asked Demi , who was much impressed with the power of the bit of glass . `` No , dear ; it 's not powerful enough for that , and never can be made so . You must wait a long while before your eyes are clear enough to see the most invisible of God 's wonders . But looking at the lovely things you can see will help you to understand the lovelier things you can not see , '' answered Uncle Fritz , with his hand on the boy 's head . `` Well , Daisy and I both think that if there are any angels , their wings look like that butterfly 's as we see it through the glass , only more soft and gold . '' `` Believe it if you like , and keep your own little wings as bright and beautiful , only do n't fly away for a long time yet . '' `` No , I wo n't , '' and Demi kept his word . `` Good-by , my boys ; I must go now , but I leave you with our new Professor of Natural History ; '' and Mrs. Jo went away well pleased with that composition day . CHAPTER XVIII . CROPS The gardens did well that summer , and in September the little crops were gathered in with much rejoicing . Jack and Ned joined their farms and raised potatoes , those being a good salable article . They got twelve bushels , counting little ones and all , and sold them to Mr. Bhaer at a fair price , for potatoes went fast in that house . Emil and Franz devoted themselves to corn , and had a jolly little husking in the barn , after which they took their corn to the mill , and came proudly home with meal enough to supply the family with hasty-pudding and Johnny-cake for a lone time . They would not take money for their crop ; because , as Franz said , `` We never can pay Uncle for all he has done for us if we raised corn for the rest of our days . '' Nat had beans in such abundance that he despaired of ever shelling them , till Mrs. Jo proposed a new way , which succeeded admirably . The dry pods were spread upon the barn-floor , Nat fiddled , and the boys danced quadrilles on them , till they were thrashed out with much merriment and very little labor . Tommy 's six weeks ' beans were a failure ; for a dry spell early in the season hurt them , because he gave them no water ; and after that he was so sure that they could take care of themselves , he let the poor things struggle with bugs and weeds till they were exhausted and died a lingering death . So Tommy had to dig his farm over again , and plant peas . But they were late ; the birds ate many ; the bushes , not being firmly planted , blew down , and when the poor peas came at last , no one cared for them , as their day was over , and spring-lamb had grown into mutton . Tommy consoled himself with a charitable effort ; for he transplanted all the thistles he could find , and tended them carefully for Toby , who was fond of the prickly delicacy , and had eaten all he could find on the place .
The boys had great fun over Tom 's thistle bed ; but he insisted that it was better to care for poor Toby than for himself , and declared that he would devote his entire farm next year to thistles , worms , and snails , that Demi 's turtles and XXXXX 's pet owl might have the food they loved , as well as the donkey .
Emil Fritz Jo Johnny-cake Nat Tommy barn-floor day days thistles