The Gossamer Elf and other stories [antikvár]

Muddy-One and Pranky"THERE goes old Muddy-One!" said the bigwater-snail. "Look out, you young frogs."The little frogs swam up to the top of the pond atonce. They were all afraid of Muddy-One. He was alarge, ugly grub who lurked in the mud, and wasalways hungry.Curly-Shell, the snail, wasn't at all afraid ofMuddy-One. He had only to curl himself up in hishard shell whenever he spied the big grub, andnobody could harm him then. But most of the othercreatures in the pond were afraid of the ugly oldgrub.Pranky, the water-pixie, teased him dreadfully.He was a naughty little mischief, very quick andcheeky, and the names he called Muddy-One madeall the snails and fishes laugh.Muddy-One had been in the pond for a very longtime. He had been small at first, but now he was big.He crawled about in the mud, and across his face heput a curious claw, which could shoot out and catchany little water creature in its pincers.He didn't like being teased by Pranky. "I can'thelp being ugly," he would say; "I didn't makemyself. If I could have made myself I would havegiven myself beautiful wings, and a gleaming body,and I wouldn't live down here in the slimy mud, but