Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/184

178 showed him the picture, saying: "See, this is you!" There was also a very large elephant of which Adelka was afraid. There were horses, cows, rabbits, squirrels, chickens, lizards and snakes, fish, frogs, butterflies, lady-bugs, and even ants. The children were familiar with all those creatures, and Grandmother, seeing the scorpions and snakes, said: "What will not people make! they paint even those reptiles!"

When, however, the miller's wife wanted to see the fiery dragon, whose mouth spits fire, the Countess said there was no such animal, that it was only an imaginary monster. The miller, hearing this, turned the snuff box in his fingers, smiled mischievously, and said:

"O your Ladyship, it is not an imaginary monster; there are plenty of such wicked dragons with fiery tongues in the world, but they belong to the human race, and therefore are not put here among these harmless creatures."

The Countess smiled, but the miller's wife rapped him upon the shoulder, saying: "Too many words, father."

The Princess spoke with Mr. Proshek and the gamekeeper about various things, till finally she asked if there were many poachers around.

"I have two such rascals still; there were three but the most foolish one I fined several times, so now he stays at home. But the other two are deuced sharp, I can't catch them unless I put some shot through their bodies. The master of the woods tells me to do it; but it is no small matter to cripple a man on account of a hare."

"I do not wish you to do it," said the Princess.