The Magic Speech Flower | Page 5

In his surprise he forgot about the strange flower and sat looking up at
Mee-ko. At once Mee-ko became quiet. He ran along the branch and
down the tree behind little Luke. Then he leaped to the ground and ran
across to another tree. When he thought he was safe, he began to talk
and scold again. To the little boy it seemed as if Mee-ko was saying,
"Come here, come away, follow me, follow me!"
But little Luke did not care to chase Mee-ko. He knew he could not
catch him, and besides, he wanted the strange flower. As soon as he
reached out his hand for it again, Mee-ko began to scold more angrily
than before. "Stop, let it alone, go away," he screamed.
"That is queer," thought little Luke; "I wonder what is the matter with
him. What can he care about the strange flower?"
Just then Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew up toward little Luke and then
back again to the flower. Little Luke reached over and seized the flower.
The stem was strong and he pulled it up, root and all. He put it to his
nose. Its odor was strangely sweet. From the broken stem some clear
juice oozed out upon his hand. Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew down and
sipped it. Then he rose and began to buzz around little Luke's head.

Without thinking, the little boy put his hand to his lips and his mouth
was filled with a strange, sweet taste. At the same time a mist rose
before his eyes, a strange feeling ran through his body, and his head
swam.
In a moment the strange feeling passed away and the mist cleared from
before his face. He looked up and could scarcely believe his eyes.
There in a half circle around him sat a strange company--the strangest
he had ever seen.
There was Mo-neen the Woodchuck, Unk-wunk the Hedgehog,
A-pe-ka the Polecat, Wa-poose the Rabbit, A-bal-ka the Chipmunk,
Tav-wots the Cottontail, Mic-ka the Coon, and Shin-ga the Gray
Squirrel. At one end of the line stood Mit-chee the Partridge, Ko-leen-o
the Quail, and O-he-la the Woodcock. On the branches above them
were Ya-rup the Flicker, O-pee-chee the Robin, O-loo-la the Wood
Thrush, Har-por the Brown Thrasher, Chee-wink the Ground Robin,
Tur-wee the Bluebird, Zeet the Lark, and Bob Lincoln. Little Luke was
surprised to see the last two, for he had never seen them in the woods
before.
"What can have happened to me?" said little Luke aloud. All the
creatures in that strange assembly stirred slightly and looked at
Wa-poose the big Rabbit. Wa-poose hopped forward a step or two and
stood up on his hind legs. His ears were stretched straight up over his
head, his paws were crossed in front of him, and he looked very queer.
[Illustration: THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER]
Then to little Luke's surprise, he spoke. "Man Cub," said Wa-poose, "a
wonderful thing has happened to you. You have found the Magic
Speech Flower and tasted its blood. By its power you are able to
understand the speech of all the wild folk of field and forest. This great
gift has come to you because your heart has been full of loving
kindness toward all the creatures that the Master of Life has made.
"Only he can find the Magic Flower who, between the rising and the
setting of the sun, has done five deeds of mercy and kindness toward

the wild folk of forest and field. These five deeds you have done."
Wa-poose paused. For a moment there was silence. All the wild folk
looked steadfastly at the little boy, who in turn gazed at them with
wonder-filled eyes. Then he spoke. "Five deeds! What five deeds have
I done?" he asked, forgetting all about his morning's work.
"This morning you saved my child from the fierce jaws of Klaws the
House Cat. You drove off Mee-ko the thieving Red Squirrel when he
was trying to steal the eggs from the nest of O-pee-chee. You helped
Ah-mo escape from the trap of wicked old Ik-to. You saved
Chee-wink's fledglings from the cruel fangs of A-tos-sa, and you put
the young one back into O-loo-la's nest safely.
"Two things you must remember if you wish to keep this magic power.
You must never needlessly or in sport hurt or kill any of the wild
creatures that the Master of Life has made and you must tell no one
what has happened to you. If you give heed to these two things, we will
all be your friends. When you walk abroad, you shall see us when no
one else can, and we will talk with you and teach you all the wisdom
and the ways of the wild kindreds."
Just then the sound of footsteps