Hill and walked
through all the passages to see that every thing was in order. The
Butterfly, poor thing! was dead, and the Black Ant of course was too
busy burying him to attend to such frivolous matters. The Grasshopper,
however, came the whole length of the Garden, and each skip was
precisely as long as the last. It took just one hundred and sixty-seven
skips to reach the Lilac Bush. His uniform looked finely, and the
Walking-Sticks rejoiced that here at last was one come who had style and
observed etiquette. It was rather formal to be sure. The Walking-Sticks
each bowed eleven times, and the Grasshopper raised his elbow so often
and with so much precision, that you would have said it was very nicely
calculated. He made a set speech which the Queen listened to, and then
he passed out again; but he left no present, perhaps he thought he had
honoured her enough by coming to pay his respects.

The Faeries agreed that the reception must be all over now and that the
last of the inhabitants had come and gone; so they were ready for sport.
They did not know--how should they? that the Earth worm was on the way;
but he never reached the place in time; he was so blind that he lost the
road frequently. Room was now made for a dance. The Fire-flies improved
their lights and arranged them more artistically, and the Faeries took
their places. The inhabitants of the Garden could only look on. Just as
they were ready to begin, a bustling and confusion was observed among
the group of house Faeries. What could be the stir? They were evidently
very much excited, and the reason was this: One of their number, their
spokesman at the reception, was leaning against a stalk of clover and
looking up at the sky through the Lilac Bush. We think it hard to count
the stars, they are so many in number, but to a Faery who once lived
among them the stars are familiar as household faces. Thus the little
Faery was aware of a new star that at that instant appeared in the sky.
It was a very little star and rested between two larger ones, but it did
not escape his quick eye and he was now all alive with excitement.

"We must lose no time!" cried he to his companions: "there is a new
star! the child is born! come!" and they all sped to the house. One
only remained for a moment to explain it to the Queen and then followed
the rest.

The event produced great commotion in the Faery circle and all looked to
the Queen to see what was to be done. The Queen i