78 
FINDING NATURE’S TREASURES 
“What a queer little black tongue with a fork on the 
end of it,” said Marylee. “Isn’t it poisonous?” 
“It isn’t any more poisonous than your tongue is,” 
laughed Uncle Jack, as he put his finger close to the 
mouth of the snake and let the little tongue touch it, 
“Do you want to let it lick your finger, Marylee?” 
asked Uncle Jack. “It will not hurt you.” 
Marylee was almost afraid to do it. She put her finger 
close to the mouth of the snake. Out came the little 
tongue and licked her finger. 
“Let me do it! Let me do it!” cried the other chil¬ 
dren, when they saw that Marylee was not afraid. 
“What does this little snake eat?” asked Fred. 
“This snake with the yellow stripe down the middle 
of its back is called a Garter Snake. It eats earthworms, 
insects, frogs, and toads.” 
“How can it kill a frog with those tiny, tiny teeth?” 
asked Fred. 
“It doesn’t kill the frog,” said Uncle Jack. “The snake 
swallows the frog alive.” 
“Oh! How terrible!” cried the girls. 
“It does seem terrible to us,” said Uncle Jack. “But 
you must remember that the toad swallows beetles alive. 
Some of the bettles eat other insects alive. It is the way 
the wild things have learned to eat.” 
“I don’t see how a snake with such a little head can 
swallow a frog,” said Buddy. “A frog is much bigger 
than the snake’s head.” 
“The frog is much bigger, but the snake swallows it,” 
said Uncle Jack. “The back part of the snake’s jaws 
