Part 10 (1/2)

”What a pity!” said Mrs. Ladybug's neighbors. ”It was a fine, big house.”

And then some one cried, ”What about the children? Where are they?”

n.o.body knew. If Mrs. Ladybug did, she was too overcome to speak.

People looked very solemn. They hoped her children hadn't burned.

And then--then Mr. Meadow Mouse came running up all out of breath.

”Sakes alive!” he screamed. ”My house is ruined. I wouldn't have had this happen for anything. But it doesn't matter, for I can easily build another.”

Mrs. Ladybug's neighbors crowded about her, all asking the same question.

”Wasn't this your house?”

”No!” she admitted. ”No, it wasn't.” And then she made an astonis.h.i.+ng confession. ”I've never owned a house,” she said. ”I've never had one in all my life. I _can't_ have a house. I couldn't get one that was big enough.

”I have so many children that I don't know what to do,” said little Mrs.

Ladybug.

XXI

PLANS FOR WINTER

IT was almost fall. The nights--and some of the days--were chilly. Those that had spent the whole summer out of doors began to think about where they should pa.s.s the winter. Yet everybody was amazed by the news that Mrs. Ladybug spread broadcast. She said that she expected, soon, to go into winter quarters.

”Humph!” cried Daddy Longlegs' wife when she heard what Mrs. Ladybug was saying. ”She never had any quarters, so far as anyone knows. Mrs.

Ladybug hasn't been able to tear herself away from the orchard long enough to live anywhere except in the apple trees.”

It was plain that Daddy Longlegs' wife didn't believe what Mrs. Ladybug was telling her neighbors. And there were many more folk that agreed with her.

Little Mrs. Ladybug smiled a knowing smile when she heard what her friends thought.

”They'll see! They'll see!” she said. ”I'm going to spend the winter in the biggest and finest house on this farm.”

That was all she would tell. She wouldn't breathe another word about her plans. And naturally, every one became very curious. There wasn't a soul that wasn't agog to know what Mrs. Ladybug intended to do.

The neighbors asked her, begged her, teased her--some even threatened her. But she declined to answer. She said that if she told where she expected to pa.s.s the cold months everybody would want to go to the same place and maybe there wouldn't be any room left for her.

Perhaps some of her friends _had_ intended to follow her into her winter quarters. Anyhow, many of them looked guilty when she made that remark.

And a few of them looked angry, and declared that Mrs. Ladybug was selfish.

”If the house is as big as she claims it is, it ought to hold a few extra guests without being crowded,” they grumbled.

”Guests--” said Mrs. Ladybug--”guests should always wait for an invitation.”