JULY 22: Jack-in-the-Pulpit
“I am Jack-in-the-pulpit,” announced a wild flower one day.
“Are you?” asked the gnats and flies walking and flying about.
“I am indeed,” said Jack. “If you don’t believe me, you can have a look.”
“We are invited to have a look,” said the gnats to each other and the flies said: “We can call upon him, and he looks very fine, too.”
“In the spring,” said Jack, for he thought it was the correct thing to preach a little sermon as he was in a pulpit, “in the spring,” he continued, “I have many bright red berries. Years and years ago the Indians used to boil these berries and found them very good to eat.
“But at this time of the year, I am simply at my best. Oh, yes, I feel so jolly and well, so happy and gay.”
And Jack smiled at the little creatures around him.
“You would be surprised, no doubt,” he went on, “if I should tell you a few things about my family history. Some I will leave unsaid, however,” he added with a roguish look.
Now, over Jack’s head was a part of the flower which looked like the sounding-board of a pulpit. He stood very straight in his pulpit, which was very handsome, striped in greenish-yellow, white and orange-yellow colored decorations.
“I have a fine cousin,” he said, “and this is the part of my family history I want to tell you. My cousin is the Calla-lily and she has a beautiful white gown which she wears. But she is striped as I am, and she is a cousin, though she cares more for dress than I do, and looks very stately and fine.
“I am more natural,” said Jack. “I’m a good sort of a chap. I like to talk to my little friends and give them advice because I am very fond of preaching.”
“He must be very fine,” the gnats said.
“How beautiful to give us advice,” the flies added.
And to himself Jack was saying: “The poor little insects, little do they know me. I am not as fine as I make myself out to be. I should just say I’m not.
“For I do not practice what I preach. I don’t believe in doing such a foolish thing. That is, I preach to the little creatures and then I let them come and see my pulpit—and then, it’s very, very seldom that I ever let them out again.” Then Jack began to preach once more and gathered about him more stupid and innocent little gnats and flies! But, of course, as he is only a flower we can’t blame him too much.