squirrels (they had all six legs, though; everything almost has six
legs in the water, except efts and water-babies); and nimbly enough
they ran among the branches. There were water-flowers there too,
in thousands; and Tom tried to pick them: but as soon as he
touched them, they drew themselves in and turned into knots of
jelly; and then Tom saw that they were all alive--bells, and stars,
and wheels, and flowers, of all beautiful shapes and colours; and
all alive and busy, just as Tom was. So now he found that there
was a great deal more in the world than he had fancied at first
sight.

There was one wonderful little fellow, too, who peeped out of the
top of a house built of round bricks. He had two big wheels, and
one little one, all over teeth, spinning round and round like the
wheels in a thrashing-machine; and Tom stood and stared at him, to
see what he was going to make with his machinery. And what do you
think he was doing? Brick-making. With his two big wheels he
swept together all the mud which floated in the water: all that
was nice in it he put into his stomach and ate; and all the mud he
put into the little wheel on his breast, which really was a round
hole set with teeth; and there he spun it into a neat hard round
brick; and then he took it and stuck it on the top of his house-
wall, and set to work to make another. Now was not he a clever
little fellow?

Tom thought so: but when he wanted to talk to him the brick-maker
was much too busy and proud of his work to take notice of him.

Now you must know that all the things under the water talk; only
not such a language as ours; but such as horses, and dogs, and