VENOMOUS INSECTS 127 



entrails of the crushed caterpillar for poison. 

 Those entrails did not contain anything dangerous; 

 they \\cre green because they were swollen with the 

 juice of the leaves that the poor thing had just eaten. 



"Many persons are of the same opinion as 

 Jacques: they are afraid of a caterpillar and the 

 green of its entrails. They think that certain crea- 

 tures poison everything they touch and throw out 

 venom. Well, my dear children, you must bear this 

 in mind, for it is a very important thing and frees 

 us from foolish fears, while it puts us on guard 

 against real danger: no animal of any kind, abso- 

 lutely none, shoots venom and can harm us from a 

 distance. To be convinced of this it suffices to know 

 what venom really is. Divers creatures, large or 

 small, are endowed with a poisoned weapon that 

 serves them either as defense or to attack their prey. 

 The bee is our best known venomous creature. " 



"What!" exclaimed Emile, "a bee is poisonous, 

 the bee that makes honey for us?" 



"Yes, the bee; the bee without which we could not 

 have those honey cakes that Mother Ambroisine 

 hands round when you are good. You don't think 

 then of the stings that made you cry so!" 



Emile blushed : his uncle had just revived unpleas- 

 ant memories. From pure heedlessness he tried 

 day to see what the bees were doing. They say 

 ven thrust a stick through the little door of the 

 . The bees bec.-une inceL3ed at this indiscretion. 

 Throe or four stung the poor boy on the cheeks and 

 Imnds. He cried out most piteously, and thought 

 elf done for. His uncle had much difficult v in 



