The Tale of Betsy Butterfly Read online

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  Betsy Held the Skipper by His Coat-tails._Frontispiece_ (_Page_ 113)]

  _TUCK-ME-IN TALES_(Trademark Registered)

  THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY

  BY ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

  NEW YORKGROSSET & DUNLAPPUBLISHERS

  Made in the United States of America

  Copyright, 1918, byGROSSET & DUNLAP

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. BEAUTY AND THE BLOSSOMS 1 II. JOHNNIE GREEN'S NET 6 III. A MISHAP 11 IV. BUSYBODIES 17 V. NO JOKER 22 VI. MRS. LADYBUG'S ADVICE 27 VII. BUTTERFLY BILL 32 VIII. DO YOU LIKE BUTTER? 37 IX. UNEXPECTED NEWS 42 X. THE NIGHT WATCH 47 XI. A SLY ONE 52 XII. A TERRIBLE BLUNDER 57 XIII. THE FRIENDLY STRANGER 63 XIV. A DEEP PLOT 68 XV. JOSEPH BUMBLE'S COMPLAINT 73 XVI. NOTHING BUT A FRAUD 78 XVII. DUSTY'S DIFFICULTY 83 XVIII. SOLOMON OWL'S IDEA 88 XIX. A BIT OF LUCK 93 XX. SOMETHING SEEMS WRONG 98 XXI. A STRANGE CHANGE 103 XXII. THE SKIPPER 110

  THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY

  I

  BEAUTY AND THE BLOSSOMS

  EVERY one of the field people in Pleasant Valley, and the forest folk aswell, was different from his neighbors. For instance, there was JasperJay. He was the noisiest chap for miles around. And there was PeterMink. Without doubt he was the rudest and most rascally fellow in thewhole district. Then there was Freddie Firefly, who was the brightestyoungster on the farm--at least after dark, when his light flashedacross the meadow.

  So it went. One person was wiser than any of his neighbors; another wasstupider; and somebody else was always hungrier. But there was one whowas the loveliest. Not only was she beautiful to look upon. She wasgraceful in flight as well. When one saw her flittering among theflowers it was hard to say which was the daintier--the blossoms orBetsy Butterfly.

  For that was her name. Whoever gave it to her might have chosen aprettier one. Betsy herself always said that she would have preferredViolet. In the first place, it was the name of a flower. And in thesecond, her red-and-brown mottled wings had violet tips.

  However, a person as charming as Betsy Butterfly did not need worryabout her name. Had she been named after a dozen flowers she couldhave been no more attractive.

  People often said that everybody was happier and better just for havingBetsy Butterfly in the neighborhood. And some claimed that even theweather couldn't help being fine when Betsy went abroad.

  "Why, the sun just has to smile on her!" they would exclaim.

  But they were really wrong about that. The truth of the matter was thatBetsy Butterfly couldn't abide bad weather--not even a cloudy sky. Shesaid she didn't enjoy flying except in the sunshine. So no one ever sawher except on pleasant days.

  To be sure, a few of the field people turned up their noses at Betsy.They were the jealous ones. And they generally pretended that they didnot consider Betsy beautiful at all.

  "She has too much color," Mehitable Moth remarked one day to Mrs.Ladybug. "Between you and me, I've an idea that it isn't natural. Ithink she paints her wings!"

  "I don't doubt it," said Mrs. Ladybug. "I should think she'd be ashamedof herself." And little Mrs. Ladybug pursed up her lips and looked verysevere. And then she declared that she didn't see how people could sayBetsy was even good-looking, if they had ever noticed her tongue."Honestly, her tongue's as long as she is!" Mrs. Ladybug gossiped. "Butshe knows enough to carry it curled up like a watch-spring, so it isn'tgenerally seen.... You just gaze at her closely, some day when she'ssipping nectar from a flower, and you'll see that I know what I'mtalking about."

  Now, some of those spiteful remarks may have reached Betsy Butterfly'sears. But she never paid the slightest attention to them. When she metMehitable Moth or Mrs. Ladybug she always said, "How do you do?" and"Isn't this a _lovely_ day?" in the sweetest tone you could imagine.

  And of course there was nothing a body could do except to agree withBetsy Butterfly. For it was bound to be a beautiful, bright day, or shewouldn't have been out.

  So even those that didn't like Betsy had to give up trying to quarrelwith her.

  II

  JOHNNIE GREEN'S NET

  JOHNNIE GREEN was never quite happy unless he was collecting something.One year he went about with a hammer, chipping a piece off almost everyrock in Pleasant Valley. And of course he gathered birds' eggs.

  After he tired of that he began collecting postage stamps. Next heturned his attention to tobacco tags, even hailing travellers who passedthe house, to ask them whether they hadn't a "hard one," meaning by thata tag that was hard to get.

  When he felt quite sure that he had a sample of every kind of tobaccotag in the whole world, Johnnie Green had to think of something elseto collect. And since it was summer, and a good time to find them, hedecided to start a collection of butterflies.

  News spreads fast among the field people; and almost as soon as JohnnieGreen had made up his mind about his new collection, the whole Butterflyfamily knew of it.

  Old Mr. Crow was the one that first learned of Johnnie's plan. And hewas not pleased, either.

  "Butterflies!" he scoffed. "I should think Johnnie Green might betterspend his time doing something worth while. Butterflies, indeed! Now,if he would only collect Crows there'd be some sense in that!"

  But that was before old Mr. Crow and his neighbors understood exactlywhat a collection was. And the Butterflies felt quite proud becauseJohnnie Green was going to busy himself with them.

  Later, when the field people discovered that collecting Butterfliesmeant catching them and sticking pins through their heads, the Butterflyfamily became greatly excited and worried. And as for old Mr. Crow, hewas very glad that Johnnie had not decided to collect him and hisrelations.

  Well, if you had been in Pleasant Valley that summer, on almost any fineday you might have seen Johnnie Green running about the fields or theflower garden with a butterfly net in his hand.

  He had made the net from a barrel hoop and a piece of mosquito netting,to which he nailed an old broomstick for a handle. And for the first fewdays when he started making his new collection he didn't visit theswimming hole once. When his father asked him to do a little work forhim--such as feeding the chickens, or leading the old horse Ebenezerto water--Johnnie Green was not so pleasant as he might have been. Hecomplained that he was too busy to bother with the farm chores justthen.

  But Farmer Green told him to run along and do his work.

  "You'll have plenty of time to play," said Johnnie's father.

  The Butterfly family was sorry that Farmer Green didn't keep his boy atwork from dawn till dark. They didn't like to have to watch out for fearthat horrid net might swoop down upon them and catch them. They wantedto have a good time among the flowers without being in constant terrorof capture at the hands of Johnnie Green.

  But, strange to say, Betsy Butterfly was not in the least uneasy. Shewas so gentle herself that she couldn't believe anybody would harm her.

  Little did Betsy realize that she was really in great danger. Her fatalbeauty was sure to catch Johnnie Green's eye. And though Betsy Butterflydid not know it, only an accident could prevent her being added toJohnnie Green's collection.

  III

  A MISHAP

  EXCEPT for the work that his father made him do now and then, there wasonly one thing that bothered Johnnie Green in m
aking his collection ofbutterflies. The weather was not so good as it might have been. He soonfound that there was no use hunting for butterflies except in thesunshine. So when a three days' rain came, Johnnie began to wish hehad started a different sort of collection.

  But the weather cleared at last. And the sun came out so bright thatJohnnie fairly pulled old Ebenezer away from the watering-trough andhustled him back to his stall; for he was in a hurry to get to theflower garden with his butterfly net. As for the chickens, they hadvery little food that day.

  Once in the garden, Johnnie Green found more butterflies than he hadever noticed before. But as soon as he began chasing them, they flewaway to the meadow. That is, all but Betsy Butterfly. She said she wassure Johnnie Green wouldn't annoy her.

  And that was where she was wrong. The moment he caught sight of her,with her mottled red-and-brown wings with the violet tips, Johnniecried: "There's a beauty!"

  But Betsy Butterfly was so used to such remarks that she paid littleheed to him. Even when he crept nearer and nearer to her, with old dogSpot at his heels, she did not take fright.

  With her tongue deep in a fragrant blossom she was enjoying itsdelicious sweetness when Johnnie Green, bearing his net aloft, sprangat her.

  When Johnnie jumped, Betsy Butterfly started up in alarm. She had reallywaited until it was too late. And if something unexpected hadn'thappened to Johnnie Green, Betsy would surely have had a place in hiscollection.

  But luckily for her, Johnnie met with a fall. He may have tripped on avine. Or his foot may have slipped on the wet ground. Anyhow, he fellsprawling among the flowers, dropping his precious net as he stretchedout his hands to save himself.

  Johnnie's fall gave Betsy Butterfly her only chance. Coiling her longtongue out of her way, she quickly made her escape.

  So Johnnie Green lost her. But she was not all that he lost. A strangeaccident happened just as he fell, for old dog Spot leaped forward atthe same time. And, much to his surprise, Spot found his head inside thebutterfly net. The long broomstick handle thumped him sharply on hisback. And the silly fellow took fright at once.

  With yelps of terror he scurried out of the flower garden. And Johnniepicked himself up just in time to see Spot tearing across the meadowtoward the woods.

  "Spot! Spot! Come back!" Johnnie Green shouted. But old Spot paid noattention to his young master. Perhaps he was too scared to hear him.

  Spot wanted to get rid of that net that covered his head. And he knew ofno better place to go than the woods where he hoped to be able to freehimself from his odd muzzle by rubbing against a tree or nosing amongsome bushes.

  Johnnie ran a little way after him. But when he saw Spot duck into thewoods he turned back sadly towards the house. For all he knew, old Spotmight run a mile further before he stopped.

  Johnnie would have to make a new net if he wanted to catch any morebutterflies for his collection.

  And the trouble was, he had no more mosquito netting.

  A good many of the field people saw old Spot as he dashed off with thebutterfly net over his head. And they enjoyed a hearty laugh at thestrange sight.

  As for Betsy Butterfly, she had learned to watch out for Johnnie Green.And she knew that another time he would have to be twice as spry as hehad shown himself, if he expected to capture her.

  Old Spot didn't come home till afternoon. When he appeared at last helooked very sheepish. He hoped no one had noticed his fright. And hewouldn't go near the flower garden again for a whole week.

  IV

  BUSYBODIES

  LITTLE Mrs. Ladybug said that she wished Betsy Butterfly no ill luck.But she thought that perhaps it would have been a good thing for her ifJohnnie Green had caught her and put her in his collection.

  On hearing that strange remark Mehitable Moth turned quite pale. Shenever wanted Johnnie Green's name mentioned by anyone, because she livedin constant terror for fear he might mistake her for one of theButterfly family and capture her.

  "What _do_ you mean?" she asked Mrs. Ladybug, while fat Jennie Junebugwaddled nearer them, in order to hear everything they said. ThoughJennie was sleepy, having stayed out very late the night before, thepromise of a bit of gossip made her brighten up at once.

  "I mean--" said Mrs. Ladybug--"I mean that Johnnie Green would certainlyhave brushed Betsy Butterfly before adding her to his collection." Andthen, seeing a blank look on the faces of her hearers, she cried. "Don'ttell me you haven't noticed how untidy Betsy Butterfly is! Can it bepossible that the airs she gives herself, and her fine manners, havedeceived you?"

  "What is it?" asked Mehitable Moth breathlessly. And as for JennieJunebug, her breath was coming so fast that she couldn't say a word.

  "I'll tell you exactly what I mean," Mrs. Ladybug continued. "I stoppedand spoke to Betsy Butterfly this very morning. And I stepped up closeto her, because I wanted to see if she really does paint her wings, asmy friend Miss Moth, here, suspects," Mrs. Ladybug explained to JennieJunebug. "And what do you think? I saw that Betsy Butterfly was_completely covered with dust_, from head to foot!"

  Mehitable Moth looked rather uncomfortable. She was somewhat dustyherself. And she thought that Mrs. Ladybug might be giving her a slydig.

  "Perhaps Betsy had been on a journey," she ventured.

  "Ah! But there is no dust to-day, on account of the rain we had lastnight," Mrs. Ladybug replied. "I'm convinced that the dust I saw onBetsy Butterfly was _weeks old_."

  "The idea!" Jennie Junebug exclaimed. "I should think she'd be ashamedof herself. Did you tell her how untidy she looked?"

  Mrs. Ladybug shook her head.

  "No!" she answered. "But I've been thinking the matter over. And Ibelieve it's my duty to speak to her about it. I don't see what she'sthinking of, to go about looking like that!"

  Miss Moth looked more uneasy than ever, especially when Mrs. Ladybugsaid:

  "Wouldn't you like to come with me while I look for Betsy?"

  "I must go home now, thank you!" said Mehitable. And she hurried awaywithout another word.

  But Jennie Junebug spoke up at once and said she would be delighted toaccompany Mrs. Ladybug.

  "Really," Jennie confided to her companion, "it's a good thing to havebacks as hard and slippery as yours and mine. For the dust can't stickto us as it does to some."

  "There's no excuse for not keeping oneself neat," Mrs. Ladybug saidseverely. "And I shall give Betsy Butterfly a piece of my mind."

  V

  NO JOKER

  MUCH to Mrs. Ladybug's surprise, she did not find Betsy Butterfly in theflower garden.

  "It's too bad she's not here," Mrs. Ladybug remarked to her friendJennie Junebug, who accompanied her. "We'll have to look in the meadow.And it may take a long time to find Betsy there."

  Jennie Junebug yawned right in Mrs. Ladybug's face.

  "Then I can't come with you," she said. "I'm getting terribly sleepyagain. And since I expect to be up all night, I'm going to take a nap."

  Mrs. Ladybug looked at Jennie with great disapproval as that fat youngperson crept under a leaf and went to sleep.

  "Things have come to a pretty pass when ladies stay out all night!" shemuttered. "It was not that way when I was a girl. But times have changedfor the worse."

  The longer Mrs. Ladybug stared at her sleeping friend, the more shethought that she ought to wake her up. "If I rouse her she'll be sodrowsy to-night that she'll simply have to go to bed," Mrs. Ladybugthought.

  So she poked Jennie Junebug several times.

  But Jennie Junebug only stirred slightly and murmured something in hersleep.

  And seeing that it was useless to try to awaken her Mrs. Ladybug set outfor the meadow alone.

  The sun hung low in the west when Mrs. Ladybug found Betsy Butterflyamong a clump of milk-weed blossoms. But Mrs. Ladybug did not care whattime it was. She was satisfied when she saw that Betsy was just as dustyas ever. For, to tell the truth, little Mrs. Ladybug was so jealous ofthe beautiful Betsy that she _wanted_ to say something disagre
eable toher.

  "Hasn't this been a lovely day?" Betsy Butterfly cried happily, as soonas she noticed Mrs. Ladybug. "I've enjoyed every moment of it. Eversince I saw you in the flower garden this morning I've been here in themeadow, flitting from one blossom to another."

  "You might better have spent a little of your time in a different way,"Mrs. Ladybug remarked with a frown.

  Betsy Butterfly looked up in surprise, withdrawing her long tongue fromthe blossom in which she had just buried it.

  "_Ugh!_" A shudder shook prim Mrs. Ladybug. "Please coil your tongue!"she begged. "I can't bear the sight of it. But I must say that I oughtnot to expect good manners in a person who goes about looking as untidyas you do."

  Betsy Butterfly laughed gaily.

  "I didn't know you were such a joker!" she exclaimed.

  "Oh, I'm not joking," Mrs. Ladybug said. "I mean every word I say."

  "Then I wouldn't talk so much, if I were you," Betsy Butterfly advisedher with a merry twinkle in her eye. And before Mrs. Ladybug could sayanother word Betsy Butterfly flew away and left her spluttering andchoking.

  "She insulted me!" Mrs. Ladybug screamed, as soon as she was able tospeak. "She insulted me. And then she hurried off because she didn'tdare stay!"

  But Mrs. Ladybug was mistaken about one thing. Betsy Butterfly knew thatshe had just time to reach home before sunset. So that was why she leftso suddenly. For she never was willing to travel when the sun was notshining.

  "I'll see Betsy in the morning," Mrs. Ladybug promised herself savagely."I'll make it my business to follow her everywhere she goes, until I'vegiven her a good talking to."