Then it was the second son’s turn.  As he walked quickly toward the pond, the same little bird hopped along the path in front of him, and in the same sweet voice sang:—­

  “Fill it with moss and fill it with clay,
  And carry a basketful away.”

The boy did not know what the bird was saying.  “Out of my path, you stupid creature!” he cried, flinging a stone at it.  But the little bird flew away into the forest, where he was quite safe.  When at last the boy reached the pond, there sat the same great green frog who croaked in the same great hoarse voice:—­

  “Fill it with moss and fill it with clay,
  And carry a basketful away.”

But the boy did not know what the frog was saying.  “Out of my way, you ugly creature!” he cried, flinging a stone at it.  The great frog jumped back into the water, where he was quite safe.  The second boy covered the bottom of the basket with leaves, thinking that they would keep the water from running out; then he filled it to the very brim.  But, though he too ran all the way home, not a single drop of water was left inside the basket when he reached his father.

Now, at last, it was Dunny’s turn; but the two elder brothers teased him, saying, “Of what use is it for such a stupid as you to try, when we, who are so much more clever than you, have failed?”

As Dunny walked quickly toward the pond, the same little bird hopped along the path in front of him, and in the same sweet voice sang:—­

  “Fill it with moss and fill it with clay,
  And carry a basketful away.”

Now Dunny was very fond of all the wild creatures of the woods and fields, and often spent long hours in their company; and he knew what the little bird was saying.  And he was never happier than when playing with the frogs and fishes in the pond; so when the great green frog, in his great hoarse voice, croaked:—­

  “Fill it with moss and fill it with clay,
  And carry a basketful away.”

Dunny knew what he was saying, and, gathering moss and clay from the bank of the pond, he carefully stopped all the holes and cracks in the basket.  Then filling it with water to the very brim, he carried it safely home to his father and did not lose even a single drop.  So the pony was given to him, and his brothers never called him Dunny again.

LUDWIG AND MARLEEN.

“Help me out!  Help me out, little Ludwig!” cried a great red fox, caught fast in a trap in the woods.  “Help me out, and it shall be well with you!” Now Ludwig loved the wild creatures of the forest; he was their friend and playmate, their sorrows were his own; so, stepping to the trap, he pressed the spring, and the fox was free.  When, however, the poor beast tried to limp away, so great was the pain in his foot that he was forced to lie down instead.  Seeing this, Ludwig ran to a spring near by and, dipping his handkerchief into the clear cool water, tenderly bound up the bruised and swollen foot.