THE TOAD.

NE day Reginald’s mamma asked him if he
() would n’t like to get some mushrooms. He
said he would, and taking his pail in his
hand, offhe went. First toa place where he thought
he had seen some growing, but they proved to be
toad-stools, which, although pretty, are very dan-
gerous to eat. Reginald knew this, so he did not
touch them, but went on farther. Soon he found
a beautiful mushroom, and was about to pick it,
when a voice quite near, said:

‘“Boy, how do you do?”

Reginald turned, but seeing no one thought he
must have been mistaken, and again stooped to
pick the mushroom, when he saw, sitting beside
it, an enormous toad. Just then he again heard

the same voice, and this time louder:
32