10 mi: STORY-BOOK OF SCIKNCE 



and interesting subjects than Mother Ambroisine's 

 old tales. 



"1 approve of your wanting true stories/' said 

 he. "You will iind in them at the same time the 

 marvelous, which pleases so much at your age, and 

 also the useful, with which even at your age you must 

 concern yourselves, in preparation for after life. 

 Believe me, a true story is much more interesting 



White Ant 



than a tale in which ogres smell fresh blood and 



change pumpkins into carriages and lizards 



into lackeys. And could it be otherwise? Com- 



il with truth, fiction is but a pitiful trifle; for 



former is the work of God, the latter the dream 



of man. Mother Ambroisine could not interest you 



with the ant that broke its leg in trying to cross 



the ice. Shall I be more fortunate? Who wants to 



h'-ar a true story of real ants?" 



"I! I!" cried Emilc, Jules, and Claire all to- 

 gether. 



