d soon the
smaller ones let go; so Bud began to fall, and they were forced to lay
her down on the grass while they rested and ate the bee-bread every
crumb.

"Take me a little farther, and then you shall have the honey," said wise
Bud, who was anxious to get on, and saw that the lazy flies would leave
her as soon as her provisions were gone.

"Up again!" cried the great black and golden one; and away they went,
all tugging stoutly. But though the tiny maid was as light as a feather,
they had little strength in either legs or wings, and soon dropped her
bump in the dusty path below.

"Thanks! Here's the horn; now let me rest and get over my fall," said
Bud, making up her mind that her own feet were safest, after all.

The butterflies flew away, and the small traveller sat up to see where
she was. A dismal groaning caught her ear; and close by she saw a rusty
old beetle feebly trying to dig a hole in the sand.

"What is the matter?" asked Bud.

"It is time to die, and I want to bury myself; but I'm so weak I'm
afraid I shall not get my grave ready in time, and then I shall be eaten
up by some bird, or crushed by some giant's foot," answered the beetle,
kicking and shovelling away as hard as he could.

"But if you were dead you would not know it," said Bud.

"Stupid child! if I'm killed in that way I cannot live again; but if I
bury myself and lie asleep till spring, I come up a grub or a young
beetle, I don't know which, but I am sure of some change. So I want a
good grave to rest in; for dying is only a sleep before we wake up in
another shape."

"I'm glad of that!" cried Bud. "I'll help you dig, and I'll cover you
nicely, and hope you will be some pretty insect by and by."

So she threw off her veil, and worked busily with a little wooden shovel
till a deep grave was made. The old beetle tumbled in with a gruff
"Thank you, child," and died quite comfortably, with the warm sand over
him. Bud piled little stones above the place, and left him to his long
sleep, happy to be able to help, and full of wonder as to whether she
too would have to die before her change came.

The sun was going down now; for the butterfly party and the beetle's
funeral had taken a long time, and twilight was coming on.

"I must find a place to sleep," said Bud, rather anxiously; for this was
her first night alone, and she began to miss Mother Linnet's warm wings
brooding over her.

But she kept up her courage and trudged on till sh