CHAPTER III
“Oh!” he cried out, “that hurts.”
Dusty Cap, seeing the thistle still sticking in Spider Eyes’ wing, reached across the back of the toad to draw it out.
The more he pulled the more it hurt, and Spider Eyes groaned with pain. Pointed Toes and Chip Wing also tried to assist him.
“What is the matter now?” angrily cried Mr. Toad. “You will break my back. Every time you step, you make a dent in it. My back is surely softer than the ground. Do sit still if you want to see the beautiful world.”
“Oh, oh!” cried Spider Eyes, “I am in such pain I can go no further. With my torn, hurt wing I cannot enjoy seeing the beautiful world. I must go to our uncle, Dr. Spider, with it.”
“Here we are at Dr. Spider’s house,” said Dusty Cap.
“You jump off, and we will fly up and follow you,” said Chip Wing, “for we would not go to the beautiful world without you.”
When the toad was getting ready for another hop, off jumped Spider Eyes, and the rest flew off.
It was well they left Mr. Toad just as they did, for they saw him disappear within a dark hole, where, if they had gone too, they would never have seen the light of day again.
Mr. Toad soon appeared at the mouth of the hole and called out to them: “Come, come, and go to the beautiful world.”
“No, no!” answered Spider Eyes. “My wing is hurt, and I am going to Dr. Spider’s to have it mended.”
The toad grew quite angry when he heard this and said: “You must and shall go with me; I will catch you.”
How his eyes glared! How wide he opened his mouth. He seemed ready to swallow them.
“No,” said Pointed Toes. “We are not going until Spider Eyes’ wing is all right.”
“But I will make you go,” cried the toad, springing towards them in such a rage that they ran to hide.
They knew, then, that he would do them some harm, instead of taking them to the beautiful world.