all get drowned or wet, so that we can gather and destroy them."

"They can nip you, too," said Moro, who was slapping at something on
his hand.

"Some people in the Philippines eat insects--the locusts. They fry them
in coconut oil. Did you ever hear of such a wonder?" asked Filippa.

"Come to think of it, yes; for in the Bible it says that the food
of John the Baptist, the great prophet, was locusts and wild honey,
when he was in distress in the wilderness."

"What does _locust_ mean?" asked the wise Padre. Nobody seemed to know.

"It means leaping," said the Padre.

"That's how we catch them," said Fil. "Before their wings grow, they
jump. We dig deep ditches and chase them by beating drums, for they
dislike noise. They jump and fall into the ditch, which, however, is
too high for them to jump out of. Then we pour on oil and burn them."

"If we didn't, they'd eat up all our crops," remarked the Padre.

"I know a bird that catches them. I've seen it," said Fil, whose eyes
were very sharp, like a boy scout in the woods.

"What kind of a bird?" inquired Filippa, who loved bird pets.

"A kind of Chinese ground-lark. It has large eyes and a long bill,
and its feathers are spotted," replied Fil.

CHAPTER XIV

BOATS AND FISH

We were passing over the bridge that carried the road over an arm of
the sea,--the purple sea, which had a white foam-edge.

I noticed a boat moving against the tide. It had no engine, no sails,
no rowers at the oarlocks. Only one man was on deck, leaning on a
long pole. He walked slowly from the front to the back of the boat,
still leaning on the long pole.

"Here's another wonder of your marvelous Philippines--a boat moving
without exerting power," I exclaimed.

Fil looked at Moro and smiled. I saw that they both pitied my ignorance
in a strange land. Then Fil said kindly:

"Don't you see the man walking steadily along the running board,
from the front to the back of the boat? Well, he is pushing on a long
pole, and that power moves the boat against the tide. The pole reaches
down to the bottom, through the shallow water. If the boat is loaded,
and if the cargo is very heavy, two men push on each pole. The pole
is a thick bamboo stick."

"I also notice a curved deck or covering, laid over the boats," I said.

"Yes, that is a roof, or thatch, made out of nipa palm leaves tied
on to bamboo sticks," Fil explained.

"Please look!" said sweet little Filippa. "Out there on