The seed also napped a long, long time. One spring morning it woke up. It yawned and stretched, and . . . CRACK! It’s hard brown jacket split in two.
“Oh!”, said the little seed, “that feels so much better!”
The seed pressed a soft root into the moist earth below, and pushed a tender shoot up, up through the dark, warm earth. It kept on pressing up, up, until, all of a sudden its head reached the top of the earth. It peeked out from the soil and saw Father Sun smiling down brightly. The little seedling opened its leaves wide to the warm sunshine. The seedling sipped the sparkling dew the water fairies brought. Its stem grew stronger and taller, and its leaves grew larger.
Every morning Father Sun sent his bright sunbeams down to play upon the earth. Some would dance on the soft green leaves of the little plant. “Good morning, sunbeams!” the little plant would say. And every evening after Father Sun had traveled across the sky, as He ducked down behind the trees, the little plant would call, “Good night, Father Sun!”
One morning, a sunbeam danced down from Father Sun, and tickled the little plant‘s head. The plant was so happy! All of a sudden, the green cap that covered its little head opened wide, and out popped its face ringed with golden sunbeam petals! The flower would watch for Father Sun to rise in the morning, and follow Father Sun as he traveled across the big sky during the day.
It wasn’t long before the flower heard a gentle humming sound as soft little bee bodies touched its brown face gently. “Zoom . . . zoom . . . hmmm . . . hmmm . . . thank you for your nectar sweet, and your soft golden dust to tickle our feet,” sang the bees. Where ever the golden bees touched the flower’s face a seed began to grow. The seeds grew larger, and the flower was so happy.
But one day the seeds became so heavy that the flower bowed its head down towards the earth. The seeds tumbled out and landed softly on the ground. Father Sun sent his pink and purple rays and wrapped them ‘round the flower then said softly, “Pleasant dreams golden sunflower, mine!” Brother Wind whispered a soft lullaby as night tip toed to the earth.
The next morning Little Mousie scurried into the fields to look for seeds. He found some! He tucked all of the seeds into his cheeks to carry them to his house for the winter. But he took one seed in his teeth and diggity, diggity, he dug a little hole and dropped the seed inside. Then shuttity, shut! He covered it up and left it there. Then off to his house he scurried to settle in for the winter and a nice long nap!