"Oh, I'll come!" he cried in his thin, quavering voice, though what she meant by a "witness" was more than he knew.
So Mrs. Ladybug and Daddy Longlegs set forth to find Betsy Butterfly. And behind them followed a crowd of their neighbors. Even lazy Buster Bumblebee joined the procession. Though he was a drone, and never worked, he was always ready to exert himself for the sake of any new excitement.
The strange company wandered back and forth across the meadow for some time without finding Betsy Butterfly. But at last Mrs. Ladybug spied her. And soon Betsy found herself surrounded by the mob.
[p. 54]"Goodness!" she cried, looking about her in surprise. "How nice of you all to call on me! I'm so glad to see you!"
Betsy Butterfly was so cordial that Mrs. Ladybug couldn't help looking somewhat uncomfortable. She couldn't avoid a strange feeling of guilt. And yet she told herself that Betsy Butterfly was really the guilty one.
"She's a bold piece!" Mrs. Ladybug exclaimed, under her breath.
"Perhaps you won't be so happy to see us when you hear what we have to say to you," Mrs. Ladybug began.
"There hasn't been an accident, I hope!" Betsy cried. "Your house hasn't burned?"
"No!" replied Mrs. Ladybug. And again she said, "No!" in a very decided manner. "We've come to warn you that we've found out about your trickery," she announced. "We know that you like butter, and that[p. 55] you're in the habit of taking it from Farmer Green—yes! and eggs, too!"
"Why, I don't know what you're talking about!" Betsy Butterfly faltered. She was really greatly surprised.