CATERPILLARS 123 



she made it possible for you to care for yourself. I 

 saw her one day seeking a home for you. She chose 

 a place which she knew you would like, and there, on 

 the leaf of a plant like the one upon which you are 

 now feeding, she laid the egg from which you came. 

 She did not crawl up the stalk, but flew lightly down 

 to the plant. Does not that seem strange to you? 

 Do you remember how happy you were when you 

 crept from your shell and found your dinner waiting 

 for you? Why did you eat up the house in which 

 you had been staying? Did you fear that an enemy, 

 on seeing that, might know that you were near? 

 Eat away, my little fellow; that is your business at 

 present. No one should call you a glutton. Under 

 the same circumstances your accusers would do no 

 better. You must eat, in two or three weeks, 

 enough to last you the remainder of the fall, and all 

 winter, besides. No wonder you give yourself up to 

 business so thoroughly." 



As the caterpillar eats away, some little child, per- 

 haps, picks the leaf on which it rests and places both 

 in a box, or he gently brushes the caterpillar into the 

 box, puts fresh leaves beside it, and carries it home 

 or to school, where he may watch it. That all the 

 children at school may see all of a caterpillar's 



