eggs, too!"

"Why, I don't know what you're talking about!" Betsy Butterfly faltered.
She was really greatly surprised.

"It won't help you to be untruthful," Mrs. Ladybug told her severely.
"It's no wonder--" she added--"it's no wonder Mrs. Green wouldn't give
me a bit of butter when I went to the farmhouse yesterday. She thought
_I_ was the one that's been stealing it from her, right along."

And then Mrs. Ladybug was amazed by what followed. For Betsy Butterfly
actually smiled at her.

"You're mistaken," she said. "I never eat butter. I don't like it. And
as for eggs, how could I ever break through an egg-shell?"

"I don't know anything about that," said Mrs. Ladybug. "And besides, I
didn't come here to be questioned," she added tartly. "If you have any
questions to ask, just ask 'em of _him_, for he's seen you with your
face buried in butter!" And she pointed at Daddy Longlegs.

And now it was _his_ turn to look uncomfortable. For he considered Betsy
Butterfly to be very beautiful indeed.

XII

A TERRIBLE BLUNDER

WHEN the beautiful Betsy Butterfly turned her gaze on him, Daddy
Longlegs couldn't help wishing that he had worn his new coat that day.
However, he straightened his necktie carefully and tried to look as well
as he could.

"So you've seen me eating butter, have you?" Betsy Butterfly asked him.

"Not _eating_ it!" he corrected her. "I've seen you _standing_ on it.
And your face was hidden in it, too."

Mrs. Ladybug shot a triumphant glance at the crowd, of which she and
Betsy Butterfly and Daddy Longlegs were the center.

"What have you to say now, my fine lady?" she demanded of Betsy with a
sneer.

And still Betsy Butterfly was quite unruffled.

"Where did you see me doing that?" she asked Daddy Longlegs pleasantly
enough.

"I object!" Mrs. Ladybug interrupted hastily. "You needn't answer her
question," she advised Daddy Longlegs. "I know her tricks! She'll keep
us talking here until we forget what our errand was!"

But Daddy Longlegs paid no attention to Mrs. Ladybug's advice.

"I saw you in this meadow," he explained.

And Mrs. Ladybug began to look somewhat worried.

"Come!" she cried. "Let's all go home now. We've warned her; and we'll
leave her to think over what she's done.... I hope--" Mrs. Ladybug
added, turning to Betsy Butterfly--"I hope you'll decide to turn over a
new leaf."

"Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!" Daddy
Longlegs shouted