ASPETUCK 69 



little dusky shapes that darted through the water. 

 "Their legs have sprouted, but their tails haven't 

 gone yet." 



" What are tadpoles ? " asked Tommy- Anne, 

 also kneeling, and looking at the queer things 

 with oblong bodies, and narrow finny tails, while 

 two arms seemed to be budding out in front, and 

 two legs behind. 



" Tads are young frogs ; it is the way they look 

 a little while after they are hatched. The frogs' 

 eggs are hung on the leaves of water-plants, 

 and when the eggs are first hatched they seem 

 like leaves themselves ; then they begin to float 

 about in the water, growing all the time and 

 changing. Tails sprout, and then legs ; and as 

 the legs grow bigger, the tail grows smaller, 

 until it all turns into legs, and the tad is a frog, 

 ready to hop." 



" Oh yes ! and then they hop over to the swamp, 

 and cry, 4 Bree-r ! Bree-r ! ' all night long." 



" Not this kind ; those are tree-frogs, but these 

 are children of the big bull-frogs that live in 

 ponds." 



"Dahinda's children. He is ugly and fat, but 

 these children are positively silly," said Tommy- 

 Anne, as one came to the surface and took a long 

 breath, which she mistook for a yawn. " Do 



