A BAD NEIGHBOR. 



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If it is in the rainy season it will be easy enough to find him, for 

 he is swimming about, like any other fish, in that pretty little river 

 which flows near your uncle's house. But in the hot season it will 

 be harder to find him. The river is di'ied up then ; there is not a 

 drop of water ; the reeds and rushes that were once so fresh and 

 green are withered and dry, and even the mud of the river-bed is 

 baked into a hard, stony flooring, which looks as if it had never 

 known a drop of moisture. Surely no living creature can be here, 

 save such as can live on land. Xot so fast ! Take your spade and 

 dig up carefully some of this hard-baked earth. Dig deeper ! — care- 

 fully now; spread out the earth you have dug up. Ah! what is 

 that queer-looking lump, from Avhich the dry earth falls away? That 

 is what you have been looking for. That is Mr. Mud-fish's cocoon, 

 and Mr. Mud-fish is comfortably asleep inside it. You see he 

 knew well enough what to do when he found the water Avas all 

 drying up around him. He wriggled his way deep, deep down into 



