THE STORY OF THE FLOUNDERING BEETLE 5 
and look at what I am now, I sometimes wonder 
whether that lively babyhood of mine has not all 
been a mocking dream. 
" Do you wonder that I am as blue as indigo, 
and am occasionally forced to resort to my oil- 
tank to still the troubled waters of my later expe- 
rience ? Well, as I was saying (pardon this fresh 
display of tears), when I crept out of that filmy 
egg-sac I was just ready for anything, and spoil- 
ing for adventure. I found myself with a slender, 
agile body of thirteen joints, and three pairs of 
the sprightliest, spider-like legs you ever saw, each 
tipped with three little sharp claws. Now I knew 
that these long legs and claws were not given to 
me at this early babyhood for nothing, so I looked 
about for something to try them on. I had not 
a great while to wait, for as I crept along through 
the grass roots beneath the edge of the stone, I 
heard a welcome sound, which is music to all 
babies of my kind. I remembered having heard 
the same music in my dreams while inside the 
little yellow case, but now it seemed louder than 
ever, and in another minute I was almost blown 
off my feet by the breeze which the noise made, 
and a great black, hairy giant, as big as a house, 
pounced down just outside the stone. He had 
a great black head, and six enormous legs as 
big round as trees. Think how a bumblebee 
would look to a wee baby not half as big as a 
