4 THE MAGIC OAK TREE

the best possible intentions, and, no doubt,
if she had herself been either a fairy or a
witch, she would have made a good fight
over the matter before any mischief should
touch her nurslings. But, alas! she was
neither the one nor the other, and the words
were not out of her mouth, nor had the
children reached her, when the harsh voice
of the wicked old fairy fell upon their ears.
And this was what she said:

‘Stop, stop ! ducklings, stop !
Ye no more shall run, but hop.
Hop and skip in marshy bog,
Each a pretty little frog.

You are all (no matter how)

. Venomista's playthings now !
Stop, stop, ducklings, stop !
Learn to croak and learn to hop!’

As the fairy pronounced these words
with the grin of a demon on her face, she
stretched out her long, lean hand towards
the children, in which hand was held a thin
twisted stick, with which she pointed at them ;
and immediately every child stopped short,
and stood still in the place where it was
standing when the dreadful words fell upon
its ear. This, however, was not all. As