THE FRESH- WATER MUSSEL. 87 



little dishes. By-and-by I found two of them joined 

 together and buried in the mud, with just a little of 

 the narrow end sticking up (Fig. 87). I pulled them 



Fig. 87. 



"Happy as a Clam." 



out, washed off the mud, and tried in vain to open 

 them. The boys had to try a long time before they 

 could pry them open, and then we saw something in- 

 side that looked like a lump of slimy flesh ; it actually 

 moved, and, as we thought, opened its mouth to bite 

 us. We were all frightened, and ran away as fast as 

 possible to tell our mother. She laughed, and told us 

 it was a harmless little creature ; that the shell was its 

 house, which it built for itself and carried about wher- 

 ever it went. After that we used to find a great many 

 of them whenever we went to the brook ; but I always 

 felt afraid they might bite, so I kept at a safe distance. 

 It was only the other day that I learned what wonder- 

 ful little animals these are that live in the mussel-shells, 

 which, I used to think, were made for my dishes. I 

 know you are curious to learn about them. At first 

 you can see only the outside of the shell, or house ; but, 



