FROGS, BOYS, AND OTHER SMALL DEER. 181 



I wonder that Vanessa can bear to spend her life 

 by a creek that has such sights to show, but I think 

 she shows good taste in dressing in mourning. 



If I am ever the editor of a newspaper I shall 

 certainly write an editorial on "The Opinions 

 Of Frogs." " Qu'en disent les grenovilles ? " 

 " What will the frogs say ? " was the old court- 

 phrase at Versailles when high-born beings spoke 

 of the inhabitants of Paris. Would that a little 

 more deference to the opinions of frogs might 

 prevail nowadays. 



Bah ! What becomes of our boasted civiliza- 

 tion when it is looked at through the eyes of one 

 of the lower creatures ? Have I not seen a per- 

 son, otherwise intelligent and good-natured, slap 

 ants so as not to kill them, but leave them pain- 

 fully stumbling along wondering what right such 

 a giant had to put them in pain ? Have I not 

 known a person to give partially stunned flies to 

 Skaters ? Have I not known a teacher to dissect 

 a sea-urchin alive before his class ? As for those 

 abominable " naturalists " who pin bugs, beetles, 

 and flies alive and leave them to die lingering 

 deaths, I have no words strong enough to say of 

 them ; and if I thought that by writing this book 

 I should interest some person who would catch 

 and torment any of the lower creatures, I would 

 put my manuscript in the fire. Better is it with 

 the Moslems to let a moth fly by unmolested, be- 

 lieving that it is a " messenger sent from the dead 



