JUNE 22: The Sun Dial
“I follow you so that people can tell the time by me,” said the sun-dial. “And how am I able to tell time for them? All owing to you. I depend upon you to help me tell the time, for you cast your shadow over me, and people know just the hour of the day it is. There is the sun-flower which is named after you,” continued the sun-dial. “It is so called because it is so bright and golden and it is big too!”
“That is so,” said the sun. “I am very fond of the sun-flower.”
“And think of all the flowers, like the marigold and the morning-glories, which open when you arise, and go to sleep, closing their eyes, when you go to bed.
“Then there is the sunfish, so named because he is round and fat and supposed to be slightly like the sun in shape.”
“I had never heard the reason for his name before,” said Mr. Sun. “Thanks for telling me.”
The sun-dial moved a little and so did Mr. Sun, for the time was going on.
“Then there is the sun-gem,” continued the sun-dial. “He is the humming-bird, you know, and he has such glorious bright colors that they have named him after you.”
“I never knew that before,” said Mr. Sun. “How very interesting. Pray go on.”
“There are the sun opals—beautiful stones—and sun perch—like the sunfish family. There are sun plants and sun ferns.”
“Indeed,” beamed the sun.
“And there are sun shades,” continued the sun-dial.
“Oh dear,” said the sun, “people use those to keep me out of their eyes, don’t they?”
“Yes, that is so,” said the sun-dial. “Dear me, I didn’t mean to say anything about sun-shades. And there is sun fever and sun stroke.”
“Oh dear, dear, dear,” said the sun, growing very red and angry. “They are horrible things people get when their heads ache and they feel quite miserable.”
The sun was very red and very mad now, and the sun-dial knew it had said too much. “I am so sorry,” said the sun-dial. “I grew a little careless in what I was saying.”
“Yes, you did,” agreed the sun. “But no matter; I shall sleep and forget about it now.”
And the big red sun went to bed behind the hill and the sun-dial said to itself it would never make such mistakes again!