must be for you!" said the Pansy. "I don't believe I
ever could live so systematically. It is so nice just to enjoy the air
and the sun without thinking much about it. Don't you ever get a
holiday?"

"It is my turn, you know," whispered the Undertaker to his nephew, and
the Red Ant was so systematic that he did not answer the question, for
he had forgotten to allow for it in his calculation. So the Black Ant
next said--

"It makes no difference to me either. In my profession, though we cannot
of course be quite so systematic as my nephew here, yet we make it a
point to be at our post, rain or shine. Nephew, it must be time for us
to be going."

"Yes," said the Red Ant, "it is exactly time. We allow five minutes for
each call and ten minutes between each place. Good-morning!" and they
marched off and said exactly the same thing at the next place.

The Pansy thought it was not quite so interesting as she expected,
though it was pretty good fun, but soon she had a call from the
Dragon-Fly, and that was worth while. So the morning went by, and was
fully occupied with giving and receiving calls. Every one professed to
have had a very good time, though the Earthworm to be sure had not
succeeded in making a single call, he moved so slowly. The Bee was
through long before noon, and boasted of it. "Prompt is my word," said
he, "I made fifty calls, at an average of fifteen calls an hour."

That was the way they celebrated New Year's morning.

Evening.

[Illustration]

In the evening it was different but no less gay. Great preparations were
going on under the Lilac-Bush. Beetles had been at work all day clearing
the grass and putting things in order. At nightfall the Turtles and the
Frogs sounded the chimes, and a merry noise they made of it. The Catbird
rang only one bell. Something evidently was to occur. A little later
the glow-worms began to collect, and the place was illuminated. The
Lilac-Bush was hung with quantities of them, and others darted about in
the air as if they were on the most important business. The Cherry
Blossoms in the tree nearby were very curious to know what it all could
mean. One of them agreed to go and find out. He sailed down gently and
into a cluster of Lilacs.

"This is the grand celebration," said they in answer to his question.
"For one night in the year the Little People are coming out for sport
before midnight. The Queen will be here, and we are to drop leaves upon
her." But t