And in the water-forest he saw the water-monkeys and water - squirrels -LRB- they had all six legs , though ; everything almost has six legs in the water , except efts and water-babies -RRB- ; and nimbly enough they ran among the branches . There were water-flowers there too , in thousands ; and Tom tried to pick them : but as soon as he touched them , they drew themselves in and turned into knots of jelly ; and then Tom saw that they were all alive -- bells , and stars , and wheels , and flowers , of all beautiful shapes and colours ; and all alive and busy , just as Tom was . So now he found that there was a great deal more in the world than he had fancied at first sight . There was one wonderful little fellow , too , who peeped out of the top of a house built of round bricks . He had two big wheels , and one little one , all over teeth , spinning round and round like the wheels in a thrashing-machine ; and Tom stood and stared at him , to see what he was going to make with his machinery . And what do you think he was doing ? Brick-making . With his two big wheels he swept together all the mud which floated in the water : all that was nice in it he put into his stomach and ate ; and all the mud he put into the little wheel on his breast , which really was a round hole set with teeth ; and there he spun it into a neat hard round brick ; and then he took it and stuck it on the top of his house - wall , and set to work to make another . Now was not he a clever little fellow ? Tom thought so : but when he wanted to talk to him the brick-maker was much too busy and proud of his work to take notice of him . Now you must know that all the things under the water talk ; only not such a language as ours ; but such as horses , and dogs , and cows , and birds talk to each other ; and Tom soon learned to understand them and talk to them ; so that he might have had very pleasant company if he had only been a good boy . But I am sorry to say , he was too like some other little boys , very fond of hunting and tormenting creatures for mere sport . Some people say that boys can not help it ; that it is nature , and only a proof that we are all originally descended from beasts of prey . But whether it is nature or not , little boys can help it , and must help it . For if they have naughty , low , mischievous tricks in their nature , as monkeys have , that is no reason why they should give way to those tricks like monkeys , who know no better . And therefore they must not torment dumb creatures ; for if they do , a certain old lady who is coming will surely give them exactly what they deserve . But Tom did not know that ; and he pecked and howked the poor water - things about sadly , till they were all afraid of him , and got out of his way , or crept into their shells ; so he had no one to speak to or play with . The water-fairies , of course , were very sorry to see him so unhappy , and longed to take him , and tell him how naughty he was , and teach him to be good , and to play and romp with him too : but they had been forbidden to do that . Tom had to learn his lesson for himself by sound and sharp experience , as many another foolish person has to do , though there may be many a kind heart yearning over them all the while , and longing to teach them what they can only teach themselves . At last one day he found a caddis , and wanted it to peep out of its house : but its house-door was shut .
He had never seen a caddis XXXXX a house-door before : so what must he do , the meddlesome little fellow , but pull it open , to see what the poor lady was doing inside .
among as at in like of than to under with