46 THE MAGIC OAK TREE

which it flowed into the forest beyond. Little
Hurly-Burly saw all this as he approached
the open glade, but when he was scarcely
ten yards from it a new object presented
itself to his eyes. A man of some three feet
high stood at the edge of the forest, well
within the trees, and shook his fist at the
boy, as if he meant to rush upon him the
next moment. The man was stripped to his
hips, and the upper part of his body was
painted a bright red, and his eyes glared at
the boy as if he would like to have eaten
him then and there. Hurly-Burly had no
difficulty in perceiving thaé this was no friend
who stood before him, and at the first ap-
pearance of such a creature he was inclined
to turn round and approach the glade from
a different point. But in good time he re-
membered that he had been told not to turn
his back upon an enemy, and accordingly he
faced the little man, pulled out his toad, and
had the satisfaction of seeing that it had the
usual effect. The enemy disappeared as if
the earth had swallowed him up, and the
next moment the boy was standing upon
the green grass of the glade, and drawing
near to the waterfall which I have already