THE DRAPERY OF VINES 



297 



snakes. Great Bindweed goes that way, pullin' 

 itself up over the weeds, and mebby two vines '11 

 meet and wind around each other, and climb up in 

 the air. Waxwork does that too, an' Climbin' 

 Hemp. See that lot of it down there by the river, 

 the way it 's prettied up that mess o' Sticktights 

 by coverin' 'em in ? 



"Then, again, some vines has strong, woody 

 stems with little sort o' roots along 'em which 

 they use, like caterpillars do feet, to stick and 

 walk along by. Three Fingers (Poison Ivy) does 

 that, while Five Fingers (Virginia Creeper) has 

 climbers all made special to claw wood and stone, 

 with little suckers on the end jest like tree -toads' 

 toes. Grapes has these climbers too, lackin' the 

 suckers, and so is obliged to twist 'em round 

 like wires same as Catbrier, which I call pesky, 

 along with Tear Thumb, that 's a mean cussed 

 thing, havin' stem prickles set backward 



like fish-hook barbs. 



More yet climbs by 



