The Dwarf Woman 143

everything was gone, the yellow water was
rushing into the farm, and from the upper
windows the poor mother was leaning and
calling in an agony of fear, for indeed she
thought nothing less than that both her
children had been swept away. The water
had risen within a foot of the hen-house,
and would have flowed in, only that luckily
it stood on higher ground than the rest;
but it was creeping up every moment, and
_ both Barthel and Joan ran out in a great
hurry.

To tell the truth, Barthel thought it fine
fun. To have a river suddenly appear at
your door, and even come tumbling into
your house, is naturally extremely interest-
ing; and as, directly the mother saw them,
she clasped her hands, and was evidently
comforted, he could not see what there was
to make a fuss about. But Joan was dread-
fully frightened, and so was Ju-Ju, who
stood whimpering with one paw in the
stream, his head on one side and his ears
cocked.