St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-02-21
LITTLE PITCHERS.


One fair morning in May the sun peeped
over the tall old pines and into the room
where the three little Aliens were sleeping,
waking them with its brightness.
They quickly dressed themselves, for
Edith, who was nine, helped the little
six-year- Alice, and Ernest, who was
eight, needed no help.
Then they ran to let out the hens and
give them their breakfast, afterwards to
find the kittens and have frolic. A
mocking bird in the water oak near the
house was singing his sweetest, futtering
downward from twig to twig, never heed
ing the children, who stood listening be-
meath. Cardinal birds whistled to each
other and flashed through the trees like
flames of fire, SO bright did their red
plumage show against the dark leaves.
The sun had walked grandpa also, and
the children, spying him just starting tor
a walk in the woods near by, ran to ask
him if they might 60 with him. Break
fast would not be ready for some time, for
they could hear the quavering notes of
Aunt Mary's voice as she came singing
down the road from her cabin.
At breakfast grandpa said, with a
twinkle in his eye, he thought of spending
the day in the woods, and wondered if he
could find any one to 60 with him.
Away went the children to tell Aunt
IL, Sc ~ 1Iv v1,cr al ov,c
interested in their plans, especially if 'de
baby" as she called Alice, had share,
and TO see If there was anything nice
cooked to take for dinner.
Mamma must have known of grandpa's
plans before, for there were plenty of
rolls, cookies, fruits and cold ham ready
to put up. There were duties that could
not DO neglected. Edith must practice
her music, while Ernest and Alice each
had some work to do; so it was after nine
o'clock when they were waving goodbye
to the rest.
The road wound through groves of fra
grant pines, and often among the dark
green of the needles CLEANED the white
flowers of the dogwood tree. Clear little
brooks flowed across the road in many
places, and slipped silently into the dark
woods. Dropping over the water were
bushes of pink and white azalea and the
white flowers of the fringe tree, while the
wild crab apple blossoms and the golden
flowers of the Carolina jasmine, which
was q tangle of bloom in the tree tops,
filed the air with delicious sweetness.
After driving several miles they came to
a grove of young pines which pleased the
children 80 much they begged to take
dinner under them.
Out they scrambled, and grandpa an
hitched Donald, the horse, took off the
harness and tied him to tree nsar by.
Donald was great pee with the children.
None of them enjoyed a picnic more than
he ; so while dinner was being spread he
looked ON with great interest, eagerly eat
ing rolls. cake and nearly everything given
him, as though 1t was his every day food.
The ground sloped gently down to lit
tie brook ripping merrily across the road
1t flowed silently between blossomiDg
thickets Of laurel which grew on the
banks, and curved about the roots of
white bay that gently tossed it's silvery
leaves and creamy, fragrant flowers.
Leaving the shade for time, the brook
crossed the road and wound through the
tall grass of meadow, always damp from
the trickling water of spring ON the hill
side. Around the spring, and following
the waters down the hill, grew tall CHINA
mon ferns, whose green banners were
more than two feet high. Groups of them
grew in the meadow in company with the
curious trumpet pitcher plants, now in
bloom.
After dinner had been eaten, mani ma
and the children put on their rubbers and
went down to the meadow to see what
new flowers they could find.
Edith and Ernest had just climbed on a
large log to reach some white flowers nod
ding above them. Alice, who had kept
near mamma, was gathering the dark
purple flowers of the pitcher plant, when
she heard q tiny voice which seemed to
come from tall pitcher say "Help help
let me out" Very much startled, she
asked If 1t was fairy.
The other children had come to see
what the trouble was.
Mamma bade Edith pick the pitcher
close to the ground, and then all come to
the hillside where it was dry, and they
would see who it was calling.
Mamma sat down on the ground and
eagerly the children watched as she slit
the pitcher open and carefully turned the
edges back, when out few house fly.
WAS it you who called?" they asked.
"Wait O moment-till get my BREATH"
gasped the fly, as it chung to tall nod
ding grass that grew near.
Soon the fly began to talk.
81 must thank you first for saving me-
he said, "for you see how many of my kin
and other insects have persisted"
Look, said mamma and sure enough
the pitcher was filed third full with
mass of decayed Insects.
"You people" continued the fly, "say,
How pretty the pitchers are, all striped
with lines of red and yellow, and how
curiously they are shaped, like tin trum-
pet. only there is hood that arches over
the top They do no harm to you, but to |
us they are very dangerous, for seldom an |
insect gets out to warn the others.
"Do you see that thin edge up one side of |
the pitcher like narrow path7 1t is very
easy for fly to walk up that, and when
he gets to the top it looks nice inside, and |
ne can see honey there. sFlies like honey
very much, so We crawl down the smooth, |
shiny surface, and never notice the bristles
that are like spikes to us when we try to |
crawl up, for they point toward the center
and downward, 30 that we cannot get out,
but fall to the bottom and drown.
What is that forf you ask, little girl.