Page:Stories and story-telling (1915).djvu/216

 he jumped down and went, saying to himself, "I believe he is a merman, all the same, or else how could he live in the lake?"

The moon shone very brightly on the center of the lake. Tommy knew the place well, for there was an Echo there, with whom he had often talked. Round the edges grew rushes and water plants, 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—his own face.

"Why, there's no one there but myself!" said Tommy. "And what can the word be? I must have done it wrong. It cannot be myself."

"Myself!" said the Echo.

Tommy was almost surprised to find the Echo awake at this time of night.

"Much you know about it!" said he. "Belf! Celf! Delf! Felf! Helf! Jelf! 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 me the word there would be some meaning in your interference; but to roar 'Myself!' at me, which neither rhymes nor runs—it does rhyme,