Il8 THE FRIENDSHIP OF NATURE 



Daylight did not show even an early 

 bee, though for a week wood has been 

 sawed in a sunny spot and the sweet 

 dust lies scattered on the ground; but 

 through the night, from the warm 

 southeast, where the sun first touches 

 the fields that run to the marshes, 

 where there are old matted reeds, 

 comes the welcome " peep ! peep ! 

 peep ! " As the days lengthen, from 

 afternoon till dawn you hear the marsh 

 frogs' chorus; it is not musical and 

 would be little prized at any other 

 season. Surely the hylodes, more than 

 the larger frogs, inspired Aristophanes 

 by their ceaselessness : — 



" In their yearly revelry, 

 Brekeke — kesh, ko-ash, ko-ash ! " 



But this croaking makes the blood flow 

 quicker; it is the vocal spring sign of 

 animal nature, even though the fox and 



