y unpleasant duty to tell
you that people are talking about you. They say that you're going about
_covered with dust_! And as a friend, I advise you to give yourself a
thorough brushing each morning, and as often thereafter as may be
necessary."

Betsy Butterfly had listened in amazement to Mrs. Ladybug's words. And
she had hard work not to laugh, too, because she thought Mrs. Ladybug's
advice decidedly funny.

"Thank you very much!" Betsy said most politely. "I'll remember what
you've told me."

Somehow Mrs. Ladybug thought that Betsy meant she would follow her
advice. And she looked quite pleased.

"I shall expect a great improvement in your appearance the next time I
see you," she announced. And with the manner of a person who has just
done somebody a good turn she hurried away to get the breakfast that was
waiting for her, somewhere.

Then Betsy Butterfly enjoyed a good laugh.

"How ridiculous!" she said to herself. "But I won't tell Mrs. Ladybug of
her mistake, because she might feel upset if I did." And you can see,
just by that, how kind-hearted Betsy was. She did not even tell her own
family about the joke, for fear of hurting Mrs. Ladybug's feelings.

But jealous little Mrs. Ladybug had no such misgivings. _She_ went out
of her way to explain to people that if they noticed a change in Betsy
Butterfly's appearance, they might thank _her_ for it.... "I told Betsy
that she ought to brush the dust off herself," she informed her friends.

Naturally she was displeased when she met Betsy that very afternoon and
saw that the dust still lay thick on her wings.

"I believe you actually want to be untidy!" Mrs. Ladybug cried. "And
if you aren't going to brush that dust off, I shall do it myself!" And
grasping a small Indian paint-brush, the weight of which she could
scarcely stagger under, Mrs. Ladybug advanced upon Betsy Butterfly with
a determined look in her eye.

"Oh, don't do that!" cried Betsy.

"It's my painful duty to give you a thorough dusting," Mrs. Ladybug
declared.

VII

BUTTERFLY BILL

NOW, a crowd had gathered quickly around Betsy Butterfly and Mrs.
Ladybug; for the field people are quick to notice anything unusual.
And a sprightly young cousin of Betsy's known as Butterfly Bill said
to Mrs. Ladybug, with a wink at everybody else:

"I suppose you'll dust the rest of us, too?"

"Only those that need it!" replied Mrs. Ladybug.

"Then you'll have your hands full," Butterfly Bill