When Freddie Firefly saw that Mrs. Ladybug was making Benjamin Bat's
mistake of thinking that his light could start a blaze, he had to smile.

"Nonsense!" he cried. "I'm always very careful, Mrs. Ladybug, when I'm
near your house. You know that I wouldn't want your charming children to
burn up."

And now Mrs. Ladybug pointed her other knitting needle at Freddie.

"Well, if you're not careless, you're silly, anyhow," she snapped. "I
wouldn't object so much to your light if only you'd put it to some good
use. But as long as I've known you--and that's several weeks--I've never
seen you do anything but caper about the meadow and dance." And then
Mrs. Ladybug began to knit furiously, as if to show Freddie Firefly that
she was never idle, even if she did spend a good deal of time away from
home. "Do you intend always to fritter your nights away as you do now?"
she inquired.

"What else could I do? I should like to know--" Freddie began.

"Why not use your light in some kind of work?" Mrs. Ladybug asked him.

"What work, I should like to know--" Freddie said. And since Mrs.
Ladybug did not at once answer him, he added: "I don't believe you can
suggest anything--can you?"

"Oh, yes, I can!" she declared quickly. "I was thinking. That's why I
didn't reply sooner. Probably you don't know that I have helped many
youngsters to begin to work. For instance, it was I that told Daddy
Longlegs to help Farmer Green with his harvesting." Little Mrs. Ladybug