for she knew the stranger by hishorny coat.
  "You are both quite right," said he; so they begged him to walkin, that is to come as far as he could under the broken piece ofearthenware.
  "Now you shall also see my little earwigs," said a third and afourth mother, "they are lovely little things, and highly amusing.They are never ill-behaved, except when they are uncomfortable intheir inside, which unfortunately often happens at their age."
  Thus each mother spoke of her baby, and their babies talkedafter their own fashion, and made use of the little nippers theyhave in their tails to nip the beard of the beetle.
  "They are always busy about something, the little rogues," saidthe mother, beaming with maternal pride; but the beetle felt it abore, and he therefore inquired the way to the nearest dung-heap.
  "That is quite out in the great world, on the other side of theditch," answered an earwig, "I hope none of my children will ever goso far, it would be the death of me."
  "But I shall try to get so far," said the beetle, and he walkedoff without taking any formal leave, which is considered a politething to do.
  When he arrived at the ditch, he met several friends, all thembeetles; "We live here," they said, "and we are very comfortable.May we ask you to step down into this rich mud, you must be fatiguedafter your journey."
  "Certainly," said the beetle, "I shall be most happy; I havebeen exposed to the rain, and have had to lie upon linen, andcleanliness is a thing that greatly exhausts me; I have also painsin one of my wings from standing in the draught under a piece ofbroken crockery. It is really quite refreshing to be with one's ownkindred again."
  "Perhaps you came from a dung-heap," observed the oldest of them.
  "No, indeed, I came from a much grander place," replied thebeetle; "I came from the emperor's stable, where I was born, withgolden shoes on my feet. I am travelling on a secret embassy, butyou must not ask me any questions, for I cannot betray my secret."
  Then the beetle stepped down into the rich mud, where sat threeyoung-lady beetles, who tittered, because they did not know what tosay.
  "None of them are engaged yet," said their mother, and thebeetle maidens tittered again, this time quite in confusion.
  "I have never seen greater beauties, even in the royal stables,"exclaimed the beetle, who was now resting himself.
  "Don't spoil my girls," said the mother; "and don't talk tothem, pray, unless you have serious intentions."
  But of course the beetle's intentions were serious, and after awhile our friend was engaged. The mother gave them her blessing, andall the other beetles cried "hurrah."
  Immediately after the betrothal came the marriage, for there wasno reason to delay. The following day passed very pleasantly, andthe next was tolerably comfortable; but on the third it becamenecessary for him to think of getting food for his wife, and, perhaps,for children.
  "I have allowed myself to be taken in," said our beetle tohimself, "and now there's nothing to be done but to take them in, inreturn."
  No sooner said than done. Away he went, and stayed away all dayand all night, and his wife remained behind a forsaken widow.
  "Oh," said the other beetles, "this fellow that we have receivedinto our family is nothing but a complete vagabond. He has gone awayand left his wife a burden upon our hands."
  "Well, she can be unmarried again, and remain here with my otherdaughters," said the mother. "Fie on the villain that forsook her!"