d. "You see,
you don't find roses everywhere."

"Tell the little one at least which way its other half ran,"
cried Maya in great excitement.

Bobbie shook his head gravely.

"Those whom fate has rent asunder, let no man join together
again," he observed.-- "Who are you?"

"Maya, of the nation of bees."

"I'm glad to hear it. I have nothing against the bees.-- Why are
you sitting about? Bees don't usually sit about. Have you been
sitting there long?"

"I slept here."

"Indeed!" There was a note of suspicion in Bobbie's voice.
"I hope you slept well, _very_ well. Did you just wake up?"

"Yes," said Maya, who had shrewdly guessed that Bobbie would not
like her having overheard his conversation with Effie, the
cricket, and did not want to hurt his feelings again.

Bobbie ran hither and thither trying to look up and see Maya.

"Wait," he said. "If I raise myself on my hind legs and lean
against that blade of grass I'll be able to see you, and you'll
be able to look into my eyes. You want to, don't you?"

"Why, I do indeed. I'd like to very much."

Bobbie found a suitable prop, the stem of a buttercup. The
flower tipped a little to one side so that Maya could see him
perfectly as he raised himself on his hind legs and looked up at
her. She thought he had a nice, dear, friendly face--but not so
very young any more and cheeks rather too plump. He bowed,
setting the buttercup a-rocking, and introduced himself:

"Bobbie, of the family of rose-beetles."

Maya had to laugh to herself. She knew very well he was not a
rose-beetle; he was a dung-beetle. But she passed the matter
over in silence, not caring to mortify him.

"Don't you mind the rain?" she asked.

"Oh, no. I'm accustomed to the rain--from the roses, you know.
It's usually raining there."

Maya thought to herself:

"After all I must punish him a little for his brazen lies. He's
so frightfully vain."

"Bobbie," she said with a sly smile, "what sort of a hole is
that one there, under the leaf?"

Bobbie started.

"A hole? A hole, did you say? There are very many holes round
here. It's probably just an ordinary hole. You have no idea how
many holes there are in the ground."

Bobbie had hardly uttered the last word when something dreadful
happened. In his eagerness to appear indifferent he had lost his
balance and toppled over. Maya heard a despairing shriek, and
the next instant saw the beetle lying flat on his back in the
grass, his arms and