and gave him courage, and with one bound he flew upon the arm of
Piccolissima. With a sudden familiarity he murmured in a low voice,
"Art thou, perhaps, an elder sister of mine? Thou warmest me. Art
thou placed in the sun to strengthen thy wings? Relate to me,
quickly, thy metamorphosis whilst I dry myself. Let us see, hast
thou been a caterpillar, a worm? How many feet didst thou once have?
I will lay a wager thou didst not have any. For me, I had three rows
of feet, forty-two in all, at least. Come, then, speak, and tell me;
answer my question."

Usually Piccolissima did not require to be urged to speak; but these
questions were of such an extraordinary nature, so unexpected, that
the little girl remained silent. "Whether I have been a caterpillar
or a worm? A queer question at the commencement of an acquaintance."

In the mean time the questioner was silent. Occupied with the
comfort of exposing all his little person to the sun, he extended
his wings, which, intersected with nerves, became every moment more
substantial, without losing any of their delicacy. This transparent
network, divided like stained glass windows, by dark lines,
resembled isinglass, sometimes decomposing the sun's rays, and
showing the colors of the rainbow.

The head of the insect, as it dried, became shiny like satin; the
eyes, of a reddish brown, glowed in a circle of silver. Over a
little jet band, on the top of his head, three little soft eyes
peeped out like those which the young observer had already noticed
in the other fly. The brown trunk of this one seemed more delicate;
his bronze corselet, reflecting like emerald, was garnished with
fine hairs, like the down which the fresh morning spreads over