o them,
and how they may be useful to you; and we want you to find out for
yourselves the places they take in the great plan of creation.

In other words, we want you to think and feel about the lives of these
six-legged busybodies, and see for yourselves how much even a butterfly
can add to the interest and beauty of living. Does this seem a little
bit like a sermon? Well, you see, we forgot we had kept on our
spectacles so long, and somehow spectacles always turn into sermons.
Perhaps it is because both begin with the letter S.

And now this is all of our short word to the wise. We expect to make
each one of our books better than the last, and you can help us to do
this by writing any suggestions you may have. We shall be glad to hear
from children, big or little.

J. M. and J. M.

South Hadley, Massachusetts,
January 27, 1909.

LITTLE BUSYBODIES

I

THE JOURNEY

"It will be stories all summer, won't it?" said Betty to her mother.

"Yes, dear."

"And hunting, too?" said Jimmie.

"Hunting with your new gun and hunting with your camera."

Jimmie unfastened the case of his new camera and looked in. What a
beautiful one it was, and what pictures he meant to take, and how the
camera would impress Ben Gile! Jimmie looked about proudly. He knew no
other boy in that whole great train had a camera like the one his father
had given him.

"Mother, when will it be lunch?" asked Betty.

"Luncheon so soon!"

"I'm as hungry as a bear," declared Jimmie.

"And hear Kitty mewing; she's hungry, too." Betty looked at the big
round basket, whose cover kept restlessly stirring.

"Did you leave something in the baggage-car for Max to eat?" Mrs. Reece
asked Jimmie.

"Yes, mum. It's one o'clock; can't we have something now?"

"As late as that! No wonder you chickens are hungry for--"

"Chicken!" squealed Betty.

"And ham sandwiches!" added Jimmie.

"And chocolate cake!"

"And root-beer!"

"And peppermints!"

"Ssh!" said Mrs. Reece, "or every one in the car will know what little
piggies you are. Ask Lizzie for the basket."

[Illustration:
_A._ Outer wing of locust.
_B._ Inner wing of locust.
_C._ Sideview of locust.
_a._ Antenna.
_b._ Simple eye.
_c._ Compound eye.
_d._ Thorax.
_e._ Abdomen.
_f._ Breathing pore.
_g._ Ear.
_D._ Hind leg of locust.]

Every minute the air was growing cooler. The children could smell the
pine woods, and once in a while the train flashe