CHAPTER IX.
THE WATER-LILY 91

CHAPTER X.
THE CRAY-FISH'S JOURNEY 99

CHAPTER XI.
THE WORST DAY OF ALL 109

CHAPTER XII.
THE END 123

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The cray-fish dropped off (_Colour_) _Frontispiece_

The pike appeared among the reeds with wide-open
mouth and rows of sharp teeth and angry
eyes (_Colour_) 40

'He was in my way,' said the spider 44

'Oh! really,' said the perch (_Colour_) 64

He slammed his shell down 80

The Water Lily (_Colour_) 96

He lay in the water, hit by a stray shot 116

CHAPTER I

The Beginning

[Illustration]

One day in early spring, a young reed-warbler sat in a bush in Italy and
hung his beak.

This was not because he really had anything to complain of. The sun was
shining; there were flies in plenty; and no one was doing him harm. A
little while before, a pretty girl, with jet-black eyes, had sat under
the bush and listened to his song and kissed her hand to him.

And yet he wanted something.

He was tired of the Italian flies. He had a feeling in his wings as if
he could do hundreds of miles at a stretch. There were notes in his
throat which he was unable to get out and his little heart was filled
with a longing which he could not understand and which would have made
him cry, if a reed-warbler knew how to cry. But he can only sing and he
sings just alike on all days, whether he be glad or sorry.

So he sang. And, when he stopped, he heard a voice, from a bush close
by, which resembled his own to a nicety, only it was not so strong.

He was off in a moment and alighting on a twig gazed at the sweetest
little lady reed-warbler that one could wish to set eyes on.

There was no one to introduce them to each other and so they introduced
themselves. For there is not the same stiff etiquette among birds as at
a court ball. Also things move more quickly; and, when they had chatted
for five minutes or so, the reed-warbler said:

"Now that I have seen you, I know what's the ma