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77>e Story 

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to swallow him. Quick as they were, a score 

 of them were seized by the hungry little trout 

 and parrs that swarmed in the shallows, each 

 one hiding under a stone and watching like 

 a hawk for food. But Kopseep was safe un- 

 der a root, whither he had darted from the 

 shelter of his first pebble, and his struggle 

 with the world had begun. 



For a year he lived in the shallows as a 

 little parr, hiding from his enemies and eat- 

 ing of the insect life that swarmed in the 

 water. Then, as he grew in strength and 

 quickness, he took to chasing and catching 

 the tiny eels that squirmed in the mud un- 

 der the still reaches of the brook, and would 

 flash up from the bottom and out into the 

 sunshine to catch and pull down a passing 

 fly. After every sortie he would whirl and 

 dart like a sunbeam under his root again. 

 No need to look for enemies ; they were all 

 about him, and he always took it for granted 

 that they were waiting to catch him, and 

 that his safety lay in getting back to the cover 

 of his own den before they had noticed his 

 movements. 



