A Cricket in my Living Room

One of my favourite books as a child was The Cricket in Times Square. I loved the writing, the story, the characters – everything about this book. I introduced Bush Boy to it and he also loved it.

Now whether it was the book, or the fact that where we live is perfect ground for field crickets, I don’t know, but Bush Boy has been obsessed with crickets for years. Every August he waits for those first cricket songs, and late August through September he can be found almost every day pulling apart the logs and rock walls in my garden to hunt for crickets (often the dog joins him, although he prefers grasshoppers for better entertainment). He has learnt a great deal about field crickets in these years, he is familiar with the differences between males and females and is quite knowledgeable on their working parts. So he knows that the males chirp, and those are usually who he is on the hunt for.

This week-end he found a male cricket that chirps a lot, even when held in Bush Boy’s sweaty hand. So it has come to live inside for a few days, in a jar with clover and grass and breathing holes. We have two very curious cats, so there is also a sturdy cardboard box to go over the jar.

Let me tell you, this crickets sings! We were serenaded last night after Bush Boy had gone to bed, and we came down to hear it chirping away this morning. Nothing quite like bringing nature into your living room.

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