Page:Wonder Tales from Tibet.djvu/196

160 the shore, thinking. "I have it!" she cried at last.

"What?" said both the others, interested in spite of themselves.

"You watch me and do just as I tell you," said she, and began crying in a loud voice and running to and fro upon the river bank.

At the sound of her outcry, the frogs that live at the bottom of the river came to the surface to learn what the matter was. When a great crowd of them had collected, the little mouse called out:

"Quick, friends, quick! Before it is too late! The pebbles on your river bed have been cursed, and the curse is about to fall upon you! We have come to your aid. Hand us all the pebbles at the bottom of the river, and we will throw them all away. Hurry and do as we bid you!"

The frogs, who were a silly, credulous people, hastened to do as the mouse told them. Diving down to the river bottom they fetched the pebbles, one after another,