(which is much better fare according to snake 

 standards than pottage according to ours), as he 

 had given up the dinner of frog. Would he sell 

 his birthright? 



Perhaps a snake cannot calculate ; perhaps he 

 knows no conflict of emotions. Yet something 

 very like these processes seemed to go ou within 

 the scaly little reptile. He ceased all violent 

 struggle, laid his length upon the netting, and 

 seemed to think, to weigh the chances, to count 

 the cost. 



Soon he softly drew back into the cage. A 

 series of severe contortions followed ; the ob- 

 structing bunch began to move forward, up, far- 

 ther and farther, until at last, dazed, squeezed, 

 and half smothered, but entirely alive and un- 

 hurt, the toad appeared and once more opened 

 his eyes to the blessed light. 



The snake quickly put his head through the 

 hole, slipped out again, and glided away into his 

 freedom. He had earned it. The toad deserved 

 his liberty too, and I took him into the straw- 

 berry-patch. 



The minister looked on at it all. Perhaps he 

 did n't learn anything. But I did. 

 [43] 



