e 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 Green--yes! and