Ant, come out here," it buzzed. " I've such a joke 

 to tell you." 



The little ant stuck its head up from the hill. 



" Such a joke ! That caterpillar we were watch- 

 ing has finished its house, and has forgotten to 

 leave any door," and the bee buzzed very hard. 



" That is too bad, " said the ant; " I'm afraid it 

 will starve to death." 



But the caterpillar did not die. It was not even 

 hungry. It was fast asleep in its little cocoon 

 house. While it slept the sun shone or the rain 

 beat, but the little house let in 

 neither sun nor rain. It was snug 

 and dark. 



If anyone had opened the cocoon 

 now he would have found a won- 

 derful thing. Inside the hard, gray 

 outside shell was a lining as soft 

 as silk, and still inside of this was 

 something — what was it ? Not a 

 caterpillar ; not a moth either, 

 though if one looked carefully one 

 could see what looked like tiny 

 wings folded closely down each side of folded legs, 

 and the shape of feathery antennae such as moths 



Cocoon cut open 



