Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-07-30
LITTLE STORY FROM NATURE.
The Toad and Its Camoufiage-Val-
liable Garden Asset.

DuL l AIN dlFalu Ol tuSll, Sdlu
Dolly. She made "am' very strong.
why should you be afraid Of
them?" asked the Queen Of the Dew
drop Fairies.
They are so ugly, and they look
like snakes!" answered Dolly.
"lf you look carefully at their
spotted skins you will see that the
colors are really quite beautiful
soft shades Of grey and pale yellow
and age-green-quite fashionable
colors, some Of them," said the
Fairy
81 don't care, they look like
snakes-and wouldn't touch one
for anything in the world"
You don't have to touch one
you can just look at him and see
what a help he is in the garden. lie
is one Of the best helpers Of the
United States School Garden Army"
II don't see how anything so hor-
rid-looking can help-unless he
IL.
the little girl, rather stubbornly.
"lf you will come with me down
to the end Of the garden where the
cabbages grow" said the Fairy,
maybe can show you something
that will make you change your
mind"
She spread her beautiful wings
and floated along through the air,
Dolly's fat little legs had hard work
10 Keep up with her. At the far end
OF the garden was patch of cab
Dages-quite fine looking, most of
them were, but one or two did not
look SO we'll.
Now said the Fairy: "stoop
down, and take coed look under
the leaves
Dolly did as she was bid. but she
saw nothing at all.
don't see anything" she said.
Look in the dirt close under The
cabbage said the Fairy.
Dolly stopped down and peerod
under the cabbage leaves again. All
at once something twinkled at her.
She jumped. 1t was an eye. Then
she saw fiat head that did look
something like a snake. The mouth
seemed to divide the head in two. j.
went so far around. And right un-
der the mouth Dolly could see Il
funny trembling in the throat.
II see it," she cried; "it's a toad"
"Why couldn't you see it before?"
said the Fairy.
ITS almost buried in the ground.
And the part Of it that is outside
looks like an old leaf-or some
thing"
That's 'camouflage." said the
Fairy.
"Cammy--who?" asked Dolly.
She thought 1t was name.
Its a long French word" ex-
planned the Fairy. at means to dis
guise things so you can't tell what
they are. Did you ever listen to
Fatherbob reading the papers
about the soldiers fighting over in
France?"
ooh, yes! My cousin Jack was
| over there long time, and he wrote
the most interesting letters.
Why?"
do you remember anything he
read you about the "Tanks?" said
the Fairy.
"Of course do-and I've seen pic
lures OF 'em too"
We'll, the tanks-and sometimes
the big guns too-were hidden by
either painting them to look like
| earth and trees Or covering them
| with real brush and branches. What
you see on the toad's back Is just
that. He Is colored like the dirt and
! the leaves so the enemies won't see
him. Then he can catch them"
But what can he catch-ow!"
The last little squeal was caused
by sudden movement that Dolly
had not been expecting. A small
fly had been sitting on the cabbage
leaf, without moving at all the, toad
shot out a long, slender tongue.
And suddenly, there was no small
fly sitting on the cabbage leaf.
Watch him just minute" ad-
yised the Fairy. 'Look on the un-
| Ger side OF the leaf"
Dolly looked and saw number
| Of small green creatures sticking to
| the cabbage leaf. AS she looked,
| the toad's long tongue darted out