"Pray let us hear of them, Uncle Philip."
"Very well, you shall. I will begin with birds that make felt like the hatter. Do you know how a hat is made?"
"Not exactly, Uncle Philip; but we know what it is made of."
"What is it, boys?"
"Of sheep's wool, and the hair of other animals: is it not?"
"Yes, commonly of these things; and to understand what I am going to tell you, I think it will be necessary first to say something about the hatter's trade. The business of the man who makes a hat is to mix up wool or hair in such a way that it will stick together and make felt; or something like a piece of thick, strong cloth. To do this, he does not weave the hairs together, for they are of different kinds, and of different lengths, and it would be endless work to weave every one in; besides the cloth or felt would not be thick enough when it was done."
"How do they stick together then, Uncle Philip?"
"Why, boys, their sticking together is owing to something in the hairs themselves. I will show you. Pull a hair out of your head; now hold it just between the ends of your two fore-fingers, and rub the fingers gently against each other."
"Why, Uncle Philip! see, the hair is moving towards my body."
"Very true; and if you will turn it with the other end towards you, and rub your fingers as before, you will see it move from your body."