“Let Miss Martin tell one of her stories!” suggested Nelly.
“She’s an awful good story-teller! You just oughter hear one,” added Maggie, with the air of one who knows.
“If you will all sit down on the Refectory floor while we are waiting for dry clothes, I will tell you a short story,” agreed Miss Martin. And everyone sat down just where he or she happened to be.
“What shall it be?” asked the lady.
Just then a hop-toad jumped upon the platform of the Refectory floor and almost landed in Betty Blue Bird’s lap.
“Oh, oh! A horrid toad!” cried she, jumping up to shake herself free from the disagreeable contact.
“I’ll tell you a story about a nice little toad!” laughed Miss Martin, instantly.
“Oh yes, and cure Betty of her dread of wood-creatures,” added Dot, eagerly.
“That little toad only hopped up to say, ‘Glad to see you in the country, children!’ because he is so happy here himself, he wants everyone to feel as happy as he does.
“You see Speckles—that is the toad’s name, I’m sure—had had a dreadful long season of it last winter as he lay dozing under the old tree-roots over there. You will find a deep hole running under the roots, and in the fall the wind blows leaves and other dry material into the opening to keep out the cold.