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​was a little girl who had one great fault; she was discontented.

She had finished her lessons one morning and put on her hat to go into the garden with her little brother where they had a small piece of ground all to themselves. ​

the centre of their garden was a Sunflower, and on it were two or three blossoms, one of which was so lovely that every one who saw it could not help stopping in admiration. ​ was very proud of the plant, and every spare moment she used to stand before it and tell it all her troubles. On this occasion she was in one of her worst moods, and as usual left her brother to play by himself and went up to the Sunflower to grumble.

talked away for a few minutes and then looked up at it as if she expected it to nod its head and quite agree with her, when to her surprise she heard it say in a quiet sweet voice—

"Gertie, dear, would you like me to tell you a story about myself." ​ ​ that I should!" replied Gertie, as she wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, and seated herself in the summer-house close by. I was quite a tiny green bud I was a very discontented little thing like you until one day as your Mamma came past me a small violet dropped from her dress, and, when it heard me complaining, said 'Why are you not pleased to grow here in this nice little ​ ​garden with the beautiful warm sun shining on you, making you look so lovely. How would you like to be put down on the ground to grow like a daisy, or be as I was, where you could hardly feel the sun, and where you had no companions to talk to, and stood the chance of being trodden on and having all your petals crushed? You are not in danger of anything, and, by-and-by, think what a pleasure you will be to everyone when you get into full ​blossom.

felt very much ashamed of myself, and made up my mind not to be discontented again, and in a few days I found everybody noticing me instead of

passing me by.

that is just what you must do, continued the blossom, "and you will soon find that people will love instead of disliking you."

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was a great friend of Gertie's. She was a very delicate child, and the cottage where she lived had no nice ​flowers in the garden.

when she was strong enough, she used to walk past Gertie's to look at the flowers, especially the wonderful Sunflower. ​ as she had not been there for two or three days Gertie went to see her, and found her too ill to go out. Gertie thought of what the Sunflower had said, and did all she could to please Alice. "How wicked I have been!" she said to herself. ​ face brightened when she saw Gertie, for the poor child felt very lonely with no little friends to come and see her, and sometimes she was rather discontented too. ​ made her quite happy when she promised to go again, and take her one of her dolls and some books to read. ​ next day Gertie cut the wonderful blossom from the Sunflower and took it away with her doll to Alice, and put it in a vase with some water She stood it beside her ​ and repeated it's story, which greatly interested her. ​

sight of the flower seemed to make her get stronger, and by the time it had faded she was able to go out again and sit in her own little arbour. ​
kept the dead petals to remind them both of the lesson it had

​taught them.

you see what the little violet said was quite true, for the Sunflower not only lived to be a pleasure to Gertie and Alice, but taught them to be thankful for the comforts they had, and to

be kind and loving to those who had no such advantages. ​
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