“Oh, dear, what shall we do now?” asked the bean, speaking for the first time since the journey began. “We can never get across these awful waters. Hear them thunder down the rocky cliffs!”
“Don’t worry, little Bean,” said the straw, proudly. “I’ll help you and Mr. Coal across in a twinkling.”
Thereupon the straw laid herself across the stream. She was just long enough to reach from bank to bank.
“Now walk over the bridge, Mr. Coal and Miss Bean,” called the straw.
The coal hastened on to the straw bridge while the bean watched in wonder. All went well until the middle of the stream was reached, when the bridge bent so low under the weight of the coal and the waters thundered so loudly that the coal stopped in fright.
The coal stood still for only a moment. But, alas, that was a moment too long.
The dry straw smoked, burst into a tiny flame, and broke in two. Down fell the coal into the water below and was instantly drowned. The burning straw bridge also fell into the water, which put out the flames, and the two pieces of straw went floating away down stream.
All this the little bean saw, watching safely from the bank. And she thought it the funniest thing that ever happened. So she laughed and she laughed—until she burst!