We were not rivals, that is all. In a case like that,
it's easy to be friends. I was often amused at the carp's way of
talking. But I never contradict, except when any one sticks something
between my shells. The carp had had to do with human beings; that's what
it was. It always makes animals so ridiculous. You're the same, for that
matter."

"I look upon that as a compliment," said the reed-warbler, who was a
little offended but did not wish to show it. "However, I have nothing to
do with human beings, except that they protect me and have not the heart
to do me harm, because of my pretty voice. They stop and listen to me as
they pass. Many a poet has written beautiful lines about me."

"Oh, really?" said the mussel. "Upon my word, they did something of the
sort about me too. But what they said was lies."

"What did they say?"

"There was a lot of rubbish about pearls."

"Oh, have you pearls? Wife! Wife! The mussel has pearls!"

"Not a bit of it," said the fresh-water mussel. "Do stop shouting like
that. You can be heard all over the pond. If any one overheard you, I
should be in danger of being fished up. Thank goodness, there are no
pearls formed on me!"

[Illustration]

"O-oh!" said the reed-warbler, in a disappointed tone.

"It's just the pearls the poets talk their nonsense about. They sing of
how happy the mussel is with the precious pearl he guards, and all that
sort of thing.... Do you know what a pearl is?"

"No," said the reed-warbler.

"It's a nasty, pushing parasite ... something like the double-animal
that hurt the carp. When it comes into us, it hurts us, of course. Then
we cover the brute with mother of pearl till it dies. And then it sits
on our shell and plays at being a pearl."

"Oh!" said the reed-warbler. "Do you hear that, wife? All our illusions
are vanishing one by one. Soon there will be nothing but vacancy around
us."

"Oh, it won't be vacant so long as we have those five greedy children!"
said she. "They are crying for more."

"They shall have no more to-day," he answered, crossly. "You and I have
been running and flying about for them all day long. Now, upon my word,
I intend to be left in peace to have a chat with the neighbours. Let's
give them a flogging."

And a flogging they got. And then they cried still more and then they
went to sleep.

"You hinted last night that you were not born here, in the pond," said
the reed-warbler. "Tell us where you come from."

"With p