THE BULLFROG 



upper world of water, this old acquaint- 

 ance may be shy, and neither permit nor 

 offer any familiarity. The fixed placidity 

 of his countenance is not disturbed by 

 your approach, but if you overstep by 

 one pace what he considers the proper 

 limit, down goes his head under cover of 

 the flood. Marking his jerky course with 

 an underwake and a shiver of the rushes, 

 he reappears, to calmly observe you from 

 a safer distance. 



Custom outwears his diffidence, and 

 the fervid sun warms him to more genial 

 moods, when he will suffer you to come 

 quietly quite close to him and tickle 

 his sides with a bullrush, till in an ec- 

 stasy of pleasure he loses all caution, and 

 bears with supreme contentment the 

 titillation of your finger tips. His flabby 

 sides swell with fullness of enjoyment, 

 his blinking eyes grow dreamy and the 

 corners of his blandly expressionless 

 mouth almost curve upward with an 

 elusive smile. Not till your fingers 

 gently close upon him does he become 

 aware of the indiscretion into which he 

 has lapsed, and with a frantic struggle 

 he tears himself away from your grasp 

 68 



