220 WASPS AND THEIR WAYS 



there as long as allowed. She was trans- 

 ferred to the window, but from time to 

 time fed from her owner's hand and was 

 allowed to creep into the warm palm and 

 stay a little while. She soon learned to 

 come for her meals, and never missed an 

 opportunity to heat her sluggish blood in 

 the palm of her friend. Indeed she did not 

 always wait for an invitation, and it was 

 necessary to keep on guard so as not to 

 close the hand suddenly, thereby, perhaps, 

 squeezing and frightening a live wasp, that 

 might suddenly remember she had a sting 

 to be used when the world went wrong with 

 her, although she did not seem to know 

 she was possessed of a defensive weapon. 

 But one sad day, the maid, not being 

 acquainted with Pelop^us, put her out of 

 the window. Meantime another wasp 

 had hatched out unobserved. Pelop^eus' 

 owner, coming in and seeing, as she sup- 

 posed, her little pet upon the window, 

 picked up the wrong wasp 1 



