"Are you a good brusher?" asked the boy, suddenly; "can you brush the balls well?"
Felix stared at him.
"Oh!" said the boy; "I thought you would be sure to be a good cricketer."
"So I am," returned Felix; "I am a good batter. I've got a prize bat."
The boy burst out laughing, so did some magpies and squirrels. So did the streamlet that was running along so fast. Even the little fishes popped up their heads and laughed—
"Haha! haha! hoho! hoho!"
There was such a noise that Felix had to ask several times before he got an answer.
"What are they laughing at?"
"At you," answered the boy.
"It's very rude of them," said Felix, taking up a stone to throw at the magpies, which were chattering.