answer, and that she left her plants to grow, and no longer took
them up to look at their roots, she had in her garden, just under
the window, one foot of potatoes, three feet of hemp, a bean, and a
strawberry plant, in pots. Her brother, in jumping out of the
window, had broken off some ripe strawberries, which the little girl
had cherished for her mother, and Piccolissima went sorrowfully to
examine the havoc, and pick up the fruit.

She no longer supported herself upon the flexible stalks of the
nasturtiums and the convolvulus, which Mr. Tom Thumb cultivated, and
who more than once had complained at finding them broken. She no
longer seated herself on the branches of the mignonette, and then
let the wind blow her at its will, backwards and forwards, a
dangerous and monotonous amusement, which soon wearied. Now, with
her elbow resting on the edge of the pot of strawberries, under the
shadow of the Persian lilac, she remained in contemplation.

She observed running about some little creatures that she had never
seen before, and which appeared to her so wild that she dared not
begin a conversation.

"O, what is that?" she said at last, stooping down and resting her
head on her hand, and forgetting her lost harvest of strawberries;
"here is something very curious. They are smaller than the flies. A
myosotis could accommodate a number of them in its delicate cup;
their heads are wider than they are long, and on each side I
perceive a sort of fine leg, which has a sort of elbow, and which
the insect does not use in walking; the body is in three parts, all
of a shining black; the head has these two threads, which are always
moving, and which are of a lighter color at the ends; the corselet
is smaller, rounder, and more brilliant than that of the flies; and
the belly is covered with black scales. But these little beasts trot
away, scamper away so fast with their nimble legs, that one cannot
see them. What delicate forms they have! they must have worn corsets
when they were young. Ah! there is a sort of knot in this thread
which fastens the corselet to the belly. Wait, little fellow, wait
while I look at you a little nearer!" The small, thin finger of
Piccolissima caught one of the little creatures, but she found some
difficulty in holding him.

"Ah! at last I have you!" She held between her thumb and finger the
two hind legs of the insect, who stretched himself out stiff and
without motion, just as if he was sitting fo