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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. 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