gun at them?"

"No," said Hal. "I didn't! I wouldn't shoot your beans, Mab."

"Well, something did!" cried Mab. "Will my beans be spoiled, Daddy?"

"I don't know. I hope not. We'll take a look."

As Mab had said many of the leaves did have holes in them. Daddy Blake
looked carefully and found some little bugs on the undersides of the bean
plants.

"Ha!" he cried. "Here is the enemy!"

"It sounds like war to hear you say enemy," spoke Hal.

"Well, if you have a garden you have to make war on the weeds, bugs and
beetles," said Mr. Blake. "A bean-leaf beetle is eating your plants, Mab."

"Can't we make him stop, Daddy?"

"Yes, we'll spray some poison on the leaves, so that when the beetles eat
them the poison will kill them," said Mr. Blake.

"But if you poison the beans won't they poison us when we eat them?" Hal
wanted to know.

"The rain will wash off all the poison the beetles do not eat," answered
his father. "Besides there are no beans on Mab's plants yet. By the time
the bean pods come I hope we shall have driven the beetles away."