There is a species of hymenoptera, observed by Fabre, the burrowing wasp, which in order to provide a supply of fresh meat for her offspring after her own decease, calls in the science of anatomy to amplify the resources of her instinctive cruelty, and, having made a collection of weevils and spiders, proceeds with marvellous knowledge and skill to pierce the nerve-centre on which their power of locomotion (but none of their other vital functions) depends, so that the paralysed insect, beside which her egg is laid, will furnish the larva, when it is hatched, with a tamed and inoffensive quarry, incapable either of flight or of resistance, but perfectly fresh for the larder: in the same way Françoise had adopted, to minister to her permanent and unfaltering resolution to render the house uninhabitable to any other servant, a series of crafty and pitiless stratagems.
Eta Fabrék behaturiko himenoptero horrek, liztor hondeatzaileak, egiten duen bezala, hots, bere umeek bera hil ondoren haragi freskorik ukan dezaten, anatomiaz baliatzen baita bere ankerkeriaren lagungarri eta harrapatu dituen gurgurio eta armiarmei jakinduria eta trebetasun miresgarriz zulatzen baitie hanken mugimendua gobernatzen dien nerbio-gunea, baina ez gainerako bizi-funtzioak, halako moldez non, arrautzatxoak haren ondoan errun ondoren, intsektu paralizatu hark hornitzen baitie beraren larba jaioberriei janari otzan, kaltegabe, iheserako nahiz borrokarako ezgai, baina artean ere mardo dena, halatsu Françoisek, edozein morroi-miraberi gure etxea jasanezin bihurrarazteko bere deliberamendu deliberatuaren ildotik, jukutria hain artetsu eta hain gupidagabeak asmatzen zituen non, hainbat urte berantago jakin genuenez, uda hartan, adibidez, ia egunero zainzuriak jan bagenituen, izan baitzen, hain zuzen ere, haiek zuritzeko ardura zuèn sukaldeko neskame gaixoari zainzurien usainak asma-krisiak eragiten zizkiolako, hain bortitzak eragin ere non, azkenean, gure etxetik alde egin beste erremediorik ez baitzuen izan.