A Day with the Sea Urchins. 33

 

sea, where he slowly recovered; but Ruby had fallen
on the rock and cut his head badly, so that his pretty
yellow hair was all stained with blood. His companions
dismounted and gathered round him, and by-and-by
Jasper galloped off to the shore, where a little stream
of fresh water runs into the sea, and brought back some,
with which Amethyst bathed and bound up the wound,

 

as wise Nurse Nature had taught her to do, so that it
soon got well.

Then to horse and away again towards the largest
of the islands, for which they were bound. An old
Puffin on a sunny ledge of rock opened one eye and
blinked sleepily at them as they went by. She was so
old, so very old, that she was nearly blind, and was
quite grey all over from age, and could do nothing but
sit and sleep in the sunshine all day, and eat the sprats

: D