Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-11-17
IN PoLLYwoe TINE.

You see, Tad, Just must learn
about 'em cause they've got my
name," said little Polly Palmer, as
she crept out on slippery log to
watch the little wigglers in the brook.
Il tell you, Poly, let's catch some
and carry them home, and they'll be
specimens like the things Uncle Jeffry
has; then we can soc them all the
time and watch them grow" said
Polly's brother, Tad.
Course that'll be the way!" ex.
claimed Polly. you do always
think of the best things, Tad. And
I 'spect You know how to catch 'em,
too"
Tad wore rubber boots and right
before Polly's admiling eyes, he walk.
ed straight into the brook and scoop.
Ing with his hat, he soon had a good.
ly number of Specimens
"oh, but it's just beautiful to be
a boy!" exclaimed Polly, "and to
wear rubber boots, and walk right
into the brook"
To Polly just then, womanhood
with its "high estate" was only like
dust in the balance over against a
boy with rubber boots and a hatful
Of po,lywogs.
Home ran Polly and Tad as fast
as they could go, and the "speei.
mems" were equally deposited in
large glass jars OF water along with
a supply of waterweeds; and the
young naturalists began their study
Of batrachians at first hand.
They amt anything but tails
said Tad, but they swim as If they
had always know how"
"Oh, don't they!" exclaimed Polly.
"Pollywogs and boys do Just swim
beautiful Uncle Jeffry smiled be.
hind his newspaper at the mingled
admiration and pathos in little Pol.
ly's voice.
But do see!" called Polly. 81 do
bell eve the poor little things haven't
got any mouths at ALL"
And sure enough there was not a
single mouth in the two auuarlums.
and tho Specimens" when not
swimming beautiful chung to the
water-weeds by kind of shouts or
suckers.
The children had not decided how
their specimens" were to be nour.
ished, when suddenly they discovered
that mouths had appeared, and what
had seemed to be only tails, at first
were eating voraciously the soft
edges of the water-weeds.
Then Tad, who had borrowed his
Uncle Jeffry's magnifying glass an
nounced that his specimens had lit.
tie frinses on the sides Of their
necks.
Polly took the glass and studied
hers long and carefully. and stoutly
declared it wasn't so. In defense Of
the wiggles that bore her name she
even grew wrathful, AMI So far for
Ert her admiration for Tad that no.
ay knows what might have hap
ned if their Uncle Jeffry had not
been near.
He showed them that they both
were right. He told them that the
frsnges We're kind of gills through
which the pollywogs breathed, and
while Tad's specimens had the fringe.
like gills on Their necks, Polly's had
changed their outside gil.s for set
within. He told them, too, that
though pollywogs and fish live in
the water, they have to have air to
breathe, but that they breathe air
mixed with water.
The puzzles those pollywogs were!
No sooner had one thing been learn.
ed about them, than 1t was found the
case was quite different. Very fast
they grew, and 1t was not many days
before little buds" as Polly called
them. seemed to be srrouting out
on their sides. In wonderment they
We're watched until it was discovered
the little buds were growing into
legs.
Then the children's Uncle Jeffry
advised putting the specimens into
a tub out of doors, where the air
was cooler and the growing polly.
wogs might enjoy a larger water
world. But with this change new
complications arose, for Polly was
no longer able to identify her own.
And they've got my name!" she
exclaimed with convincing emphasis.
Again their unc.e came to the res.
cue. "They have two names, Polly"
he said. Zone OF their names is
Polly-wog and the other is Tad-pole."
Then how they all laughed.
"Oh, they belong to us both" de.
clared Polly; and after that they
called their specimens "Polly-Tads."
Great was the CONSERVATION soon,
to find their pollywogs were losing
their tails.
THE tails have been absorbed"
said wise Uncle Jeffry.
With the loss Of their tails and
the growth of legs. other changes
took place, even more wonderful.
The outer skin was cast off; their
fishlike mouths grew wide and frog
like; eyes popped out from under
the skim; the little puzzles came up
into the air to breathe; and instead
of feeding longer on leaves, they
grew flesh-loving.
Finally there dawned a day when
the tub was empty. Polly and Tad
We're In distress until their Uncle
Jeffry gave them the consolation that
their specimens had grown up. and