The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-06-04
THE TOAD WON.
&c Had Hard Tussle with n Worm. nut
Ho Got There.

tc Had "a Hard Tussle with n Worm, hut
Ho Got There.
"An angle worm Is smooth one way
md rough another like beard OF
wheat, said tho professor and it's
'unny to see toad handle one. Peo-
Pile generally don't know how smart II
toad Is and maybe good many will
DO inclined 10 doubt this little story
about toad and an angle worm. but
il is true. was digging up u tres
ono day. few years ago and two or
three friends of mine were watching
the work. Pretty soon n big toad
came hopping gravely out OF the
weeds near by. and made his way
;oward the spot whore was digging
moving that there would be chance
o get hold OF n worm now and then.
asked my friends II they had ever
,een the toad eat ana as they hadn't
told them to watch that ono and
would show them something funny.
Il threw him worm. and tho sud-
lenness with which he snapped 1t up
and swallowed it always head or
smooth end first and the ludicrous
,olemnity OF HIM in doing It con.
vulsed my friends with laughter. By
and BY l turned up tho biggest oe rth
worm ever saw. II was one OF those
black fellows with pale ring around
their neck. that actually look as II
they had intelligence. This one was
six inches long ut least and you could
500 the scales on him; j tossed this
/; h.
II moment with serious air. exam
med it critically until it had assured
itself on the important point OF which
was its head and which Its tail. and
then with flash and flap OF his
funny tongue, sent the worm head
downward into his stomach.
''But the worm was several inches
longer than the toad, and the latter
nipped his jaws together aaQheld the
worm. which writhed and twisted 1T
self about winding several coils around
the toad's neck. Tho toad waited pa
tiently until the worm uncoiled itself
for another gyration. and then guiped
half an inch or so moro of II down its
throat There were a good many half
of gulping it down was not only slow.
but tiresome TO the toad's jaws so
much so, in fact. that the toad could
no longer hold the worm tightly in
the grip OF its jaws and it began to
work its way out OF the toad's mouth.
The toad would swallow little OF the
worm every now and then, but tho
Il ltt,e h n,r n
itself outside OF the toad than the toad
was getting down. and it would have
been only matter of few minutes
before the worm would DO all the way
| out il it hadn't been for the toad's SUI
perior wisdom.
II had boosted OF tho toad being
moro than match for most any
creeping, crawling, or hopping thing.
and now began to fear that this one
was about to belle my words when
saw with delight that he was equal t
the occasion. He cooked his head OF
one side as the worm was wrigglin.
and writhing out OF his mouth. ant
seemed to be thinking OF what wa
the best thing to do. Then he sud
denly brought his right foot VI
against his stomach. clutched it ant
the worm inside of it and held tn,
worm firmly there. so that 1t couldn
work its way out any further Their
the toad made his gulps ut his leisure
absorbing little more OF the worn
each time and each time taking up {
reef. so to speak, in his stomach will
his claw, until he had swallowed the
entire worm. when he looked arount
with a positive smile on his face
winked solemnly two or three times
and hoped away among the weeds.