Still the little fish looked longingly at the bait. Rita wanted to
call out and tell him what his mother said was quite true; but somehow
her voice refused to come.

The other fishes who were gathered round listening did not say
anything, but Rita saw that some of the smaller ones looked at the
worm just as longingly as the little one who had spoken.

For a few minutes there was silence in the water; then all at once, at
a moment when it thought its mother was looking the other way, the
little fish made a dart forward and tried to swallow the bait. The
next moment it was wriggling about in a most pitiable manner and
giving faint little cries for help. Its mother swam towards it in
great distress.

"Come and help!" she called, in a trembling voice.

All the other fishes surrounded the line, and some caught hold of the
little fish's tail and held on.

Just as Rita was getting very excited indeed she gave a great start
and jumped up from the bank.

"What was that?" she exclaimed aloud.

"Why, I've got a splendid catch. It must be a monster! The line is so
heavy I can hardly pull it in!"

It was Frank's voice. Rita suddenly remembered where she was and that