OUR COUNTRY NEIGHBORS. 85 



Our house had a central court on the southern side, into 

 which looked the library, dining-room, and front hall, as 

 well as several of the upper chambers. It was designed to 

 be closed in with glass, to serve as a conservatory in win- 

 ter ; and meanwhile we had filled it with splendid plumy 

 ferns, taken up out of the neighboring wood. In the centre 

 was a fountain surrounded by stones, shells, mosses, and 

 various water-plants. We had bought three little goldfish 

 to swim in our basin ; and the spray of it, as it rose in 

 the air and rippled back into the water, was the pleasantest 

 possible sound of a hot day. We used to lie on the sofa 

 in the hall, and look into the court, and fancy we saw 

 some scene of fairy-land, and water-sprites coming up from 

 the fountain. Suddenly a new-comer presented himself, 

 no other than an immense bullfrog, that had hopped up 

 from the neighboring river, apparently with a view to mak- 

 ing a permanent settlement in and about our fountain. 

 He was to be seen, often for hours, sitting reflectively on 

 the edge of it, beneath the broad shadow of the calla-leaves. 

 When sometimes missed thence, he would be found under 

 the ample shield of a great bignonia, whose striped leaves 

 grew hard by. 



The family were prejudiced against him. What did he 

 want there ? It was surely some sinister motive impelled 

 him. He was probably watching for an opportunity to 

 gobble up the goldfish. We took his part, however, and 



