UNDER THE WATER SKY. 57

“Its your move,” the boy called disap-
pointedly. 7

There was a commotion in the pool, and
Elsie looked just in time to see a toad hop out
towards the frogs. The little girl’s escort flung
himself down by the brink to move his frogs.
Elsie never forgot the scene that followed.
Frogs and toads intermingled, and whenever
one hopped over another the under one was
pushed into the pool, and made to swim away
from the game.

Now, of course, when the froggies tumbled
into the water they were in their element, but
the toads found swimming no easy matter. The
toads had a life-boat; had it not been for this
many of them might have been drowned. They
were continually being rescued from watery
graves, for the frogs jumped over them, and
shoved them overboard with amazing rapidity.

The water grew rough from the many,
violent flounderings and sputterings of unfor-
tunate toads. But meantime a successful toad
broke through the frog ranks and reached the
frog end of the lily pads. It was a repulsive
looking creature, covered ‘with lumps of hair
grown flesh, and rolls of spotted fat. The Hop-
toad King croaked from the bank in a voice,
loud, like rolling thunder :