fom goes to catch Tadpoles. 117

een .

down gently. Look, there’s a stone to stand
on.” i |
Archie slipped down and stood beside him.

“Do you see any ?” whispered he.

“Hundreds and hundreds,” said Tom
“Look!”

Archie looked, and saw them.

“We'd better fill the can first,” said he.
‘They dipped it into the ditch.

“See!” cried Archie, forgetting to whisper;
“there's one gone in, I do believe !”

“So there is,” said Tom—‘“a little one.
Hurrah! Now I’m going to put my hands
into the ditch, and gather up handfuls more.”

“Push up your sleeves first,” said Archie.

‘Tom was too busy thinking of the tadpoles
to remember his sleeves, but he did wait to
push them up.

“Tsn’t it nasty under the water?” said
Archie. “Don’t you feel a lot of horrid
creatures slipping through your fingers ? |
How can you?”

“Ves,” said Tom, slowly; “there are a lot
of ditch-creatures slipping through my fingers;