Page 155 - Adventures in shadow-land

Such a tough skin as it was? to be sure 1 There
seemed to be no such thing els tearing it, and the

Toad-Woman said that Aster must have been very
naughty before he fell into the- Green Frog's

hands. And Eva, much as she loved Aster* could
not contradict this.

But at last the bird left off screaming,, and hung
between them as if it was dead. And then, as

the two pulled, it got larger and longer, and the
feathers were farther apart, and then all of a

sudden the skin gave way and vanished, where, Eva
did not know, and from it there dropped, just in

time for Eva to save it from falling to the floor of
the grotto. Aster’s tiny figure, motionless, and as

it were, asleep, and just like what he had been
when Eva first received him, except that his coat

was in her hands; and the Toad-Woman had
only time enough to tell her to put it on him,

and Eva had just obeyed, and was stooping to
kiss the little prince as he lay 111 her lap, when

they heard a loud croak, and with a long leap
the Green Frog was in the grotto.

But as soon as she saw Eva, standing there in
her spotless white robe, holding the unconscious