Il8 THE FRIENDSHIP OF NATURE 



Daylight did not show even an early 

 bee, though for a week wood has been 

 sawed in a sunny spot and the sweet 

 dust lies scattered on the ground; but 

 through the night, from the warm 

 southeast, where the sun first touches 

 the fields that run to the marshes, 

 where there are old matted reeds, 

 comes the welcome "peep! peep! 

 peep!" As the days lengthen, from 

 afternoon till dawn you hear the marsh 

 frogs' chorus; it is not musical and 

 would be little prized at any other 

 season. Surely the hylodes, more than 

 the larger frogs, inspired Aristophanes 

 by their ceaselessness : — 



" In their yearly revelry, 

 Brekeke — kesh, ko-ash, koash! " 



But this croaking makes the blood flow 

 quicker; it is the vocal spring sign of 

 animal nature, even though the fox and 



