Along the hedge and beside the ditch stood the weeds. Thistle and burdock, poppy and bell-flower and dandelion grew in thick clusters and all had their heads full of seed. For them, too, it had been a fruitful year, for the sun shines and the rain falls on the poor weeds just as much as on the rich corn.  
"There's no one to cut us and cart us to the barn," said the dandelion and shook her head, but very carefully, lest the seed should fall too soon. "What is to become of our children?"
 
"It gives me a headache to think of it," said the poppy. "Here I stand, with many hundreds of seeds in my head, and I have no idea where to dispose of them."
 
"Let's ask the rye's advice," said the burdock.
 
And then they asked the rye what they ought to do.
 
"It doesn't do to mix in other people's affairs when one's well off," said the rye. "There is only one piece of advice that I will give you: mind you don't fling your silly 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 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 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."
 
"It's a 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 i............