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Quadrapedia-Atrusvitreo-Arcaeinsectum
(Four Legged-Black Glass-Poke Box Bug)
By Paul Rice
Attention:
Has your pet rock been returned to its natural environment? Did your
Chia Pet fade into oblivion like the one-trick pony? Have your
Beanie Babies succumbed to overpopulation? If you long for an
inanimate pet that begs for TLC, is as cute as a button, and
delivers a special message, I may have found an answer!
Consider the four legged black glass poke box bug shown below.
 Discovery:
I stumbled upon
this cute critter while pawing thru poke boxes at the national show
in Dallas. Like most bugs, it hides away in dark corners and under
the cover of lots of buttons. Discovery is easy once you understand
its clever camouflage strategy - disassociating itself into many
component parts and even hiding those parts in different pokes.
Identification:
“But wait,” you say, “don’t all insects of the Arthropoda phylum
normally have six legs?” Not if you don’t have room for six. Well,
to retain some objectivity, I will explain that the front two legs
of the praying mantis, the stick bug and the water strider, have
evolved to non-walking purposes like claws. Of course I defined
my friend as a
water strider since,
after all, it walks on water.
Assembly:
Easy! Must be able to visualize pet’s appearance. For
those with
“entomophobia”, otherwise known as
“bugaphobia”, you can find other poke box critters from a less
threatening phylum. No batteries needed.
Special Tools:
Piece of cake! Matte paper, corn cob holder, and telephone wire.
Check with any button collector near you.
Care and Feeding:
Painless! Requires only TLC and occasional gentle strokes with a
soft cloth.
Pedigree:
Bad news/Good news! It may not qualify to capture any ribbons but it
will surely win your heart.
Cost:
Minimal! Even a tight budget (or allowance) will purchase this pet
due to the bountiful quantity of its component parts. The pet shown
here was assembled from 63 black glass poke box buttons that cost a
total of $15.25.
Special Talent:
Exceptional! It continuously sends a message on the good fortune of
button collectors who are able to accrue beautiful and artistic
objects for very little money. Name three other types of antique or
art objects whose collectors can make that claim!
Author’s Note: This small project was conceived at the 2007 National
Show in Dallas while serving as a gnome for the Amazing Button Race. I
overheard one of our juniors (or a guest) say to her partner that
“The buttons are neat but my allowance probably won’t support this
hobby.” I promptly lost track of who made the comment. Not a very
competent gnome! I put this piece together to change her perception
and hope she will stumble across it. Meagan, help!
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