76 STORIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



shaking that scattered its ribs along the banks and 

 sent its backbone into the sluice-way, nearly chok- 

 ing the mill to death. It was such fun ! " 



" What made you do that ? I should call it 

 mischief, not fun." 



" No, it was fun, and like fun usually, it had 

 wisdom at the bottom of it. The turnpike needed 

 a new bridge, for I could see the sun through the 

 great holes in it. Last summer Gheezis said to 

 me, ' I will do all I can to dry this bridge ; do you 

 tell the rains to hurry and rust the nails so that 

 they will fall out, and then you can wash it away, 

 for it is no longer safe.' ' 



" That is true," said Tommy- Anne ; " our horse 

 put his foot through one of the holes and father 

 spoke to the Selectmen about it, but they only put 

 on a worn old board for a patch. I think you are a 

 very clever little river. Please have you any name? " 



" Aspetuck is my name here ; the Red Brothers 

 gave it to me, and it means that I come from a 

 height. In fact, for the first three miles of my 

 life I do nothing but run down hill, stopping 

 every now and then in some little corner to get 

 my breath." 



" How did you begin ? Were you a brook or 

 a pond, or did you rain down suddenly and run 

 along ? " 



