“I shan’t help,” said Bald maliciously. “Let him stop where he is.”
The monk groaned again, and the three boys outside the reeds laughed with malicious glee.
“If we pull him out he’ll only take us back and begin to teach us to read.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” sighed Father Swythe; “I came to fetch you in. The Queen sent me.”
“Then we won’t help you,” said Bert; laughing. “Let’s go and finish getting our fish, and then go back. When they ask where he is we’ll tell them, and then some of the shepherds can come with wattle hurdles and get him out.”
“Oh, dear!” groaned the monk. “After all my teaching, for you boys to be as bad as this! Why, if you leave me I shall be drowned!”
“Oh, no,” said Red merrily. “You’ve only to keep holding your face up.”
“Yes,” said Bert; “and that will send your legs down till you’ll be standing up in the mud and water.”
“And all the big flies and things will come and buzz about and settle on your crown. Come along, Fred, and finish the dam.”
“If we finish the dam,” said Alfred seriously, “all the water will run in here and make it deeper.”