“You mean I’m to count your dots?”
“Yes, if you please.”
“Seven,” said Maya.
“Well?—Well? You still don’t know. All right then, I’ll tell you. I’m called exactly according to what you counted. The scientific name of our family is Septempunctata. Septem is Latin for seven, punctata is Latin for dots, points, you see. Our common name is ladybird, my own name is Alois, I am a poet by profession. You know our common name, of course.”
Maya, afraid of hurting Alois’ feelings, didn’t dare to say no.
“Oh,” said he, “I live by the sunshine, by the peace of the day, and by the love of mankind.”
“But don’t you eat, too?” asked Maya, quite astonished.
“Of course. Plant-lice. Don’t you?”
“No. That would be—that is....”
“Is what? Is what?”