that is how we know it is not a butterfly, 

 for they have thread-like antennae, with a 

 little knob on the end. Moths fly by 

 night and that is probably why this one 

 stays so still now." 



"I wish I knew its name," said Letty. 



"If you will take my card and run over 

 to the public library and ask the librarian 

 to give you a book that tells about moths 

 and butterflies, we will find out." 



Letty came back in a little while with 

 the book and her mother began to look 

 in it. 



"Oh!" she said pretty soon, "it has 

 such a long name that I don't believe 



you can remember it. It is Telea poly- 

 phemus." 



"I'll call it Polly for short," said Letty. 



When they had learned all they could 

 about the moth Letty asked what they 

 should do with it. 



"This book says they do no very great 

 harm," said her mother, "and it is so 

 beautiful that I think we will let it have 

 its liberty." 



So the Telea polyphemus was carried 

 out and placed on a tree trunk where it 

 stayed all the rest of the day. But the 

 next morning when Letty went to look 

 for it, it was gone. 



Susan Brown Robbins. 



Hark! 'tis the bluebird's venturous strain 

 High on the old fringed elm at the gate — 

 Sweet-voiced, valiant on the swaying bough, 



Alert, elate, 

 Dodging the fitful spits of snow, 

 New England's poet-laureate 

 Telling us Spring has come again! 



— Thomas Bailey Aldrich, "Spring in New England." 



109 



