196 



Handbook of Nature-Study 



6. How does the frog feel to your hand? Is it easy to hold him? 

 How does this slipperiness of the frog benefit it? 



7. On what does the frog feed? What feeds on it? How does it 

 escape its enemies? 



8. What sounds does the frog make? Where are its sound sacs 

 located ? How do they look when they are inflated ? 



9. Is the frog a good swimmer? Is it a better jumper than the toad? 

 Why? 



10. Where are the frog's eggs laid? How do they look? 



n. Can you tell the frog tadpoles from those of the toad? Which 

 remains longer in the tadpole stage? Study the frog tadpoles, following 

 the questions given in Lesson XLIV. 



12. What happens to the frog in winter? 



FESTINA LENTE 



Once on a time there was a pool 

 Fringed all about with flag-leaves cool 

 And spotted with cow-lilies garish, 

 Of frogs and pouts the ancient parish. 

 Alders the creaking redwings sink on, 

 Tiissocks that house blithe Bob o' Lincoln, 

 Hedged round the unassailed seclusion, 

 Where muskrats piled their cells Carthu- 

 sian; 



And many a moss-embroidered log, 

 The watering-place of summer frog, 

 Slept and decayed with patient skill, 

 As watering-places sometimes will. 

 Now in this Abbey of Theleme, 

 Which realized the fairest dream 

 That ever dozing bull-frog had, 

 Sunned, on a half-sunk lily pad, 

 There rose a party with a mission 

 To mend the polliivog's condition, 

 Who notified the selectmen 

 To call a meeting there and then. 

 "Some kind of steps," they said, "are 



needed; . 



They don't come on so fast as we did: 

 Let's dock their tails; if that don't make 



'em 



Frogs by brevet, the Old One take 'em! 

 That boy, that came the other day 

 To dig some flag-root down this way, 

 His jack-knife left, and 'tis a sign 

 That Heaven approves of our design: 

 'T were wicked not to urge the step on, 

 When Providence has sent the iveapon.", 

 Old croakers, deacons of the mire, 

 That led the deep batrachian choir, 

 "Uk! Uk! Caronk!" with bass that might 

 Have left Lablache's out of siglit, 

 Shook nobby heads, and said "No, go! 

 You'd better let 'em try to grow: 

 Old Doctor Time is slow, but still 

 He does know how to make a pill." 

 But vain was all their hoarsest bass, 

 Their old experience out of place, 

 And spite of croaking and entreating 



The vote was carried in marsh-meeting. 

 "Lord knows, "protest the polliwogs, 

 "We're anxious to be grown-up frogs; 

 But don't push in to do the work 

 Of Nature till she prove a shirk; 

 'Tis not by jumps that she advances, 

 But wins her way by circumstances; 

 Pray, wait awhile, until you know 

 We're so contrived as not to grow; 

 Let Nature take her own direction, 

 And she'll absorb our imperfection; 

 You mightn't like 'em to appear with, 

 But we must have the things to steer with." 

 "No," piped the party of reform, 

 "All great results are ta'en by storm; 

 Fate holds her best gifts till we show 

 We've strength to make her let them go; 

 The Providence that works in history, 

 And seems to some folks such a mystery, 

 Does not creep slowly on, incog. , 

 But moves by jumps, a mighty frog; 

 No more reject the Age's chrism, 

 Your qtieues are an anachronism; 

 No more the future's promise mock, 

 But lay your tails upon the block, 

 Thankful that we the means have voted 

 To have you thus to frogs promoted." 

 The thing was done, the tails were cropped, 

 And home each philotadpole hopped, 

 In faith rewarded to exult, 

 And wait the beautiful result. 

 Too soon it came; our pool, so long 

 The theme of patriot bull-frog's song, 

 Next day was reeking, fit to smother, 

 With heads and tails that missed each 



other, 



Here snoutless tails, there tailless snouts; 

 The only gainers were the pouts. 



MORAL 



From lower to Hie h igher next, 

 Not to the top is Nature's text; 

 And embryo Good, to reach full stature, 

 Absorbs the Evil in its nature. 



LOWELL 



