andthesummerwentby,andtheautumnwentby.theleavesfellfromthetrees,andthefewflowerslefthaddeepercolorsandlessscent.thegardener'sboysanginthegarden,acrossthepalings:

"upthehill,downthedalewewend,

thatislife,frombeginningtoend."

theyoungfirtreesintheforestbegantolongforchristmas,butitwasalongtimetochristmasyet.

"hereiamstandingyet!"saidthethistle."itisasifnobodythoughtofme,andyetimanagedthematch.theywerebetrothed,andtheyhavehadtheirwedding;itisnowaweekago.iwon'ttakeasinglestep-becauseican't."

afewmoreweekswentby.thethistlestoodtherewithhislastsingleflowerlargeandfull.thisflowerhadshotupfromneartheroots;thewindblewcoldoverit,andthecolorsvanished,andtheflowergrewinsize,andlookedlikeasilveredsunflower.

onedaytheyoungpair,nowmanandwife,cameintotheywentalongbythepaling,andtheyoungwifelookedacrossit.

"there'sthegreatthistlestillgrowing,"shesaid."ithasnoflowersnow."

"oh,yes,theghostofthelastoneistherestill,"saiddhepointedtothesilveryremainsoftheflower,whichlookedlikeaflowerthemselves.

"itispretty,certainly,"shesaid."suchanonemustbecarvedontheframeofourpicture."

andtheyoungmanhadtoclimbacrossthepalingsagain,andtobreakoffthecalyxofthethistle.itprickedhisfingers,butthenhehadcalleditaghost.andthisthistle-calyxcameintothegarden,andintothehouse,andintothedrawing-room.therestoodapicture-"youngcouple."athistle-flowerwaspaintedinthebuttonholeofthebridegroom.theyspokeaboutthis,andalsoaboutthethistle-flowertheybrought,thelastthistle-flower,nowgleaminglikesilver,whosepicturewascarvedontheframe.

andthebreezecarriedwhatwasspokenaway,faraway.

"whatonecanexperience!"