“Tell me what it was, my child.”
“Why, mother, it was only my—my thimble.”
As the falsehood came out of Lizzy’s mouth, a black bat crept out of her bosom, and, spreading out his filmy wings, fluttered about her head.—Every one started up from the table; Lizzy screamed, and tried to brush the impish-looking creature away, but he persisted in fluttering around her head. She ran from the room; but before she could shut the door behind her, the bat was out also, and sailed round and round her head. Her mother followed her out, and tried to drive the bat away, while she reproved Lizzy for putting such ugly things in her bosom, and expressed very great grief that her daughter should have told a falsehood; and she told her that the falsehood would haunt and trouble her mind till she confessed the truth, and begged forgiveness, just as the black bat now troubled her by flying around her head.
“I will confess all,” said Lizzy; and she burst into tears, and throwing herself into her mother’s arms, told her morning’s adventures, without sparing herself at all.
The bat dropped down dead upon the floor.
“Ah!” said Lizzy’s mother, “now, how good it is to confess and beg forgiveness, and how pleasant it is to forgive. See! he is dead, and I trust you will never more put any such ‘thimbles’ into your bosom.”
“Oh, mother,” said Lizzy, smiling, as she dried her tears, “I have no doubt it was beginning to be a pretty little bee when I put it in; but I will be one myself now;” and she took her sewing work, and sat down; and happening to look up from her work to the spot where the bat had fallen, she was delighted to see, instead of the bat, a bee creeping along on the floor. Presently he flew up, and crawled on her arm, while she worked.
“Well,” said Lizzy, the next morning, “I really did not know I was so bad a girl. Only think of my causing the existence of such disagreeable creatures, when I thought I should bring out such delightful ones. But I will do better, certainly.—I wish I had some more of these eggs.” And she resolved to go again into the wood, and seek out the fairy. She had been strolling about for some time, looking for the tree on which she had seen the woodpecker, when she saw, on the ground before her, a brown beetle, or May-bug, lying upon his back. She took him up, and turned him over.
“That is a kind girl, Lizzy,” said a small voice.
“Ah! the fairy!”