Page 142 - Adventures in shadow-land

himself. Then Eva would stoop down and pre­

tend to whisper to one of the frogs; and ttie jack­
daw, who was very inquisitive, would be so ter­

ribly afraid that something might be said that he

would like to hear, that he would come running
up in a great hurry, only to be caught and used
as a living duster.

And when the week was over Eva presented

herself to the Green Frog, and asked for her
wages. And then the old Frog asked her what

she wanted. And Eva did as the Toad-Woman
had told her, and said_she would like to go and

consult htr mother. This she was allowed to do,
and Eva returned, by the same road by which the

brown toad had led her, to the grotto behind the
Cascade of Rocks.

There sat the Toad-Woman, fanning herself,
just as if she had never moved since Eva first saw

her. And she knew all ab(5ut the work Eva had
to do without Eva's telling her. She told Eva

to ask for the little green coat which hung at the
head of her mistress’s bed (if yon can call a pool

of water a bed). "S h e will refuse you,,r the
woman went on, "b u t you must insist. You have

earned it, and will get it in the end,"