but there was much excitement nevertheless. Sara ran a
little way from the palace before she came to the scene of the
disturbance--and such a scene as it was! Caterpillars everywhere,
bristling, smooth, green, pink, eye-marked and eyeless; caterpillars
standing on their tails, or crouching in every conceivable attitude of
defense; and in their midst the little Snoodle, frisking and fawning
and endeavoring to come to grips with the horny and horrified worms.
There was one old Hickory Horn-Devil in particular, who had come out
in front of the others like Goliath before the ranks of the
Philistines; and the Snoodle was dancing around him in an ecstasy of
anticipation. Though he was so excited, he looked so good-natured that
Sara could not believe that he wished to harm even these
fierce-looking brutes; indeed, there was a sort of resemblance between
them, except for the expression. And, as she thought that, it flashed
into Sara's mind that the Snoodle did not really want to hurt them, at
all, but only to embrace them! So she ran forward and cried to the
excited populace (who were spinning this way and that, wildly coiling
and uncoiling their springs and crying, "What in butter shall we do?),

"He won't hurt them--he won't hurt them! He only wants to embrace
them! He thinks they're his relatives--his father was a noodle!"

At this the people grew calmer, and began to gather around her head,
asking cautious questions. The caterpillars did not seem to
understand, and looked as frightened and agitated as ever; for Sara
was unconsciously speaking the butterfly language, and the
caterpillars spoke a different dialect.

"Give me a chance to prove my theory!" continued Sara, in the
butterfly language. "Here, Snoodle!" she called, soothingly.
"Here--Horn-Devil!" It took a great deal of courage for Sara to speak
soothingly to the giant caterpillar; but you see the butterfly people
were beginning to think her a very wise, brave person, and that made
it rather necessary for her to be one. So she gave a little gulp which
the spectators took for a sign of bravery, and drawing nearer by
inches, actually laid her hand on the rearing, plunging,
panic-stricken creature! He lurched and snorted terribly when her hand
first touched him, but as he did nothing worse, Sara grew braver and
more hopeful, and began to pat and stroke him and say soothing words.
Of course he could not understand the words, but he seemed to
understand the tone, for