t mean to," said Susy.

"I don't care," cried Nancy, "it _hurt_!"

Prudy felt very sorry. "I wish I hadn't hurt you, Nanny," said she,
"'cause I want to see what you've got in your apron."

"Well, I guess you'll see it soon enough. I brought it to school _to
purpose_ for you."

"O, did you?" cried the child. "How good you are, Nanny. I love you
'most as well as I do Susy."

When little Prudy spoke so sweetly, Nancy didn't know what to say; so
she said nothing. They went into the school-house and took their
seats, Nancy keeping the corner of her apron rolled up all the while.

By and by, when Miss Parker was hearing the third class, Nancy
whispered,--

"Look here, Prudy Parlin, you wanted to know what I had in my apron:
shall I show you now?"

"O, goody!"

"Well, then," continued Nanny,--

"'Open your mouth and shut your eyes,
And I'll give you something to make you wise!'"

So Prudy opened her mouth as wide as it would go, and squeezed her
eyelids together very hard.

Then what should Nancy do, but take out of her apron _a wee bit of a
toad_, and drop it in Prudy's mouth! I can't see how she dared do such
a thing; but she did it. She had found the toad in the street, and
picked it up to frighten little Prudy.

The moment the toad was dropped on the child's tongue of course it
began to hop. Prudy hopped too. She seized her tongue with one hand
and the toad with the other, screaming at the top of her voice.

The scholars were all frightened to hear such a scream, and to see
Prudy running out to the teacher so fast.

"Do tell me what ails you?" said Miss Parker.

By that time Prudy had got rid of the toad, and could speak.

"O, dear, dear, _dear_," cried she, "I didn't know it was a toad till
it hopped right up!"

"A _toad_ here in the house!" cried Miss Parker.

"No, ma'am," said Prudy, trembling and sobbing. "It wasn't in the
house,--it was in my mouth,--right here on my tongue."

Prudy showed Miss Parker her tongue. Miss Parker laughed, thinking her
a very funny child.

"I've heard, before now, of little folks having frogs in their
throats," said she. "Is that what you mean?"

"I guess so," sobbed Prudy. "And it was alive--just as alive as could
be! O, O!--Nancy, she told me to shut up my eyes, you know, and I
didn't see the toad till it hopped right up in my mouth,--and _then_ I
didn't see it! O, O!"

"Nancy, come here," said Miss Parker, sternly. "What have you been
doing to thi