HONEYDEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

HONEYDEW.

By EDITH HOWES (Concluded). Grcenie the Caterpillar camo out from his ioaf at that moment. " What a delicious smell 1" ho said. " Ah, honeydew !"

fie dropped by a thread and made his way to tho glistening drops.

" What is it? Leave some for me! " called a new voice, and Weft the Weaver camo eagerly up a stem, carrying his house on his tail.

"Sweet! Mow sweet!" Weft said, devouring leaf and honeydew together. " Where does tho nice wet como from ? Does it fall from the sky like Ihe rain !" "Silly!" Creenio replied. "Don't you know better than that? Tho gallmakers dropped it." " Who are Lhey 1" " Why don't you look about you and find out what's what? Tho gall-makers live in that leaf over your head." Tho young gall-maker drew in her head and crept to her mother's side. " Are they enemies? Will they eat us?" she asked.

" No. Thoy aro onlv caterpillars. Big, but harmless. Thej eat leaves." " Where do they get tho nieo wet from?" Weft was asking. "Do they make it ?"

"Why not?" Greenie retorted in his impatient way. " Bees make honey from flowers; why shouldn't tho suckers make honeydew from leaves?" Weft stood upright, caught the overhead leaf with a claw, and pulled it down till ho could look in at the crack. " Don't come in!" cried Olive-brown in a panic. " Von mustn't come in. This is our own little house, whero we like to bo by ourselves." " And a nice little house it is," said Weft. " I'm only looking at you. I couldn't come in if I tried; I'm far too big, with mv fine house and all." lie released tho leaf, which dropped more honeydew as it swung back, He returned to the sweet feast.

" Better run now, while it is dark " Olive-brown advised her children. "It will soon bo day when yon dare not stir. Safe going'" she called, as two of her younglings slipped out under the stem, ran as fast as their tiny legs could carry them, and found unoccupied leaves.

Tho third ono drew back from the doorway. " There's a great brown thing down there now eating the honeydew," sho whispered. "He looks terrible." Olive-brown came to tho door and looked down. " A beetle!" she said. " Better wait till he is gone. I don't know that ho would hurt you, but, as you say, ho looks terrible. Ah. here come moths, smelling out the honeydew. Harmless creatures, moths! There's quite a crowd down there now. Here come a spider and a daddy-longlegs. Wo do feed the creatures, don't we? They ought to bo grateful " Presently the honeydew was all gone. Ono by one tho feasters walked or crawled or flew away " I will run now," said tho third youngling, peering out. " They are all cone." Tho young one slipped out and ran, but a few moments later she was back acrain. "I am terrified," she panted " There is a great grub out thore, flat-bodied, like tho lion you told us of. Is it a lion ?"

" Has he hugo jaws?" " Huge and strong and fierce-looking." "Itis a lion. Be very still." Tliey clung together in tho darkest corner of their little house, and they were very still. After a long time they heard tho lion go creeping past below them. Ho went down a stem to a thick branch and so out of hearing. lie had not discovered them. Olive-brown came to the opening and peered out, " The worst has happened!" sho exclaimed. " While we waited daylight has como. Now you daro not run -" . •. But the third youngling was already outside, running for her life. In a moment she was out of sight. going!" called Olive-brown. "Ah!" she sighed. " Sho has spilled more honeydew. Now tho creatures will come again." It was an ant who came first. She hurried to tho fallen sweetness and lapped it eagerly. " Here's a find! " she told a companion ant who followed her. " lioneydew!" " Then there are aphids above us," replied the other. "We must protect the little creatures, so that they may live safely and increase; then wo shall have plenty of this delicious food. Ho, ladybird! I see you lurking there! You shan't come here to hunt." The ants reared themselves fiercely and threatened the ladybird, who turned and fled.

" Now it is safe for you to run, light though it is," Olive-brown told her youngest, " The ants will protect you." The youngest ran, while tho ants stood on guard. Sho found a leaf and settled herself on it and was safe.

" They are all gone," said Olive-brown, much relieved. " A serious business, setting ono's family out in tho world!"