AUGUST 22: Summer Corn
“Let me tell you,” said Grandfather Corn, “the ways of summer corn.”
All the ears of corn listened, which, of course, they could do quite perfectly, as they were all ears!
“I have grown very quickly. I am very big and full grown,” continued Grandfather Corn. “I wanted to be like this, for in every corn-field some one must give this word of advice to little ears of corn.”
“Advice, advice,” said the ears of corn. “We are going to hear advice.”
“That’s it, my bright little ears. I would say my bright little eyes if I could, but of course I can’t.”
“Too bad,” said the little ears. “But never mind, we are not without ears, even if we haven’t eyes and noses and chins.”
“Eyes, and noses and chins are very silly and quite useless,” said Grandfather Corn.
“Certainly for us at any rate,” said the little ears.
“But for the advice,” said Grandfather Corn.
“When it gets cold don’t let any one encourage you into growing. We will give the people our fine selves as long as the warm weather remains, but not when it is cold. We’re famous for being summer corn, and we will never let it be said of us that we were so coarse and hardened that we could stand the chilly days.” And the little ears nestled in their silken beds and said they would certainly not try to grow in the cold weather for they knew they would hate anything that wasn’t like summer warmth.