“That’s enough for lessons,” Honey demanded.
“Wait a moment!”
He rushed into the bushes and busied himself among the fire-flies. The other four men, divining his purpose, joined him. They came back with handkerchiefs tied full of tiny, wriggling, fluttering green creatures.
In a few moments, the five women sat crowned with carcanets of living fire.
“Now read us a story,” Lulu begged.
Pete drew a little book from his pocket. Discolored and swollen, the print was big and still black.
“‘Once upon a time,’” he began, “‘there was a little girl who lived with her father and her stepmother—‘”
“What’s ‘stepmother’?” Lulu asked.
Pete explained.
“The stepmother had two daughters, and all three of these women were cruel and proud——‘”