14 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



the ground, and the piece, turning a somersault, falls 

 into the well, but is prudently held on to by the car- 

 penters clinging to the sides. You may perhaps 

 think, my children, that the miners mounting with 

 their grain of earth would stop from curiosity before 

 this mechanical prodigy? Not at all, they have not 

 time. They pass with their loads of excavated ma- 

 il, without a glance at the carpenters' work. In 

 their ardor they are even bold enough to slide under 

 the moving beams, at the risk of being crippled. Let 

 them look out ! That is their affair. 



"One must eat when one works so hard. Nothing 

 creates an appetite like violent exercise. Milkmaid 

 ants go through the ranks ; they have just milked the 

 cows and are now distributing the milk to the work- 

 ers." 



Here Emile burst out laughing. "But that is not 

 really and truly so?" said he to his uncle. "Milk- 

 maid ants, cows, milk ! It is a fairy tale like Mother 

 Ambroisine's." 



Emile was not the only one to be surprised at the 

 peculiar expressions Uncle Paul had used. Mother 

 Ambroisine no longer turned her spindle, Jacques 

 did not plait his wickers, Jules and Claire stared with 

 wide-open eyes. All thought it a jest. 



* ' No, my dears, ' ' said Uncle Paul. " I am not jest- 

 ing; no. I have not exchanged the truth for a fairy 

 tale. It is true there are milkmaid ants and cows. 

 But as that demands some explanation, we will put 

 off the continuation of the story until to-morrow." 



Emile drew Jules off into a corner, and said to him 



