ll in
the woman's hand, but the firebrand was safe, and he made his way
swiftly across the pond.

"Here it is," said the frog.

"Where?" asked the young Indian. Then the frog coughed, and out of his
mouth came the firebrand. It was small, for it had been burning all this
time, but it set fire to the leaves and twigs, and soon the Indians were
warm again. They sang and they danced about the flames.

At first the frog was sad, because he was sorry to lose his tail; but
before long he was as merry as the people who were dancing, for the
young Indian said, "Little frog, you have been a good friend to us, and
as long as we live on the earth, we will never throw a stone at a frog
that has no tail."

HOW THE QUAIL BECAME A SNIPE.

"It is lonely living in this great tree far away from the other birds,"
said the owl to herself. "I will get some one to come and live with me.
The quail has many children, and I will ask her for one of them."

The owl went to the quail and said, "Will you let me have one of your
children to come and live with me?"

"Live with you? No," answered the quail. "I would as soon let my child
live with the serpent. You are hidden in the tree all day long, and when
it is dark, you come down like a thief and catch little animals that are
fast asleep in their nests. You shall never have one of my children."

"I _will_ have one," thought the owl.

She waited till the night had come. It was dark and gloomy, for the moon
was not to be seen, and not a star twinkled in the sky. Not a leaf
stirred, and not a ripple was on the pond. The owl crept up to the
quail's home as softly as she could. The young birds were chattering
together, and she listened to their talk.

"My mother is gone a long time," said one. "It is lonely, and I am
afraid."

"What is there to be afraid of?" asked another. "You are a little
coward. Shut your eyes and go to sleep. See me! I am not afraid, if it
is dark and gloomy. Oh, oh!" cried the boaster, for the owl had seized
him and was carrying him away from home and his little brothers.

When the mother quail came home, she asked, "Where is your brother?" The
little quails did not know. All they could say was that something had
seized him in the darkness and taken him away.

"It crept up to the nest in the dark," said one.

"And oh, mother, never, never go away from us again!" cried another. "Do
not leave us at home all alone."

"But, my dear little ones," the mother