12 



Just then who should come buzzing by but the 

 very bee that had laughed at the caterpillar's 

 house. It, too, stopped to gaze at the wonderful 

 stranger. When it learned that this moth was 

 that very caterpillar it buzzed for wonder. " Well, 

 well ! " it said, " so that was what you were about, 

 was it ; growing wings in your queer house ! " 



But the moth stirred itself. "Now I must go," 



it said. " I must 

 find a shelter under 

 a rock or in some 

 hollow tree until 

 the sun goes down. 

 But to-night — ah, 

 Moth, Bee, and Ant to-night ! Then I 



shall come out to fly wheresoever I will." 



So it waved its great wings and flew softly and 

 noiselessly away out of sight. 



The ant and the bee sat looking after it. 

 " And to think," cried the bee, " that we should not 

 have understood what that caterpillar was doing ! 

 After all, every one knows his own business best." 



