The ant cows did not stay in the nest long after 

 they hatched, however, but were driven out to 

 pasture on some daisy leaves near by 



The red ants never did any of the work. They 

 did not even feed or clean themselves. All this 

 was done for them by their slaves. 



Nipper, being a strong, lively ant, was one of 

 those chosen for outside work, that is, attending to 

 the cows, or bringing in food. She worked hard, 

 and when night came was so tired that she slept 

 without dreams. 



Still she was not happy, for she remembered 

 that after all she was only a slave, and she thought, 

 " I would not care how small the nest was, nor how 

 poor the food, if I were only free." 



There were two queens in the ants' nest, and 

 Nipper often heard about them, but only three 

 times did she see a queen in all the while she lived 

 in the red ants' nest. 



The first time she was hurrying through a long 

 gallery and happening to take the wrong turning 

 she found herself in a chamber that was new to her. 



There, surrounded by her guards, sat a very 

 large, handsome, solemn-looking red ant, and 

 Nipper knew she was in the presence of the 



