NATURAL HISTORY. 107 



at some other time) he managed to get a great 

 deal of this electricity, and it would shoot off 

 in sparks, which appeared like little lightning. 

 " And now, boys, what I am going to tell 

 you will show you the use of a man's eyes. 

 Dr. Franklin knew all about the electrical ma- 

 chine, and was very fond of drawing off the 

 sparks from it, to see what he could find out 

 about it. And when he saw it appeared so 

 much like lightning, and could feel too a 

 spark strike his hand a smart blow, he began 

 to think that perhaps it was exactly the same 

 thing with the lightning which came from the 

 clouds ; so he determined, if he could, to find 

 out whether it was or not. He was a great 

 deal troubled for some time to know how he 

 should get down any of the lightning from 

 the clouds ; until at last, one day, he saw a 

 boy flying a kite ; and that showed him the 

 way. So he took a large silk handkerchief, 

 and stretching it upon sticks, soon made his 

 kite ; and not long afterward, when he saw a 

 black thunder-cloud coming up, he took his 

 kite and walked out of Philadelphia (where 

 he then lived) into the fields, and sent his kite 

 up. He had a string like yours, made of 

 hemp, and to the end of this he tied an iron 



