Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-08
Fun IN the Garden.

Greta was running through the big garden
when she heard a welcome shout. -
Halo, Gretai' $3.50
And there was her little neighbor and
playmate, Alan. who had been on visit to
his uncle's for two long weeks.
"Oh, Alan, I'm SO glad you've come
home!' cried Greta, when he had come
through the garden to meet her. Did you
have good timer
Great" said Alan, thrusting his hands
into his trousers pockets, and sqtaring his
shoulders as he had seen his Uncle Rob do.
Il went to the Natural History Museum"
Whats that?" asked Greta.
"Oh. q monstrous big house. bigger than
| any house round here and all full Of ami
mails and bugs and birds"
Live ones?" cried Greta excitedly
mo- course not, 1t wasn't the ark!" said
| Alan somewhat scornfully.
Dead ones?' said Greta in an awestruck
voice. -.
why. It must have been quite dread
| full" said Greta- I've got a natural his
| tory museum all my own. only the things
are all alive"
| lousy. staring round with big eyes. Where
Right here, in this garden" said Greta.
THE sky is the roof. Isn't 1t lovely
things here, birds and BUTTERFLIES
"Oh. of course, I know all that!' said
Alan. little disgustedly. You're just
playing it's a museum"
well, it's lots of fun to play. I pretend
all the bees and flowers and caterpillars are
really people. and think and talk. and have
secrets, and 1t was lots of fun when you
were away and there was nobody to play
with, and I give them all names, too, and
| talk to them. And. Oh. Alan. have the
| loveliest turtle, and I have built little
house for him.
where did you get himf' asked Alan
eagerly.
Down in the little lily pond. He's a
little bit of q fellow, and he crawled out on
| the bank and I just picked him up and
brought him home with me. Come see
| him.
Il thought girls were afraid of such
| things" said Alan.
II used to be tn I played they were real
people said Grsta Leading him ,rss down
| the pond There she showed him the cutest
little brick house about eighteen inches
| high. st found the bricks lying round."
| she explained. latter the men got through
the carriage house. and I just laid them
on top of each other, So Don't the shin
| giles make cunning roof. Oh. there is
| Napoleon now" Greta had left an open
| space In front for the door, and had brick
| across the bottom of it. so the turtle could
| have plenty Of air and yet not run away.
| what makes you call him Napoleon?,'
| asked Alan.
because mother said Napoleon was a
| little man." said Greta. "See, over in the
corner Of the house is his bed. 1t Is moth
ing but mud. thought that was the kind
mud turtle. dug 1t up by the pond, and
| put it in that old leaky tin pan, and keep
| 1t wet. 1t is awfully funny to see him go
| to bed. He crawls into the mud, just as
| we creep in between the sheets, and some
| times he just sticks his head out. I take
/ him out for long time every day and stay
| right by him so he won't run away. There
his swimming tank. that saucepan without
a handle. that cook gave me. I think he
quite likes to live there. I am going to
plant some morning glories to climb up
over his house. then won't he be stylish.
| In brick house with vines over it?''
Alan laughed and picked the gay Napo-
leon up carefully and watched him poke
out his little head and tail and feet. He
marked presently. The turtle immediately
| drew In hts head. his feet and his TAIL
"See." laughed Greta. "he feels insulted
because you mention his nails. I don't
i think 1t would do to teach him how to take
care Of his nails. he might grow to be such
| a dandy that he wouldn't earn his own ltv-
ing He is different from US. he has to use
his nails to get food with. Look, mother
bone and ribs all spread out. and his under
shell IL something like our breast bone,
only he wears his bones outside instead of
inside. The shelly part of him that looks
like scales on his she'll, mother says, are
| just dried and horny pieces of skim
-"Oh." cried Alan. 81 suppose the great
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. turtle must
have been softer. and he rubbed his back SC
hard and SO much that 1t got all horny. just
like the cailous that gets on my hand when
I've been rowing q lot Do you suppose II
we lived like turtle we might grow like
one?'
Maybe" said Greta. .'but I'd rather be q
GIRL"
"Or boy" said Alan. 80 would l." !.
Al this the turtle poked out his head.