Part 4 (1/2)
”No,” said the little bee, ”never I should never have thought of such a thing”
The dragon-fly looked at her
”A black cord was tied round his waist between his wings, so that he could fly, but not fly away, not escape Each tiot his liberty, he would be jerked back horribly within the boy's reach”
Maya shook her head
”You don't dare even think of it,” she whispered
”If a day passes when I don't think of it,” said the dragon-fly, ”I am sure to dream of it One misfortune followed another My brother soon died” Miss Loveydear heaved a deep sigh
”What did he die of?” asked Maya, in genuine sympathy
Miss Loveydear could not reply at once Great tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks
”He was stuck in a pocket,” she sobbed ”No one can stand being stuck in a pocket”
”But what is a pocket?” Maya could hardly take in so s all at once
”A pocket,” Miss Loveydear explained, ”is a store-room that men have in their outer hide-- And what else do you think was in the pocket when my brother was stuck into it? Oh, the dreadful company in which my poor brother had to draw his last breath!
You'll never guess!”
”No,” said Maya, all in a quiver, ”no, I don't think I can-- Honey, perhaps?”
”Not likely,” observed Miss Loveydear with an air of led importance and distress ”You'll seldos I'll tell you-- A frog was in the pocket, and a pen-knife, and a carrot Well?”
”Horrible,” whispered Maya-- ”What _is_ a pen-knife?”
”A pen-knife, in a way, is a hu by nature, so they try to i his end One eye was gone, one leg was broken, and his lower jaas dislocated Yet, for all that, the moment my brother was stuck in the pocket he hissed at him out of his crooked mouth:
”'As soon as I a eye he glared at ine what an effect the look he gave hi even more horrible happened The pocket was suddenly shaken, s stuck to its cold, wet body He went off in a faint-- Oh, the misery of it!
There are no words to describe it”
”How did you find all this out?” Maya was so horrified she could scarcely frame the question
”I'll tell you,” replied Miss Loveydear ”After a while the boy got hungry and dug into his pocket for the carrot It was under , and the boy threw them away first-- I heardon the grass I reached him only in time to hear the whole story before he breathed his last He put his arms round my neck and kissed , like a little hero When his crushed wings had given their last quiver, I laid an oak leaf over his body and went to look for a sprig of forget-rave 'Sleep well, my little brother,' I cried, and flew off in the quiet of the evening I fleard the two red suns, the one in the sky and the one in the lake No one has ever felt as sad and solemn as I did then-- Have you ever had a sorrow in your life? Perhaps you'll tell me about it some other time”
”No,” said Maya ”As a matter of fact, until now I have always been happy”
”You may thank your lucky stars,” said Miss Loveydear with a note of disappoint
”Oh, _him_,” said Miss Loveydear ”He, it is presumed, met with the end he deserved The hard-heartedness of hirass beside et away But on account of his broken leg and one eye gone, all he could do was hop round in a circle and hop round in a circle He looked too coet ye,' I called to hi!” said little Maya
”Poor frog! Poor frog indeed! That's going too far Pitying a frog The idea! To feel sorry for a frog is like clipping your oings You seem to have no principles”