ina ran quickly to a spot where, only the day before, she
had seen a great many flowers. These, however, were now a little past
their bloom; and wishing to give her friends the freshest and loveliest
blossoms, she strayed farther into the fields, and found some that made
her scream with delight. Never had she met with such exquisite flowers
before,--violets, so large and fragrant,--roses, with so rich and delicate
a blush,--such superb hyacinths and such aromatic pinks,--and many others,
some of which seemed to be of new shapes and colors. Two or three times,
moreover, she could not help thinking that a tuft of most splendid flowers
had suddenly sprouted out of the earth before her very eyes, as if on
purpose to tempt her a few steps farther. Proserpina's apron was soon
filled and brimming over with delightful blossoms. She was on the point of
turning back in order to rejoin the sea-nymphs, and sit with them on the
moist sands, all twining wreaths together. But, a little farther on, what
should she behold? It was a large shrub, completely covered with the most
magnificent flowers in the world.

"The darlings!" cried Proserpina; and then she thought to herself, "I was
looking at that spot only a moment ago. How strange it is that I did not
see the flowers!"

The nearer she approached the shrub, the more attractive it looked, until
she came quite close to it; and then, although its beauty was richer than
words can tell, she hardly knew whether to like it or not. It bore above a
hundred flowers of the most brilliant hues, and each different from the
others, but all having a kind of resemblance among themselves, which
showed them to be sister blossoms. But there was a deep, glossy lustre on
the leaves of the shrub, and on the petals of the flowers, that made
Proserpina doubt whether they might not be poisonous. To tell you the
truth, foolish as it may seem, she was half inclined to turn round and run
away.

"What a silly child I am!" thought she, taking courage. "It is really the
most beautiful shrub that ever sprang out of the earth. I will pull it up
by the roots, and carry it home, and plant it in my mother's garden."

Holding up her apron full of flowers with her left hand, Proserpina seized
the large shrub with the other, and pulled and pulled, but was hardly able
to loosen the soil about its roots. What a deep-rooted plant it was! Again
the girl pulled with all her might, and observed that the earth began to
stir a