64 THE MAGIC OAK TREE

now go right, and that no more mischief
could befall him. The way seemed shorter
than it had been when he was journeying
towards the forest, and in much less time
than it had taken him to get there he found
himself on the other side of the common,
and rapidly drawing near to the pond in
which he had last seen his frog relations.
He was still some way from it, however,
when he remembered that he had not once
thought of the toad during the strange
events through which, he had just passed,
and it now occurred to him that the toad
might have felt very uncomfortable during
the time that he was standing on his head.

This was a painful reflection for Hurly-
Burly, because the toad had been very kind
to him, and he naturally did not wish to
seem ungrateful.

He therefore put his hand in his pocket
with the intention of squeezing the toad,
that he might apologise for his conduct.

You may imagine his disappointment
when he found that his pocket was empty !
He looked up and down, but he could not
see the toad. However, in looking up, he
saw the figure of a crow upon the branch of