cimen of the creature known
to us as the human tadpole. You will kindly observe his long legs. They
were doubtless given to him for the purpose of protection. Being
possessed of a most mischievous and reckless spirit, the species is
always getting into difficulties, and would probably become extinct if
it had not the power to run away."

"Nonsense!" said Bobby under his breath. There was a murmur of interest
and curiosity among the crowd. Bobby felt his legs twitch nervously, but
his power over them was gone.

"Otherwise," went on the lecturer, "he is not at all adapted to his
surroundings. Observe how carefully we are dressed. The frogs have the
green and brown tints of their homes by the water-side. The toads look
like lumps of dirt, so that they may not be too readily snapped up by
birds of prey. But the Boy--to call him by his scientific name--has no
such protection. Look at this red shirt and these white trousers, and
this hat as big as a trout pool! Could anything be more ridiculous? Even
a giraffe does not look so absurd as this."

A red flush mounted to Bobby's freckled cheeks, but this time he did not
try to speak.

"Now," said the professor, "as far as we have been able to learn, the
human tadpole is absolutely useless. We are, therefore, doing no harm in
experimenting upon this specimen. There are plenty of them, and this one
will not be a serious loss."

"Stop!" said Bobby, so unexpectedly that everybody jumped. "What are you
going to do with me?"

"You will be so kind as to lie still," said the professor severely. "At
present you are only a specimen."

There was no help for it. Bobby found it impossible to move hand or
foot. He could wriggle a little,--but that was all.

"Not only is the Boy entirely useless," went on the professor, "but he
is often what might be called a pest, even to his own kind. He is
endured in the world for what he may become when he is full-grown, and
even then he is sometimes disappointing. You are familiar with many of
his objectionable ways towards the animal world, but I am sure you would
be surprised if you knew what a care and trouble he frequently is to his
own people. He can be trusted to do few kinds of work. It is difficult
to keep him clean. He doesn't know how to get his own dinner. He has a
genius for making weaker things miserable. He likes fishing, and he
longs for a gun; he collects birds' eggs; he puts butterflies on pins;
he teases his little sisters."