Prince Melga..........244
VIII Twinkle Receives a Medal........................250

Chapter I
Twinkle Captures the Turtle

ONE hot summer day Twinkle went down into the meadow to where the brook
ran tinkling over its stones or rushed and whirled around the curves of
the banks or floated lazily through the more wide and shallow parts. It
wasn't much of a brook, to tell the facts, for there were many places
where an active child could leap across it. But it was the only brook
for miles around, and to Twinkle it was a never-ending source of
delight. Nothing amused or refreshed the little girl more than to go
wading on the pebbly bottom and let the little waves wash around her
slim ankles.

There was one place, just below the pasture lot, where it was deeper;
and here there were real fishes swimming about, such as "horned aces"
and "chubs" and "shiners"; and once in a while you could catch a
mud-turtle under the edges of the flat stones or in hollows beneath the
banks. The deep part was not very big, being merely a pool, but Twinkle
never waded in it, because the water would come quite up to her waist,
and then she would be sure to get her skirts wet, which would mean a
good scolding from mamma.

To-day she climbed the fence in the lane, just where the rickety wooden
bridge crossed the brook, and at once sat down upon the grassy bank and
took off her shoes and stockings. Then, wearing her sun-bonnet to shield
her face from the sun, she stepped softly into the brook and stood
watching the cool water rush by her legs.

It was very nice and pleasant; but Twinkle never could stand still for
very long, so she began to wade slowly down the stream, keeping in the
middle of the brook, and being able to see through the clear water all
the best places to put her feet.

Pretty soon she had to duck her head to pass under the fence that
separated the meadow from the pasture lot; but she got through all
right, and then kept on down the stream, until she came close to the
deep pool. She couldn't wade through this, as I have explained; so she
got on dry land and crept on her hands and knees up to the edge of the
bank, so as not to scare the fishes, if any were swimming in the pool.

By good luck there were several fishes in the pool to-day, and they
didn't seem to notice that Twinkle was looking at them, so quiet had she
been. One little fellow shone like silver when the sunshine caught his
glossy sides, and the little girl