And this was the way it happened ; and it is all quite true . He was basking at the top of the water one hot day in July , catching duns and feeding the trout , when he saw a new sort , a dark gray little fellow with a brown head . He was a very little fellow indeed : but he made the most of himself , as people ought to do . He cocked up his head , and he cocked up his wings , and he cocked up his tail , and he cocked up the two whisks at his tail-end , and , in short , he looked the cockiest little man of all little men . And so he proved to be ; for instead of getting away , he hopped upon Tom 's finger , and sat there as bold as nine tailors ; and he cried out in the tiniest , shrillest , squeakiest little voice you ever heard , `` Much obliged to you , indeed ; but I do n't want it yet . '' `` Want what ? '' said Tom , quite taken aback by his impudence . `` Your leg , which you are kind enough to hold out for me to sit on . I must just go and see after my wife for a few minutes . Dear me ! what a troublesome business a family is ! '' -LRB- though the idle little rogue did nothing at all , but left his poor wife to lay all the eggs by herself -RRB- . `` When I come back , I shall be glad of it , if you 'll be so good as to keep it sticking out just so ; '' and off he flew . Tom thought him a very cool sort of personage ; and still more so , when , in five minutes he came back , and said -- `` Ah , you were tired waiting ? Well , your other leg will do as well . '' And he popped himself down on Tom 's knee , and began chatting away in his squeaking voice . `` So you live under the water ? It 's a low place . I lived there for some time ; and was very shabby and dirty . But I did n't choose that that should last .
So I turned respectable , and came up XXXXX the top , and put on this gray suit .
at by for in of on that though to with