), the darning needle would seek you out and sew your mouth up! Grandpa believed this completely, doubting it no more than he would doubt the existence of the river itself. There are variations on what the darning needle would do: some said it would stitch up your fingers and toes while you were asleep, or the ears of boys playing hooky. Grandpa never heard of a dragonfly growing up, while I never heard of the darning needle. He has taught English and the humanities at several universities and worked in area theaters as a dialect coach and director.