gling, as he took the Axe, pulled
it off its haft, and stuffed both head and haft into his wallet.

So when he climbed down again to his brothers, they began to jeer and
laugh at him.

"And now, what funny thing was it you saw up yonder on the hillside?"
they said.

"Oh, it was only an axe we heard," said Youngling.

When they had gone a bit farther, they came under a steep spur of
rock, and up above they heard something digging and shovelling.

"I wonder, now," said Youngling, "what it is digging and shovelling up
yonder at the top of the rock?"

"Ah, you're always so clever with your wonderings," said Peter and
Paul again; "as if you'd never heard a woodpecker hacking and pecking
at a hollow tree."

"Well, well," said Youngling, "I think it would be a piece of fun just
to see what it really is."

And so off he set to climb the rock, while the others laughed and made
game of him. But he didn't care a bit for that; up he clambered, and
when he got near the top, what do you think he saw? Why, a spade that
stood there digging and delving.

"Good day," said Youngling. "So you stand here all alone, and dig and
delve?"

"Yes, that's what I do," said the Spade, "and that's what I've done
this many a long day, waiting for you, my lad."

"Well, here I am," said Youngling again, as he took the Spade and
knocked off its handle, and put it into his wallet; and then he
climbed down again to his brothers.

"Well, what was it, so strange and rare," said Peter and Paul, "that
you saw up there at the top of the rock?"

"Oh," said Youngling, "nothing more than a spade; that was what we
heard."

So they went on again a good bit, till they came to a brook. They were
thirsty all three, after their long walk, and so they lay down beside
the brook to have a drink.

"I have a great fancy to see where this brook comes from," said
Youngling.

So up alongside the brook he went, in spite of all that his brothers
shouted after him. Nothing could stop him. On he went. And as he went
up and up, the brook grew smaller and smaller, and at last, a little
way farther on, what do you think he saw? Why, a great walnut, and out
of that the water trickled.

"Good day," said Youngling again. "So you lie here and trickle, and
run down all alone?"

"Yes, I do," said the Walnut "and here have I trickled and run this
many a long day, waiting for you, my lad."

"Well, here I am," said Youngling, as he took a lump of moss and
plugged up