THE FIVE WORLDS OF LARIE 



dinner, and luncheon again between that and supper; 

 and part of the calls were from Mother and part from 

 Father Gull. 



Larie's second world, it seems, was a place where he 

 and his brother and sister were hungry and were fed. 

 This is a world in which dwell, for a time, all babies, 

 whether they have two legs, like you and Larie, or four, 

 like a pig with a curly tail, or six, like Nata who lived in 

 Shanty Creek.^ An important world it is, too; for health 

 and strength and growing up, all depend upon it. 



There was, however, only a rim of soft fine dry grass 

 to show where Larie's nest-world left off and his third 

 world began. So it is not surprising that, as soon as their 

 legs were strong enough, Larie and his brother and sister 

 stepped abroad; for what baby does not creep out of his 

 crib as soon as ever he can? 



They could not, for all this show of bravery, feed 

 themselves like the sons of Peter Pan, or swim the waters 

 like Gavia's two Olairs at Immer Lake. However grown 

 up the three youngsters may have felt when they began 

 to walk. Father and Mother Gull madp no mistake 

 about the matter, but fed them breakfasts, dinners, and 

 suppers, and stuffed them so full of luncheons between 

 meals, that the greedy httle things just had to grow, so 

 as to be able to swallow all that was brought them. 



^ Hexapod Stories, page 80. 

 21 



