8 FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS

I know a place where the sun is like gold,

And the cherry blooms burst with snow;

And down underneath is the loveliest nook,

Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

One leaf is for hope, and one is for faith,

And one is for love, you know;

But God put another in for luck —

If you search, you will find where they grow.

But you must have hope, and you must have faith;

You must love and be strong; and so,

If you work, if you wait, you will find the place

Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

( Ella Higginson )

The Author

Ella Higginson (1862-1940), an American writer, lived in Bellingham, on Puget Sound, Washington. She won a prize of five hundred dollars, offered by a magazine for the best short story.

Word list

nook : a small, comfortable place

faith : to believe in something

You Practice

Answer the following questions.

1) Who is the four-leaf clover supposed to bring good luck to?

2) Which do you think will bring greater happiness, to earn something by hard work or gain it by chance? Why?

3) What does the poem say we must have?

4) What does the poem say we must do?

5) If we do all these things, should we have to hunt for a four-leaf clover to bring us good luck? Why or why not?