98 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



among my neighbors, too. There's a worm that l)ores 

 into the pears, pretty much in the same way as the 

 apples. Is that the same varmint ?" 



"Yes; the applorworm is very destructive to the 

 pear, and is also found on the wild crab, and occasion- 

 ally on the plum and peach. And now I believe that I 

 have finished the story of Pomonella and how she 

 punctures our apples." 



"A very pretty tale it is, too," said Abby, looking 

 up with a bright smile. " One of my classes was read- 

 ing yesterday the legend of William Tell and the 

 Apple, and I have just been wondering whether some 

 of our myth-hunting critics and historians might not 

 find the origin of that favorite story in the adventures 

 of a codling-moth ! I can fancy the mother Pomonella 

 personating the tyrant Gessler, and imposing upon our 

 Caterpillar — the William Tell of Insect-world, you 

 know — the destiny of forever piercing apples I" 



"But what will you have to represent the Switzer's 

 little boy?" I asked. 



"Oh, the apple-bough, of course; and how nicely 

 the idea of youth's immature age harmonizes with our 

 definition of a ' codling ' — the punctured, immature 

 fruit!" 



"At all events," said the Mistress, when the laugh 

 at Abby's sally had ceased, "your mothical Tell main- 

 tains the legendary hero's reputation for archeiy. It 

 rarely fails to, 'bring down' the apple. But, really, I 

 didn't know that our schoolmistress had such a genius 

 for the so-called ' higher criticism !' " 



