One morning early in June, a fat and shining May Beetle lay on his back
among the grasses, kicking his six legs in the air, and wriggling around
while he tried to catch hold of a grass-blade by which to pull himself
up. Now, Beetles do not like to lie on their backs in the sunshine, and
this one was hot and tired from his long struggle. Beside that, he was
very cross because he was late in getting his breakfast, so when he did
at last get right side up, and saw a brown and black Caterpillar
watching him, he grew very ill-mannered, and said some things of which
he should have been ashamed.
"Oh, yes," he said, "you are quick enough to laugh when you think
somebody else is in a fix. I often lie on my back and kick, just for
fun." (Which was not true, but when Beetles are cross they are not
always truthful.)
"Excuse me," said the Caterpillar, "I did not mean to hurt your
feelings. If I smiled, it was because I remembered being in the same
plight myself yesterday, and what a time I had smoothing my fur
afterwards. Now, you won't have to smooth your fur, will you?" she asked
pleasantly.
"No, I'm thankful to say I haven't any fur to smooth," snapped the
Beetle. "I am not one of the crawling, furry kind. My family wear dark
brown, glossy coats, and we always look trim and clean. When we want to
hurry, we fly; and when tired of flying, we walk or run. We have two
kinds of wings. We have a pair of dainty, soft ones, that carry us
through the air, and then we have a pair of stiff ones to cover over the
soft wings when we come down to the earth again. We are the finest
family in the meadow."
"I have often heard of you," said the Caterpillar, "and am very glad to
become acquainted."
"Well," answered the Beetle, "I am willing to speak to you, of course,
but we can never be at all friendly. A May Beetle, indeed, in company
with a Caterpillar! I choose my friends among the Moths, Butterflies,
and Dragon-flies,--in fact, _I_ move in the upper circles."
"Upper circles, indeed!" said a croaking voice beside him, which made
the Beetle jump, "I have hopped over your head for two or three years,
when you were nothing but a fat, white worm. _You'd_ better not put on
airs. The fine family of May Beetles were all worms once, and they had
to live in the earth and eat roots, while the Caterpillars were in the
sunshine over their heads, dining on tender green leaves and flower
buds."
The May Beetle began to look very uncomfortable, and squirmed as though
he wanted to get away, but the Tree Frog, for it was the Tree Frog, went
on: "As for your not liking Caterpillars, they don't stay Caterpillars.
Your new acquaintance up there will come out with wings one of these
days, and you will be glad enough to know him." And the Tree Frog hopped
away.
The May Beetle scraped his head with his right front leg, and then said
to the Caterpillar, who was nibbling away at the milkweed: "You know, I
wasn't really in earnest about our not being friends. I shall be very
glad to know you, and all your family."
"Thank you," answered the Caterpillar, "thank you very much, but I have
been thinking it over myself, and I feel that I really could not be
friendly with a May Beetle. Of course, I don't mind speaking to you once
in a while, when I am eating, and getting ready to spin my cocoon. After
that it will be different. You see, then I shall belong to one of the
finest families in the meadow, the Milkweed Butterflies. _We_ shall eat
nothing but honey, and dress in soft orange and black velvet. _We_ shall
not blunder and bump around when we fly. _We_ shall enjoy visiting with
the Dragon-flies and Moths. I shall not forget you altogether, I dare
say, but I shall feel it my duty to move in the upper circles, where I
belong. Good-morning."
[Illustration]