O40 SHADOW BROOK.

here pausing to form a pool, in which minnows were
darting to and fro; and then it hurried onward ata .
swifter pace, as if in haste to reach the lake ; and, forget-
ting to look whither it went, it tumbled over the root of
a tree, which stretched quite across its current. You
would have laughed to hear how noisily it babbled about
this accident. And even after it had run onward, the
brook still kept talking to itself, as if it were in a maze.
It was wonder-smitten, I suppose, at finding its dark dell
so illuminated, and at hearing the prattle and merriment
of so many children. So it stole away as quickly as it
could, and hid itself in the lake. - a
In the dell of Shadow Brook, Eustace Bright and his
little friends had eaten their dinner. They had brought
plenty of good things from Tanglewood, in their baskets,
and had spread them out on the stumps of trees, and on
mossy trunks, and had feasted merrily, and made a very
nice dinner indeed. After it was over, nobody felt like
stirring.
~ © We will rest. ourselves here,” said several of the
children, “‘ while Cousin Eustace tells us another of his
pretty stories.”
~ Cousin Eustace had a good right to be tired, as well as
the children, for he had performed great feats on that
memorable forenoon. Dandelion, Clover, Cowslip, and
Buttercup were almost persuaded that he had winged
slippers, like those which the Nymphs gave Perseus; so
often had the student shown himself at the tiptop of a
nut-tree, when only a moment before he had been stand-
ing on the ground. And then, what showers of walnuts