Chapter VII.

MAGGIE IS VERY NAUGHTY.

As soon as the children reached the open air Tom said, "Here, Lucy, you come along with me," and walked off to the place where the toads were, as if there were no Maggie in existence. Lucy was naturally pleased that Cousin Tom was so good to her, and it was very amusing to see him tickling a fat toad with a piece of string, when the toad was safe down the area, with an iron grating over him.

Still Lucy wished Maggie to enjoy the sight also, especially as she would doubtless find a name for the toad, and say what had been his past history; for Lucy loved Maggie's stories about the live things they came upon by accident--how Mrs. Earwig had a wash at home, and one of her children had fallen into the hot copper, for which reason she was running so fast to fetch the doctor. So now the desire to know the history of a very portly toad made her run back to Maggie and say, "Oh, there is such a big, funny toad, Maggie! Do come and see."

Maggie said nothing, but turned away from her with a deep frown. She was actually beginning to think that she should like to make Lucy cry, by slapping or pinching her, especially as it might vex Tom, whom it was of no use to slap, even if she dared, because he didn't mind it. And if Lucy hadn't been there, Maggie was sure he would have made friends with her sooner.

Now, provide a numbered list of answers to these questions:

1. Did Lucy like Maggie's stories?
2. What was Mrs. Earwig running for in Maggie's story?
3. Why?
4. What did Lucy want to hear a story about?
5. Did she ask Maggie to come look at it?
6. Did Maggie respond?
7. Why not?
8. To achieve what?
9. Is it hard to do that?
10. What is Maggie's goal?
11. Is Maggie jealous of Lucy's relationship with Tom?
12. Did she feel ignored?
13. What is Lucy's relationship to Tom?
14. What did Tom tickle a toad with?
15. What was over the toad?
16. Who did Tom ask to come with him?
17. Did she?
18. Was Lucy happy about Tom's attention to her?
19. What about Maggie?
20. Why not?
1. yes
2. fetching the doctor
3. one of her children had fallen into the hot copper
4. a toad
5. yes
6. no
7. she wanted to make Lucy cry
8. vex Tom
9. yes
10. make friends with Tom
11. yes
12. yes
13. cousin
14. piece of string
15. iron grating?
16. Lucy
17. yes
18. yes
19. no
20. she felt ignored