Mary Ann Tinker, aged ll,of Wichita., Kansas for her question:

What makes a cricket sing'?

The song of the cricket is a cheerful. sound. It may keep up, chirrip, chirrip, chirrlp all through a balmy summer night, It comes from the grass, the roadsides, fields and gardens. Actually, the little cricket does not sing with his voice. The sound is made with the wings. One edge of each upper wing is fitted with little teeth, like a saw. Each lower wing is loaded with veins. It acts as a sounding board when the upper wing is rubbed against it.

Mr. Cricket is the singer in the family. And the reason for his song is gust as cheerful as it sounds.  He is singing to Miss Cricket, you might say he, is serenading her with his built‑in fiddle.

Miss Cricket listens carefully. But you would never guess where her ears are. They are in the points of her front legs. If she likes the sound of his chirrup she hops towards the merry little serenades,  and Mr. Cricket is as happy as he sounds. He asked for a date and got one.