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PERSEVERANCE.
Out I went in the morning, to look at my garden gay:
Everything shone with the dew-drops that sparkling and trembling lay
Scattered to left and to right, and the webs of the spiders were hung
Thickly with pearls and diamonds; light in the wind they swung.
Everything shone with the dew-drops that sparkling and trembling lay
Scattered to left and to right, and the webs of the spiders were hung
Thickly with pearls and diamonds; light in the wind they swung.
Down in a corner, my sunflower, tall as a lilac-tree,
Shook out his tattered golden flags, and bowed and nodded to me.
Rather heavy-headed was he; for that I did not care,
For he blazed all over with flowers, though rather the worse for wear.
Shook out his tattered golden flags, and bowed and nodded to me.
Rather heavy-headed was he; for that I did not care,
For he blazed all over with flowers, though rather the worse for wear.
And under the sunflower, on the fence, a little brown bird sat,
Trying to sing; you never heard such a queer little song as that!
A soft brown baby sparrow, without any tail at all,
Trying his voice as he sat alone beneath the sunflower tall.
Trying to sing; you never heard such a queer little song as that!
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Trying his voice as he sat alone beneath the sunflower tall.
He could n't sing in the least, you know; he quavered and quavered again,
Seeking so hard to recollect his father's beautiful strain!
But his young voice was hoarse and weak; he could not find the tune
He used to hear above the nest in the happy days of June.
Seeking so hard to recollect his father's beautiful strain!
But his young voice was hoarse and weak; he could not find the tune
He used to hear above the nest in the happy days of June.
But not at all was he daunted; he warbled it o'er and o'er,
And every time I thought it grew more comical than before.
The very sunflower seemed to laugh at the fluffy little bird,
His broad, bright faces seemed to say, “Was ever such music heard!”
And every time I thought it grew more comical than before.
The very sunflower seemed to laugh at the fluffy little bird,
His broad, bright faces seemed to say, “Was ever such music heard!”
I said, “Never mind, my darling; you 'll conquer it by and by,
For never baby or bird could fail, with so much courage to try!”
So I left him there, still singing, and I heard him every day
Doing bravely his little best, till winter drove him away
For never baby or bird could fail, with so much courage to try!”
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Doing bravely his little best, till winter drove him away
The dear bird and the golden flower! I mourned when chilly snow
Sent south the small musician and laid the sunflower low.
But I was sure, when in the spring the sparrows should return,
His singing would be perfect, for he strove so hard to learn.
Sent south the small musician and laid the sunflower low.
But I was sure, when in the spring the sparrows should return,
His singing would be perfect, for he strove so hard to learn.
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