<h2><SPAN name="VI" id="VI"></SPAN>VI</h2>
<h3>MRS. LADYBUG'S ADVICE</h3>
<p><span class="smcap">Little</span> did Betsy Butterfly guess what
Mrs. Ladybug intended to say to her. And
if she had known what it was she would
have been merely amused. For Betsy was
entirely too sweet-tempered to take offense
at anybody's fault-finding—least of all that
of Mrs. Ladybug, who was really a good-hearted
soul, when she wasn't jealous.
And when Betsy went to the flower garden
early the next morning she felt kindly towards
the whole world, not even excepting
Johnnie Green, though he had tried to capture
her.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="p_28" id="p_28"></SPAN></span>Well, Mrs. Ladybug was waiting for
Betsy Butterfly among the flowers. She
had been in such haste to reach the garden
early that she had not stopped to have her
breakfast. And like many people who have
not drunk their morning cup of coffee, she
was in a very peevish mood.</p>
<p>"Now, Miss Pert, I want you to listen to
me!" That was Mrs. Ladybug's greeting
to Betsy Butterfly on one of the most delightful
days of the whole summer. "It's
my unpleasant duty—" said Mrs. Ladybug,
who by that time was enjoying herself
thoroughly—"it's my unpleasant
duty to tell you that people are talking
about you. They say that you're going
about <i>covered with dust</i>! And as a friend,
I advise you to give yourself a thorough
brushing each morning, and as often thereafter
as may be necessary."</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="p_29" id="p_29"></SPAN></span>Betsy Butterfly had listened in amazement
to Mrs. Ladybug's words. And she
had hard work not to laugh, too, because
she thought Mrs. Ladybug's advice decidedly
funny.</p>
<p>"Thank you very much!" Betsy said
most politely. "I'll remember what you've
told me."</p>
<p>Somehow Mrs. Ladybug thought that
Betsy meant she would follow her advice.
And she looked quite pleased.</p>
<p>"I shall expect a great improvement in
your appearance the next time I see you,"
she announced. And with the manner of
a person who has just done somebody a
good turn she hurried away to get the
breakfast that was waiting for her, somewhere.</p>
<p>Then Betsy Butterfly enjoyed a good
laugh.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="p_30" id="p_30"></SPAN></span>"How ridiculous!" she said to herself.
"But I won't tell Mrs. Ladybug of her
mistake, because she might feel upset if I
did." And you can see, just by that, how
kind-hearted Betsy was. She did not even
tell her own family about the joke, for
fear of hurting Mrs. Ladybug's feelings.</p>
<p>But jealous little Mrs. Ladybug had no
such misgivings. <i>She</i> went out of her way
to explain to people that if they noticed a
change in Betsy Butterfly's appearance,
they might thank <i>her</i> for it.... "I told
Betsy that she ought to brush the dust off
herself," she informed her friends.</p>
<p>Naturally she was displeased when she
met Betsy that very afternoon and saw
that the dust still lay thick on her wings.</p>
<p>"I believe you actually want to be untidy!"
Mrs. Ladybug cried. "And if you
aren't going to brush that dust off, I shall<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="p_31" id="p_31"></SPAN></span>
do it myself!" And grasping a small Indian
paint-brush, the weight of which she
could scarcely stagger under, Mrs. Ladybug
advanced upon Betsy Butterfly with
a determined look in her eye.</p>
<p>"Oh, don't do that!" cried Betsy.</p>
<p>"It's my painful duty to give you a
thorough dusting," Mrs. Ladybug declared.</p>
<hr class="chapter" />
<p class="chapter"><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="p_32" id="p_32"></SPAN></span></p>
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