Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-06-14

Mn. Zoos TRAvELs.-Once in the deep
sea, curious little object began floating
about. 1t must have been alive, for it
did not always swim with the tide, but
went this way or that, as it was moved by
its desires for food or pleasure but you
could scarcely have thought it living if
you had seen its soft, brown body with
neither legs, arms, claws, nor fms.
Well, yes, now | think about the mat
ter, those long, trembliugs threads or hairs
that spread out through the water, must
have had the smallest kind of claws at
their ends, for, by and by, when the
creature had hoated to the side OF the rock
they caught and chung there so tightly
that even the rocking sea could not draw
him away. | believe he was lazy crea-
ture, or he wouldn't have fastened himself
so that he could never again move but
that may have been because he had such
a great name, that he could not carry 1t
about-he was called Zoophyte
So that was the end of Mr. Zoos trav-
els, you think and very likely you fancy
there Is no more story about him. but there
is.
Something very strange happened after
awhile. The curious soft body began to
grow tough and break into many soft holes,
that ran through from Mr.. Zoos stomach,
| believe, TO his skin These holes were
something ike little canals, through which
the water began to flow, so that he was
thoroughly soaked Little horny threads
began to bristle all along the length of
these canals Ii we had been there lust
~
pound Microscope, We would have found
out that these slender horns were some
thing ike harpOOns. which, you know,
have heads pointed at the end, but broad
and hooked lower down, that they may
catch aud hold us your fshhooks do.
Now the sea is full Of very small erea-
lures, so small that you could not have
seen them unless you had looked with the
eyes Of Mr.. Microscope. These wee ami
mails are good to eat, Mr. Zoo thought, so
he Just stuck to his rock and took them
into his stomach IS fast a. he could
suppose il be had not done that, he would
have died Of starvation as really lazy peo-
pie ought to
Very friendly of the water, was il not,
TO load itself with food aud iioat In through
all these canals to save him the trouble OF
reaching out after it? The little erea-
lures might have foated out again, unhurt,
had il not been for those cruel harpoons
that let them in, but bristled fearfuly
across their paths when they tried to re-
turn. SO Mr. 100 ate them up and lived,
and grew fat
One day there was ship sailed over
the ocean from far-off country. and when
it neared the rock on which the delicate
claws of the young Zoophyte had chung, it
cast anchor, and rocked lazly back and
forth IN a cradle Of waves, while some Of
its crew made ready to leap overheard and
dive to the bottom. How manv divers
there were, | cannot tell, but know pres
emily, one of them swan to the rock, and,
seeing Mr.. Zoo, caught hold of him and
tore him hurriedly away. Soon the man
rose to the surface, and a small boat picked
him up and carried him back to the great
ship; then our friend, who had never been
out Of the water before, found himself
thrown into a great box, full of other
creatures made just like himself. You
would have thought that NIGH have
pleased him, but no he turned surly, aud
shrank all up within himself, as if he wants
ed to get away from them all.
\ long time afterward tue good ship re-
turned from sea, and all the Zoop6ytes
were taken on land and sold. Who bought
them all, | cannot say, but this one | have
told you about, was bought by one of our
boys; and when he brought it home he.
begged pretty, pink ribbon of his sister
Jane and bored hole through Mr.. Zoo
and tied him to his slate. But when |
ask ed him the creatures name, he seemed
quite surprised, and said, He should sup
pose any one would know that was nothing
but sponge !''-BriQht Side.