alked about fishing in the pools, seeing how the rats built
their curious houses, the frogs leaped and dived, the snakes glided to
and fro, and the ducklings ate flies all day long. She talked with the
yellow lilies, learned the song of the whispering reeds, and climbed up
the tall stems of the bulrushes to look out over the marsh and long to
be on the firm ground again. The bat forgot to come and see her, and
Willy grew so fond of her stories that he would sit for hours while she
told them; so no one came to harm, and Bud felt that she was really
doing a good thing all alone there in the dreary bog. Every one loved
her and wanted her to stay; but by and by the summer was over, the
fireflies died, and Willy Wisp grew pale and lazy and fell asleep easier
each night, as if he too were ready to fade away till hot weather
should make him lively and bright again.

"Now I might go if I could find any friend to help me," said Bud, when
the wild ducks said good-by and the herons stalked away.

"I will help you," said a water-snake, popping his head up with a kinder
look than one would fancy such fiery eyes could wear.

"You!" said Bud, much surprised; for she had never liked the snake very
well, though she had always been kind to him.

"I am your friend if you will have me. No one cares for me, I am so ugly
and have had a bad name ever since the world began; but I hope when I
shed my skin I may be handsomer or change to something better, so I try
to be a good snake and do what I can to make my neighbors happy."

"Poor thing! I hope you will be a pretty green adder, and live among the
flowers like one I once knew. It must be hard to be contented here, and
you are very kind to want to help me," said Bud, laying her little warm
hand on the ugly head of the snake, who had crept up to bask in the
sun.

That pleased Forked-tongue very much; for no one ever petted him, and
his eyes shone like jewels as he coiled his slender body nearer Bud's
feet, and lifted up his head to answer her.

"You want to go away and you shall. We shall all miss you sadly, but it
will soon be cold and you need stay no longer; so I will ask my friend
Sleek to gnaw these strong rushes till they fall and make bridges across
the pools. You can go safely over them and find some warm, pretty place
to live in till the summer comes again."

"That is a fine plan! Thank you, dear friend; let us do it at once while
Willy is asleep and no one sees us," cried Bud