"Nine skips, and then a hop! That makes ten," said Polly, "and I can only make mine skip seven times."
"Oh, but you can do as well as I if you practice enough. I've always lived here at the shore," Sprite said, "and the flat stones have been my toys."
It was fine to compete with her, and Rose and Polly worked very hard in their effort to make a better fling.
"Eight!" declared Polly, and for a number of times, she sent the stones skipping eight times across the glassy little pool.
"Seven!" cried Rose, "and it almost went eight, and then didn't. Wasn't that provoking?"
"Eight!" she shouted a moment later.
"Nine!" squealed Polly. "Nine! Who'd have believed I could?"
"I would," replied Sprite, "because you're trying so hard, and because you can do anything."
"Oh, I can't!" Polly said.
"Well, you sing, and play, and you dance beautifully; after all that, just skipping stones doesn't seem so very much," Sprite answered quickly.