The diamond drill., 1902-06-07
A BOX OF GATORS.
story of the Strange Eggs Little Clay
Found on the Bench.

Little tlal lNctSS iiNcu III ioiiuo'
and he had fine times on the beach
near his home One day he was dig.
ging in the sand. when up came a
queer little object. II was long and
narrow and had n tough shell that bent
and dented in Clay's fingers. He could
not make ont what IL was. So he ran
to Clinda, his black nurse, and showed
it TO her. Clinda laughed.
"I.awsy, honey" she said, that air
am er gators aigg. Dig erway, an
yer'll done fin er heap mo-"
SO Clay dug away Justify, and, sure
enough, up came more eggs with every
shoyelful Of sand. Five times he filled
his little bucket and carried them
home 10 his mother until twenty-five
eggs lay In the box she gave him 20
put them In. That night when Clay
was in his white "nlghtie" and having
his loving time" with his mother he
asked. "How came the eggs in the
sand?"
"The mother gator hid them there
answered his mother as she rocked and
cuddled her little boy.
Doesn't the mother gator cuddle her
eggs like the mother henY asked Clay.
"No, dear. She leaves them in the
sand for the hot sun TO hatch out"
"Well. | fink the mother gator Is a
very selfish thing" cried Clay, sitting
up In his Indignation.
"Oh, no." said his mother smiling
THAT is her way Of taking care OF
them, the way God taught her. She
can't cuddle her eggs like the mothe.
hen. She has no soft feathers. and her
hard skin would break the eggs IL she
sat on them. The nice warm sand cud
dies them. and the sun helps 10 hatch
them out. She takes good care OF them.
She often comes TO look after her .ba.
bies and when they hatch out she flnds
food for them and will not let anything
hurt them"
"Will she go TO look at her eggs to
morrow day?" asked Clay.
II think she will" said his mother.
"Then I'll take them all back" muir
INJURED the sleepy little fellow.
The box OF eggs was put In closet
| and neither Clay nor his mother
thought OF them again. a week later
Clay wcn. 60 the closet for some toys
and heard a strange, rustling noise.
lie looked up and saw a box on shelf,
with the cover dancing up and down.
| "Oh, mother" cried Clay. dancing up
! and down himself in excitement. come
hero. quick! Here is box all aliyeW
His mother came running In, and
! there were q sA tlny black suouis
| pecning under e laS cover Eef re
Size could even scream ont popped
swarm Of haby alligators aud dropped
down 10 the floor. where they scampcr
cd Oft I'm every direction All the eggs
had Matched, for the closet was behind
a stove ana tine box in a warm place
such a time as there was! Clay
! Jumped up and down, screaming with
glee, but his mother climbed on top OF
a table Go get out OF the way OF the
alIigators. who went running about az
If IN a hurry TO investigate this new
strange world In which they found
themselves Black Clinda came run
ming IN 20 see what was the matter
Then for q hunt The baby alliga.
tors hid under the furniture and bur
rowed under the carpets, popping out
OF every hole and corner. 1t was near.
ly week before the last one was
caught Father Recess shook three out
of his boot one morning, and Mother
Recess pulled on her stocking and found
one I'm the toe.
Clay thought they were the cum
ningest playfelows and begged hard TO
keep them. But when his mother told
him that the mother gator would want
her babies he consented 20 have them
taken 60 the beach. His father let him
keep six aud made a pen for them I'm
the back yard. with a small tank OF
water in IT, Here Clay played with
them. and they became very tame and
seemed to know their little master. He
was often seen with the whole lot
swarmlng all over him. His mother
could not bear 90 touch the creatures,
though Clay assured her that their way
OF running mp his arm and poking
their black snouts into his face was
their way OF loving him. He kept his
pets for a year. Then sharp white
teeth began 90 come In their big
mouths, and his father thought they
might become dangerous playfellows.
so one night they all disappeared, and
Clay never saw them again. II he had
been on the beach next day, he might
have seen six young alligators scam
pering about as II they did not know
what to make Of their strange sur.
roundings. wonder II their mother
knew them. Congregationalist.