"Here I am, just as I promised!" he called.




V

AT THE STONE WALL


"Where's the rest of your crowd?" Chirpy Cricket asked Freddie Firefly,
when they met by the stone wall. "It's getting darker every minute. And
the torchlight procession ought to start right away."

"They're coming," said Freddie. "If you look sharp you can see them now,
crossing the meadow."

Chirpy Cricket tried to see through the blackness of the night. After
gazing steadily for a few moments he was able to make out a patch of
twinkling lights, which looked a good deal like stars, except that they
were too low. Since they kept growing brighter, Chirpy Cricket knew that
they must be moving towards him, and that many of the Firefly family had
accepted his invitation.

Soon a great host of Freddie's relations surrounded Chirpy Cricket. They
flashed their lights in his eyes, so that he was almost blinded by the
glare. And it was only with much difficulty that he could see Moses
Mosquito, Kiddie Katydid, and Mehitable Moth, who had also arrived by
that time.