n and
frighten people? Can't I mine out the earth, and sweep along big trees
like boats? Can't I tumble down the rocks that dare to stop my path?
Can't I drown men and boys, and all the cattle in the land? I've
swallowed a dozen haystacks for my breakfast, and killed the finest
mill-dam over the world this morning. I said I would as soon as winter
came, when they dammed me up last spring, so many miles away! Oh, such a
mass of stone and timber which they put up to fret me in my path; and
what a joke to think this solid mass is scattered through the land since
yesternight, and I am free once more."

"This is not my ambitious sister! no indeed," murmured the Brook.

"Why here is a little Brook," continued the voice, "a dainty, prudish,
modest Brook, collected in a hole to die! Come out, my fair one! I will
wed thee, as I have wedded fifty thousand of your sex in my short day!
Come out; no fear; if I am the Mountain-Torrent, I'm not so great a
monster as they say, especially to hurt a modest Brook."

So saying the Mountain-Torrent caught up the shrinking Brook in his
powerful embrace, and away they hurried through the very heart of the
forest, miles and miles below.

"This, this is life indeed," said the wedded Brook, once more a wanderer
over the land, as with a thousand other Brooks they travelled on for
many hours with impetuous speed, making dreadful havoc everywhere they
touched. Havoc among the farmers and the villagers, who fought them inch
by inch, with sticks and trees, and mounds of stone and clay, all which
they licked up and swallowed, as if they had been pebbles and clumps of
leaves. Havoc with the Creeks upon the route, who dared to scorn their
overtures, and wed the Torrent, willingly; for spurning the placid,
humble Creeks one side, they tore along their paths, and vented their
fury on the bridges overhead, bringing down in general destruction,
turnpikes and railroads with their pressing weight of travel.

Havoc to themselves!

For, tearing on so madly, the Mountain-Torrent, after a while, perceived
his strength to fail, and his endurance to give out. But still he
hurried on, though feebly, in hopes to meet more Brooks, perhaps a Lake,
and so recruit himself the while. The wedded Brook was wearied too--a
little; not much; at first the Mountain-Torrent had held her tightly in
embrace, and carried her along with scarcely an effort; but as he
wearied himself, much of the toil was thrown upon the Brook, a