100 MATHUBIN AND MATHUBINE 



This time there was not enough to make it drank, 

 for when Mathurin came back, an hour or two later, the 

 adder had disappeared. 



The following • day he looked about to see if the 

 adder was anywhere in the neighbourhood, and detected 

 two bright eyes and a small flat head, watching him 

 from under a bush. He called it by the first name that 

 occurred to him, which was ' Mathurine,' the feminine 

 of his own ; the adder seemed to listen. Then he poured 

 out some milk, and called it again. The adder seemed to 

 understand, and came about a yard nearer, then stopped 

 doubtfully. 



The young man did not want to frighten her, so he 

 moved to a little distance, but not without seeing his 

 new friend busy over the milk he had poured out. He did 

 not go near her again, but called gently, ' Mathurine ! 

 Mathurine ! Mathurine ! ' and each time the adder lifted 

 her head and looked at him. 



From that day he never passed the place without 

 calling ' Mathurine ! ' and at every call the adder hastened 

 more quickly to answer it, till she soon became quite tame, 

 and recognised not only the young man's voice but the 

 sound of his footsteps. 



The friendship between this odd pair lasted for a year. 

 Every day during that year Mathurin poured out a glass 

 of milk for Mathurine, and every day Mathurine was on 

 the look out for him, standing on her tail when he 

 appeared, and licking his hand affectionately with her 

 fork} tongue. 



But at last there came a day when the young man 

 chew the lot of conscription, and had to leave the village 

 where he was born, and join the regiment to which he was 

 appointed. 



He bade an affectionate farewell to his little friend, 

 who had grown quite a foot during the last few months, 

 and was now as tall as Mathurin himself when she reared 

 herself to her full height. She quite understood that 



