"How do you do? Lam glad to see you;" cried Uncle Randolph heartily, shaking hands with his nephew John said John's cousin Dot, two small children who had come to stay a fortnight with their bachelor uncle during their holidays, am glad to see you," he repeated "and you must make yourselves as happy as possible, without counting un me to euter-6 Phunk said both the Chere is the house to gu over first," continued their uncle, and then the garden, a large garden, a8 you will see; town girls and boys ought to like " garden—but exreful of the pond and the water butt."
"Why the water butt, Uncle?" asked *T have a collection of frogs there, and disturbed," Well, gued Gumpus, my housekeeper, will see after you, and Tshall breakfast with you every day at eight A collection of frogs! Did any one ever hear of such x thing Dot made a face and gould gi ce an explanation, stood looking at Johw as if she thought he "Tout it horrid £" she remarked, "Oh, we," grandly replied her cousin, have often heard of it. Men do all sorts of thi and here he put his hands in his trouser pockets; "frogs are most interesting things."
"Slimy," suggested Dot.
"Only in the water, they are dry enough outside."
"1 once touched a frog on the road, years ago, and it was slimy enough ub "But that was a toad, stu id," cried on, let's and: see said Dot; " Uncle said no."
"Ah!" pondered her cousin, So he did. Vell, not to. th let us go over the house, I Eke being in the country, dent you?" and they proceeded to export, but somehow or other every object suggested frogs. The very walls were lined with them, they found their every pathway strewed with them, so that in course of time the water butt was reached and standing on either side of force of the wind at] it, balancing themselves on some heaped up stones, the children with bended necks and outstretched heads gazed into the green water, and waited for the frogs: to rise, "Phere, there" cried John.
"Oh where, where?" screamed Dot with hed checks and anxious look, Show "See, see, there he goes, what a beauty, Oh, look, -o-u-k," and with a crack, bau splash down into the butt go two small children head foremost; into the green water, down among the frogs, Slimy was not in it, Dot in her horror and disgust caught hold of her cousin and gave alittle shriek, but before they knew what they were doing, they found themselves comfortably seated side by side on the bottom of the butt surrounded by the collection. What an experience! The sides ut the tub appeared to expand, it became snather world, and the creatures around the children behaved like semihuman beings, for many of them puffed out their checks and laughed, Choy were raully distressed at having their water Aisturbed, and so much of their room taken up and were croaking, but under the water in " butt it sounds like " very aggravating laugh. 'Thousands of tadpoles crowded round the feot ut the children and begun to nibble their boots, Te wae horrible and it flashed xeress John's mind, thatin " certain natural h book, it' is mentioned that, tadpoles are known to nibble the toes of little boys when they wade in pools, where the tadpoles abound. In less than no time great huies were nibbled out of the tues of their boots, sv that they were obliged tw get up and stand, lifting firat one foot and then the other, in the motion of a quick match" to keep their feet from the hungry creatures.
In the meantime John and Dot looked around; there were frogs of every kind, shape, colour, and description; a great many' tadpoles and numerous half-formed creatures, some with only a tail, two hind legs, and a head, others looking like tiny fish, But the frogs themselves crowded round the children and stared; they all had such very large and beautiful eyes, and many of them looked really kind, Why do you look so frightened?" asked the most beautiful and interesting of all the frogs in the butt, and where do you come from "We fell into your butt," said the boy, "and we don't like being down here." "Tt is quite wet and comfortable," reasoned the frog, **yow ought nut, to complain by and by a lov of worms and slugs will be thrown down and then you can have forist."
The children shivered and Dot would have cried, but that she saw sv much water alrendy that she did not want to add to it.
"Oh, cousin Jack," she sobbed, " Tdon't want a worm to wriggle in my hair.
"But it won't," said the frog, because of course we shall all scramble for an; worm that does that, Many of them will try to, T've no doubt, just to get out of our way, don't you know; but we ure generally tov quick for them."
"Oh!" gasped Dot, and the large frogs showed their teeth and laughed again, they thought the children were pleased and it really was generous of them to offer the visitors a feast.
"Why. are you so much larger than the rest 2" asked Jon of the conversational frog.
"Oh, Fin not larger than my friend from the West Indies," replied he modestly:—**allow me to introduce him to you." The West Indian frog buwed; he wae eight inches long and looked imposing. Show vur guest," continued hig friend "some of your nerobatic manoeuvres." And with the Suggestion the frog from the West Indies gave n grent leap on to Dot's shoulder. Then another, and over the side of the butt went he, and found freedom. John knew this was wrong, but he did not say 80,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.