see near? And do you not know that my head is better put on than
yours, which cannot turn to all points of the compass?"

"What! can you look behind you without turning your head?" replied
Piccolissima, with an air which probably appeared to the fly not
very sensible; for, shrugging up his right wing disdainfully, he
returned to his sugar candy.

After a little reflection, she looked down again, and perceived, to
her great astonishment, upon the stick of candy, which was of an
amber color, a drop of water. She was sure, however, that she had
done the civil thing to the flies, and given it to them first. How,
then, was the candy moist? thought she; but she did not dare again
to ask questions which excited such a rude buzzing in reply. So she
rested her two little elbows on her knees, and her small head upon
one of her hands, and continued to examine the fly. "Is it his
nose?" said she, in a low voice, (for, having very rarely any one to
talk with, she had a habit of talking to herself,) "is it his nose
that he stretches out thus upon my sugar? I have heard papa say that
there are animals, much larger than he, and which they call
elephants, I think, who take up with their noses all the food they
put in their mouths, and that they call this nose a trunk. Perhaps
this is a little person of the family of elephants."

Piccolissima had hardly uttered these words, when the fly, whose
antennae were longer than usual, and were turned towards the little
prattler, gave such a leap that Mademoiselle Tom Thumb trembled. The
wings of the insect fluttered, and made a little sharp noise, which,
however, had nothing terrible in it, and Piccolissima perceived that
her companion was laughing. It was evident that the fly must laugh