exclaimed the beetle. "Fly about as abutterfly, indeed! what of that. I have come out of the Emperor'sstable, and no one there, not even the Emperor's horse, who, infact, wears my cast-off golden shoes, has any idea of flying,excepting myself. To have wings and fly! why, I can do thatalready;" and so saying, he spread his wings and flew away. "I don'twant to be disgusted," he said to himself, "and yet I can't helpit." Soon after, he fell down upon an extensive lawn, and for a timepretended to sleep, but at last fell asleep in earnest. Suddenly aheavy shower of rain came falling from the clouds. The beetle wokeup with the noise and would have been glad to creep into the earth forshelter, but he could not. He was tumbled over and over with the rain,sometimes swimming on his stomach and sometimes on his back; and asfor flying, that was out of the question. He began to doubt whether heshould escape with his life, so he remained, quietly lying where hewas. After a while the weather cleared up a little, and the beetle wasable to rub the water from his eyes, and look about him. He sawsomething gleaming, and he managed to make his way up to it. It waslinen which had been laid to bleach on the grass. He crept into a foldof the damp linen, which certainly was not so comfortable a place tolie in as the warm stable, but there was nothing better, so heremained lying there for a whole day and night, and the rain kept onall the time. Towards morning he crept out of his hiding-place,feeling in a very bad temper with the climate. Two frogs weresitting on the linen, and their bright eyes actually glistened withpleasure.
  "Wonderful weather this," cried one of them, "and so refreshing.This linen holds the water together so beautifully, that my hindlegs quiver as if I were going to swim."
  "I should like to know," said another, "If the swallow who fliesso far in her many journeys to foreign lands, ever met with a betterclimate than this. What delicious moisture! It is as pleasant as lyingin a wet ditch. I am sure any one who does not enjoy this has nolove for his fatherland."
  "Have you ever been in the Emperor's stable?" asked the beetle."There the moisture is warm and refreshing; that's the climate for me,but I could not take it with me on my travels. Is there not even adunghill here in this garden, where a person of rank, like myself,could take up his abode and feel at home?" But the frogs either didnot or would not understand him.
  "I never ask a question twice," said the beetle, after he hadasked this one three times, and received no answer. Then he went ona little farther and stumbled against a piece of broken crockery-ware,which certainly ought not to have been lying there. But as it wasthere, it formed a good shelter against wind and weather to severalfamilies of earwigs who dwelt in it. Their requirements were not many,they were very sociable, and full of affection for their children,so much so that each mother considered her own child the mostbeautiful and clever of them all.
  "Our dear son has engaged himself," said one mother, "dearinnocent boy; his greatest ambition is that he may one day creepinto a clergyman's ear. That is a very artless and loveable wish;and being engaged will keep him steady. What happiness for a mother!"
  "Our son," said another, "had scarcely crept out of the egg,when he was off on his travels. He is all life and spirits, I expecthe will wear out his horns with running. How charming this is for amother, is it not Mr. Beetle?"