To Mother Earth was given seed,
In bosom dark it lay;
A rain-drop fell, the earth it drank,
The Sun peeped in next day.
He said to seed, "Drive out the germ
That lies thy heart within.
Send up a stem, put forth a bud,
Your work of life begin."
The voice was heard; an answer came,
The seed sprang into life.
The germ burst forth; it pushed the stem,
And so began the strife.
The Sun again looked down and smiled,
A dew-drop passing by
Stopped now to see a life begun,
And tarried--ask you why?
Because Life's mystery was here,
It used its wiles to woo.
A leaf was born to nurse the bud,
Which 'gan its journey too.
The bud began its toilsome march.
The sun, the rain, the dew,
All sought to win the heart of bud,
All promised to be true.
The sunbeam bright made speech to bud,
"Unfold thee now, a flower,"
The bud obeyed the sunbeam's words;
On all did perfume shower.
The rain, the dew, the sunbeam warm,
All loved the blossom bright;
With love-lit eyes she gazed on all,
Seemed filled with love's delight.
Another sunbeam came that way,
It kissed the flower's cheek.
She blushed beneath his ardent gaze,
And for his love did seek.
But not alone for his love sought,
For coquette was the flower.
She gave her troth to dew and rain,
But dwelt in sun-god's bower.
A rain-drop fell within her heart,
A dew-drop touched her cheek,
A sunbeam kissed her rosy lips--
All for her love did speak.
She smiled on one, another gave
A breath of perfume rare,
To one she promised all her love--
Thus all she did ensnare.
