6 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



makes big eyes, and spitefully throws away his cap. 

 But it is like the boiling over of milk soup: a trifle 

 will calm him. Uncle Paul hopes to be able to bring 

 him round by gentle reprimands, for Jules has a 

 good heart. 



Emile, the youngest of the three, is a complete 

 madcap ; his age permits it. If any one gets a face 

 smeared with berries, a bump on the forehead, or a 

 thorn in the finger, it is sure to be he. As much as 

 Jules and Claire enjoy a new book, he enjoys a visit 

 to his box of playthings. And what has he not in the 

 \vay of playthings? Now it is a spinning-top that 

 makes a loud hum, then blue and red lead soldiers, a 

 Noah's Ark with all sorts of animals, a trumpet 

 which his uncle has forbidden him to blow because it 

 makes too much noise, then But he is the only one 

 that knows what there is in that famous box. Let us 

 say at once, before we forget it, Emile is already ask- 

 ing questions of his uncle. His attention is awaken- 

 ing. He begins to understand that in this world a 

 good top is not everything. If one of these days he 

 should forget his box of playthings for a story, no 

 one would be surprised. 



