t size is not always a proof of
greatness." He stretched out his thin leg as he spoke.

"And pray what do you want?" asked the farrier.

"Golden shoes," replied the beetle.

"Why, you must be out of your senses," cried the farrier.
"Golden shoes for you, indeed!"

"Yes, certainly; golden shoes," replied the beetle. "Am I not just
as good as that great creature yonder, who is waited upon and brushed,
and has food and drink placed before him? And don't I belong to the
royal stables?"

"But why does the horse have golden shoes?" asked the farrier; "of
course you understand the reason?"

"Understand! Well, I understand that it is a personal slight to
me," cried the beetle. "It is done to annoy me, so I intend to go
out into the world and seek my fortune."

"Go along with you," said the farrier.

"You're a rude fellow," cried the beetle, as he walked out of
the stable; and then he flew for a short distance, till he found
himself in a beautiful flower-garden, all fragrant with roses and
lavender. The lady-birds, with red and black shells on their backs,
and delicate wings, were flying about, and one of them said, "Is it
not sweet and lovely here? Oh, how beautiful everything is."

"I am accustomed to better things," said the beetle. "Do you
call this beautiful? Why, there is not even a dung-heap." Then he went
on, and under the shadow of a large haystack he found a caterpillar
crawling along. "How beautiful this world is!" said the caterpillar.
"The sun is so warm, I quite enjoy it. And soon I shall go to sleep,
and die as they call it, but I shall wake up with beautiful wings to
fly with, like a butterfly."

"How conceited you are!" exclaimed the beetle. "Fly about as a
butterfly, indeed! what of that. I have come out of the Emperor's
stable, and no one there, not even the Emperor's horse, who, in
fact, wears my cast-off golden shoes, has any idea of flying,
excepting myself. To have wings and fly! why, I can do that
already;" and so saying, he spread his wings and flew away. "I don't
want to be disgusted," he said to himself, "and yet I can't help
it." Soon after, he fell down upon an extensive lawn, and for a time
pretended to sleep, but at last fell asleep in earnest. Suddenly a
heavy shower of rain came falling from the clouds. The beetle woke
up with the noise and would have been glad to creep into the earth for
shelter, but he could not. He was tumbled over and over with the rain,
so