CRAWLEY.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 32, 31 December 1898, Page 4

CRAWLEY.

" Whatever is it ?" yelped Tip, tha little brown pup. "Why don't you bite it?" said Humpty, his brother, backing further and further into the straw out of reach of the strange*. " Dear me 1 wherever has mother gone to?" whined Dumpty, peeping over Humpty'* back and shaking in every hair in his body. " It's a big frog, 1 ' said Tip. "I'm sure it isn't," said Dumpty. " It's nothing but a stone." He felt quite safe now behind Hurapty. "Yes, it's only a stone," said Humpty* peeping out of the straw. " I never saw a stone with four legs and a head," snapped Tip. " You don't know what you are talking about." " And I'm sure I never saw a frog with a back as hard us a brick," snarled Humpty. The two puppies very nearly began to fight about it, only mother -came up just then, and gave each of them a pat with one of her big softpaws, which Bent them rolling over on their baoki. Dumpty screwed up his couraga now that mother was within reach, and crept softly up to the funny thing out in the path, and smelt it. But his nose did not help , him much, so he sat down and stared. Yea, it was a stone after aIL It had* not any hair, nor any feathers, nor any skia. It was all brown, and • hard, and, shiny. How stupid of Tip to call it a frog 1 But just at that > moment a tiny head, something like a snake's, came, slowly out at one, end.' > ,i :> , Dumpty'a heart went pit-a-pat as >ho , watched the " stone " creep along on four , little brown feet. . < , " ■ ,■> /» There; w&s nothing to^be afraid, of,' ' foi? f it was only .the old .brown ,tortois'e;*afteif- 1 all. She had- been sound, asleep all the winter in a bed of ivy leaves tin a,' dry corner tinder- the wall. -ll6w ( the May -, sunshine had just woke -her -up >fbr> 'her first , spring "walk,, ■< and,s shejj-was f on ' 'the. 1 lqok-outyfor^afew fat grubs, for, jdipjwVii^i * . The tqrl;gis|ihid,p^mp,tJ^o^^morA.ing.s very £ kindly^, io^/.ipid^Gra^rle^^had^seea lats,..'^!^pjuppjes ', j^^er / '- v^ay,i If'ancl.f;jkxjey|i 1 f'ancl.f;jkxjey|i ' ' quiie well what cowards jihiey '.we'^e;^ * ./Wt^i^W 1 ? 1 you f ; C quid^ . be," "stainme.yej^Damp^i^H^t^dt yfeteJoul^A acoa«i ? Vv ( ;Vllf/ff

" Did you ?" said tb'e old tortoise. 1 "Well, take , myr advice, and don't bd afraid of. everything new thafr you doe, *nd never tell other poeple what ydadon't know yourself. I . ' ■> ' >, ' ' '■ • Dampty begged the tartdi&'s r Which,- of course, was thesprdper thing fid , do. She told hfaa who ahe wa9, arid WHy BHelivedin'a Rard>tiell. ' It was Really quite as easy, slie said; aW a smdoth" hairy coat, and, a godd, deal Safer wben ailybody ' tried to b"iSe you. « * ' Then Dunipty trotted back td Btutapfcy I and I'ip. By this time tHey Had, picked theitiselvea up", and mother was licking thaW all over. It took th^'whole after- 1 ilddn-td tell tßeiii all the dtdryi ' ' >> Meanwhile Crawley stuck her shell up Sideways jagainßt the" flonthwalliin the warm sunshirie, and had a long nap.'