Page 122 - Adventures in shadow-land

Then the old woman grew angry, and she
jumped off the stone, as if she wanted to get into

the boat. But as she jumped, Eva spoke to the
boat, and she moved on ; and then the old woman
fell into the water. And Eva saw that the old

woman, changing her shape as soon as she touched
the water, was nothing but the same great green

frog she had seen before \ and that her shawl was
the picce torn from Aster's coat which it was part
of her business to find.

The third trout popped his head up out of the

water:
‘‘ If you only could have known, and had given
us the curl that the Green Frog asked you for, we

would have made a net of it, in which we could
have caught the frog, and then the hardest part

of your task would have been over; for then you
could have taken the piece of Aster's coat away
from her,”

u If you only had told me,” Eva said- “ But it
seems that you can only speak when it is too late. ”

“ Because when higher powers are present we
must be silent. We are never allowed to speak
till after they have spoken, and are gone.