The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-18

and out there on that hill. and in the
beech woods over the HILL and-oh,
everywhere Outdoors" Geraldine ana
Peter are startled to find that the
bunny old apple tree under which they
are sitting has been listening to them
and that it can talk to them. The COM
nunicativeness of the tree leads to an
Introduction to the milk-weed butter
grass snake, the robin. and the spider,
each of which tells his story to the en-
raptured delight of the children. An
extract from the butterf1ys story viii
serve to illustrate Mr. CnarnDerS
"Once upon a time" began the but
terfiv. inpressively, Il was an egg My
butterfly mother placed about three
dozen of US on the under side OF milk
weed leaf I was at that period of my
career a trifIe smaller than the head
of a pin A few days later I burst
"Oh. dear." cried Geraldine. sympa-
thetically.
1T didn't hurt" said the butterfly; Il
was only an egg, remember. And, as
have already observed, 1 burst my tiny
shell and-guess what came out of that
shel?"
why, YOU did," ventured Peter, po-
.sYes-I came out. but, bless your
hearts. you little Indoor children would
never have known me. had no wings.
But 1 had a body, and sixteen legs. and
a
caterDiIlar-very small. it is true, but
still a caterpillar
You caterpillar" exclaimed Geral-
dine, excitedly-
calmly closing his brilliant wings over
his back and indolently uncoiling a
long, thin tongue. All butterflies come
from cateFDillars: didn't you know it ~
No said Geraldine.
Didn't know it?" repeated the butter
fly in establishment; what do you study
in SCHOOL,"
Books" said Geraldine. family, but
they're not about you; they're about
poor trashl Poor trash!' said the
butterfly; Il have six legs; when 1 was
a caterpillar I had sixteen; when I was
an egg I had none.
Goodness. how = did eat when I first
became a caterpillar 1 ate and ate I'M
til I burst
"Oh. dear!" cried Geraldine. sympa .
theticaI1-.
Il didn't hurt. child" said the butter
fly. II had eaten too much and my
skin became too tight. So 1 went off by
myself and stood on the under side of
a leaf for a few hours, and then 1 quiet
~ burst my old skin and came out in Il
beautiful brand-new skin. did 1t four
times in three months. N.Y. What a
and black stripes. And all day long /
ate and ate
''Wh9t2" ventured Peter.
''Milk-weed, toujours milk-weed," re-
piled the butterfly. Il had a pair of
jaws which worked sideways. like scis-
sors. and I fed on the edge of the leaf,
eating it down to the tough old mid
rib"
from caterpillar to chrysalis, while the
incipient butterfly is hanging by it's two
hind feet to a fence, is described:
Yes. 1 was a trihe dizzy" admitted
the butterfly. but I had no idea OF
letting go. Beautiful dreams came tc
me. 1 dreamed first that I was eating
milk-weed; then 1 dreamed l had wings
and was floating far up among tbs
clouds with the birds: and then-and
then"
What happened?" exclaimed Peter
much interested.
Il burst" said the butterfly calmly
"Oh, dear! OA, dearl" cried C1eral-
dine, rocking to and fro.
1T didn't hurt" said the butterfly; III
never hurt me to burst. So I burst
open: and out through the skin of my
back came a beautiful jewel, about the
size of sparrow's egg, but little diff
ferent in shape, and of an exquisite
pale, translucent green color. all spotted
with gilt
L was a chrysalis.''
"A chrysalis?" repeated the children;
what is a chrysalis?"
Different kinds of butterflies have
different chrysalides," said the butter
fly: mime was a smooth. little. pear
shaped thing. without eyes or legs OF
month. There I swung from the small
spot of silk; I wriggled a little to cas-
off the thin. dry, transparent skin o
the caterpillar which chung to me; bu
when I was freed from it I remained
modonless, like a tiny laccuere(
mummy inlaid with gold. Good gra
cious. how beautiful I was,"
IF you had no mouth, how could yol
breathe?" asked Peter.
4 breathed through little holes il
my sides-holes about as big as tn
point of pin. I breathed the SAM
way when I was a caterpillar, and
brea the that way now. 1t is a verl
good way to breathe said the butterfi.
impatiently: do you know a bette
way?"
Peter said nothing.
Il breathe through my nose,' ven
tured Geraldine, timidly; mother want
me to-
I don't object said the butterfly
there are hundreds of ways to breathe