The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-12-17


have two holes to it, one to come in at, anC
> another to go out by. And they have
u clever method of hanging a number o
little paper curtains all along the passage
or hole which leads to their nest, go tha,
the wind and the rain may be we'll kep,
out.
But we must follow the fortunes Of ou1
little hero aud heroine, creeping along the
wall in search of their prey.
Suddenly, Freddy makes dead stop, aud
points with his fioger.
| Here we are, all right he vhisnars
meaning by this somewhat vague exnres,
sion that he has discovered the object of his
quest.
| Marian sees a hole in the wall, about
which swarns of wasps is wheeling grace-
| fully. Marian dOesn'G much like the look
OF them. She hides rather behind her bro
| ther.
"Now. theD," says Freddy, in loud
these fellows What jolly thing it will be
to tell John !"
"Don't you think we'd better get John
to come and help us 7" suggests Marian.
Not a bit of it," is Freddy's conf
dent reply. eth be splendid sport; you'll
see."
Aud with that he pokes the stout stick
which he has in his hand right into the hole,
which leads like small tunnel to the wasp
city, where al the wasp. p.mammas are
feeding their babies, and all the wasp
papas are building and miuing, aud sweep
ing, and putting their houses in order, or
receiving the food which the working
Wasps have been securing the country to
collect.
You can imagine, perhaps, that this great
oatterlng- ram of stick, suddenly thurst
into their midst, fearing down the pretty
gray paper curtains, and knocking their
houses about their ears, is more startling
than pleasant to the wasp people.
In tact they all Jumped up in second,
and came buZzipg out at the back door, as
the front door was blockaded. to see hat
could possibly be- the matter. They thought
1t could 10 nothing less than the end of
the world, or an earthquake at the very
least.
Whey they fouud that it was only boy,
their indignat on knew no houuds. There
was no need to All council of war. The
Whole city was 10 arms, and fully prepared
Tor attack. Each one among them wore a
sword, and tuey did not hesitate to draw it
IN defence of their houses and little ones
as Marian and Freddy found out to their
cost.
The angry and excited swarms of insects,
mad with rage at the outrage which had
been offered them, hastened to avenge their
wrongs upon the unguarded faces of their
assaiiants.
Though little Marian had not taken an
active part in the aggression, they of course
did not know that, and they were q great
deal too indignant to care who was punish.
ed, 80 long as they had the satisfaction of
feeling that somebody was. In that they
were not altogether unlike some human
beings, who would perhaps feel very much
aggrieved if we told them they were like the
cruel, venomous insect.
Marian and Freddy, you may be sure,
turned and ran as fast as ever their legs
would carry them; but all the time they
were pursued by their relentless enemies,
who would scarcely leave them, when, at |
length, half wild with pain and terror, |
they reached the welcome shelter of the |
house.
1t was the wasps who were eDioving sport |
now. 1t was a wasp-hunt under different |
the hunters becoming the hunt
GO; change which made vast deal of diff !
ference in the enjoyment of it, to all parties
Freddy was most severely stung, and had
to keep his bed for days. afterwards, suf-
fering great pain, while Marian, though not
quite so severely injured, had to suffer
much inconvenience from a swollen face,
a closed eye, and other trifes O.. like ma
ture while as to her beauty, that was so
terribly damaged, that for ever SO long, if
she had met herself walking along the
street, che would not have known herself
Now the moral of all this ID not that
Wasps' nests are never to be taken, and
Wasps are to be allowed to thrive and mul
,lply, and fill the world. That would not
DO at all. But one moral is: Children
lon't you be the ones to start crusade
against them, but leave that to John the
gardener, or somebody who knows better
low to set ahont it than you do.
Also, don't be misled by this notion of
port. For if sport means hunting a weak,
lefenceless, harmless creature, then sport
8 cruel, mean game. unworthy of any
rue boy or girl but if it means bunting a
'reature who is fierce and reveugefuI, then,
an Hoo rnbi a. - lr
he game is apt to become more exciting
han pleasant, as our unfortunate young
couple found it.