The Weasel went into the water and put his mouth to the egg and tried to lift it. He could not move it. He tried to lift it with his paws as well as with his mouth; but this did not do either. He came up the bank then, and said to Gilly, “You’ll think I’m a poor sort of a servant because I can’t take an egg out of the water. But if I can’t win one way I’ll win another way.” He went into the reeds by the river and he said, “Hear me, frogs! There’s a great army coming to take you out of the reeds and eat you red and raw.” Then Gilly saw the queer frogs lifting up their heads, “Oh, what will we do, what will we do?” they cried to the Weasel. “There’s only one thing to be done,” said the Weasel. “You gather up all the pebbles in the bed of the fiver and we’ll make a big wail on the bank to defend you.” The frogs dived into the water at once and dragged up pebbles. Gilly and the Weasel piled them on the bank. Then three frogs carried up the Crystal Egg. The Weasel took it from them when they left it on the bank. Then he climbed a tree and cried out to the frogs, “The army is frightened and is running away.” “Oh, thank you, thank you,” said the frogs, “we’ll never forget your goodness to us.” Then they sat down in the marsh and told each other what a narrow escape they all had. The Weasel gave Gilly the Crystal Egg. It was heavy and he carried it for a while in his hand. They went on. After a while said Gilly of the Goatskin, “The night’s coming on and the fiver shows no sign of turning back. I wish there was a nice place to shelter us.” No sooner did he say the word than he and the Weasel found them-selves standing before the open door of a nice little house. They went in. A clear fire was burning on the hearth, an arm chair was before it, and a bed was made at the other side of the fire. “This is good,” said Gilly, “and now I wish that we had something to eat.” No sooner did he say the words than a table appeared with bread and meat, fruit and wine on it. “Where do these fine things come from, I wonder,” said Gilly of the Goatskin. “It’s my belief,” said the Weasel, “that all these things come to us on account of the egg you have in your hand. It’s a magic egg.” Gilly of the Goatskin put the egg on the table and wished that he might see himself as he had seen himself in the river. Nothing appeared. Then he took the egg in his hand and wished again. And then there was a looking glass on the wall before him, and he saw himself in it better than he had seen himself in the river. Gilly of the Goatskin knew that he had only to hold the Crystal Egg in his hand and wish, to get all he could think of. VIII