“You see,” explained Mrs. Lacewing, “the dinner might be your nearest relation.” “Just so,” agreed the dragon fly. “Now my mother, for of course I had a mother, though like most pond people I never knew her——” “Do get to the point,” said an ant lion impatiently; “we are all growing old.” “Well, the point is my mother,” answered the dragon fly, undisturbed, “but first I should say that I no longer belong to the order Neuroptera, but to the sub-order Ordonata. It means something about a tooth, but if I have any teeth, I don’t know it. Now to get back to the point: my mother flew down to the water one day, and when she left it there was a cluster of small yellow eggs floating on the surface. I came from one of those eggs, and I didn’t look like a dragon fly, I can tell you. I had six tiny spider-like legs, but not a sign of wings, and when I breathed it was not as I do now, like all perfect insects, through openings on each side of my body. I had gills, and a tube at the end of my body brought fresh water to them. This tube was a funny affair. It really helped me along, for when I spurted water through it I was pushed forward. Then I had a wonderful mouth, with a long under lip, that I could dart out and catch anything within reach, while I did not need to move my body at all.” “Just like frogs and toads!” cried Ruth. “Not at all,” answered the dragon fly. “They only send out their tongues. I send out my whole under lip. If you could only keep quiet you would not show your ignorance so plainly.” Once more Ruth was snubbed, and the dragon fly continued: “In time I became a pupa.” Ruth looked the question she dared not ask. “I’ll explain,” said the dragon fly, amiably. “Larva—that’s what I was at first—means mask, or something that hides you. You will find out in time, if you do not know now, that the larva of an insect is really a mask which hides its true form. The plural of the word is larvæ. Now pupa, plural pupæ, means baby. It is usually the state of sleep in which the larva lies after spinning its cocoon or cradle, but in my case it didn’t suit at all. Dragon flies, far from sleeping in the pupa state, seem to grow more active, and their appetites are larger. Indeed, I will say right here, everything that came my way, and was not too big, went into my mouth. In fact, I finally reached my limit and burst.” “Gracious!” cried Ruth in a shocked tone. “How _did_ you get yourself together again?”