THE PICNIC ON OLD ADAM 181 



or else Clammy Azalea, because the flowers have 

 a clammy, sticky feeling." 



I said, " I suppose that's to keep little mites 

 away from its nectar," for I was getting used to 

 this trick of flowers. 



*' Dat goot pipe you like ter see Wilhelm Fritz 

 smoke is made from dis vood, Master Tommy. 

 It's just an old vild vun, anyway." 



Tommy went back to finish building the oven, 

 for he knew it was no use talking with Wilhelm 

 Fritz when he began to call wild flowers, " just old 

 vild vuns." He knew, too, how fine the White 

 Swamp Honeysuckle wood was for whittling, al- 

 though he would never take it himself because the 

 shrub is vanishing. 



We went on setting the table when Herr Wil- 

 helm Fritz had the knives and forks ready, and 

 then we found there was nothing to eat with them. 

 The bread was all made into little sandwiches, and 

 the chicken was already cut in pieces to take up In 

 the fingers. There was one great big knife in the 

 basket, and that was for cutting the pie and cake. 

 We didn't need either knives or forks to eat the 

 hard-boiled eggs. 



Herr Wilhelm Fritz said he'd never " vittle 

 no more," and he was almost as displeased as 

 Tommy until Philip said we could each take one 

 of his knives home for a paper-cutter, and that we 

 would need the forks as soon as the potatoes were 

 roasted. Then Herr Wilhelm began to smile 



