. Ladybug a favor.

Mrs. Ladybug thanked her--albeit somewhat grumpily. Then, flying to the
place where Farmer Green had planted his squashes, she found a person at
whom she stared hard for a few moments.

"Do you want to speak to me?" this strange lady inquired. She was a gay
appearing creature, dressed in yellow, with black patches on it.

"I can't tell whether I care to talk to you or not," said Mrs. Ladybug.
"It all depends. If you're my cousin, I do. If you aren't, I don't."

The strange lady laughed lightly.

"I wonder--" she replied--"I wonder if you are Mrs. Ladybug."

"I am," said Mrs. Ladybug.

"Then I'm your cousin!" cried the other. "At last I've met you!" And she
rushed towards Mrs. Ladybug with every intention of embracing her.

Mrs. Ladybug backed hastily away.

"Not so fast!" she exclaimed. "If you really are my cousin, well and
good! But how do I know that you aren't an impostor?"

"A _what_?" the strange lady faltered. She was, quite naturally,
somewhat taken aback by Mrs. Ladybug's coolness.

"How do I know that you're not a cheat?" Mrs. Ladybug asked her. "Have
you any references?"

"Any _what_?" stammered the would-be cousin.

"Any letters about yourself," Mrs. Lady explained. "For all I know, you
may be dissembling."

"I may be _whatting_?" quavered the lady in yellow.

"Dear me!" Mrs. Ladybug muttered to herself. "Must I address this person
in words of one syllable?" Then, to her companion she said bluntly,
"Tell me why you think you and I are related!"

"That's easy!" cried the yellow one. "I belong to the Ladybug family."

Now, you might think that would have satisfied Mrs. Ladybug. But she
wasn't convinced yet.

"My family--" she declared--"my family are all famous workers. If you're
one of us, where are your working clothes? Where's your red and black
polka dot?"

The cousin tittered. She seemed to be a silly sort of creature.

"I haven't any red and black polka dot," she replied. "These are my
working clothes that I'm wearing now."

Mrs. Ladybug shook her head. It was plain that she didn't approve of
those clothes--nor of their wearer.

XII

A QUEER WAY TO HELP

MRS. LADYBUG wished that she hadn't come to the vegetable garden to see
the person who called herself Mrs. Ladybug's cousin. She wasn't at all
the sort of relation that Mrs. Ladybug cared to have.

Although the stranger in yellow was most agreeable, somehow Mrs. Ladybug
disliked her exceedingly.