
A gentle calf lives in a sunny meadow filled with buttercups and daisies, yet he feels out of place because his heart belongs to anything red. He watches enviously as scarlet poppies sway in the neighboring cornfield, longing to be among them despite the other cattle’s bewilderment at his strange fascination.
One day he finds a narrow opening in the hedge and slips into the corn, where he talks to the bright flowers, pleading for them to join his world. The largest poppy rebuffs him, but a tiny, shy poppy replies with affection, promising to come to his field—if only he can rescue her before the farmer discovers their secret meeting. The calf’s daring choice sets the stage for a tender, if uneasy, friendship that blossoms amid the rustling stalks.
Language
en
Duration
~27 minutes (26K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
E. P. Dutton & Co., 1905.
Credits
Bob Taylor, Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2023-03-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1886–1950
Known for gentle, imaginative animal stories for children, this early 20th-century British writer published work that still feels warm and playful. She is especially remembered for Moo Cow Tales and for her family link to the better-known author E. Nesbit.
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