g his house, and
he advanced a little way to meet her.

"Well, sister Crane, I hope you are all right this morning?" he asked.

"Oh yes, so so, brother Terrapin. But you must excuse me just now; I've
heard bad news from my family. A brother and sister of mine are
suddenly taken ill, and I am bound to go and visit them," answered
Crane.

"Ah, Miss Crane, that reminds me of my own brother and sister, who are
much younger than I am, but very soft and tender. What do you say now
to making another bargain?" asked Terrapin with a wink.

"You are very good, Terrapin. I will think of it as I go along. I
shall be back before noon to-morrow, and we will talk of a trade then."
They were very civil to one another as they parted. Terrapin went for
his usual walk to the pond, Miss Crane proceeded to visit her family,
but muttered:

"Ha, ha, Terrapin, you are great at a trade; but you will not make
another with me in a hurry till our first one is squared."

After she had gone a little way she turned suddenly round and came back
to the foot of Terrapin's tree, and cried,

"Tu-no-no-no. Ano-no-no-no. We-no-no-no!"

"Ah, that is my child's voice," said Ma Terrapin to herself, and let
down the cord.

Miss Crane caught hold and climbed up towards the nest. Ma Terrapin
craned her neck out far to welcome her child, but before she could
discover by what means little Terrapin had changed its dress, Miss Crane
struck Ma Terrapin with her long sharp bill in the place where the neck
joins the shoulder, and in a short time Ma Terrapin was as dead as Miss
Crane's own mother.

The body was rolled from the nest, and it went falling down, and Miss
Crane slid quickly after it.

In a quiet place screened by thick bushes Miss Crane made a great fire,
with which Ma Terrapin's thick shell was cracked. She then scooped out
the flesh, and carried it to her own home, and stowed it in a big black
pot.

On the next day as Miss Crane was standing on one leg by the pond, with
her head half buried in her feathers, who should come along but
Terrapin, crying bitterly, and saying, "Ah, my ma is dead. My old ma
has been killed. Who will assist me now?"

Miss Crane affected to be asleep, but heard every word. When, however,
Terrapin was near, she woke up suddenly and said, cheerfully,

"Ah! it is Terrapin, my little brother Terrapin. How do you do to-day?"

Now as Terrapin had already slain his mother, according to his own
confession,