THE DRAGON FLY 
“Look out! Buddy! There comes a devil's darning 
needle!" cried Marylee. Uncle Jack and the children had 
come to the little creek running through the fields. A 
large insect with a long body and four long wings was 
flying above the water. 
“It will not hurt you," called Uncle Jack. 
“But won't that devil's darning needle sew up our 
ears if we stay here?" asked Marylee. 
“Of course, it will not do that, Marylee," said Uncle 
Jack, laughing. “I know that many children say these 
pretty insects will sew up the ears of bad boys and girls, 
but that is just a fairy story. These insects are very 
good friends of ours, and I don't like to call them devil's 
darning needles. Dragon Fly is the much better name." 
“Don't they feed snakes and doctor them when they 
are sick?" asked Fred. 
“Oh, no, they don't do that," said Uncle Jack. “They 
are busy nearly all the time flying about and catching 
mosquitoes, flies, and other insects that are not good 
friends of ours." 
“Then they must be catching little insects when they 
dart this way and that," said Buddy. 
“There is another one," cried Marylee. “It has spots 
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