The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-08-22
The Tiger Beetle.

DEAR CHILDREN: I am a Tiger
Beetle. This much is easily told, but
man might say his name was John
Smith, and you would be as wise as be-
fore; so 1 am afraid it may be difficult
work to make you understand who
am, so that you can recognize me when
you see me again, in case you are not
already acquainted with me. / did not
have the choosing of my own name, but
since it has been given to me L have
made the best of it, and adopted it till
1 can get one l like better. Although
most of you who live in the country
have seen me, yet 1 venture to say that
very few of you who have seen me have
taken the trouble to ascertain who /
am, and where live, and what I look
like close by; so, for the benefit of who
ever may want to know, L will tell all
can about myself. Pray don't respond,
though, by chasing us about next sum-
mer, and sticking pins through us, and
calling us "bugs" after you have caught
us; for we don't like such treatment
bit better than you would. I will,
however, give you cordial invitation,
one and all, to call around next sum-
mer, and make us as many visits as you
please, provided you will leave me alone
when you depart, and will promise not
to carry me off with you; for, if you call
without such promise first being
made, am afraid will have to be 80
impolite as to be mot at home"
I have an indistinct recollection of
passing through long, happy "hunch-
backed" childhood, living in hole in
the sand, out of which pulled myself
by the aid of a pair of hooks in my
back, whenever 1 got hungry, and
wanted to go up and take the fresh air
and procure something to eat. / was
undeniably homely then, must con-
fess, with my huge teeth, big head and
small body, with the hooks / spoke of
giving me humpbacked appearance.
never strayed very far away from
home, for there were always plenty of
small insects, weaker than L, crawling
about, to supply me with food, and
with plenty of that and plenty of sleep
I was content At last, when I grew
large, grew lazy, too, until strange
feeling came over me, and l went to
sleep. How long 1 slept never knew,
for when / woke / crawled out of my
hole in the sand, and found / was en-
tirely changed; and in place of my
former ill-looks 1 was exceedingly
handsome, if l do say it myself, and
could run and fly as fast as you please.
Since then / have enjoyed myself in my
own peculiar fashion, and feel as young
and spry to-day as did month ago.
For myself, prefer a jolly good piece
of sandy shore, like the one where my
childhood was spent; but some of my
cousins would rather live among the
grass, and have even heard it reported
that some of my fifth cousins, who live
away down at the Tropics, are in the
habit of staying up in the trees all the
time. Well, every one to his taste but
after all, what pleasure is there in living
where there is not plenty of sand to run
and race over?
In walking along sandy road in the
springtime, you have very often seen
my brothers and me, as we jumped up
and, flying ways, lit, to repeat the
operation when you were again near
enough. And you have, no doubt, won
dered to yourselves what kind of flies
those were, but most of you have gone
on and were content with merely won
dering. If you had tried to catch me,
you would have found plenty of bust
ness on hand before you got me there,
for haven't lived so long and looked
out for myself for nothing. A good
share of my life has been spent in get
ting what / wanted to eat, and / am
blessed with good appetite, too, tell
you; and when am net hunting I am
playing hide-and-go-seek with my broth