A beautiful fairy person slid down a bulrush
"That," said the Water-Lady, "is the Home of the Last-of-the-Bitterns, and he must never be spoken to by anybody but me. He wants to do all the talking himself."
"How does he do the boom-boom?" said Robin, wild with curiosity. For he thought he would like to learn how to boom-boom himself. It would silence Mrs. Robin when she scolded him.
But the Water-Lady said, "Sh-s-s-h, go away!" and disappeared inside. She was all in pale pink and gold, like the cuckoo-flowers and king-cups.
Robin wouldn't go away. He suddenly became very obstinate, and determined to find out what the Last-of-the-Bitterns looked like. And he squeezed, and shoved, and slithered between the bulrushes. And he was just inside, and just saw the Last-of-the-Bitterns standing there, humped-up and dreadfully old, when three things happened at once.
Bill the Weasel made a grab at his neck, and missed.
Hob the Marsh Harrier dropped upon him from above—but fell by accident into the water, owing to the Last-of-the-Bitterns suddenly shifting his position.
And the Water-Lady seized Robin in her arms, and flung her pink and gold scarf about him.
"Don't move!" she screamed in a high, thin shrill voice, just like wind among the reeds. "Don't move! Don't speak! Don't wriggle!"
