Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1907 — FOR THE CHILDREN [ARTICLE]

FOR THE CHILDREN

Quicker Than tha Eye. The quickness of animal motion Is sometimes greater than can be detected by the human eye. It Is a favorite amusement of country boys when they can find an owl sitting on a stump In a field to walk around the bird at a distance and see him “twist his head off." As the boy circles around the owl seems to follow him by turning his head, giving the impression that the head is moving continuously In a circle. As a matter of fact, however, as soon as the owl’s neck is twisted sufficiently for comfort he turns his head suddenly In another direction, but so suddenly that the eye cannot detect the movement The toad Is not always sluggish. You may see one sitting a few inches from a fly when suddenly the fly disappears, and you cannot tell where It has gone. It has really gone Into the toad’s mouth, but the motion of Its tongue In taking the fly in is so quick that your eye cannot detect it. It Is a familiar saying among naturalists that the stroke of the rattlesnake is one of the quickest things In nature. Queer Things In Nature. Who can tell why it Is that the lonely woodpecker, when he comes down from his tree and goes to drink, stops several times on the way and listens and looks around before taking the water? Why is it that geese are never run over by vehicles? A carriage comes suddenly upon a flock of them In a narrow road and drives rapidly through it; but, although the geese seem to be right under the hoofs and wheels, they give a flap of the wings and waddle o.r in safety. It is said that there is no case on record where a goose was run over if it had even half a chance. Ants, as everybody knows, wage regular warfare and fight regular pitched battles. And they are In the habit of taking other ants captive to be used as 'slaves. Why Is it that these captives are black ants? Nobody knows. There are lots of tilings In nature that we have yet to discover. Game of Jolly Miller. The players decide among themselves which one of their number shall act the part of the jolly miller. This being done, each boy chooses a girl as partner. The jolly miller having taken his stand In the middle of the room, they all begin to walk arm in arm around him, singing the following lines: There was a jolly miller, who lived by himself. As the wheel went round he made his wealth. One Jiand In the hopper, and the other In the bag. As the wheel went round he made hla grab. At the word “grab” all must change partners, and while the change Is going on the miller has the opportunity of securing a partner for himself. Should he succeed in doing so the one left without a partner must take the place of the jolly miller and must occupy the center of the room until fortunate I enough to got another partner. Cleaning the Hands. One of the most etiicacious cleansers of soiled hands Is common bran. Moisten a small quantity in the palm of the hand with tepid water and well rub It In and over the hands. Wash it thoroughly off with tepid water, and the hands will be perfectly clean. Oatmeal and juice of a fresh lemon are also most successful cleansers and whlteners of the hands. A small piece of tomato very speedily removes ink stains from the fingers.