16 CONVERSATIONS ON 



groove, and so the saw slides backwards and 

 forwards, and the ridge always keeps it in its 

 place. Besides all this, boys, the fly is better 

 off than the cabinet-maker, for he uses only 

 one saw at a time ; but our little workman 

 has two exactly alike, and they are so fixed 

 that the creature first pushes out one, and 

 when it is drawing that back, pushes out 

 the other ; so that it is all the time cutting, 

 and does double work. I think the fly's saw 

 is the best, too, for another reason. The 

 saws of the carpenter and cabinet-maker 

 have their teeth bent ; first, one a little on 

 one side, and then the next to it a little on the 

 other side, and so on to the end of the saw ; 

 so that when sawing, the cut may be wide 

 enough for the blade to move easily. Now 

 the fly's saw has the teeth a little bent, or 

 twisted, too ; but it has something else : on 

 the outside of every tooth there are a great 

 many very small teeth, so that the outside of 

 every one is just like a rasp, or^/e." 



" But, Uncle Philip, it must take them a 

 great while to saw a very little cut ; they are 

 so small." 



" Yes, it does ; but they persevere. It takes 

 them more than an hour and a half to make 



