itseemedtohimasifdewandsunshinewerestreamingthroughhim.

"iamsomethingmorethaniknewof,"saidthethistletoitself."isupposemyrightplaceisreallyinsidethepalings,andnotoutside.oneisoftenstrangelyplacedinthisworld;butnowihaveatleastmanagedtogetoneofmypeoplewithinthepale,andindeedintoabuttonhole!"

thethistletoldthiseventtoeveryblossomthatunfoldeditself,andnotmanydayshadgonebybeforethethistleheard,notfrommen,notfromthetwitteringofthebirds,butfromtheairitself,whichstoresupthesounds,andcarriesthemfararound-outofthemostretiredwalksofthegarden,andoutoftheroomsofthehouse,inwhichdoorsandwindowsstoodopen,thattheyounggentlemanwhohadreceivedthethistle-flowerfromthehandofthefairscottishmaidenhadalsonowreceivedtheheartandhandoftheladyinquestion.theywereahandsomepair-itwasagoodmatch.

"thatmatchimadeup!"saidthethistle;andhethoughtoftheflowerhehadgivenforthebuttonhole.everyflowerthatopenedheardofthisoccurrence.

"ishallcertainlybetransplantedintothegarden,"thoughtthethistle,andperhapsputintoapot,whichcrowdsonein.thatissaidtobethegreatestofallhonors."

andthethistlepicturedthistohimselfinsuchalivelymanner,thatatlasthesaid,withfullconviction,"iamtobetransplantedintoapot."

thenhepromisedeverylittlethistleflowerwhichunfoldeditselfthatitalsoshouldbeputintoapot,andperhapsintoabuttonhole,thehighesthonorthatcouldbeattained.butnotoneofthemwasputintoapot,muchlessintoabuttonhole.theydrankinthesunlightandtheair;livedonthesunlightbyday,andonthedewbynight;bloomed-werevisitedbybeesandhornets,wholookedafterthehoney,thedowryoftheflower,andtheytookthehoney,andlefttheflowerwhereitwas.

"thethievishrabble!"saidthethistle."ificouldonlystabeveryoneofthem!buticannot."

theflowershungtheirheadsandfaded;butafteratimenewonescame.

"youcomeingoodtime,"saidthethistle."iamexpectingeverymomenttogetacrossthefence."

afewinnocentdaisies,andalongthindandelion,stoodandlistenedindeepadmiration,andbelievedeverythingtheyheard.

theoldassofthemilk-cartstoodattheedgeofthefield-road,andglancedacrossatthebloomingthistlebush;buthishalterwastooshort,andhecouldnotreachit.

andthethistlethoughtsolongofthethistleofscotland,towhosefamilyhesaidhebelonged,thathefanciedatlastthathehadcomefromscotland,andthathisparentshadbeenputintothenationalescutcheon.thatwasagreatthought;but,yousee,agreatthistlehasarighttoagreatthought.

"oneisoftenofsograndafamily,thatonemaynotknowit,"saidthenettle,whogrewcloseby.hehadakindofideathathemightbemadeintocambricifhewererightlytreated.

andthesummerwentby,andtheautumnwentby.theleavesfellfromthetrees,andthefewflowerslefthaddeepercolorsandlessscent.thegardener'sboysanginthegarden,acrossthepalings:

"upthehill,downthedalewewend,

thatislife,frombeginningtoend."

theyoungfirtreesintheforestbegantolongforchristmas,butitwasalongtimetochristmasyet.

"hereiamstandingyet!"saidthethistle."itisasifnobodythoughtofme,andyetimanagedthematch.theywerebetrothed,andtheyhavehadtheirwedding;itisnowaweekago.iwon'ttakeasinglestep-becauseican't."

afewmoreweekswentby.thethistlestoodtherewithhislastsingleflowerlargeandfull.thisflowerhadshotupfromneartheroots;thewindblewcoldoverit,andthecolorsvanished,andtheflowergrewinsize,andlookedlikeasilveredsunflower.

onedaytheyoungpair,nowmanandwife,cameintotheywentalongbythepaling,andtheyoungwifelookedacrossit.

"there'sthegreatthistlestillgrowing,"shesaid."ithasnoflowersnow."

"oh,yes,theghostofthelastoneistherestill,"saiddhepointedtothesilveryremainsoftheflower,whichlookedlikeaflowerthemselves.

"itispretty,certainly,"shesaid."suchanonemustbecarvedontheframeofourpicture."

andtheyoungmanhadtoclimbacrossthepalingsagain,andtobreakoffthecalyxofthethistle.itprickedhisfingers,butthenhehadcalleditaghost.andthisthistle-calyxcameintothegarden,andintothehouse,andintothedrawing-room.therestoodapicture-"youngcouple."athistle-flowerwaspaintedinthebuttonholeofthebridegroom.theyspokeaboutthis,andalsoaboutthethistle-flowertheybrought,thelastthistle-flower,nowgleaminglikesilver,whosepicturewascarvedontheframe.

andthebreezecarriedwhatwasspokenaway,faraway.

"whatonecanexperience!"