94 FARM SPIES 



"Willie/' Freddie said at last, "I hope they will 

 not hatch." 



"Why?" snapped Willie. 



"Because it is just as father said/ 7 answered 

 Freddie; "he said if they hatched now, they would 

 make the greatest mistakes of their lives. It seems 

 to me it would be their first as well as their last 

 mistake, because they could not live long, as winter 

 is almost on us. In our reader it says that in those 

 sections of our country where they have very mild 

 winters, they may be found at any time of the year, 

 but I am sure they could not live through the kind of 

 winters we have here. I think that they had better 

 stay where they are, under the ground in their egg- 

 shells, and if they have any sense they will do so." 



Freddie's idea about this matter did not cause 

 Willie to lose hope, but when December came with 

 a snow-flurry, he was satisfied that there would be 

 no hatching till spring. Often during the winter 

 when the ground was frozen and sleet beat against 

 the window-panes, they would talk about the grass- 

 hopper eggs in the cold ground in the garden. The 

 night following January 22 was the coldest of the 

 winter. A light snow had fallen and the wind blew 

 bitter cold. The boys had to retire to a cold room 

 for the night and this they could not enjoy, no 

 matter how hard they tried. , 



"I wish I had just a little of the grit of those 



