At length Toadstool
plumped into a great hole full of water. "Served him right!" thought
Richard. "Served him right!" bawled the goblin, crawling out again, and
shaking the water from him like a spaniel. "This is the very place I
wanted, only I rolled too fast." However, he went on rolling again
faster than before, though it was now uphill, till he came to the top
of a considerable height, on which grew a number of palm-trees.
"Have you a knife, Richard?" said the goblin, stopping all at once, as
if he had been walking quietly along, just like other people.
Richard pulled out a pocket-knife and gave it to the creature, who
instantly cut a deep gash in one of the trees. Then he bounded to
another and did the same, and so on till he had gashed them all.
Richard, following him, saw that a little stream, clearer than the
clearest water, began to flow from each, increasing in size the longer
it flowed. Before he had reached the last there was quite a tinkling
and rustling of the little rills that ran down the stems of the palms.
This grew and grew, till Richard saw that a full rivulet was flowing
down the side of the hill.
"Here is your knife, Richard," said the goblin; but by the time he had
put it in his pocket, the rivulet had grown to a small torrent.
"Now, Richard, come along," said Toadstool, and threw himself into the
torrent.
"I would rather have a boat," returned Richard.
"Oh, you stupid!" cried Toadstool crawling up the side of the hill,
down which the stream had already carried him some distance.
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