadn't .-been-spring: hmo there wonldn 't have been7: those flowers, ana I wouldn't have got'in foi< a row". Nasty,oia spring!"-..: ; "Novor -mind, Tommie," soothed the little girl. "But-don't think, those awful things .about the: spring).piease.! Spring\is the loveliest^time of the year." . ,- /' . ■ .

But. Tommie was too taken up with trying to see His- imaginary bruises— so no wasn't listeningl •