THE STORY OF THE FLOUNDERING BEETLE 5 



and look at what I am now, I sometimes wonder 

 whether that Hvely babyhood of mine has not all 

 been a mocking dream. 



" Do you wonder that I am as blue as indigo, 

 and am occasionally forced to resort to my oil- 

 tank to still the troubled waters of my later expe- 

 rience ? Well, as I was saying (pardon this fresh 

 display of tears), when I crept out of that filmy 

 egg-sac I was just ready for anything, and spoil- 

 ing for adventure. I found myself with a slender, 

 agile body of thirteen joints, and three pairs of 

 the sprightliest, spider-like legs you ever saw, each 

 tipped with three little sharp claws. Now I knew 

 that these long legs and claws were not given to 

 me at this early babyhood for nothing, so I looked 

 about for something to try them on. I had not 

 a great while to wait, for as I crept along through 

 the grass roots beneath the edge of the stone, I 

 heard a welcome sound, which is music to all 

 babies of my kind. I remembered having heard 

 the same music in my dreams while inside the 

 little yellow case, but now it seemed louder than 

 ever, and in another minute I was almost blown 

 off my feet by the breeze which the noise made, 

 and a great black, hairy giant, as big as a house, 

 pounced down just outside the stone. He had 

 a great black head, and six enormous legs as 

 big round as trees. Think how a bumblebee 

 would look to a wee baby not half as big as a 



