Suicide or Hypnosis? 



our little finger, but tempting, thanks to his 

 immobility on the sand amid the water- 

 weeds. We fully expected to transfix him 

 with our trident, a fork. 



This miraculous catch, the object of such 

 shouts of triumph when it succeeded, was very 

 rarely vouchsafed to us: the Loach, the ras- 

 cal, saw the fork coming and with three 

 strokes of his tail disappeared ! 



We found compensation in the apple-trees 

 in the neighbouring pastures. The apple has 

 from all time been the urchin's delight, above 

 all when plucked from a tree which does not 

 belong to him. Our pockets were soon 

 crammed with the forbidden fruit. 



Another distraction awaited us. Flocks of 

 Turkeys were not rare, roaming at their own 

 sweet will and gobbling up the Locusts 

 around the farms. If no watcher hove in 

 sight, we had great sport. Each of us would 

 seize a Turkey, tuck her head under her 

 wing, rock it in this attitude for a moment 

 and then place her on the ground, lying on 

 her side. The bird no longer budged. The 

 whole flock of Turkeys was subjected to our 

 hypnotic handling; and the meadow assumed 

 the aspect of a battle-field strewn with the 

 dead and dying. 



And now look out for the farmer's wife ! 



393 



