Evening star., 1937-03-22


us, turns in a story today that
seems 10 have a moral. Maybe
several morals for those who have the
eyes to see.
At any rate it is about a driver
whose cab suffered a broken front
bumper when a private car recently
backed into it
Any DAMAGE" asked the citizen,
looking at the bumper lying on the
pavement.
"A broken bumper" said the driver
pointing.
How muCh?" asked the citizen.
The driver named a figure, the
man opened his purse and produced
the money, After he had gone the
driver examined the damaged item and
/ found that only a bracket broken.
He jammed the ends together and, sur
prlsingly, they stayed that way.
They held, that is, until a few days
later when another car backed into
the cab.
Any damage?" asked the second
citizen.
A broken bumper" said the driver,
pointing
The citizen took out his purse and
paid. The driver snapped the bumper
bracket together again and drove
away.
Three more times he collected for
/ that bumper in the space of a few
days. The thing began to look like a
Nerltable gold mine and it might have
/ turned out that way if an observant
/ youngster out in Silver Spring had
! been taught silence was golden
The sixth collision involved a ply
( Slcian's car and the medicine man
was about to pay up when the young
/ Ster cut in with
Hey, you didn't break that. II was
| broken before. Look at those rusted
/ edges
The physician was surprised. the
driver acted surprised, and no money
changed hands
RETORT.
Let no one be dtSrtdUed bv the
absence OF cocker spaniel stories
IN the column for several dqvs.
Silence IS no testament Of dtsloyaltu
to the breed 1t shall end 1rtth the
tale OF q tConldn Uho called a proud
cocker gunner to say that she, too
2raS tGnCtcr OF the dog and ouned
the finest one in the lDorld
'FlHcSt2" snapped the other.
What do you mean, fneSt2 BRING
h,W out some day to sec rly dog
and he 1riU die OF an nferlorlty
compiler"
BUZZZZL
. HE two earliest butterflies of Sprlnl
have been fylng about for ht
last few days, according to Austin II
Clark, National Museum biologist
Both are striking creatures, the OBJ
lects of curious folklore.
The most conspicuous is the mourn
ing cloak" so called because Of II.
large coal-black wings edged with ;
thin band of yellow II lives as al
adult all Winter, hidden under loos
bark, where it is safe from birds AM
mice, and presumably can Stanc
almost any degree Of cold.
The insects fantastic funereal col
Grafton. Mr.. Clark says, probably i
a notable element in It's natural de
fenSe. Birds seem to have an in
stlnctlve dread of black The nal.
butterfly Of this species is a bold, quar-
relsome insect which patrols wooc
paths along which smaller birds fly
at height Of about feet, and doesnr
hesitate to dart at them. The threat.
ened bird usually runs away.
The mourning cloak" is one Of tht
few butterflies which makes a noise
II mlmiCS the SaWhke buzz of the
bumblebee, and thus frightens many
animals which otherwise would make
a meal Of it.
Among the rural SuperstitionS as,
sociated with this butterfly in Vir.
ginla and Maryland is that when ont
f1yS into house there will be a mar
rlage in the family within the year
Another is that to find one dead mean!
tears within a week When three O.
them are seen flying together 1t i!
interpreted as sign Of death.
The mourning cloak survives ir
Washington until about the middle Of
May. Meanwhile, it lays its eggs
which hatch in September. With the
coming OF Winter the new generation
in turn seeks shelter under bark o.
IN the crevlces of Woodplles.