Jennifer Cardle, age 14, of Peoria, Illinois, for her question:

What is inside the Mexican jumping bean?

The Mexican jumping boon is the home of a little grub. It is also his pantry and the little fellow cots himself a bolo in the middle. This is fine except that ho is cramped for space. He has no room to go for a walk and, of course, everyone needs exercise. So, from time to time, the grub inside the bean does his setting up exercises. He curls up and uncurls with a jerk. This is what makes the bean jump.

If all goes well the grub will act his fill and become a pupa, lie goes to sleep end the been jumps no more. He will hatch into a winged moth and eat his way out of his boon house. The female moth flies around until she finds a cartairz blossom where she lays an egg. This blossom will became open and inside the bon the mots egg will hatch into a grub. And whenever Junior does his exercises, the been will jump.