Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno.djvu/224

196 I looked about in all directions for the little creature, but there was no trace of her——and my 'eerie' feeling was quite gone off, and the crickets were chirping again merrily——so I knew she was really gone.

And now I've got time to tell you the rule about the crickets. They always leave off chirping when a Fairy goes by——because a Fairy's a kind of queen over them, I suppose——at all events it's a much grander thing than a cricket—— so whenever you're walking out, and the crickets suddenly leave off chirping, you may be sure that they see a Fairy.

I walked on sadly enough, you may be sure. However, I comforted myself with thinking "It's been a very wonderful afternoon, so far. I'll just go quietly on and look about me, and I shouldn't wonder if I were to come across another Fairy somewhere."

Peering about in this way, I happened to notice a plant with rounded leaves, and with queer little holes cut in the middle of several of them. "Ah, the leafcutter bee!" I carelessly remarked——you know I am very learned in Natural History (for instance, I can always tell