a trout to hatch. Even now they still retained the horseshoe
curve, and could never swim straight ahead, but only spin round and
round like whirligigs. These cripples and weaklings seemed to have got
on pretty well as long as their food-sacs lasted, but now that they had
to make their own living they were at a serious disadvantage. They all
disappeared after a day or two, and our friend never saw them again.
They couldn't stand the real struggle of life.

Many a strong, healthy baby disappeared at the same time, and if there
had not been so many of them it is not likely that any would have
survived the first few days and weeks. Even as it was, I doubt if more
than one fish out of each thousand eggs ever lived to grow up. It is not
difficult to guess where they went. Our Trout had hardly emerged from
his hiding-place in the gravel when a queer, ugly, big-headed little
fish darted at him from under a stone, with his jaws open and an awful
cavity yawning behind them. The Troutlet dodged between a couple of
pebbles and escaped, but another youngster just beyond him was caught
and swallowed alive. That was his first meeting with the star-gazer, who
kills more babies than ever Herod did. Then there were minnows, and
herrings, and lizards, and frogs, and weasels, and water-snakes, and
other butchers of all sorts and sizes, too numerous to mention. And
perhaps the worst of all were the older trout, who never seemed to have
the least compunction about eating their small relations, and who were
so nimble and lively that it was almost impossible to keep out of their
way. Our friend spent most of his time in the shallow water near the
banks, where larger fishes were not so likely to follow him, but even
there he had many narrow escapes and was obliged to keep himself hidden
as much as possible under chips and dead leaves, and behind stones.

Often he found himself in great peril when he least suspected it. Once
he lay for some time in the edge of a dark forest of water-weeds, only
an inch from a lumpish, stupid-looking creature, half covered with mud,
that was clinging to one of the stems. The animal appeared so dull and
unintelligent that the young Trout paid little attention to him until
another baby came up and approached a trifle closer. Then, quick as a
flash, the creature shot out an arm nearly three-quarters of an inch
long, bearing on its end two horrible things which were not exactly
claws, nor fingers, nor teeth, but whi