82 LITTLE FOLKS 
He has no time to make acquaintances, however; he's too busy, 
and can't bear to stay away from his ocean home. 
But I forgot to tell you how he is made into a candle. You 
must know he's very fond of grease and fat to eat — like some boys 
and girls I have seen. He'll follow whaling ships to pick up any 
thing that's thrown overboard. And as soon as a whale is killed, 
and the sailors begin to cut it up, he's there to snatch every bit. 
Sometimes there are thousands of the greedy little fellows 
around. 
And now hear what becomes of greedy creatures who eat 
nothing but grease. They grow so fat that they are very valuable 
to the poor islanders in those cold countries. So, no sooner do 
they make their nests, and prepare to bring up the one baby Petrel 
each, than these men hunt them up, steal their eggs to eat, and 
carry off and kill the fat fathers and mothers. 
After they are killed, their bodies are squeezed to get out the 
oil, and sometimes — more dreadful still — a wick is drawn through 
the fat little body, and set afire, and there it burns — as I told you — 
lighting up some rude hut, till nothing is left of the gay little Petrel 
but his toes. 
Think of that dreadful fate, and don't eat too much grease! 
While we find fault with his greediness, we musn't forget that 
he's a very useful bird. He is put on the ocean to perform a 
necessary duty, and nobly he does it, — there's no shirking about 
him. 
His duty is that of a scavenger. He, and others of his family, 
take care of all the disagreeable things left floating on the sea, and 
sailors, if they only knew it, have reason to thank him for his 
services, instead of abusing him. 
The name Petrel means "Little Peter," and he gets it from his 
habit of running on top of the waves, with help (of course) of his 
wings. 
There's another Petrel — a sort of a cousin to the stormy Petrel, 
I suppose — very common in the Arctic regions, and very valuable 
to the people who live there. He is as fond of grease as his little 
relation, and he is able, when alarmed, to throw up a large quantity 
of clear oil, which is valuable to sell. The birds seem to know their 
danger, for they build their nests on the highest precipices, on the 
little shelves always to be found in such places. One would sup- 
pose they would be safe in such places, but men have contrived 
