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any more, but if you want me, I wil ."
    „Oh, I think we can manage, Sal y," said Anne. „There"s so many of us now, we can do all the jobs. Did you sleep here?"
    „Oh no, miss!" said Sal y, coming up. „I just came in to help, and then went back home.
    You tell me if you want me any time, and I"l gladly come. Where"s that monkey of a Wilfrid? He spoke to me very rudely this morning, the young varmint. I"l tel his grandmother of him - not that that"s much good! He just laughs at her! Don"t you stand any nonsense from him!"
    „I won"t," said Anne, smiling. „Where do you live, in case we do want you?"
    „Just the other side of the road, in the small wood there," said Sal y. „You"l see my tiny cottage when you go by the wood on your bikes."
    She disappeared up the hil and across the road there. Anne went back happily to her household tasks. She cleaned out the little larder, and then found a pail and went to the well. She hung the pail on the hook at the end of the rope, and then worked the old handle that let the pail down to the water, swinging on the rope. Splash! It was soon ful , and Anne wound it up again. The water looked crystal clear, and was as cold as ice - but all the same Anne wondered if she ought to boil it!
    Someone came quietly behind her - and jumped at her with a loud howl! Anne dropped the pail of water, and gave a scream. Then she saw it was Wilfrid, dancing round her, grinning.
    „Idiot!" she said. „Now you just go and get me some more water."
    „Where"s that big dog?" demanded Wilfrid, looking al round. „I can"t see him. You can"t any of you stay here unless you have that dog. I like him. He"s a wonderful dog."
    „He"s gone down to the vil age with the others," said Anne. „Now wil you please pick up that pail and get more water?"
    „No, I won"t," said Wilfrid. „I"m not your servant! Get it yourself!"
    „Very well, I wil . But I"l tell George, who owns Timmy, how rude you are - and you may be quite sure that Timmy won"t be friends with you," said Anne, picking up the pail.
    „I"l get the water, I"l get the water!" shouted Wilfrid, and snatched the pail. „Don"t you dare to tel George or Timmy tales of me. Don"t you dare!"

    And off he went to the well and fil ed the pail. Well! What a time they were all going to have with such a very peculiar boy! Anne didn"t like him at all!

Chapter Five
WILFRID IS MOST ANNOYING - AND ANNE IS MOST SURPRISING!

    Wilfrid brought back the pail to Anne, and dumped it down. „Like to see my pet beetles?"
    he said.
    „No thank you," said Anne. „I don"t like beetles very much."
    „Well, you ought to!" said Wilfrid. „I"ve two very beautiful ones. You can hold them if you like. Their tiny feet feel very queer when they walk all over your hand."
    „I don"t mind beetles, but I don"t WANT them walking over my hand," said poor Anne, who real y was a bit afraid of what she cal ed „creepy-crawly" things. „Do get out of my way, Wilfrid. If you had any manners, you"d carry that pail indoors for me."
    „I haven"t any manners," said Wilfrid. „Everybody tells me that. Anyway, I don"t want to carry your pail, if you don"t want to see my beetles."
    „Oh go away!" said Anne, exasperated, picking up the pail herself. Wilfrid went to a little thick bush and sat down by it. He put his face almost on the grass, and looked under the bush. Anne felt uncomfortable. Was he going to call his beetles out? She couldn"t help putting down her pail, and standing stil to watch.
    No beetles came out from under the bush - but something else did. A very large, awkward-looking toad came crawling out, and sat there, looking up at Wilfrid with the greatest friendliness. Anne was amazed. How did Wilfrid know the toad was there? And why in the world should it come out to see him? She stood and stared - and shivered, because she real y did not like toads. „I know they have beautiful eyes, and are intel igent, and eat al kinds of harmful insects, but I just can"t go near one!"