"Is the Brownie a merman," said Tommy, wriggling himself along the beam, "that he lives under water?" "That depends on whether he has a fish's tail," said the Owl, "and this you can discover for yourself." "Well, the moon is shining, so I shall go," said Tommy. "Good-bye, and thank you, Ma'am;" and he jumped down and went, saying to himself as he ran, "I believe he is a merman all the same, or else how could he live in the mere? I know more about Brownies than Granny does, and I shall tell her so;" for Tommy was somewhat opinionated, like other young people. The moon shone very brightly on the centre of the mere. Tommy knew the place well for there was a fine echo there. Round the edge grew rushes and water plants, which cast a border of shadow. Tommy went to the north side, and turning himself three times, as the Old Owl had told him, he repeated the charm-- "Twist me and turn me, and show me the Elf-- I looked in the water, and saw--" Now for it! He looked in, and saw--the reflection of his own face. "Why, there's no one but myself!" said Tommy. "And what can the word be? I must have done it wrong." "Wrong!" said the Echo. Tommy was almost surprised to find the echo awake at this time of night. "Hold your tongue!" said he. "Matters are provoking enough of themselves. Belf! Celf! Delf! Felf! Gelf! Helf! Jelf! What rubbish! There can't be a word to fit it. And then to look for a Brownie, and see nothing but myself!" "Myself," said the Echo. "Will you be quiet?" said Tommy. "If you would tell one the word there would be some sense in your interference; but to roar 'Myself!' at one, which neither rhymes nor runs--it does rhyme though, as it happens," he added; "and how very odd! it runs too-- 'Twist me, and turn me, and show me the Elf; I looked in the water, and saw myself,' which I certainly did. What can it mean? The Old Owl knows, as Granny would say; so I shall go back and ask her." "Ask her!" said the Echo. "Didn't I say I should?" said Tommy. "How exasperating you are! It is very strange. _Myself_ certainly does rhyme, and I wonder I did not think of it long ago." "Go," said the Echo. "Will you mind your own business, and go to sleep?" said Tommy. "I am going; I said I should." And back he went. There sat the Old Owl as before. "Oohoo!" said she, as Tommy climbed up. "What did you see in the mere?" "I saw nothing but myself," said Tommy indignantly. "And what did you expect to see?" asked the Owl. "I expected to see a Brownie," said Tommy; "you told me so." "And what are Brownies like, pray?" inquired the Owl. "The one Granny knew was a useful little fellow, something like a little man," said Tommy. "Ah!" said the Owl, "but you know at present this one is an idle little fellow, something like a little man. Oohoo! oohoo! Are you quite sure you didn't see him?" "Quite," answered Tommy sharply. "I saw no one but myself." "Hoot! toot! How touchy we are! And who are you, pray?"