When they landed from their hot land of Asia in cold England, they must
have wondered what was to become of them. Many of them no doubt died,
for they cannot stand cold weather at all; but some of them were
carried, with the fruits and other things, quite unintentionally, of
course, for nobody guessed they were there, into warm cellars and
kitchen cupboards.

_Then_ they felt at home!

They knew better than to leave the cosey nooks where they could hide
away and sleep all day, and when they came out at night would find a
delicious supper close at hand.

They are great eaters, you know, so what with the good things in the
pantry and the warmth of the kitchen quarters they prospered wherever
they could find a kitchen to live in.

Soon they spread all over the large cities of England and finally into
even remote country districts.

Of course they found their way to the United States of America, and in
many houses in the North they have taken lodging. But down South, where
it is always warm enough, they have prospered greatly, and they are
there in far greater numbers than in the North.

Besides, there is a large American cockroach that belongs to tropical
America, but that has found its way pretty well over the country. And
there are cockroaches that live in the woods, some of them coming in the
night to visit our houses and help themselves from our pantries.