In the country, close by the high road, stood afarmhouse; perhaps you have passed by and seen it yourself. Therewas a little flower garden with painted wooden palings in front of it;close by was a ditch, on its fresh green bank grew a little daisy; thesun shone as warmly and brightly upon it as on the magnificentgarden flowers, and therefore it thrived well. One morning it hadquite opened, and its little snow-white petals stood round theyellow centre, like the rays of the sun. It did not mind that nobodysaw it in the grass, and that it was a poor despised flower; on thecontrary, it was quite happy, and turned towards the sun, lookingupward and listening to the song of the lark high up in the air.
  The little daisy was as happy as if the day had been a greatholiday, but it was only Monday. All the children were at school,and while they were sitting on the forms and learning their lessons,it sat on its thin green stalk and learnt from the sun and from itssurroundings how kind God is, and it rejoiced that the song of thelittle lark expressed so sweetly and distinctly its own feelings. Witha sort of reverence the daisy looked up to the bird that could fly andsing, but it did not feel envious. "I can see and hear," it thought;"the sun shines upon me, and the forest kisses me. How rich I am!"
  In the garden close by grew many large and magnificent flowers,and, strange to say, the less fragrance they had the haughtier andprouder they were. The peonies puffed themselves up in order to belarger than the roses, but size is not everything! The tulips hadthe finest colours, and they knew it well, too, for they were standingbolt upright like candles, that one might see them the better. Intheir pride they did not see the little daisy, which looked over tothem and thought, "How rich and beautiful they are! I am sure thepretty bird will fly down and call upon them. Thank God, that Istand so near and can at least see all the splendour." And while thedaisy was still thinking, the lark came flying down, crying "Tweet,"but not to the peonies and tulips- no, into the grass to the poordaisy. Its joy was so great that it did not know what to think. Thelittle bird hopped round it and sang, "How beautifully soft thegrass is, and what a lovely little flower with its golden heart andsilver dress is growing here." The yellow centre in the daisy didindeed look like gold, while the little petals shone as brightly assilver.
  How happy the daisy was! No one has the least idea. The birdkissed it with its beak, sang to it, and then rose again up to theblue sky. It was certainly more than a quarter of an hour before thedaisy recovered its senses. Half ashamed, yet glad at heart, it lookedover to the other flowers in the garden; surely they had witnessed itspleasure and the honour that had been done to it; they understoodits joy. But the tulips stood more stiffly than ever, their faces werepointed and red, because they were vexed. The peonies were sulky; itwas well that they could not speak, otherwise they would have giventhe daisy a good lecture. The little flower could very well see thatthey were ill at ease, and pitied them sincerely.
  Shortly after this a girl came into the garden, with a large sharpknife. She went to the tulips and began cutting them off, one afteranother. "Ugh!" sighed the daisy, "that is terrible; now they are donefor."
  The girl carried the tulips away. The daisy was glad that it wasoutside, and only a small flower- it felt very grateful. At sunsetit folded its petals, and fell asleep, and dreamt all night of the sunand the little bird.
  On the following morning, when the flower once more stretchedforth its tender petals, like little arms, towards the air andlight, the daisy recognised the bird's voice, but what it sang soundedso sad. Indeed the poor bird had good reason to be sad, for it hadbeen caught and put into a cage close by the open window. It sang ofthe happy days when it could merrily fly about, of fresh green corn inthe fields, and of the time when it could soar almost up to theclouds. The poor lark was most unhappy as a prisoner in a cage. Thelittle daisy would have liked so much to help it, but what could bedone?