initial commit of ebook 21823HEADmain

1 files changed, 1001 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/21823.txt b/21823.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0a09fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/21823.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,1001 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Butterfly's Ball, by R.M. Ballantyne
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Butterfly's Ball
+       The Grasshopper's Feast
+
+Author: R.M. Ballantyne
+
+Illustrator: R.M. Ballantyne
+
+Release Date: June 13, 2007 [EBook #21823]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
+
+
+
+
+The Butterfly's Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, by R.M. Ballantyne.
+
+________________________________________________________________________
+
+This one of the half-dozen or so little books that Ballantyne wrote for
+young children.  Many of these, and certainly the earlier ones, were
+written under the pseudonym of Comus, but this one went out under his
+own name, perhaps because by the time it was published in 1874 his own
+name had become much more celebrated than that of his pseudonym.
+
+It was written for very young children, and very amusing they must have
+found it, with its characters being the little insects and small mammals
+of the fields and woods, who assemble together for a feast.  Naturally
+they must have become vegetarian for the day! Anyway, they put away
+their warring instincts, and had a good time together, though one or two
+incidents caused by the over exuberant during the dancing, threatened to
+cause serious mishaps, though all were avoided.
+
+It's a tiny book, perhaps a twentieth of the size of one of Ballantyne's
+novels for older children, but it is certainly fun.
+
+________________________________________________________________________
+
+THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S FEAST, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.
+The Butterfly's Ball--by RM Ballantyne
+
+
+
+CHAPTER ONE.
+
+THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S FEAST.
+
+  Come, take up your hats, and away let us haste
+  To the Butterfly's ball and the Grasshopper's feast;
+  For the trumpeter Gadfly has summoned his crew,
+  And the revels are now only waiting for you.
+
+  On the smooth-shaven grass by the side of the wood,
+  Beneath a broad oak that for ages has stood,
+  See the children of earth, and the tenants of air,
+  For an evening's amusement together repair.
+
+  And there came the Beetle, so blind, and so black,
+  Who carried the Emmet, his friend, on his back;
+  And there came the Gnat, and the Dragonfly too,
+  And all their relations, green, orange, and blue.
+
+  And there came the Moth, with her plumage of down,
+  And the Hornet, with jacket of yellow and brown,
+  Who with him the Wasp, his companion, did bring--
+  They promised that evening to lay by their sting.
+
+  Then the sly little Dormouse peeped out of his hole,
+  And led to the feast his blind cousin the Mole;
+  And the Snail, with her horns peeping out from her shell,
+  Came fatigued with the distance, the length of an ell.
+
+  A Mushroom the table, and on it was spread
+  A Water-dock leaf, which their table-cloth made;
+  The viands were various, to each of their taste,
+  And the Bee brought the honey to sweeten the feast.
+
+  With steps more majestic the Snail did advance,
+  And he promised the gazers a minuet dance;
+  But they all laughed so loudly, he pulled in his head,
+  And went, in his own little chamber, to bed.
+
+  Then, as evening gave way to the shadows of night,
+  Their watchman, the Glow-worm, came out with his light.
+  So home let us hasten, while yet we can see,
+  For no watchman is waiting for you or for me.
+
+The Butterfly's Ball--by RM Ballantyne
+
+
+
+CHAPTER TWO.
+
+THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S FEAST.
+
+  Come, take up your hats, and away let us haste
+  To the Butterfly's ball and the Grasshopper's feast;
+  For the trumpeter Gadfly has summoned his crew,
+  And the revels are now only waiting for you.
+
+  On the smooth-shaven grass by the side of the wood,
+  Beneath a broad oak that for ages has stood,
+  See the children of earth, and the tenants of air,
+  For an evening's amusement together repair.
+
+It was very early one delightful morning in summer, when the trumpeter
+Gadfly sounded his horn, inviting all the insects in the forest to the
+Butterfly's ball and the Grasshopper's feast.  The sun shone brightly,
+the air was mild and soft, and the scent of the wild flowers delicious,
+so that not one of the insects thought of staying at home.  Butterflies,
+Beetles, Bees, Wasps, Snails, Grasshoppers, Ants, all put on their best
+coats and frocks, all, put on their sweetest smiles, and all hurried
+off, in little bands, to the ball, talking and laughing, and humming and
+buzzing, by the way, as if they were the happiest creatures in the wide
+world.  Even the old Beetle, that had been run over by a cart-wheel and
+squeezed nearly to death, got out of bed when he heard what was going
+on, and limped along with the rest, though he had been confined to the
+house for six months before.  One or two Butterflies, that were never
+known to go out except in the very finest weather,--and even then,
+carefully wrapped up,--determined to venture.  They were long in making
+up their minds about it.  One thought it looked a very little like rain;
+another feared that the light breeze might give them a cold.  However,
+they put on a great many cloaks, and went.
+
+From all directions they came, and assembled on a smooth, grassy spot,
+under an old oak-tree, where the revels were to take place.  Some
+crawled slowly along the ground, some bounded quickly over hill and
+dale, some came running and tumbling, jumping and hitting against things
+in their haste; some came swiftly through the air, and alighted so
+suddenly as to tumble head over heels; others flew quietly to the scene
+and fluttered lightly about, admiring the gay company they were about to
+join.
+
+  And there came the Beetle, so blind, and so black,
+  Who carried the Emmet, his friend, on his back;
+  And there came the Gnat, and the Dragonfly too,
+  And all their relations, green, orange, and blue.
+
+The Black Beetle was the first to make his appearance.  He carried his
+dear friend the Emmet on his back, and a sad journey they had of it, to
+be sure!  Being very blind, the Beetle was constantly falling over
+twigs, knocking his shins against the edges of leaves, and tumbling into
+ditches, so that the poor Emmet had many terrible falls, and once the
+great beetle fell on the top of him and crushed him a good deal.  But it
+was very pleasant to see how cheerful they were under all this.  On
+getting up after a fall, the beetle always laughed so boisterously that
+the tears ran down his cheeks, and his black sides nearly cracked; while
+the little Emmet said gaily, "Ah! my friend, accidents will happen! not
+hurt, I hope?  Come, get along once more;" and then he jumped up on his
+friend's back again, and away they went as merrily as ever.
+
+A Gnat and a Dragonfly, with a great many of their relations, arrived
+about the same time with the Beetle.  They looked quite charming in
+their brilliant dresses, the colours of which were chiefly green,
+orange, and blue.  A large Blue-bottle Fly, with a very light waistcoat,
+and a hat stuck on one side of his head, said that the Dragonflies were
+lovely, and that Miss Gnat was quite killing.  This was an odd thing to
+say, but Mr Blue-bottle meant by it, that she was very beautiful.
+Indeed, it was said that he fell in love with Miss Gnat, for he danced
+with nobody else during the whole afternoon.
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  And there came the Moth, with her plumage of down,
+  And the Hornet, with jacket of yellow and brown,
+  Who with him the Wasp, his companion, did bring--
+  They promised that evening to lay by their sting.
+
+The Moth was sound asleep when the Gadfly blew his trumpet.  She had sat
+up too late the night before, and, owing to having indulged this bad
+habit, had overslept herself the following morning.
+
+However, she tried by her activity to make up for lost time; she saw the
+other insects hurrying past her house in crowds, so she threw on her
+clothes as fast as possible.  The Moth was prettily dressed in a soft
+garment of down, and as she was a modest creature, every one loved her.
+On leaving home, she observed the Wasp and the Hornet passing.  They
+were dressed in rich suits of brown and yellow.  At sight of them she
+was a little frightened, and endeavoured to run back to her house until
+they should pass by; but they caught sight of her, and immediately gave
+chase, screaming out loudly, "Oh! dear Mrs Moth, pray don't be alarmed.
+We have laid by our stings for to-day, and won't hurt you."  They soon
+caught her, although she ran as fast as she could.  So the Wasp and the
+Hornet each offered her an arm, and obliged her to walk between them
+while they danced along, shouting, and singing, and winking waggishly to
+the friends they passed on the road.  The poor Moth blushed very much at
+being seen by all her friends in the company of two such wild creatures.
+A Caterpillar and a Long-legged Beetle, besides one or two other
+insects that chanced to be near, laughed very heartily on seeing what
+had happened.  But the Moth soon recovered her spirits; and when they
+arrived at the oak-tree, she was walking along with a sprightly step,
+first talking to the Hornet and then chatting to the Wasp, as if they
+were her dearest friends.
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  Then the sly little Dormouse peeped out of his hole,
+  and led to the feast his blind cousin the Mole;
+  And the Snail, with her horns peeping out from her shell,
+  Came fatigued with the distance, the length of an ell.
+
+"Come along, you lazy fellow," cried the little Dormouse, knocking with
+his ivory-headed cane at the door of a mole-hill.
+
+"Ay, ay, cousin," shouted the Mole, "I'll be there in a minute."
+
+So the Dormouse stood impatiently tapping his boots till the Mole should
+be ready.  The Dormouse was dressed in the height of fashion, and
+thought himself a rather handsome fellow.  Some people said that he was
+conceited, and indeed a Spider that was near at hand plainly told him
+so; but, whether this was true or not, there is no doubt that he was a
+very kind little fellow, because he came to lead his poor blind cousin
+to the feast.
+
+"What a time you have been, old boy," he said, as the Mole appeared,
+dusting the earth off his coat and white hat.
+
+The Mole answered that he had been very busy all morning making a new
+tunnel between his bed-room and drawing-room.  He then took his friend's
+arm, and away they went over the green meadows, where the cowslips and
+buttercups grew, making the grass look as if it were dotted all over
+with gold.  Sometimes the two friends stopped by the way to rest under a
+buttercup, and sip a little morning dew; but seeing every one hastening
+past them, while they wasted their time, the Dormouse jumped up again,
+and cast a sly look at his blind friend as he asked him what he thought
+of the fine view.
+
+"Don't make jokes about my being blind," said the Mole, pretending to be
+angry.
+
+Just at that moment they both ran into a Spider's web.
+
+"Oh! how stupid of me," cried the Dormouse; "I wasn't looking before me
+at the time."
+
+"You might as well be without eyes, if you don't use them," said the
+Mole, as they cleared away the threads of the net, and, making a low bow
+to the Spider, went on their way.
+
+Now, all this time the Snail had been slowly creeping over the stones
+and winding round the blades of grass and flowers that strewed her path
+to the place of meeting.  But she was so long of getting there that the
+guests began to be impatient, and said that perhaps she was not coming
+at all.  She lived under the next tree, and had only about four feet to
+walk, but she was so very slow that she took a long, long time to it;
+and at last the Grasshopper whispered to the Butterfly that she should
+go and meet her.  Away went the Butterfly on her gaudy wings, and,
+alighting by the Snail's side, began to urge her to make haste.  During
+the Butterfly's absence, the Wasp, who was always making spiteful
+remarks, said that it was shameful in the Snail to keep them waiting;
+but the Humble-bee, who was walking up and down conversing with a Midge,
+turned round and said, "Remember, you Wasp, that you have not brought
+your sting with you to-day, so pray do not give way to your spiteful
+nature.  The poor Snail has to carry her house on her back, so we should
+not be angry at her slowness."  Some of the other insects said that this
+was no excuse for the Snail, because she knew that she walked very
+slowly, and should therefore have set out sooner.
+
+"Come, come," cried a young Frog, jumping forward, "no fighting to-day,
+ladies and gentlemen.  We have come here to be happy; and here comes the
+Snail at last."
+
+As he spoke, the Butterfly flew towards them, and the Snail crawled in,
+took off her bonnet, put on her spectacles, and sat down; while the
+waiters bustled about, placed stools for the guests, and brought in the
+repast.
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  A Mushroom the table, and on it was spread
+  A Water-dock leaf, which their table-cloth made;
+  The viands were various, to each of their taste,
+  And the Bee brought the honey to sweeten the feast.
+
+It was, perhaps, the strangest dinner-party that ever was seen.  There
+were such a multitude of odd creatures, of all shapes and sizes and
+colours; some of whom were by nature bitter enemies, and would have
+fought and killed each other had they met in the woods while taking a
+walk, but were quite civil and polite to one another, now that they met
+as guests in Mrs Butterfly's bower.  Indeed, many of them wished that
+they could be such good friends at all times as they were then.
+
+All the party had now arrived, and there was a great deal of talking,
+and buzzing, and humming, and jesting, as they sat round the table and
+feasted on the good things placed before them.  The table was a
+mushroom, covered with a table-cloth of water-dock leaf, and on it were
+placed all the delicious dishes of the woods.  The Dormouse brought a
+good deal of wheat, oats, and barley.  The Squirrel brought a bagful of
+nuts.  The Humble-bee brought a quantity of fine honey in the comb,
+which was declared to be most excellent.  In short, every one brought
+something or other; so that, when all was spread out beside the good
+things supplied by Mrs Butterfly and Mr Grasshopper, it seemed the
+grandest feast that ever was heard of.  Such fun there was, to be sure!
+And such a multitude of voices talking all at once.
+
+"My dear," cried the Butterfly across the table to the Grasshopper, "I
+hope you are attending to your friends there.  See that you give them
+enough to eat, and plenty of mountain-dew to drink."
+
+"Yes, yes, my love," replied the Grasshopper as well as he could for
+laughing at the jokes of a bloated old Spider that sat beside him.  Then
+the Grasshopper called to the Butterfly to send him a slice of wheat;
+but, as the noise prevented his being heard, he jumped over the table at
+one bound, helped himself, and bounded back again.  Two or three young
+Crickets and five or six Midges sat at a little side mushroom.  They
+made more noise than all the grownup people put together; and the lady
+Butterfly looked round at them with a smile once or twice, quite
+delighted to see them so happy, and to hear their merry voices ringing
+through the woods.
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  With steps more majestic the Snail did advance,
+  And he promised the gazers a minuet dance;
+  But they all laughed so loudly, he pulled in his head,
+  And went, in his own little chamber, to bed.
+
+After dinner the ball began, and it was the strangest ball that ever was
+seen.  The trumpeter Gadfly and a number of his relations, besides
+several Grasshoppers and Bees, were the chief musicians.  They wanted a
+bass very much at first, but the Bull-frog offered his services,
+although he confessed that he was accustomed to sing alone.  Then the
+gentlemen drew on their gloves, flattened their wings, pulled up their
+collars, and coiled away their tails; while the ladies tightened their
+garters, ruffled their feathers, and put out their feelers.  Oh how they
+did dance! reels were nothing to it.  The greatest difficulty was to
+keep the Grasshoppers in order.  They became so excited that they sprang
+quite out of sight every moment, and so lost their partners, and ran
+against everybody in searching for them.  Then the Bull-frog, who sang
+bass, got a little too much of the dew, and sang so loudly, that he
+quite drowned all the other players.  So Mrs Butterfly put her claws in
+her ears, and running up to him, said, "Oh! dear Mr Bull-frog, pray do
+not sing quite so loudly."  The poor Bull-frog was almost weeping with
+joy at the merry scene before him, but he blushed very green on hearing
+this, and said he had forgotten what he was doing, but would try to be
+more careful.  However, in five minutes more he was worse than ever, so
+they sent a few hundred bees to sing treble beside him, and try to keep
+him in order.  In the middle of all this there was a sudden stop, and a
+Snail, stepping forward, offered to dance a minuet.  This was received
+with such a roar of laughter that the poor snail, half frightened, half
+angry, drew in his horns and went to bed on the spot, and the dance was
+begun anew.  By this time the Gnats and Midges, and some of the other
+flies, had left the ground and retired to enjoy a cool dance in the air.
+Two or three Spiders mounted up into the oak, and fastened threads to
+some of the branches, by which they dropped suddenly down among the
+dancers, and, seizing their partners round the waist, carried them
+screaming in among the leaves.  So the fun and the noise became louder
+and louder.  On the ground, under the bushes, among the branches of the
+trees, and in the air, the dancers bounded, skipped, laughed, sang,
+shouted, and flew in a way that had never been seen or heard of before.
+The merry old Bull-frog became quite absurd.  He sang and roared like a
+lion; took up all the young insects in his arms and hugged them; tumbled
+over the other musicians, and, in short, did so many wild things that
+they were at length obliged to tie him to a paddock-stool, where they
+left him to enjoy himself.
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  Then, as evening gave way to the shadows of night,
+  Their watchman, the Glow-worm, came out with his light;
+  So home let us hasten, while yet we can see,
+  For no watchman is waiting for you or for me.
+
+The sun went down at last, but still the dancers continued their sport
+under the old oak-tree, when suddenly a clear, beautiful light streamed
+across the turf.  It was the Glow-worm's light.
+
+"How charming!" exclaimed the Butterfly.  "It is such a sweet, subdued
+light."
+
+"Rather too much subdued," growled the blundering Black Beetle, as he
+tripped over a twig and pulled his partner, a humble-bee, down with him;
+"couldn't you shine a little brighter--eh?"
+
+The Glow-worm shook his head.  "Couldn't give you another ray to save my
+life," he said; "but if you send for a few of my friends, they will be
+happy to come and help me, no doubt."
+
+"A good suggestion," said the Black Beetle, assisting his partner to
+rise.
+
+"Oh, my poor frock," cried the Humble-bee, gazing sadly at a long rent
+in the skirt.
+
+"Never mind, let's have at it again," cried the Beetle, seizing her
+round the waist, and blundering on again in a furious gallop of his own
+invention.
+
+"Whom shall I send for the Glow-worm's relations?" muttered the
+Butterfly to herself.
+
+"Send the Snail," said a lively young Cricket, who had devoted himself
+to doing mischief during the whole evening.
+
+"Peace, little goose," replied the Butterfly, tapping the Cricket on the
+nose with her fan, and hastening towards the Grasshopper, who was still
+enthralled and convulsed by the bloated old Spider.
+
+"Whom should we send, my dear!" said the Grasshopper, in reply to the
+Butterfly's question; "the Fly footman, to be sure; and pray tell him to
+be smart about it, for I've been run down half-a-dozen times already by
+the dancers since the sun set.  One lamp is too little for our
+ball-room.  That blind Mole has run--ha! there he comes again.  Look
+out!"
+
+As he spoke, the Mole came bearing down towards them in a furious
+Portuguese waltz, with a horrified Dragonfly struggling in his arms.
+
+The Grasshopper made a bound to get out of the way, but at that moment
+the lively young Cricket laid hold of his leg and held him fast.  The
+consequence was that the Mole tumbled over him, fell on the top of the
+bloated Spider, and hit his head so violently on the breast of the
+Bull-frog that he stopped his noise immediately.
+
+This sudden stoppage of the bass brought the other musicians to a stand,
+and as a matter of course stopped the dancing abruptly--with the
+exception of a deaf Squirrel, who had failed to find a partner, and who
+went on revolving slowly by himself as if nothing had happened.
+
+"Dear me," exclaimed everybody (except the Squirrel), "what has
+happened?"
+
+"Oh, nothing worth mentioning," said the Grasshopper, getting up with a
+limp.  "You young rascal, what--why--there, take _that_."
+
+"Oh!" sobbed the young Cricket, pointing with a look of surprise at the
+Spider; "what a sight!"
+
+He might well say so, for the bloated old Spider had been flattened out
+by the weight of the Mole to nearly twice her size, and was apparently
+quite dead.  In great concern, the host and hostess ran to raise her.
+
+"Are you hurt, dear?" asked the Butterfly, anxiously.
+
+"Hurt!" exclaimed the Grasshopper, pushing her aside; "don't you see
+she's burst!"
+
+"Oh me!  I'm _so_ sorry," exclaimed the Mole, wringing his fore-paws.
+
+At that moment there was a shout of eager expectation, for the Spider
+was seen to move.  The Butterfly knelt at her side, and bending down,
+said tenderly--
+
+"Tell me, dear, _has_ he burst you?"
+
+"N-no, n-not--qu-quite," answered the Spider faintly; "I'm only
+f-flattened.  Let some of you sq-squeeze m-my sides."
+
+Immediately a dozen of the young Crickets surrounded the old lady, and
+pressed her sides with all their might.  This had the effect of raising
+her back a little, and enabling her to draw a good long breath, which
+speedily raised her up to her original size.
+
+"There, I'm all right now," she said in a cheerful voice; "I'm used to
+accidents of that sort, and they never leave any bad effects beyond a
+little stiffness of the lungs.  Come, Grasshopper, I'll finish that
+story.  Get on with your dancing, good people."
+
+"Nobody inquires after _me_," croaked the Bull-frog, rubbing his chest.
+"I had no idea a Mole's head was so hard."
+
+"Have some mountain-dew," said the Butterfly, gracefully handing him a
+blue-bell filled with the precious liquid.  "It has been gathered on the
+Scottish hills by a native Bee, who has just arrived laden with
+heather-honey."
+
+The Bull-frog accepted the goblet, and drained it to the bottom.
+
+"It is strong," he said, coughing and smacking his lips.
+
+"Oo ay," observed the Scotch Bee; "it's got the credit o' bein' a wee
+thing nippy."
+
+Under the influence of the dew the Bull-frog began to sing bass lustily.
+The other musicians chimed in.  The dancers seized each other by waist
+and hand--or by tail and wing those that happened to have no waists or
+hands--and the ball was about to go on, when the Grasshopper shouted--
+
+"Stop!"
+
+"Your money or your life!" added the lively young Cricket.
+
+"Silence, pert monkey!--Let us wait a few moments, my friends, for here
+come our lamps."
+
+As she spoke, a soft light was seen in the far distance gleaming upon
+the stems of the trees and steadily advancing.
+
+"Your relations, Mr Glow-worm, I presume," said the Butterfly in a
+sweet silvery voice.  "It is so _very_ kind of you to send for them, and
+_so_ obliging in them to come.  Really I cannot find words to express my
+gratitude."
+
+The countenance of the Glow-worm lighted up with pleasure at these
+words.
+
+As the new-comers drew near, they appeared like a great galaxy of minute
+stars--as if a mass of the Milky-way had been cut off and hurled down to
+earth.  There were several hundreds of them.  As they approached, the
+whole forest lighted up; and when at last they descended upon the scene
+of the ball, and ranged themselves in a circle round the gay party, it
+seemed as if the sun himself had risen again to give them light--only
+the radiance was softer and more mysteriously tender than that of the
+sun!
+
+Strong light has always an enlivening effect on creatures, whether human
+or otherwise.  It cheered up the guests of Mrs Butterfly so much that
+they gave vent to an irresistible cheer; called for the music; and went
+on to dancing with more zest and energy than ever, insomuch that the
+attendant Glow-worms smiled to each other and nodded their heads.
+
+Now it happened that every time the Glow-worms smiled their light
+increased.  The lively young Cricket observed this, and began to wonder
+whether their light would increase still more if they were to laugh.
+
+"I'll try to find out," said he, going up to a small Glow-worm--
+apparently a young one--and requesting her to step aside with him for a
+moment.
+
+The little Glow-worm immediately became grave--in other words, dim--and
+went with him a little way into the woods.
+
+"Now," said the lively young Cricket, stopping, "can you laugh?"
+
+"What?" said the little Glow-worm smiling, and, of course, lighting up.
+
+"Yes, that's it, smile away; but do it harder.  I want you to laugh
+outright.  Can't you _laugh_?"
+
+"Oh yes, when there is anything to laugh at."
+
+"Well, do it now."
+
+"But I can't, please."
+
+"No; then I'll make you."
+
+So saying, the young Cricket seized the little Glow-worm round the waist
+and tickled her.
+
+Of course she laughed at first, and, to the Cricket's delight, her face
+became wonderfully bright for a moment; but suddenly it became dim, for
+he hurt her, and she began to cry.
+
+"You rascal!" exclaimed an angry voice, as the Grasshopper gave the
+Cricket a kick that sent him head over heels into the grass; "I felt
+sure you were after mischief, and I was right."
+
+"Oh, _please_, don't kick him," pleaded the little Glow-worm.  "He
+didn't mean to hurt me."
+
+"No matter.  Get up, sir, and beg her pardon."
+
+The young Cricket got up at once and did what he was bid, for he really
+did not mean mischief, and was sorry he had hurt her; and little Miss
+Glow-worm rewarded him with a smile so radiant that it illuminated the
+spot where they stood quite brilliantly, and sparkled through her tears
+with rainbow hues.
+
+"Now I would laugh to please you if I could," said Miss Glow-worm, again
+smiling.
+
+"Oh, never mind, my dear.  I'll make you and all your kindred laugh
+before the ball is over," said the lively young Cricket, hurrying away,
+and going straight up to the Scotch Bee, who was clad in a tartan plaid
+and kilt.
+
+"Bee," said the Cricket, "can you dance the Highland Fling?"
+
+"Ay, she can do that."
+
+"I could show you a better fling than the Highland one," said the
+Cricket.
+
+"Ho! could ye? ye must be verra cliver.  Wull ye let her see't?"
+
+"Yes, if you'll dance the Highland fling first?  Will you do it if Mrs
+Butterfly asks you?"
+
+The Scotch Bee good-naturedly agreed.  Of course, the Cricket had no
+difficulty in persuading the hostess to ask him.  The musicians could
+not play a reel; but this mattered not, for the Bee could hum to
+himself.  Great was the delight and surprise of the company when they
+beheld the Scotch Bee twirling his legs, snapping his fingers, and
+humming the reel of Tulloch, while the tartans fluttered round him like
+shreds of a shattered rainbow.
+
+The dance waxed more and more furious, and the plaudits of the company
+grew louder, when, suddenly, the lively young Cricket ran in between the
+Bee's legs, tripped him up, and sent him sprawling on the grass.  A wild
+shout of laughter burst from the company--Glow-worms included--and the
+ball-room brightened up for a few moments as if it had been set on fire!
+
+"That's the fling I spoke of," cried the Cricket, leaping up and running
+away.
+
+The Scotch Bee sprang up, drew his dirk, and gave chase, but Mr
+Grasshopper caught him by the arm and dragged him off.
+
+"Ho! friends--supper--supper!  This way.  Don't sheathe your dirk.  I
+have a haggis ready for you to sheathe it in.  Come along; give your arm
+to that bloated old Spider there.  She'll keep you in spirits."
+
+The Bee was mollified.  He gave his arm to the Spider; then all the
+company went off to sup in a neighbouring glade.  Shall we describe the
+supper?  We think not.  It was beyond description delightful.  Just as
+it was finished the moon rose from behind a cloud, so the company knew
+that it was time to go home.
+
+Before going away, they all assembled at the foot of the oak, and shook
+claws with Lady Butterfly and Mr Grasshopper, saying that they were
+charmed with the delightful evening they had spent, and that they hoped
+to be soon invited again.
+
+In a few minutes they were all gone.  The sounds of their laughing
+voices, as they returned home, died gradually away, and the shadows of
+night spread over the quiet forest and the happy little creatures that
+slumbered there.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Butterfly's Ball, by R.M. Ballantyne
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL ***
+
+***** This file should be named 21823.txt or 21823.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/8/2/21823/
+
+Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.