r me, however am I to stop
myself?" And directly after: "Oh, do stop me, somebody, or I shall be
broken all to bits." And lastly: "Here, help, help, help!"

Then there was a loud crashing sound, some water flew up, the monk
uttered a final "Oh!" and lay perfectly still, listening, for all at
once a familiar voice cried:

"Oh, come here, quick! A sheep has gone plosh into the pool."

Boys were as much boys then as they are now, for directly after these
words were uttered Alfred--the Little then--came hurrying as fast as the
water would let him wade--splash, splash, splash!--from where he and his
brothers had been busily making a dam across the little stream to turn
the rushing water aside into another channel so as to leave the
unfortunate trout helpless and ready for capture, and as soon as he
caught sight of his teacher lying perfectly still he burst into a fit of
hearty laughter.

"Come and look! Come and look!" he shouted.

His brothers wanted no further telling, but came splashing up out of the
stream to the open shallow muddy bed where the reeds grew, and as soon
as they saw the monk's condition they began to indulge in a bare-legged
triumphal war-dance, shrieking with laughter the while.

"Bad boys; bad, thoughtless, wicked boys!" grunted Father Swythe; but he
lay perfectly still with arms and legs spread apart as far as they would
go.

"Why don't you stand up and walk out?" cried Fred, at last, taking
compassion on his tutor's awkward plight.

"Because I'm so heavy, boy: I should sink."

"Oh, no. It isn't deep there. I've often waded about there to look for
moorhens' nests."

"Yes, my boy; but you're young and light. I'm very heavy."

"Yes," cried one of the others, in high delight; "there's an arrow depth
of water where you are, and quite a bow length of thick mud under that."

"Oh, dear!" groaned the monk; "don't laugh at me, my boys. Can't you
help me out?"

"Yes, I'll get you out," cried Alfred, and he waded towards his
unfortunate tutor, trampling the reeds down with his bare feet, but
sinking in up to his knees at every step.

"Mind you don't get into a hole, Fred!" cried Bald.

"Mind the big luces!" shouted Bert. "There's a monster lives among
those reeds."

"Oh, they all swam away when Father Swythe fell in," cried Red. "You
have got to mind your toes. The big eels are down amongst the mud."

The monk groaned at this, and raised his dripping hands above the water,
to grasp