92 



THE BUG WITH A MASK. 



"When the two hens got tired of quarrelling about the bone 

 they, went off and left it lying on the ground. They looked silly 

 enough when they came back and found the nice meat all gone. 

 They had lost their dinner through their selfish greediness. 



Doubtless this was very foolish conduct in the hens ; but I have 

 known boys and girls to be no wiser in this respect than Bantam 

 and Speckle. 



THE BUG WITH A MASK. 



Theee is a funny little creature that wears a 

 covering all over his face just like a mask. And 

 Avhat do you think it is for? Let us see. 



Perhaps you have seen the beautiful 

 dragon-flies that look so 

 much like humming-bii"ds. 

 and butterflies, too. They 

 have broad wings, as thin 

 as a fly's, that glitter like 

 glass in the sunshine. 

 Their backs are just like 

 blue steel. 



You will always find 

 them in the hot summer 

 months flying through 

 the fields, or over ponds 

 ^'^ and rivers. In the coun- 

 ■^ try they are called "dev- 



il's darning-needles," be- 

 cause they are so slender, perhaps. 

 -jff^^ ; =^^^ The French people call them " demoi- 



-.,_^|^ ^ ^_ selles," which means young ladies. 



Now, this handsome, swift creature grows from 

 an ugly bug, that crawls over the mud at the bottom of the pond. 

 And thip , is the ,>vay it comes about; — 



