So Prudy opened her mouth as wide as it would go, and squeezed her eyelids together very hard.
Then what should Nancy do, but take out of her apron a wee bit of a toad, and drop it in Prudy's mouth! I can't see how she dared do such a thing; but she did it. She had found the toad in the street, and picked it up to frighten little Prudy.
The moment the toad was dropped on the child's tongue of course it began to hop. Prudy hopped too. She seized her tongue with one hand and the toad with the other, screaming at the top of her voice.
The scholars were all frightened to hear such a scream, and to see Prudy running out to the teacher so fast.
"Do tell me what ails you?" said Miss Parker.
By that time Prudy had got rid of the toad, and could speak.
"O, dear, dear, dear," cried she, "I didn't know it was a toad till it hopped right up!"
"A toad here in the house!" cried Miss Parker.
"No, ma'am," said Prudy, trembling and sobbing. "It wasn't in the house,—it was in my mouth,—right here on my tongue."
Prudy showed Miss Parker her tongue. Miss Parker laughed, thinking her a very funny child.