Part 6 (2/2)

Now, in spite of her fears, Mrs. Ladybug had even more than her share of courage. And as time went on, and she saw the awful havoc that Jennie Junebug played with the trees, Mrs. Ladybug reached the point where she couldn't any longer stand by silently and let Jennie Junebug riddle the leaves. ”Something will have to be done!” Mrs. Ladybug declared to her friends. ”I can't compel Jennie Junebug to stop. She's too big for me to handle.

”I'm going to have a talk with her,” said Mrs. Ladybug.

XIV

b.u.mPS

SOME busybody went straight to Jennie Junebug and told her what Mrs.

Ladybug had said.

”Mrs. Ladybug is going to have a talk with you,” this meddling person told the fat and frolicsome Jennie. ”She wants you to stop eating leaves. She says you are doing your best--or your worst--to hurt the trees that she is trying to save. She claims that you are no friend of Farmer Green's. She--”

Jennie Junebug broke in upon her companion with a loud laugh.

”I'd like to have Mrs. Ladybug try to speak to me,” she chuckled. ”If she does, I'll have fun with her. I'll knock her over. I'll send her spinning.”

Jennie's friend seemed somewhat alarmed at that.

”Now, be careful!” she begged the fat lady. ”Don't forget that Mrs.

Ladybug is a little creature! You'll injure her if you're too rough with her.”

”Ho! ho!” laughed Jennie Junebug, and also, ”Ha! ha!” She had to stop and hold her sides, while she rocked back and forth. ”This is a great joke!” Jennie cried. ”Imagine Mrs. Ladybug trying to talk with me! Why, she'll be lucky if she can get her breath after I've flown into her once.”

”Dear me!” said the tale-bearer. ”I wish I hadn't mentioned this matter to you. Of course, everybody knows that Mrs. Ladybug talks too much. And I thought maybe you'd enjoy meeting her and making her keep still. But I had no idea you would do her any harm.”

”Bless you!” cried Jennie Junebug. ”I wouldn't harm a hair of her head!”

And she roared with laughter, for she had made a joke. You see, Mrs.

Ladybug had no hair. She was quite bald.

Well, Mrs. Ladybug found Jennie Junebug that very evening. She knew that Jennie wasn't often seen except after sunset. For Jennie loved to see the lights twinkling through the gloom. And she delighted in surprising people in the dark, by flying _bang!_ into them and knocking them down.

So Mrs. Ladybug didn't leave her work and set out to seek this dangerous fat lady until twilight came.

”Good evening!” said Mrs. Ladybug as soon as she spied Miss Junebug.

”Have you a few minutes to spare? If you have, I'd like to talk with you.”

Jennie Junebug grinned broadly.

”I can give you a few seconds of my valuable time,” she replied. ”I was just going over to the meadow, for Freddie Firefly will be there soon.

He dances in the meadow every night. And I like to see his flickering light--and watch him bounce when I hit him. So you'll have to talk fast, for I'm in a hurry,” said Jennie Junebug.

”Good!” thought Mrs. Ladybug. ”She's going to listen to me, after all.”

<script>