4.  Not one of them was half as big as a pin’s head.  They were all in a row, and Dora counted seven of them.

She picked out each one and laid them on her hand to look at.

5.  Then it came into her mind that these little mites of things must be baby-peas.  And she felt sorry to think what she had done, for she could not put them back into their nest, and now they would never grow up to be big.

6.  She told Harry about it next day, and he said, yes, it was very true.  But he must pull open just one flower himself and see the peas inside; and so he did.  There were six peas in his flower.

7.  Every day after this, Dora and Harry came to look at the plants.

For a long time the flowers were very pretty.  Then they began to wither.  One by one they dropped off; but the inside part of each stayed on, looking green and shiny.

8.  The children called these shiny green things bags, till they heard some one say that they were pods.

Sometimes they touched them.  They soon began to feel the peas inside.  The pods grew larger and fatter every day.

[Illustration]

GREEN PEAS.

PART 2.

bas’-ket shell’-ing bas’-in taught won’-der-ful break’-ing fair’-y hap’-pens weath’-er earth moist pea su’-gar starch earth sun’-light

[Illustration:  Pea-pods.]

1.  At last, one sunny morning, mother came out with a basket and began to pick the pods.  Harry and Dora wished to help her, and all three were soon at work.

2.  Next, the shelling began.  Mother had a basin in her lap, and the two children sat close to her and shelled their peas into it.

3.  They told her how they had shelled the baby-peas.  She taught them how each plant was a living thing, and had a tiny plant inside of it, all ready to come out at the right time.  This was very wonderful.

4.  ‘Did that big plant come out of one little pea?’ cried Dora.

‘I can’t see a little plant inside,’ said

Harry, breaking one of the peas open.

5.  ’Yet it is there, a fairy-plant, with a root, a stem, and two leaves.  These leaves take up nearly all the room in the green ball.  How would you like to have two or three of these peas to plant?  There!  I can spare you three each from to-day’s dinner.’

6.  The children were glad to have them.  ‘I wish we could see them grow,’ said Dora.  ‘What happens, mother, when they are in the earth?’

7.  ’Do you mean, How do they begin to grow?  Well, the weather must be rather warm, and the earth moist, and the pea swells itself out till it bursts open its thin coat.  The little root goes down to fasten it firmly in the ground, and to look for food.  Then the little stem and the two leaves come up to get air and sunshine.  That is how it begins.’