Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 23, 2025
As he lay there in the warming sand by the cat-tails, the biggest, juiciest green bottle fly that Twinkle-tail had ever seen came skimming down to the very line of the water. It circled once. Twinkle-tail did not move. It circled twice, not an inch from the water! A single, sinuous flash of his whole body, and Twinkle-tail was out of the water! He had the fly in his mouth.
But Twinkle-tail had always stayed in the cat-tails and watched, and if the boy and girl came to his side of the pond, then a lightning twinkle of his tail was all that told them that he had scooted out of the pool and down into the stream. Once the girl had trailed a piece of flashing red flannel across the water, and Twinkle-tail could not resist. He leaped for it.
I was awfully disappointed when I got home and found that you were away up in the hills. How is your fight going on? And look at Twinkle-tail," she hurried on a little nervously, for Jeffrey had her hand and was drawing her determinedly to him. She reached for the trout and held him up strategically between them. "Oh, Fish!" said Jeffrey discontentedly as he saw himself beaten by her ruse.
His pond lay all clean and silvery and a little cool yet, for the sun was not high enough to have heated it through: a beautiful breakfast room at the bottom of the great bowl of green banks that ran away up on every side to the rim of the high hills. Twinkle-tail was rather early for breakfast.
It was past the middle of June, or, as Twinkle-tail understood the matter, it was the time when the snow water and the water from the spring rains had already gone down to the Big River: Beaver Run was still a fresh, rushing stream of water, but it was falling fast. Soon there would not be enough water in it to make it safe for a trout as large as he.
"It's you, Twinkle-tail," she panted, as she held him up for a good look, "sure enough!" She carried him back to a large stone and despatched him painlessly with a blunt stick. Then she sat down to rest, for she was weak and dizzy from her struggle. Looking down at Twinkle-tail where he lay, she said aloud: "I wish Jeffrey was here. He'll never believe it was you unless he sees you."
The sun had not yet begun to draw the flies from their hiding places to buzz over the surface of the water. As he shot into the centre of the pool only one fly was in sight. A rather decrepit looking black fly was doddering about a cat-tail stalk at the edge of the pond. One quick flirt of his body, and Twinkle-tail slid out of the water and took the fly in his leap. But that was no breakfast.
But Ruth knew that her strength was nearly gone too. She must use her head quickly. She gathered herself on the bank for one desperate effort. She must catch him as he ran toward her and try to flick him out of the water. It was her only chance. She might break the line or the pole and lose him entirely, but she would try it. Twinkle-tail came shooting through the water, directly at her.
He looked at her dress and shoes and said with a show of meanness: "Ruth, you didn't catch Twinkle-tail fair, on your line. You just walked into the pond and got him in a corner and kicked him to death brutally. I know you did. You're always cruel." Ruth laughed, and showed him the jagged cut in her hand where she had fallen on the rocks. Instantly he was all interest and contrition.
Remember that, when you are in the worst of this fight that is before you. When you are tempted, as you will be tempted, remember it. When you are hard pressed, as you will be hard pressed, remember it." Twinkle-tail was gliding up Beaver Run to his breakfast.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking