The Mantis: her Hunting 



taken from the jewel-case only at the moment 

 when we have to make ourselves brave and 

 terrible for battle. 



Motionless in her strange posture, the 

 Mantis watches the Locust, with her eyes 

 fixed in his direction and her head turning 

 as on a pivot whenever the other changes 

 his place. The object of this attitudinizing 

 is evident : the Mantis wants to strike terror 

 into her dangerous quarry, to paralyze it 

 with fright, for, unless demoralized by fear, 

 it would prove too formidable. 



Does she succeed in this? Under the 

 shiny head of the Decticus, behind the long 

 face of the Locust, who can tell what passes? 

 No sign of excitement betrays itself to our 

 eyes on those impassive masks. Neverthe- 

 less it is certain that the threatened one is 

 aware of the danger. He sees standing be- 

 fore him a spectre, with uplifted claws, 

 ready to fall upon him; he feels that he is 

 face to face with death; and he fails to escape 

 while there is yet time. He who excels in 

 leaping and could so easily hop out of 

 reach of those talons, he, the big-thighed 

 jumper, remains stupidly where he is, or even 

 draws nearer with a leisurely step. 



They say that little birds, paralysed with 



123 



