116 Tom Seven Years Old.

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put them in the bath at the foot of my bed.
And then I'll sit by and watch till they choose
to turn into frogs,”

Archie thought this a capital plan. He
would have liked to have caught some tad-
poles for himself, and kept them in his own
bath, had not Tom promised to show him
his,

“And they’re all alike,’ said Tom; “at
least I can’t see any difference. But you
must help me. They won't be easy to catch,

 

Im sure.”

The first fine day they started to go to the
ditch. Archie carried the tin can, because
he liked carrying things. ‘Tom ran on first,
because he wanted to find the ditch, and to
see if the tadpoles had not already all changed
into frogs. [he bank was very slippery, and
the grass was very damp, and the ditch was
very full of water. ‘“lom’s boots sank quite
deep in the wet clay. He bent down and
looked in. |

“Don’t rattle the can,” he said, as Archie
came up; “it will frighten them away. Slip