XVII DUSTY'S DIFFICULTY

 It was to be expected that as time went on, Betsy Butterfly's fame would spread far and wide. And long before the summer was over, half the creatures that lived in Pleasant Valley knew her. They were the ones that went about by daylight and rested at night.

 

As for the other half—the night-prowlers—many of them had heard about the beautiful Betsy, though of course they had never seen her. That is, none of them had set eyes on her except Freddie Firefly, who had flashed his light upon Betsy all one night, because Mrs. Ladybug had a strange notion¹ that she was stealing butter from the farmhouse².

 

In fact, after that happened, Freddie Firefly had gone about telling all his friends how beautiful Betsy Butterfly was, and saying what a pity it was that she didn't like moonlight as well as sunshine.

 

He talked so much about her that at last a good many of the night-prowling people said that they wished they might see Betsy Butterfly just once, for they could scarcely believe that anybody could be as dainty and bewitching as Freddie Firefly would have them believe her.

 

And there was one dashing young chap of the Moth³ family who became especially eager to make Betsy's acquaintance. Indeed, he began to complain that he was losing his appetite, through thinking about Betsy Butterfly. So he besought⁴ Freddie Firefly to help him out of his difficulty.

 

Now, while he was talking with Freddie Firefly, this young Moth, who was known as Dusty, never once stopped eating. Freddie Firefly noticed how his fat sides stuck out.

 

And he wondered what the fellow's appetite could have been like before he lost some of it.

 

"You don't act like one in delicate health," Freddie Firefly observed, as he watched the greedy Dusty consume more food.

 

"Oh, but I am!" Dusty Moth protested feebly⁵. "I'm so weak now that I can hardly raise myself with my wings."

 

Freddie was sure that Dusty's trouble was merely due to his being too fat. But he saw no reason for quarreling with him.

 

"Can't you think of some plan by which I could meet Betsy Butterfly?" Dusty Moth persisted⁶. "Perhaps if I could see her just once I'd be able to get my mind off her—and on my meals again."

 

"I don't know how I can help you," Freddie Firefly confessed. "You see, Betsy goes home exactly at sunset. And at present she never seems to make her home in the same place for even two nights. So one can never be sure where she will be.

 

"Of course, when the sun is shining you can always find her among the flowers. But that won't help you any, because you're such a sleepy-head in the daytime that you couldn't see anything even if it was stuck right into your eyes."

 

"Can't you explain my sad case to Betsy Butterfly?" Dusty Moth asked hopefully. "I've heard that she's very kind-hearted. And if she knew how I'm suffering on her account I'm sure she'd be glad to meet me some pleasant, dark night."

 

He begged so piteously that in the end Freddie Firefly agreed to do what he could.

 

"But I warn you—" he said—"I warn you that I can't give you much hope."

1 notion   

n.概念，意念，看法

参考例句：

• One common Chinese notion is that the elders ought to be respected.中国人共有的一种观念是长者应受到尊敬。
• He had a sudden notion to visit all his relatives.他心血来潮，突然想去拜访他所有的亲戚。

2 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

3 moth   

n.蛾，蛀虫

参考例句：

• A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
• The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

4 besought   

v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词)

参考例句：

• The prisoner besought the judge for mercy/to be merciful. 囚犯恳求法官宽恕[乞求宽大]。 来自辞典例句
• They besought him to speak the truth. 他们恳求他说实话. 来自辞典例句

5 feebly   

adv. 贫乏地, 虚弱地

参考例句：

• The bird is beating feebly. 那只鸟的翅膀在无力地扑扇着。
• A wick was sputtering feebly in a dish of oil. 瓦油灯上结了一个大灯花，使微弱的灯光变得更加阴暗。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

6 persisted   

坚持( persist的过去式和过去分词 )； 维持； 保持； 持续存在

参考例句：

• They persisted in going there in spite of the bad weather. 尽管天气很坏，他们还是坚持去那里。
• She persisted that she was strong enough to go back to work. 她反复地说她身体已经好了，可以去上班了。