I 'd pin the butterflies and bugs round the sides ; they will be quite safe there , and leave room for the heavy things below . I 'll give you some cotton wool , and clean paper and pins , and you can get ready for the week 's work . '' `` But I ca n't go out to find any new things , '' said Dan , looking piteously at his foot . `` That 's true ; never mind , we 'll let these treasures do for this week , and I dare say the boys will bring you loads of things if you ask them . '' `` They do n't know the right sort ; besides , if I lay , no , lie here all the time , I ca n't work and study , and earn my drawers . '' `` There are plenty of lessons you can learn lying there , and several little jobs of work you can do for me . '' `` Can I ? '' and Dan looked both surprised and pleased . `` You can learn to be patient and cheerful in spite of pain and no play . You can amuse Teddy for me , wind cotton , read to me when I sew , and do many things without hurting your foot , which will make the days pass quickly , and not be wasted ones . '' Here Demi ran in with a great butterfly in one hand , and a very ugly little toad in the other . `` See , Dan , I found them , and ran back to give them to you ; are n't they beautiful ones ? '' panted Demi , all out of breath . Dan laughed at the toad , and said he had no place to put him , but the butterfly was a beauty , and if Mrs. Jo would give him a big pin , he would stick it right up in the drawer . `` I do n't like to see the poor thing struggle on a pin ; if it must be killed , let us put it out of pain at once with a drop of camphor , '' said Mrs. Jo , getting out the bottle . `` I know how to do it Mr. Hyde always killed 'em that way but I did n't have any camphor , so I use a pin , '' and Dan gently poured a drop on the insect 's head , when the pale green wings fluttered an instant , and then grew still . This dainty little execution was hardly over when Teddy shouted from the bedroom , `` Oh , the little trabs are out , and the big one 's eaten 'em all up . '' Demi and his aunt ran to the rescue , and found Teddy dancing excitedly in a chair , while two little crabs were scuttling about the floor , having got through the wires of the cage . A third was clinging to the top of the cage , evidently in terror of his life , for below appeared a sad yet funny sight . The big crab had wedged himself into the little recess where Polly 's cup used to stand , and there he sat eating one of his relations in the coolest way .
All the claws of the poor victim were pulled off , and he was turned upside down , his upper shell held in one claw close under the mouth of the big crab like a dish , while he leisurely ate out of it with the other claw , pausing now and then to turn his queer bulging eyes from side to side , and to XXXXX out a slender tongue and lick them in a way that made the children scream with laughter .
clinging fluttered grew killed leave let looking put sew wedged