Wasps and Such. 163 



that, they say it was really amusing to watch her fussing 

 and fuming and wondering what in time ailed her that 

 she could not lift things as usual. 



I think myself it was a very good practical joke. 

 Possibly it would have had a little more point to it if the 

 wasp had found out who played it. The great thing in a 

 practical joke is to fix it so that the victim cannot retort. 

 In this instance the thing that keeps me from trying to 

 see how funny a wasp would act with the ends of her 

 wings clipped off is the clipping of the wings. They 

 are very close to the sting, it seems to me. I tell you, 

 the best way to play a practical joke is not to think of 

 it as a joke at all, but to make out it is done in the 

 interests of science. Then if you get hurt, why, you 

 know, sacrifices have to be made to acquire knowledge. 

 For instance, it was inherently a practical joke that ex- 

 periment the fellow tried to see if wasps had color sense. 

 Whether they stung him or not he doesn't say, though 

 that seems very important to me. I should regard it as 

 such. He took a piece of red paper and stuck it up ever 

 the entrance to the wasps' nest. 



( Hello ! ' said the first wasp that came in afterward. 

 : Been fixing up, I see. Hardly knew the place." 



: Been fixing what up ? ' 



" Why, the front stoop. Painted it." 



"Painted it?" 



Yes, painted it. You heard what I said." 

 What are you talking about ? ' 



' I'm talking about the front stoop. It's painted. 

 Painted red. Who did it ? " 



' Not me. 'Liza, did you paint the front stoop red ? 

 I say, did you paint the front stoop red ? Says she don't 

 know nothin' about it." 



" Well, it's painted red all right." 



