Show I I 1 LEATHER EGGS By Thorton Thorton W Burgess Burgen Dont Don't say a thing thing cannot be so know you know you really know Fox Fox had found cast up on beach beach a curious creature It was dead Reddy supposed It must te he some kind of o fish but It wasn't like any fish he had ever seen It w was s big anti and Hat fiat and round and had a l long ng rather rather straight spike spike- spike like like tall and Its mouth was on the under side Reddy Isn't over over- particular about what he eats cats but somehow this thing didn't look appetizing He turned up his his nose at It When hen he saw sa Y Gra Gray Gray- wing Gray wing the Gull a few tow moments later he asked what It Was bas Its a fish Thank you ou said nedd Reddy What kind of ot a fish Its a a Skate replied A what exclaimed Redd Reddy A Skate repeated All right suppose it Is It If you ou say so said neddy But Its It's a mighty funny tunny looking It you ou ask me Oh r replied that Isn't a looking funnY fish You wouldn't think s so so If It you could see some some funny of o the tha really funny looking funny ng fish that there are in the sea sa haven't you ou found any eggs of othe tho Skate that that Not that I I 1 know know of of replied neddy Since being told that those Sand Collars are made of eggs ggs and sand I begin to to thInk that I 1 dont don't know anything about S SI I Ii Lj f ft t tI ii tili I rADI A 1 Its 1 5 a a i fish h replied Graywin eggs Are Are these eggs rolled up upla In sand sand sand- too No said Gray wing You mus must have found some of ot tho empty shells around in the seaweed It If ItI I OU haven't you haven't used your eyes Well I 1 certainly haven't seen any lS eggs retorted Reddy I h ent seen Slen any eggs and I 1 have not seen any empty What are yoa 01 laughing at was wae wa chuckling There was no doubt abo about t it was chuckling Reddy had a sus- sus sus suspicion that he ho was being laughed at and he didn't like It Youve got one paw on a air an eggshell now said and chuckled more than ever Reddy looked down His IlLs fore tore forefeet forefeet feet reet were resting on a roll of 6 f sea sea- weed weed heed which had been washed up by the waves Under one oile paw paw wan Wa a black thing It was about two and aud one halt Inches long Ions and two Inches wide hide and at each of Ue the four tour corners was a long black like sUing like thing which was hol hollow low lob The whole thing thins was leath loath leathery e ery shiny and unlike anything I Reddy had ever seen He had hadI taken it for granted that it was I of the seaweed Do you mean this thing be Inquired lifting Ms his toot root 1 nodded Yes said saidI ht he the eggshell of a I Skate What are aro these long string things thing on the corners cornE for ira ira- qui ln-qui I Qu d Reddy RE who couldn't for orthe the ur life of him see anything egg egg- like lika about that thing Oh Db replied those eggs are laid In the water and those string like things wind around the seaweed and cling to It it If It that seaweed hadn't been washed up by the water that eggshell wouldn't have come up upon upon upon on shore It came along with the seaweed Ive I've hoard heard that some folks call these eggshells Mer Mer maids maids Purses Hun Huh said Reddy If It you OU ask Ipe 1110 Ill I'll say that a Skate is a queer fish and B a Skates Skate's egg Is just as queer Anyway Im I'm glad to know what these things arc are I 1 find Im I'm le learning a lot from you Gr and Im I'm much obliged to you 01 Pray dont don't dont don't mention it replied I find I I- I Iam am learning some things myself What inquired Reddy curious ly Iy How little some folks know answered and off ott hI be new flew The Th text story The Prickly Porky of o the Sea |