“Out of that hole! Why, that is only as big as my small finger! How could a great snake come from there?”
“All the same it did! Oh, oh, OH! Look, Belle! There it is,—under that corn-spear!” shouted Natalie, bending and pointing at the terrifying (?) object.
Belle had to look hard to be able to detect the little frightened snake. There, curled up under the tiny spear of green, was a young grass snake about three inches long. It held up its pretty striped head and watched fearfully for the huge rock to fall upon its innocent body.
Belle stood upright and gave vent to a loud laugh. “Oh, Nat! That is only a dear little worker in your garden. Why would you kill a creature that will gobble up your troubles?”
“What do you mean?” demanded Natalie, ashamed of her groundless fears.
“Why, I’ve read in school that grass snakes, garter snakes, and even black snakes, are the farmers’ best friends. They eat cut-worms, clean off all grubs from plants, and even keep out moles, beetles, and other pests, that ruin vegetables.”
Natalie bravely turned her back upon the grass snake at this and wagged her head prophetically: “All the same, where a young snake like that can be found there must be a big parent, too.”
“Doubtless, but the parent snake can kill off ten times as many pests as a baby snake, so don’t go and kill it when it hurries to your cornfield to catch a field-mouse,” laughed Belle.
As Belle started back for the rocking-chair to continue her mental planning, she saw Frances’ car approach swiftly from the Corners.
“Oh, goody! She has a passenger!” shouted Belle to Norma as she ran past the flower beds.