The Tale of Betsy Butterfly | Page 8

butter. And no one could doubt the word of so
respectable a person as Daddy Longlegs.

"What steps do you think we ought to take to prevent Betsy from eating
any more butter and eggs that don't belong to her?" asked the queen of
the Bumblebee family.
"I think we ought to set a careful watch on her," said Mrs. Ladybug.
"I'm sure I don't see when she gets her stolen goods, because I've
watched her very closely myself for some time. And I've seen her dine
on nothing but flowers."
"Perhaps she goes to the farmhouse at night," Jennie Junebug
suggested.
"That's a happy thought!" said Mrs. Ladybug approvingly. "We'll have
to get Freddie Firefly to follow her about after dark."
So Mrs. Ladybug and her neighbors made arrangements with Freddie
Firefly to have Betsy Butterfly spied upon that very night.
"I'll watch her till sunset," Mrs. Ladybug agreed. "And then you must
relieve me," she told Freddie. "Don't let her out of your sight until
sunrise!" she warned him.
Freddie Firefly promised that he would be faithful to his trust. And
later that afternoon, when the sun began to drop behind the mountains,
he relieved Mrs. Ladybug, who had been spying upon Betsy ever since
their talk earlier in the day.
"She's behaved herself fairly well so far," Mrs. Ladybug whispered to
Freddie, as she prepared to fly home to her children. "But there's no
knowing when she may start for the farmhouse. So you mustn't take
your eyes off her all night long!"
"You can trust me," Freddie assured her. And then Mrs. Ladybug said
good evening.
* * * * *
Freddie Firefly always claimed that that was the longest night he ever

spent. And he said that if he had realized that he would have to stay in
one place from sunset to dawn he never would have agreed to watch
Betsy Butterfly.
For Betsy Butterfly went to sleep the moment the sun went down.
Freddie had to remain for hours and hours where he could flash his
light upon her. And all the while he knew that his whole family was
having a delightful time dancing in the hollow over towards the swamp.
It was especially hard for Freddie because he could see the gay lights of
the Fireflies twinkling through the dark.
But Betsy Butterfly knew nothing of his long vigil. She slept and slept
the whole night long. And Freddie Firefly had to admit to himself, as
he watched her, that she didn't act like a robber in the least.

XI
A SLY ONE
WHEN Freddie Firefly reported to Mrs. Ladybug and her neighbors
that Betsy Butterfly had taken neither butter nor eggs from Farmer
Green during the night the field people were much puzzled.
"She's certainly a sly one!" Mrs. Ladybug exclaimed. "What do you
think we ought to do now?" she asked Daddy Longlegs, who was
supposed to be very old, and therefore very wise.
"I think you ought to warn her," he replied, after some thought. "You
ought to tell Betsy Butterfly that she must stop pilfering."
"No doubt your advice is good," Mrs. Ladybug observed. "And I'll
speak to Betsy this very morning.... You must come with me," she told
Daddy. "I naturally want to have a witness."
"Oh, I'll come!" he cried in his thin, quavering voice, though what she
meant by a "witness" was more than he knew.

So Mrs. Ladybug and Daddy Longlegs set forth to find Betsy Butterfly.
And behind them followed a crowd of their neighbors. Even lazy
Buster Bumblebee joined the procession. Though he was a drone, and
never worked, he was always ready to exert himself for the sake of any
new excitement.
The strange company wandered back and forth across the meadow for
some time without finding Betsy Butterfly. But at last Mrs. Ladybug
spied her. And soon Betsy found herself surrounded by the mob.
"Goodness!" she cried, looking about her in surprise. "How nice of you
all to call on me! I'm so glad to see you!"
Betsy Butterfly was so cordial that Mrs. Ladybug couldn't help looking
somewhat uncomfortable. She couldn't avoid a strange feeling of guilt.
And yet she told herself that Betsy Butterfly was really the guilty one.
"She's a bold piece!" Mrs. Ladybug exclaimed, under her breath.
"Perhaps you won't be so happy to see us when you hear what we have
to say to you," Mrs. Ladybug began.
"There hasn't been an accident, I hope!" Betsy cried. "Your house
hasn't burned?"
"No!" replied Mrs. Ladybug. And again she said, "No!" in a very
decided manner. "We've come to warn you that we've found out about
your trickery," she announced. "We know that you like butter, and that
you're in the habit of taking it from Farmer