“The ballroom shall be the soft velvet lawn under the Linden tree, and we’ll dance by the light of the pale silver moon. But we’ll have to provide ourselves with fireflies too, in case a cloud should cover up the moon. “So, Owly, you will please be diligent in catching fireflies between now and next Thursday evening, for I want thousands of them. So many fireflies, tied by gossamer threads to the lower branches of the Linden tree, will make us quite independent of the moon. “And Lightning,” continued the Captain, “it shall be your duty to provide seats for the ladies, and I know of none more comfortable than fresh green moss-mounds. And we’ll arrange them in a circle around the Linden tree. “And Tono, you will of course have charge of the music, and I want you to invite the butterflies to accompany the orchestra.” “The butterflies’ soft minstrelsy Shall tune our hearts to sweet accord, But beetles, wasps, and bumblebees, We cannot have, they’re much too forward. “Our berries, fruits, and honeydew Would disappear by magic sure, If we these creatures should invite-- Their very names I can’t endure! “The flowers we’ll invite this time, And by the fireflies’ light we’ll see Their various shades of every hue, And all their gorgeous broidery” said Rhymo, who never lost an opportunity to make poetry. “Aren’t you a little late with the last verse?” asked Owly. “We’ve already invited the flowers. If you _must_ make poetry, why not try to make it in time?” “Good poetry is always in time,” said Rhymo. “Just ask Captain Featherweight if that isn’t so.” But the Captain was far too busy to pay much attention to Rhymo and Owly. He was thinking about the girdles. There is nothing an elf prizes so much as a girdle, and Captain Featherweight decided to have special girdles made just for the ball in honor of the flowers. “Rainbow,” said he, “and you too, Iris-Wing, shall have charge of designing the girdles.” “And see that each one is appropriate,” said Touchstone, “and since Owly is so very wise, let his girdle be made of Solomon’s-Seal.” This pleased the other elves so much that they asked the Captain to allow Touchstone to help in designing all the girdles. “I don’t think any one as silly as Touchstone should have charge of anything,” said Owly. “Have a care,” said Touchstone, “or your girdle shall be made of Nettles instead of Solomon’s-Seal.” “I’m bored,” said Owly, “and I’ll just run away until the girdle question is settled.” “And what shall the dream-elf’s be made of?” asked Iris-Wing. “Oh, of Eyebright and Wake-Robin,” said Touchstone. “And Rhymo’s shall be made of Laurel leaves,” said Rainbow. “Why not of Poet-Asters?” asked Touchstone. But the other elves paid no attention to this joke, and Touchstone continued: “When it comes to my turn, I want to decide for myself.” “And Lightning, our swift-footed messenger’s girdle shall be made of the common Speedwell,” said Iris-Wing.