Page 91 - Adventures in shadow-land

companions to dance and play with her? Eva
thought she never had spent such a stupid, long,

dull day in all her life ; and she .wished it was
over. The only thing which seemed as merry as

ever was the little brook, which she had promised
to avoid, yet which rippled along so joyously that
it was as much as Eva could do to keep away

from it.
But she remembered her promise to the children,

and turning her back upon the brook, she went
and sat down near one of the fountains. She had

only been there for a few moments, when she felt
something pull her dress; and looking round to

see what it was,—wondering if the children could
possibly have returned,—she saw, to her great sur­

prise, a huge green toad, which had hold of her
dress, and which, when she looked at it, said:

“ Croak! croak 1”
Then Eva knew that she had seen the toad

before, and she began to wonder how it had
gotten into the Valley of Rest, where she never

had seen anything like it. But she did not have
much time for wonder; for the toad, giving her

dress another pull, said to her, “ Come to the