56 THE MAGIC OAK TREE

towards the old woman, and each time she
did so a fresh wave of water, coming from
some invisible place, dashed in again, and
so drenched the person against whom it was
directed, that when she presently sat up
again she was in a perfect puddle, and had
not a dry thread about her. This, as you
may well imagine, did not improve either
her appearance or temper. She scowled
fiercely upon the new-comer, and as soon as
she could empty her mouth of the water
which had filled it, began to sputter and
splutter in a great rage,

‘What do you mean by this?’ she cried.
‘Isn’t it enough for you to have plenty of
your nasty water at home, that you come
and drench other people with the stuff, and
make everybody uncomfortable? Get along
with you, do ; ‘and don’t come messing about
under my. oak !’

At these remarks the little lady merely
smiled, but as her eyes fell upon the boy
before her, and the adder, the weasel,
and the bat, who were all looking at him
with no friendly glances, her countenance
assumed a sterner expression, and, holding
her right arm over her head, she was just