the deeper listening of the child's soul, A fair example is the title—piece, Smiling Flowers’. Flowers with colours manifold, and varied fragrances; they give me their smiles, my dear sweet flowers. Sapphire, green, red, and other hues as well; I come at daybreak and feel enchanted by their sight. Nodding and swinging flowers, I draw near to pluck them and fill my basket and the flowers smile! They smile as I view them, and also as I pluck them; and they smile on when I weave of them a garland. For Krishna’s image. I’ve made this garland; and like my younger brother, it smiles at me. It was with an unfailing instinct that Valliappa has chosen all along to make flowers’ the key image of his children's songs, for as the Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram has explained and exhorted: “Be like a flower...open, frank, equal, generoua and kind... xxiii
