The Tale of Betsy Butterfly Page 4

  "Who are you?" Joseph Bumble demanded of Buster quite fiercely. He wasdetermined to put his enemy to rout if he could.

  "I'm Buster Bumblebee!" was the reply. "Don't you know your cousin?"

  When he heard that, Joseph Bumble knew at once that the game was up. Histrickery was discovered beyond a doubt. So with one last lingering lookat the beautiful Betsy he took to his wings. And no one ever saw him inthose parts again.

  As for Betsy Butterfly, she never could bear, after that, to hear thename of Joseph Bumble so much as mentioned.

  XVII

  DUSTY'S DIFFICULTY

  IT was to be expected that as time went on, Betsy Butterfly's fame wouldspread far and wide. And long before the summer was over, half thecreatures that lived in Pleasant Valley knew her. They were the onesthat went about by daylight and rested at night.

  As for the other half--the night-prowlers--many of them had heard aboutthe beautiful Betsy, though of course they had never seen her. That is,none of them had set eyes on her except Freddie Firefly, who had flashedhis light upon Betsy all one night, because Mrs. Ladybug had a strangenotion that she was stealing butter from the farmhouse.

  In fact, after that happened, Freddie Firefly had gone about telling allhis friends how beautiful Betsy Butterfly was, and saying what a pity itwas that she didn't like moonlight as well as sunshine.

  He talked so much about her that at last a good many of thenight-prowling people said that they wished they might see BetsyButterfly just once, for they could scarcely believe that anybodycould be as dainty and bewitching as Freddie Firefly would havethem believe her.

  And there was one dashing young chap of the Moth family who becameespecially eager to make Betsy's acquaintance. Indeed, he began tocomplain that he was losing his appetite, through thinking about BetsyButterfly. So he besought Freddie Firefly to help him out of hisdifficulty.

  Now, while he was talking with Freddie Firefly, this young Moth, who wasknown as Dusty, never once stopped eating. Freddie Firefly noticed howhis fat sides stuck out.

  And he wondered what the fellow's appetite could have been like beforehe lost some of it.

  "You don't act like one in delicate health," Freddie Firefly observed,as he watched the greedy Dusty consume more food.

  "Oh, but I am!" Dusty Moth protested feebly. "I'm so weak now that I canhardly raise myself with my wings."

  Freddie was sure that Dusty's trouble was merely due to his being toofat. But he saw no reason for quarreling with him.

  "Can't you think of some plan by which I could meet Betsy Butterfly?"Dusty Moth persisted. "Perhaps if I could see her just once I'd be ableto get my mind _off_ her--and _on_ my meals again."

  "I don't know how I can help you," Freddie Firefly confessed. "You see,Betsy goes home exactly at sunset. And at present she never seems tomake her home in the same place for even two nights. So one can never besure where she will be.

  "Of course, when the sun is shining you can always find her among theflowers. But that won't help you any, because you're such a sleepy-headin the daytime that you couldn't see anything even if it was stuck rightinto your eyes."

  "Can't you explain my sad case to Betsy Butterfly?" Dusty Moth askedhopefully. "I've heard that she's very kind-hearted. And if she knew howI'm suffering on her account I'm sure she'd be glad to meet me somepleasant, dark night."

  He begged so piteously that in the end Freddie Firefly agreed to do whathe could.

  "But I warn you--" he said--"I warn you that I can't give you muchhope."

  XVIII

  SOLOMON OWL'S IDEA

  FREDDIE FIREFLY actually did send a message to Betsy Butterfly, tellingher that Dusty Moth wanted to see her, and saying that unless she wouldagree to meet him in the meadow some night soon, Dusty was afraid hewould lose his appetite entirely.

  But Betsy thought the whole affair was only a joke. So she merelylaughed--and sent Freddie no answer at all; for she hardly believedthat she needed to explain to him that nothing could induce her tostir out after sunset.

  Freddie Firefly was much upset because he received no answer to hismessage. Perhaps he would not have cared so much had Dusty Moth not madehis life miserable each night from dusk to dawn. But that persistentfellow kept asking Freddie every few minutes if he had "heard from her"yet. And naturally anyone would grow tired if he had to keep saying "No!no! no!" all night long.

  At the same time Dusty Moth kept insisting in a most annoying way thatif he lost much more of his appetite he would be ill, and it would beFreddie Firefly's fault.

  So Freddie Firefly began to worry. He came finally to detest Dusty Moth.And Freddie's family noticed that he was growing quite thin, becauseDusty Moth left him little time--between questions--in which to eat hismeals comfortably.

  "I declare, I wish Betsy Butterfly would move away from PleasantValley!" Freddie Firefly exclaimed at last, quite out of patience witheverybody and everything. "I'm in a pretty fix, I am! And since I don'tknow how to get rid of this annoying Dusty Moth, I'm going to askSolomon Owl what I'd better do." That, at least, was a comfortingthought.

  So the following morning, just before dawn, he made what might be termeda flying call on Solomon Owl who lived in the hemlock woods beyond theswamp.

  And luckily wise old Solomon thought of a good plan at once. As soon ashe had heard Freddie Firefly's story he said to him:

  "If Betsy Butterfly refuses to meet your friend, why don't you ask herfor her picture?"

  "That's a splendid idea!" Freddie cried. "How in the world did you everhappen to think of it, Mr. Owl?"

  Solomon Owl hooted at that question.

  "That's my secret," he said. "If I told all I know, everybody else wouldbe just as wise as I am." And after giving another long string of hoots,which he followed with a burst of loud laughter, Solomon Owl popped intohis house.

  Anyhow, Freddie Firefly couldn't complain, for he now had a remedy forhis trouble. And he felt so carefree and happy again that on his wayacross the meadow he stopped to talk with Jimmy Rabbit, who was taking astroll in the direction of Farmer Green's cabbage patch.

  Freddie Firefly quickly told Jimmy all about his affair with Dusty Moth.He even explained how he had gone to ask Solomon Owl's help, and relatedwhat that wise bird had advised.

  "There's only one thing that worries me now," said Freddie Fireflyanxiously. "I'm wondering whether Betsy Butterfly has ever had a picturemade of herself."

  XIX

  A BIT OF LUCK

  JIMMY RABBIT promptly set Freddie Firefly's fears at rest.

  "I happen to know," said he, "that Betsy Butterfly has a picture ofherself."

  "Are you sure?" Freddie asked him eagerly.

  "I ought to be," replied Jimmy Rabbit, "because I painted it myself, thevery next day after I finished a portrait of old Mr. Crow."

  "It ought to be a good one, if you made it," said Freddie. "But wasn'tit some time ago that you were an artist?"

  "It was earlier in the summer," Jimmy Rabbit admitted. "Of course,Betsy Butterfly has changed somewhat since then. But this picture was afine likeness of her at the time I painted it.... I suppose," he added,"I was the first one in the whole valley to perceive that she was goingto be a beauty when she got her full growth."

  "Do you suppose she'll send me the picture, if I ask her, so I can showit to Dusty Moth?" Freddie asked.

  Jimmy Rabbit looked a bit doubtful. He pondered for a few moments. Andthen he said:

  "I'll tell you what I'll do! To-morrow morning I'll see Betsy and I'veno doubt that she'll loan me the picture if I promise to return it toher."

  "That'll be great!" cried Freddie. "Meet me near the duck pond as soonas it's dark to-morrow night; and be sure to bring Betsy's picture withyou!"

  Then Freddie Firefly hurried off to find Dusty Moth, who happenedlikewise to be looking for him, because he had a question to ask.

  They met shortly. And Dusty Moth immediately cried:

  "Have you heard from her?"--meaning Betsy Butterfly, of course.<
br />
  "Now, see here!" Freddie Firefly said. "It's plain enough that Betsydoesn't care to meet you. But I have a plan that ought to suit you wellenough. If you could look at her picture once you'd be satisfied,wouldn't you?"

  "I would--" replied Dusty Moth--"if I got my appetite back afterward."

  "Well, will you promise to stop pestering me about Betsy Butterfly if Ilet you see this picture of her?"

  "Yes! yes!" Dusty promised impatiently. "Where is it? Quick! Let me seeit!"

  "Oh! You'll have to wait till to-morrow night," Freddie explained.

  "I shall not be able to eat a single mouthful till then!" Dusty Mothgroaned.

  "Well--you can suit yourself about that," Freddie told him impatiently."And please don't speak to me again to-night! I've been troubled enoughon your account without being bothered by you any more."

  "One moment!" cried Dusty, as Freddie Firefly started to leave him.

  "Well--what do you want now?" Freddie growled, flashing his lightimpatiently in Dusty Moth's eyes.

  "Are you sure she will let you take the picture?" Dusty asked him.

  "Yes! yes! Of course she will! Why shouldn't she, I should like to know?You certainly do ask the silliest questions!"

  And yet Freddie Firefly had put the same query himself, to Jimmy Rabbit,only a short time before. But now he was quite certain that his worrieswere almost at an end.

  "Betsy Butterfly has caused me a powerful lot of trouble!" Freddiegrumbled, as he hurried over the hollow, to join in the dance of theFirefly family.

  XX

  SOMETHING SEEMS WRONG

  WHEN Jimmy Rabbit went to see Betsy Butterfly the next morning he foundher quite willing to let him take her picture away with him.

  "But I must say--" Betsy remarked--"I must say that I don't understandwhy anybody should want to borrow this old portrait. Everyone tells me Ihave changed a great deal since you made it."

  "That's true," Jimmy Rabbit agreed. "But the person to whom I'm going toshow it won't know the difference."

  "I don't believe he knows me, then," she remarked.

  "No! And probably he never will," said Jimmy Rabbit. "But don't youworry about that! From what I hear of him, he's a good deal of a bore."

  "Don't bother to bring back that picture!" she called to Jimmy Rabbit ashe hopped away.

  "I'm afraid Betsy Butterfly is growing vain," he murmured to himself."To be sure, she _has_ changed. But I shall always like this portrait ofher, because I painted it myself."

  Later, when he was in Farmer Green's garden, he wrapped the picturecarefully in a rhubarb leaf and hid it beneath a pile of brush. And hedidn't come back for it until after dark, just as the moon peeped abovethe rim of the hills.

  At the duck pond Jimmy Rabbit found Freddie Firefly waiting for him,hopping up and down and flashing his light through the misty gloom.

  "Did you get it?" Freddie demanded.

  "It's safe in my pocket," Jimmy assured him.

  "Let me have it!" said Freddie. "Dusty Moth is waiting for me at thefence-corner, near the orchard. And I want to give him a good look atBetsy Butterfly's picture before the moon gets too high, for he can'tsee well if there's too much light."

  Jimmy Rabbit drew the picture carefully from his pocket. And FreddieFirefly took it and slung it across his back. He fairly staggered underthe weight.

  "Aren't you going to look at Betsy's picture yourself?" Jimmy Rabbitasked him. "It's a good bit of work, if I do say so."

  "Oh! I don't care about seeing it. It's nothing to me, you know," saidFreddie carelessly. "But I hope Dusty Moth will be satisfied with it."

  "Well, I won't go with you, to see if he is," Jimmy Rabbit told him. "Iusually have a light lunch at this hour. So I'll meet you here at theduck pond after I come back from the cabbage patch."

  They parted then. And shortly afterward Freddie Firefly dropped downbeside Dusty Moth, who made no attempt to conceal his pleasure.

  "At last!" he cried. "At last I am to behold the beautiful BetsyButterfly's picture!... I do hope it's a good likeness!" he added as hebegan, with trembling hands, to unwrap the rhubarb covering from theportrait.

  "It certainly is," Freddie Firefly assured him. "It was made by a friendof mine, who once painted a famous picture of old Mr. Crow."

  While Freddie danced along the top of the fence, Dusty Moth carried thepicture into the shade of an apple tree, out of the moonlight, so thathe might see it more clearly.

  A few moments later Freddie Firefly was both surprised and alarmed tohear a cry of anguish from the direction of the apple tree.

  "What's the matter?" he called. "There's nothing wrong, I hope?"

  But Dusty Moth made no reply.

  XXI

  A STRANGE CHANGE

  RECEIVING no answer to his question, Freddie Firefly skipped down fromthe fence and sought the shade of the apple tree, where he found DustyMoth staring fixedly at Betsy Butterfly's picture.

  Dusty's face wore a most curious look; he seemed at once angry,sorrowful and amazed. And not till Freddie Firefly asked again what_was_ the trouble did Dusty Moth say a word.

  Then he pointed scornfully toward the portrait that Jimmy Rabbit hadmade earlier in the summer.

  "So that's the charming Betsy Butterfly, eh?" he roared. "That's thebeauty I've heard so much about! I can tell you right now that if I hadany idea she looked like this I never would have lost my appetite overher!"

  "You astonish me!" Freddie Firefly exclaimed. "Have you forgotten howanxious you were to meet the lady?"

  "Meet her!" Dusty Moth howled. "I promise you I'd never go out of my wayto meet anybody that looked as she does--though I might go a longdistance to avoid her."

  Freddie Firefly glanced toward the picture. But it had fallen facedownward upon the ground. And he did not take the trouble to raise it.

  "Well, you think Betsy Butterfly is beautiful, don't you?" he asked.

  "Indeed I don't! I think she's hideous," Dusty Moth shouted. "Never inall my life have I been so deceived in a person."

  "I don't understand how you can say that," Freddie Firefly told him."But I suppose your idea of beauty may be different from mine--and frommany other people's, too. Anyhow, I hope you'll get your appetite backagain."

  "I don't know about that," said Dusty Moth. "Just now I don't feel as ifI ever wanted to taste food again." A shudder passed over him. And hecovered his eyes, as if to shut some terrible image from his memory.

  "I must leave you now," said Freddie Firefly. "And please don't forgetwhat you promised me. You remember that you said that if I'd show you apicture of Betsy Butterfly you would stop pestering me about her."

  "Don't worry about that!" Dusty Moth assured him bitterly. "I shallnever mention Betsy Butterfly's name again. I don't want to think ofher. But I'm afraid I can never, never get her face out of my mind.... Iknow--" he added--"I know I shall see it in my dreams. And just thinkhow terrible it will be to wake at midday, out of a sound sleep, withher dreadful face and form haunting me!"

  Freddie Firefly couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor chap. But hecould think of nothing to do, except to show him Betsy's portrait oncemore. So he started to raise the picture from the ground, where it stilllay face downward. And the moment Dusty Moth saw what he was about hegave a frightful scream--and flew off into the night.

  "He's a queer one!" Freddie Firefly mused. "Now, I've always thoughtBetsy was a fine-looking----" Just then his eyes fell upon the picturefor the first time. And Freddie Firefly's mouth fell open inastonishment.

  So amazed was he by what he saw that he tumbled right over backwards.And then, scrambling to his feet, he wrapped the rhubarb leaf hastilyaround the picture and slung it across his back again.

  "Jimmy Rabbit has made a terrible mistake!" he groaned, as he startedfor the duck pond.

  * * * * *

  Back at the meeting place once more, Freddie Firefly rushed up to JimmyRabbit in great excitement.

  "Do you know what you d
id?" he cried. "You brought me the wrong picture.And Dusty Moth has gone shrieking off into the darkness, he was sodisappointed. This is not Betsy Butterfly's picture! It's somedreadful-looking caterpillar. And when I glanced at it just now, overin the orchard, it sent a chill all through me."

  For the time being Jimmy Rabbit said nothing. At first he had seemedquite upset. But before Freddie had finished speaking he had begun tosmile. And then he unwrapped the picture once more and leaned it againsta stone, where the moon's rays fell squarely upon it.

  "You're mistaken," he informed Freddie then. "This _is_ a picture ofBetsy Butterfly. I painted it myself; and I ought to know. As Iexplained last night, I made it earlier in the summer; and as I said,she has changed somewhat in the meantime. But it's a very good likenessof her as she was once."

  "You mean--" gasped Freddie Firefly--"you mean that Betsy Butterfly wasonce an ugly caterpillar?"

  "Why, certainly!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "And so was Dusty Moth, for thatmatter. Yes! he was a caterpillar himself, once--and a much uglier onethan Betsy, if only he knew it.

  "In fact," said Jimmy, looking at the picture with his head on one side,"as caterpillars go, Betsy Butterfly was a great beauty, even at soearly an age."

  XXII

  THE SKIPPER

  IN Farmer Green's meadow there lived a very nervous person called theSkipper. He was a distant cousin of Betsy Butterfly's. And since the twowere almost exactly the same age, they quite naturally spent a good dealof time together.