The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-26
4 WONDERFUL CHANGE.

One bright day in early June, when
the ROBINS were carrying the first choice
morsels to their hungry yellow-mouthed
lledglings, | came out through the
woods to a beautiful little meadow,
covered with billowy grass that swayed
to and fro in the breeze, and dotted
here and there in the moist spots with
clumps of yellow cowslips. In this
meadow the brook wideped into a small
pond, and as | was tired of tramping
along the brook, threw down my baS-
ket and pole and stretched myself out
under a thorn-tree on soft bed of
moss.
How pleasant it was to lie there in
the shade, and listen to the breeze as it
stole across the meadow, and made q
murmuring sound among the leaves
overhead, which was fast blending into
n dream, for l was growing sleepy,
when my attention was attracted to u
king-bird swaying on branch above
me. His eye presently caught sight of
a bright green-and-black dragon-tly,
and away he went in full chase after it.
After he had gone away, back came
the dragon-hy and settled ON an arrow
head leaf close to the edge OF the pond.
l took my net, and going quietly up,
made a catch at him, but too late. He
was up and off, glancing back and
forth over the pond, and L did not feel
very sorry for my failure, as soon for
got about him in examining something
| found on the leaf he had left.
1t was Il little, greenish, almost trans
rla-aDt pOrr pporly rOnpI opI 1Ot ,,,t1cl
larger than the head of a pin
One day | went to look at the egg
again. 1t was broken, and nothing but
the shell left; but beneath it in the
water | saw tiny stranger
AT first he was so small | could scarce
ly keep track of him as he darted
like flash through the water; but as
he grew larger | noticed that he was al
ways active and hungry, ever ready to
dart up under some unsusPecting,
clumsy tad-pole and seize him in his ra-
pacioGs Jaws. None of the little ami
mails that had lived SO quietly before
he came, were now safe nome Mt from
the attack of this little tyrant.
One thing puzzled me, however. I
could not tell how he managed to glide
80 rapidly through the water, for he
could crawl but slowly, and had no fins
and flat tail like the fish, nor broad feet
like the turtles; but one day L noticed
three little foot-like projections sur
rounding hole in the end of his tail,
and that explained it.
He had tube running almoss the en-
sire length of his body. The, inside of
1his tube was lined with hair-like pro-
jections, with which he could draw the
water in in front, and force it out be-
hind, thus sending him Through the
water.
Here he lived some months; but at
last change came over him. He lost
his ravenous appetite and was tired OF
life in the water He, longed for the
sunlight and air, so he crawled up a
lily leaf, but he could not 90 far, for his
legs began to grow stiff, and his eyes to
grow glazed and dim He struggled
and gasped for breath
Was he dying?
No; for lol his skin burst open down
the back, and out came his head, then
one leg. and another, till he was all out.
Yes! right out OF his skin, which he left
sticking to the leaf, like shell. He
was no longer of dirty gray color but
of bright green and black; and he
had four soft wings folded over his
back. He went up higher into the sun
light, stretched himself and expanded
his wings, which soon became light and
strong enough to bear him up and away
out of the window.
He was no longer the little water.
monster, but as bright and gay a dandy
as you could wish to see. Nor did he
ever entirely regain his old appetite
and though he would occasionally catch
and devour fly or moth, yet he die
not really seem to do it because ht
wanted them. but only because he was
so full OF life and energy that he die
not know what else to do.
AS said, he left his shell fastened tC
the lily leaf, so | took it off and pu
q pin through it and stuck it up in {
glass case, to remember him by.
You may often find such shells along
the edge of ponds about the middle o
summer if you look carefully and i
you hunt among the weeds in the wate
very carefully, you may find one of thu
little fellows before he has changed int