Tom asked the dragon-fly what it could be : but , of course , with his short sight , he could not even see it , though it was not ten yards away . So he took the neatest little header into the water , and started off to see for himself ; and , when he came near , the ball turned out to be four or five beautiful creatures , many times larger than Tom , who were swimming about , and rolling , and diving , and twisting , and wrestling , and cuddling , and kissing and biting , and scratching , in the most charming fashion that ever was seen . And if you do n't believe me , you may go to the Zoological Gardens -LRB- for I am afraid that you wo n't see it nearer , unless , perhaps , you get up at five in the morning , and go down to Cordery 's Moor , and watch by the great withy pollard which hangs over the backwater , where the otters breed sometimes -RRB- , and then say , if otters at play in the water are not the merriest , lithest , gracefullest creatures you ever saw . But , when the biggest of them saw Tom , she darted out from the rest , and cried in the water-language sharply enough , `` Quick , children , here is something to eat , indeed ! '' and came at poor Tom , showing such a wicked pair of eyes , and such a set of sharp teeth in a grinning mouth , that Tom , who had thought her very handsome , said to himself , Handsome is that handsome does , and slipped in between the water-lily roots as fast as he could , and then turned round and made faces at her . `` Come out , '' said the wicked old otter , `` or it will be worse for you . '' But Tom looked at her from between two thick roots , and shook them with all his might , making horrible faces all the while , just as he used to grin through the railings at the old women , when he lived before . It was not quite well bred , no doubt ; but you know , Tom had not finished his education yet . `` Come , away , children , '' said the otter in disgust , `` it is not worth eating , after all . It is only a nasty eft , which nothing eats , not even those vulgar pike in the pond . '' `` I am not an eft ! '' said Tom ; `` efts have tails . '' `` You are an eft , '' said the otter , very positively ; `` I see your two hands quite plain , and I know you have a tail . '' `` I tell you I have not , '' said Tom . `` Look here ! '' and he turned his pretty little self quite round ; and , sure enough , he had no more tail than you . The otter might have got out of it by saying that Tom was a frog : but , like a great many other people , when she had once said a thing , she stood to it , right or wrong ; so she answered : `` I say you are an eft , and therefore you are , and not fit food for gentlefolk like me and my children . You may stay there till the salmon eat you -LRB- she knew the salmon would not , but she wanted to frighten poor Tom -RRB- . Ha ! ha !
they will eat you , and we will eat them ; '' and the otter laughed such a wicked cruel laugh -- as you may hear them do sometimes ; and the first time XXXXX you hear it you will probably think it is bogies .
So in into of over that though till to with