or notice her in any way," cried the haughty
Cardinals, red with anger.

"Nor we! Dreadful, unfeminine creature! Let us turn our backs and be
grateful that the brook flows between us," added the Gentians, shaking
their fringes as if the mere idea soiled them.

Clematis hid her face among the vine leaves, feeling that the palace was
no longer a fit home for a delicate, high-born flower like herself. All
the Golden-rods raged at this dreadful disappointment, and said many
untrue and disrespectful things of Violet. The Prince tossed his yellow
head behind the screen, and laughed as if he did not mind, saying
carelessly,--

"Let her try; she never can do it, and will soon be glad to give up and
let me take my proper place."

So the meadow was divided: one half turned its back on the new queen;
the other half loved, admired, and believed in her; and all waited to
see how the experiment would succeed. The wise Asters helped her with
advice; the Pitcher-plant refreshed her with the history of the brave
Puritans who loved liberty and justice and suffered to win them; the
honest Clovers sweetened life with their sincere friendship, and the
cheerful Buttercups brightened her days with kindly words and deeds. But
her best help came from the rock and the tree,--for when she needed
strength she leaned her delicate head against the rough breast of the
rock, and courage seemed to come to her from the wise old stone that had
borne the storms of a hundred years; when her heart was heavy with care
or wounded by unkindness, she looked up to the beautiful tree, always
full of soft music, always pointing heavenward, and was comforted by
these glimpses of a world above her.

The first thing she did was to banish the evil snakes from her kingdom;
for they lured the innocent birds to death, and filled many a happy nest
with grief. Then she stopped the bees from getting tipsy on the wild
grapes and going about stupid, lazy, and cross, a disgrace to their
family and a terror to the flowers. She ordered the field-mice to nibble
all the stems of the clusters before they were ripe; so they fell and
withered, and did no harm. The vine was very angry, and the bees and
wasps scolded and stung; but the Queen was not afraid, and all her good
subjects thanked her. The Pitcher-plant offered pure water from its
green and russet cups to the busy workers, and the wise bees were
heartily glad to see the Grape-vine saloon shut up.

The next task was to