New-York tribune., 1912-06-09

Father swung the rake out over the
water. then beat down to the bottom and
dragged It to shore. A mass Of old leaves
and oozy mud came with it, and down went
Father and the Boy on their knees to find
the hungry dragons.
Here's one dad" said the Boy. and he
held up a wiggling twisting creature. with
a big head and great. staring eyes. and
spines and scales on his body.
That's the very chap Put him in the
tin pail Boy Here's another That was
a pretty good drag Watch them. Boy.
| Aren't they real dragons. thought
one more haul brought in two or three
more of these ugly, staring six-legged
monsters OF the insect world We all
watched them as they lay, looking odd
enough. on the bottom of the pail, and as
If they were thoroughly out OF sorts at
| being disturbed.
Tell us. Dad, all about them They look
so queer and mad. Isn't there story
about them? They don't stay always like
this?"
NO. Boy: they don't stay always like
this. and there Is n story about them and
what they become and how. Why
tho scientists call these ugly, double
iawed creatures nymphs don't know. but
that is what they are called. and they are
tho baby stage Of the beautiful, winged
dragons that hy and fash and whirl IN
the sunshine out there over the pond.
We looked ut the curving flight and tho
beautifully Colored dragon files that were
dartIng and dashing hther and thther, and
then back at the sprawling, worm-like
creatures I'm the pail. with their spny, ugly
coats and Il seemed az II they couldn't be
such close relatives.
"'TclI us about II. Dad" said the Boy.
"This creature. Boy. lives as you See, In
the Shiny. darl, oozc Of the pond, and he Is
a very hungry chap, for he must keep up
his strength and grow II he is ever to be-
come a real nying dragon. SO he lies In
| the dark and watches for Mayflies or any
other little water beasts that suit his taste.
He keeps his eyes rolling about. and when
one Of these little water chaps comes by he
lets fv his catcher that he has folded
nwav under his face mask. and jerks the
little rnorseI into his Jaws Under this long
upper lip you sec he has neatly tucked
away. these nippers that snap up his food
| for him. and he keeps this upper lip or
mask always pulled down over his weapon
| SO as not TO frighten the little creatures
away. And sometimes. II n fellow nymph
comes by-one that is not quite well grown
| or strong-I am sorry to say that the
| smaller one Is eaten up without ceremony
| bv his brother. Now. as time goes on these
fellows outgrow their skins. Their hard
outer coats begin 10 feel tight around the
neck and short In the sleeves. So they de-
eide that new suit is very necessary. ana
they split open neat little seam down the
| back and let their Shiny. damp little bodies
| out. and very soon a new. hard covering
| forms. They DO this several times during
the period they stay under the water and
IN the mud and among the dead leaves.
| But there comes n bright day, when some
| thing tells them TO crawl out OF the dark
ness up into the light. Slowly they creep
! I'D and up til they find grass stem or
1 decayed stick reaching into the sunlight
! and then higher and higher they 80 until
! they feel the warm suns rays on their
hacks. They sit there and walt, FOR their
wonderful hour has come when they are TO
leave all the dull, dark ways Of the past
and enter into a new life II IS always
/ about sunrise when the shell opens, and
! SLOWLY. out Of the long tear, comes the real
| dving dragon, with gauzy wings and long
graceful body, It's great, ir!desccnt eyes
sliding in the head that can turn almost
around on the neck, and. all In all. a most
wonderful creature. 1t Is worth while
waiting the long months In the slimy dark
10 become this dasbine. beautiful free
creature OF the upper air. never weary in
| IT'S constant flying
How long do the dragon flies live. Dad?
! And what do they eat? Can they sting?'
They are still dragons In their nature,
! Boy, though they are so beautiful 10 look
AT. They swoop down on the little hies
and mosquitoes. and gather them into their