The Tale of Freddie Firefly | Page 3

you can promise, we ought to have enough. Fifty-five and
six dozen make one hundred and twenty-seven; and you make one
hundred and twenty-eight."
"Yes," replied Freddie Firefly, though he thought it would have been
more polite had Chirpy Cricket counted him first instead of last, since
he was the first of his family to be invited. But he really couldn't be
angry with anyone so cheerful as Chirpy Cricket.
"I'll have to leave you now," Chirpy announced, "for I must be on my
way. I shall have to make a great many calls before sunset, because I
want to invite all my friends to join the procession. ... I'll see you later,"
he said, as he turned away.
He had not gone far before he stopped and called to Freddie Firefly.
"Don't forget to bring your light with you to-night!" he cautioned him.
"I'll try not to!" Freddie shouted. But if the truth was known, he
couldn't have forgotten his light, even if he had wanted to! It was just
as much a part of him as his eyes or his six legs. But Chirpy Cricket
didn't seem to know that. And Freddie Firefly didn't choose to
enlighten him.
Then Chirpy Cricket hurried away. He went straight to the clover field,
because he wanted to ask Buster Bumblebee to take part in the
torchlight procession. And Chirpy knew that the clover field was the

best place to look for him, on account of Buster's being so fond of
clover juice.
Reaching the field where the red clover grew, Chirpy began to hunt for
the biggest blossom of them all. And when he found it, there was
Buster Bumblebee, sitting on top of it and enjoying a hearty meal.
He listened, between sucks at the sweet juice, to Chirpy Cricket's
invitation. He seemed interested, too.
"What music are you going to have at your parade?" he inquired, for
Buster was very fond of music.
Chirpy Cricket replied that he hadn't thought much about that, but he
said he expected to sing.
Buster Bumblebee grunted when he heard that. To tell the truth, he
didn't care much for Chirpy's voice, which he considered altogether too
shrill.
"Are you going to take part in the procession?" Chirpy asked him.
"I'll let you know to-morrow," said Buster Bumblebee. "Ah, but that
will be too late!" Chirpy cried. "We're going to have the procession to-
night."
"To-night!" Buster exclaimed. "Then I can't come. For I shall be sound
asleep right after sunset."

IV
GETTING READY
Buster Bumblemee's mind was made up. Although Chirpy Cricket told
him it would be a shame for him to miss the torchlight procession,
which was sure to be a great success, because Freddie Firefly had
promised to be there with one hundred and twenty-seven of his
relations, Buster still shook his head.
"I wouldn't think of such a thing as staying out after dark!" he declared
with much firmness.
"But you ought to see the Firefly family when they're all lighted up!"
Chirpy Cricket cried.
"Are they as bright as the sun?" Buster asked.
"N-no--but they're brighter than some of the stars," Chirpy replied.
"Well, I don't care if they are," said Buster. "I need my rest at night.
And you'll have to get along without me, though of course, I'm much
obliged for the invitation."

Seeing that further urging was useless, Chirpy Cricket left Buster and
hurried away to find Jennie Junebug. And to his delight, she said at
once that she would be much pleased to attend the torchlight procession.
She did wish, however, that he had invited her earlier, because she
would have liked a new gown for the occasion.
"Oh, come just as you are!" said Chirpy Cricket.
"What! With my apron on?" Jennie Junebug exclaimed.
Chirpy Cricket went off laughing. Buster Bumblebee had caused him
some disappointment. But now he was feeling quite cheerful again.
As he went from place to place inviting his friends to come to the
torchlight procession that night, he found that a good many felt as
Buster Bumblebee did. They declined to break their life-long rule of
going early to bed. But there were others, such as Mr. Moses Mosquito,
Kiddie Katydid, and Mehitable Moth, who said at once that they were
glad he asked them and that they wouldn't miss the fun for anything.
Meanwhile Freddie Firefly was just as busy as Chirpy Cricket. And he
had somewhat better luck. For not only did fifty-five of his brothers
and six dozen of his cousins promise to take part in the procession--and
bring their lights, too--but at least three hundred others, including some
of Freddie's second and third cousins, agreed gladly to join in the
evening's sport.
So before dark Freddie sent a message to Chirpy Cricket by Greenie
Grasshopper,