WICKED VENOMISTA 5

the old fairy waved her stick slowly to and
fro, the form of each child began gradually
to change, its clothes disappeared, its limbs
shrivelled up, its head sank in between its |
shoulders; its voice altered, and in less time
than I am writing these lines, instead of the
group of merry, laughing children who had
been playing about in front of their nurse a
few short minutes before, all you could see
was a number of little brown frogs, hopping
about and croaking in plaintive tones as
they did so. The poor nurse was quite
beside herself with anger, terror and surprise.
She first of all screamed loudly, which is a
well-known remedy in all such distressing
cases, but which, in the present instance,
had not the slightest effect, save to increase
the delight with which Venomista looked
upon her work. Then she burst into a
passionate fit of tears, which did no more
good than the screams. Then she began to
implore the fairy to have mercy, and restore
the poor children to their former shape.
When, however, the wicked creature only
winked knowingly at this appeal, and made
an ugly face at her, which was enough to
have frightened her into a fit if she had not