“Isee’dsomeofyouyounggentlemenoverthissidea-fishingjustnow。“
“Hullo！whoareyou？Whatbusinessisthatofyours，oldVelveteens？“
“I’mthenewunder-keeper，andmaster’stoldmetokeepasharplookoutonallo’youyoungchaps。AndItells’eeImeansbusiness，andyou’dbetterkeeponyourownside，orweshallfallout。“
“Well，that’sright，Velveteens；speakout，andlet’sknowyourmindatonce。“
“Lookhere，oldboy，“criedEast，holdingupamiserable，coarsefishortwoandasmalljack；“wouldyouliketosmell’emandseewhichbanktheylivedunder？“
“I’llgiveyouabitofadvice，keeper，“shoutedTom，whowassittinginhisshirtpaddlingwithhisfeetintheriver:“you’dbettergodowntheretoSwift’s，wherethebigboysare；they’rebeggarsatsettinglines，and’llputyouuptoawrinkleortwoforcatchingthefive-pounders。“Tomwasnearesttothekeeper，andthatofficer，whowasgettingangryatthechaff，fixedhiseyesonourhero，asiftotakeanoteofhimforfutureuse。
Tomreturnedhisgazewithasteadystare，andthenbrokeintoalaugh，andstruckintothemiddleofafavouriteSchool-housesong，-
“AsIandmycompanionsWeresettingofasnareThegamekeeperwaswatchingus；
Forhimwedidnotcare:
Forwecanwrestleandfight，myboys，Andjumpoutanywhere。
Forit’smydelightofalikelynight，Intheseasonoftheyear。“
Thechoruswastakenupbytheotherboyswithshoutsoflaughter，andthekeeperturnedawaywithagrunt，butevidentlybentonmischief。Theboysthoughtnomoreofthematter。
ButnowcameontheMay-flyseason；thesoft，hazysummerweatherlaysleepilyalongtherichmeadowsbyAvonside，andthegreenandgrayfliesflickeredwiththeirgraceful，lazyup-
and-downflightoverthereedsandthewaterandthemeadows，inmyriadsuponmyriads。TheMay-fliesmustsurelybethelotus-
eatersoftheephemerae——thehappiest，laziest，carelessestflythatdancesanddreamsouthisfewhoursofsunshinylifebyEnglishrivers。
Everylittlepitiful，coarsefishintheAvonwasonthealertfortheflies，andgorginghiswretchedcarcasswithhundredsdaily，thegluttonousrogues！andeveryloverofthegentlecraftwasouttoavengethepoorMay-flies。
SoonefineThursdayafternoon，Tom，havingborrowedEast’snewrod，startedbyhimselftotheriver。Hefishedforsometimewithsmallsuccess——notafishwouldriseathim；butasheprowledalongthebank，hewaspresentlyawareofmightyonesfeedinginapoolontheoppositeside，undertheshadeofahugewillow-tree。Thestreamwasdeephere，butsomefiftyyardsbelowwasashallow，forwhichhemadeoffhot-foot；andforgettinglandlords，keepers，solemnprohibitionsoftheDoctor，andeverythingelse，pulleduphistrousers，plungedacross，andinthreeminuteswascreepingalongonallfourstowardstheclumpofwillows。
Itisn’toftenthatgreatchub，oranyothercoarsefish，areinearnestaboutanything；butjustthentheywerethoroughlybentonfeeding，andinhalfanhourMasterTomhaddepositedthreethumpingfellowsatthefootofthegiantwillow。Ashewasbaitingforafourthpounder，andjustgoingtothrowinagain，hebecameawareofamancomingupthebanknotonehundredyardsoff。Anotherlooktoldhimthatitwastheunder-keeper。
Couldhereachtheshallowbeforehim？No，notcarryinghisrod。Nothingforitbutthetree。SoTomlaidhisbonestoit，shinningupasfastashecould，anddragginguphisrodafterhim。Hehadjusttimetoreachandcrouchalonguponahugebranchsometenfeetup，whichstretchedoutovertheriver，whenthekeeperarrivedattheclump。Tom’sheartbeatfastashecameunderthetree；twostepsmoreandhewouldhavepassed，when，asill-luckwouldhaveit，thegleamonthescalesofthedeadfishcaughthiseye，andhemadeadeadpointatthefootofthetree。Hepickedupthefishonebyone；hiseyeandtouchtoldhimthattheyhadbeenaliveandfeedingwithinthehour。Tomcrouchedloweralongthebranch，andheardthekeeperbeatingtheclump。“IfIcouldonlygettherodhidden，“
thoughthe，andbegangentlyshiftingittogetitalongsideofhim；“willowtreesdon’tthrowoutstraighthickoryshootstwelvefeetlong，withnoleaves，worseluck。“Alas！thekeepercatchestherustle，andthenasightoftherod，andthenofTom’shandandarm。
“Oh，beupther’，be’ee？“sayshe，runningunderthetree。
“Nowyoucomedownthisminute。“
“Tree’datlast，“thinksTom，makingnoanswer，andkeepingascloseaspossible，butworkingawayattherod，whichhetakestopieces。“I’minforit，unlessIcanstarvehimout。“Andthenhebeginstomeditategettingalongthebranchforaplunge，andscrambletotheotherside；butthesmallbranchesaresothick，andtheoppositebanksodifficult，thatthekeeperwillhavelotsoftimetogetroundbythefordbeforehecangetout，sohegivesthatup。Andnowhehearsthekeeperbeginningtoscrambleupthetrunk。Thatwillneverdo；sohescrambleshimselfbacktowherehisbranchjoinsthetrunk；andstandswithliftedrod。
“Hullo，Velveteens；mindyourfingersifyoucomeanyhigher。“
Thekeeperstopsandlooksup，andthenwithagrinsays，“Oh！
beyou，beit，youngmeaster？Well，here’sluck。NowItells’eetocomedownatonce，and’t’llbebestfor’ee。“
“Thank’ee，Velveteens；I’mverycomfortable，“saidTom，shorteningtherodinhishand，andpreparingforbattle。
“Werrywell；pleaseyourself，“saysthekeeper，descending，however，tothegroundagain，andtakinghisseatonthebank。
“Ibean’tinnohurry，soyoumaytakeyourtime。I’lll’arn’eetogeehonestfolknamesaforeI’vedonewith’ee。“
“Myluckasusual，“thinksTom；“whatafoolIwastogivehimablack！IfI’dcalledhim’keeper，’now，Imightgetoff。Thereturnmatchisallhisway。“
Thekeeperquietlyproceededtotakeouthispipe，fill，andlightit，keepinganeyeonTom，whonowsatdisconsolatelyacrossthebranch，lookingatkeeper——apitifulsightformenandfishes。Themorehethoughtofitthelesshelikedit。
“Itmustbegettingnearsecondcalling-over，“thinkshe。
Keepersmokesonstolidly。“Ifhetakesmeup，Ishallbefloggedsafeenough。Ican’tsithereallnight。Wonderifhe’llriseatsilver。“
“Isay，keeper，“saidhemeekly，“letmegofortwobob？“
“Notfortwentyneither，“gruntshispersecutor。
Andsotheysatontilllongpastsecondcalling-over，andthesuncameslantinginthroughthewillow-branches，andtellingoflocking-upnearathand。
“I’mcomingdown，keeper，“saidTomatlast，withasigh，fairlytiredout。“Nowwhatareyougoingtodo？“
“Walk’eeuptoSchool，andgive’eeovertotheDoctor；them’smyorders，“saysVelveteens，knockingtheashesoutofhisfourthpipe，andstandingupandshakinghimself。
“Verygood，“saidTom；“buthandsoff，youknow。I’llgowithyouquietly，sonocollaringorthatsortofthing。“
Keeperlookedathimaminute。“Werrygood，“saidheatlast。
AndsoTomdescended，andwendedhiswaydrearilybythesideofthekeeper，uptotheSchoolhouse，wheretheyarrivedjustatlocking-up。AstheypassedtheSchool-gates，theTadpoleandseveralotherswhowerestandingtherecaughtthestateofthings，andrushedout，crying，“Rescue！“ButTomshookhishead；sotheyonlyfollowedtotheDoctor’sgate，andwentbacksorelypuzzled。
HowchangedandsterntheDoctorseemedfromthelasttimethatTomwasupthere，asthekeepertoldthestory，notomittingtostatehowTomhadcalledhimblackguardnames。“Indeed，sir，“
brokeintheculprit，“itwasonlyVelveteens。“TheDoctoronlyaskedonequestion。
“Youknowtheruleaboutthebanks，Brown？“
“Yes，sir。“
“Thenwaitformeto-morrow，afterfirstlesson。“
“Ithoughtso，“mutteredTom。
“Andabouttherod，sir？“wentonthekeeper。“Master’stoldweaswemighthavealltherods——“
“Oh，please，sir，“brokeinTom，“therodisn’tmine。“
TheDoctorlookedpuzzled；butthekeeper，whowasagood-
heartedfellow，andmeltedatTom’sevidentdistress，gaveuphisclaim。Tomwasfloggednextmorning，andafewdaysafterwardsmetVelveteens，andpresentedhimwithhalfacrownforgivinguptherodclaim，andtheybecameswornfriends；andIregrettosaythatTomhadmanymorefishfromunderthewillowthatMay-flyseason，andwasnevercaughtagainbyVelveteens。
Itwasn’tthreeweeksbeforeTom，andnowEastbyhisside，wereagainintheawfulpresence。Thistime，however，theDoctorwasnotsoterrible。Afewdaysbefore，theyhadbeenfaggedatfivestofetchtheballsthatwentoffthecourt。Whilestandingwatchingthegame，theysawfiveorsixnearlynewballshitonthetopoftheSchool。“Isay，Tom，“saidEast，whentheyweredismissed，“couldn’twegetthoseballssomehow？“
“Let’stry，anyhow。“
