ly seed over my field, or you'll have me to
deal with!"

Now this advice was of no use to the wild flowers; and they stood all
day pondering as to what they should do. When the sun went down, they
closed their petals to go to sleep, but they dreamt all night of their
seed and next morning they had found a remedy.

The poppy was the first to wake.

She carefully opened some little shutters in the top of her head, so
that the sun could shine right in upon the seeds. Next, she called to
the morning wind, who was running and playing along the hedge:

"Dear Wind," she said, pleasantly. "Will you do me a service?"

"Why not?" said the wind. "I don't mind having something to do."

[Illustration]

"It's a mere trifle," said the poppy. "I will only ask you to give a
good shake to my stalk, so that my seeds can fly away out of the
shutters."

"Right you are," said the wind.

And away flew the seeds to every side. The stalk certainly snapped; but
that the poppy did not bother about. For, when one has provided for
one's children, there's really nothing left to do in this world.

"Good-bye," said the wind and wanted to go on.

"Wait a bit," said the poppy. "Promise me first that you won't tell the
others. Else they might have the same ideas; and then there would be
less room for my seeds."

"I shall be silent as the grave," said the wind and ran away.

"Pst! Pst!" said the bell-flower. "Have you a moment to do me a tiny
service?"

"All right," said the wind. "What is it?"

"Oh, I only wanted to ask you to shake me a little!" said the flower. "I
have opened some shutters in my head and I should like to have my seeds
sent a good distance out into the world. But you must be sure not to
tell the others, or they might think of doing the same thing."

"Lord preserve us!" said the wind and laughed. "I shall be dumb as a
fish."

And then he gave the flower a thorough good shaking and went on.

"Dear Wind, dear Wind!" cried the dandelion. "Where are you off to so
fast?"

"Is there anything the matter with you too?" asked the wind.

"Not a bit," said the dandelion. "I only wanted to have a word with
you."

"Then be quick about it," said the wind, "for I am thinking seriously of
going down."

"You see," said the dandelion, "it's very difficult for us this year to
get all our seed settled; and yet one would like to do the best one can
for one's children. How the bell-flower and the poppy and the poor
burdock will m