stop the red and black ants from constantly
fighting; for they were always at war, to the great dismay of more
peaceful insects. She bade each tribe keep in its own country, and if
any dispute came up, to bring it to her, and she would decide it fairly.
This was a hard task; for the ants loved to fight, and would go on
struggling after their bodies were separated from their heads, so fierce
were they. But she made them friends at last, and every one was glad.

Another reform was to purify the news that came to the meadow. The wind
was telegraph-messenger; but the birds were reporters, and some of them
very bad ones. The larks brought tidings from the clouds, and were
always welcome; the thrushes from the wood, and all loved to hear their
pretty romances; the robins had domestic news, and the lively wrens bits
of gossip and witty jokes to relate. But the magpies made much mischief
with their ill-natured tattle and evil tales, and the crows criticised
and condemned every one who did not believe and do just as they did; so
the magpies were forbidden to go gossiping about the meadow, and the
gloomy black crows were ordered off the fence where they liked to sit
cawing dismally for hours at a time.

Every one felt safe and comfortable when this was done, except the
Cardinals, who liked to hear their splendid dresses and fine feasts
talked about, and the Golden-rods, who were so used to living in public
that they missed the excitement, as well as the scandal of the magpies
and the political and religious arguments and quarrels of the crows.

A hospital for sick and homeless creatures was opened under the big
burdock leaves; and there several belated butterflies were tucked up in
their silken hammocks to sleep till spring, a sad lady-bug who had lost
all her children found comfort in her loneliness, and many crippled ants
sat talking over their battles, like old soldiers, in the sunshine.

It took a long time to do all this, and it was a hard task, for the rich
and powerful flowers gave no help. But the Asters worked bravely, so did
the Clovers and Buttercups; and the Pitcher-plant kept open house with
the old-fashioned hospitality one so seldom sees now-a-days. Everything
seemed to prosper, and the meadow grew more beautiful day by day. Safe
from their enemies the snakes, birds came to build in all the trees and
bushes, singing their gratitude so sweetly that there was always music
in the air. Sunshine and shower seemed to l