90 



FOUR-HANDED FOLK 



Then in a musical chatter, low, but very sweet, 

 like a soft canary-song, with trills and silvery 

 calls, he told him, no doubt, all about his thrill- 

 ing adventure, — his daring capture of the sugar- 

 plum ; his investigation of the sham flowers 

 which made so brave a show ; the storming and 

 utter destruction of the rosebud. 



To all of this the little fellow on the picture 

 frame listened and replied with interest, and 

 then both sat still and looked at me, with funny 

 little heads held over one side, — the most com- 

 ical pair I ever saw. 



Among other things of interest that their 

 master had brought from Brazil was a box of 

 the beautiful beetles which are found in that 

 country. When he came into the room to see 

 me, he brought out the box for me to look at. 

 They were of all sizes, from a tiny creature of 

 sapphire blue a quarter of an inch long, to a 

 monster of three inches with horns ferocious to 

 behold. We were much interested in these, and 

 were soon bending over them, entirely forgetting 

 the two marmosets on the picture frame. 



But the elder, Ravini, was interested also. 

 In those beautiful strangers in the box he recog- 

 nized familiar objects, and remembered well that 

 under each brilliant coat was a delicious morsel 

 of meat. We were all absorbed, and again the 

 little beast set out on a dangerous expedition. 



