70 STORIES OF EARTH AND SKY 



parts of their bodies, or by signals," said the 

 Cricket, coming out of his crack and crossing the 

 hearth with a single jump. 



" But surely you have a voice ; you make 

 almost as much noise as Hyla Pickering." 



" I have a call, for Heart of Nature gives, to 

 every animal who needs a mate some way of call- 

 ing her, but no voice. My call is like the cry 

 a fiddle gives, watch and listen ! Look at my 

 upper wings, see the rough spot on their under- 

 sides ; I draw one of these wings to and fro 

 across the other and the call is given ; but it does 

 not come from my throat, for I have none, and no 

 lungs. Listen again, 4 Cri-cri cri-cri-crick ! ' 



"How strange that is!" cried Anne. " But 

 you must be different from birds and frogs ; they 

 sing and call to their mates mostly in spring, but 

 you cry all summer long. That is, I think you 

 do, if you are one of the Crickets that live under 

 the grass." 



"Yes, I'm a brown Field Cricket. I have a 

 summer home outdoors, but when winter comes 

 I creep inside, and if the house is warm it makes 

 me think it is spring, and I chirp up. The reason 

 why I chirp all summer is a great family secret ; 

 but I don't mind telling you, because you are such 

 a friend of Heart of Nature. 



