The Mason-bees 



"The barometer," says the good abbe, 

 addressing his pupils, whom, In patriarchal 

 fashion, he calls by their Christian names, 

 "the barometer tells us If the weather will be 

 good or bad. You see the words written on 

 the face — stormy, rain — do you see, Bas- 

 tien?" 



"Yes, I see," says Bastlen, the most mis- 

 chievous of the lot. 



He has been looking through his book and 

 knows more about the barometer than his 

 teacher does. 



"It consists," the abbe continues, "of a 

 bent glass tube filled with mercury, which 

 rises and falls according to the weather. The 

 shorter leg of this tube Is open; the other 

 . the other . . . well, we'll see. 

 Here, Bastlen, you're the tallest, get up on 

 the chair and just feel with your finger If the 

 long leg Is open or closed. I can't remember 

 for certain." 



Bastlen climbs on the chair, stands as high 

 as he can on tip-toe and fumbles with his 

 finger at the top of the long column. Then, 

 with a discreet smile spreading under the 

 silky hairs of his dawning moustache: 



"Yes," he says, "that's it. The long leg 

 4 



