If that was so, then it was no wonder that Freddie
kept flashing his light in the dark. And it was
lucky that he had a light, because—like
Benjamin Bat himself—he was a night-prowler.
Unlike Farmer Green, Freddie believed that the night
air was very healthful. And together with all
his family, he thought that a damp place was much
to be preferred to a dry one.
He often remarked that the pollen upon which he frequently
dined tasted best when the dew was upon it. And
he never could understand why Buster Bumblebee’s
sisters, the ill-tempered workers, always gathered
nectar for their honey-making in the daytime.
“Everyone to his own taste!” Freddie sometimes
said. “And I suppose that those who sleep
from sunset to dawn don’t know what they’re
missing.”
Johnnie Green, who went to bed almost as early as
the Bumblebee family, couldn’t help envying
Freddie Firefly and all his sprightly company.
Johnnie thought it must be great fun to frolic the
whole night long—if only Solomon Owl wouldn’t
scare a person half out of his wits with that unearthly
hooting of which Solomon was so fond.
But you may be sure that Freddie Firefly never bothered
his head over Solomon Owl. Perhaps he knew
that Solomon was too busy hunting for mice to take
notice of anybody so small as he was, even if he did
carry a bright light everywhere he went.
A FINE PLAN
Chirpy Cricket was one of Freddie Firefly’s
neighbors. He was a good neighbor for anybody
to have, too, because he was one of the most cheerful
of all the field and forest-folk that lived in Pleasant
Valley. Freddie Firefly liked him. And he
often remarked that he would rather hear Chirpy Cricket
sing than sing himself.
Since he was so fond of hearing Chirpy’s songs,
it was lucky for Freddie that his sprightly neighbor
usually chose to sing at night, when Freddie could
better enjoy his shrill ditty. And Freddie frequently
went out of his way on a fine, dark, summer’s
night to find Chirpy Cricket and thank him for his
kindness.
At such times Chirpy Cricket always smiled mysteriously,
saying “I’m glad my voice pleases you.”
But it must be confessed that he was not singing for
Freddie Firefly’s benefit at all. He was
singing for his own entertainment—and maybe
to please some lady of his acquaintance as well.
And he chose night time for his chirping because he
didn’t dare sing during the day. He knew
that after sunset almost all the birds were asleep—except
for Solomon Owl and Willie Whip-poor-will and a few
other feathered folk who preferred the dark to the
daylight. They were not so numerous that they
worried Chirpy very much. But between dawn and
sunset there were altogether too many birds awake
to please him. Then Chirpy Cricket kept quite
silent. He didn’t wish to draw attention
to himself by singing, because he didn’t care
to be gobbled up by any bird, no matter how handsome
or hungry the bird might be.
