y; and accordingly that is what they do. They were
divided into the clean and the dirty ants. The rank of each is
indicated by a number, and the ant queen is number ONE; and her view
is the only correct one, she is the receptacle of all wisdom; and that
was important for me to know. She spoke so much, and it was all so
clever, that it sounded to me like nonsense. She declared her ant-hill
was the loftiest thing in the world; though close by it grew a tree,
which was certainly loftier, much loftier, that could not be denied,
and therefore it was never mentioned. One evening an ant had lost
herself upon the tree: she had crept up the stem--not up to the crown,
but higher than any ant had climbed until then; and when she turned,
and came back home, she talked of something far higher than the
ant-hill that she had found in her travels; but the other ants
considered that an insult to the whole community, and consequently she
was condemned to wear a muzzle, and to continual solitary confinement.
But a short time afterwards another ant got on the tree, and made the
same journey and the same discovery; and this one spoke with emphasis,
and indistinctly, they said; and as, moreover, she was one of the pure
ants and very much respected, they believed her; and when she died
they erected an egg-shell as a memorial of her, for they had a great
respect for the sciences. I saw," continued the little Mouse, "that
the ants were always running to and fro with their eggs on their
backs. One of them once dropped her egg; she exerted herself greatly
to pick it up again, but she could not succeed. Then two others came
up, and helped her with all their might, insomuch that they nearly
dropped their own eggs over it; but then they certainly at once
relaxed their exertions, for each should think of himself first--the
ant queen had declared that by so doing they exhibited at once heart
and understanding.

"'These two qualities,' she said, 'place us ants on the highest step
among all reasoning beings. Understanding is seen among us all in
predominant measure, and I have the greatest share of understanding.'
And so saying, she raised herself on her hind-legs, so that she was
easily to be recognized. I could not be mistaken, and I ate her up. We
were to go to the ants to learn wisdom--and I had got the queen!

"I now proceeded nearer to the before-mentioned lofty tree. It was an
oak, and had a great trunk, and a far-spreading top, and was very old