“Isee’dsomeofyouyounggentlemenoverthissidea-fishingjustnow。“
　　“Hullo！whoareyou？Whatbusinessisthatofyours，oldVelveteens？“
　　“I’mthenewunder-keeper，andmaster’stoldmetokeepasharplookoutonallo’youyoungchaps。AndItells’eeImeansbusiness，andyou’dbetterkeeponyourownside，orweshallfallout。“
　　“Well，that’sright，Velveteens；speakout，andlet’sknowyourmindatonce。“
　　“Lookhere，oldboy，“criedEast，holdingupamiserable，coarsefishortwoandasmalljack；“wouldyouliketosmell’emandseewhichbanktheylivedunder？“
　　“I’llgiveyouabitofadvice，keeper，“shoutedTom，whowassittinginhisshirtpaddlingwithhisfeetintheriver:“you’dbettergodowntheretoSwift’s，wherethebigboysare；they’rebeggarsatsettinglines，and’llputyouuptoawrinkleortwoforcatchingthefive-pounders。“Tomwasnearesttothekeeper，andthatofficer，whowasgettingangryatthechaff，fixedhiseyesonourhero，asiftotakeanoteofhimforfutureuse。
　　Tomreturnedhisgazewithasteadystare，andthenbrokeintoalaugh，andstruckintothemiddleofafavouriteSchool-housesong，-
　　“AsIandmycompanionsWeresettingofasnareThegamekeeperwaswatchingus；
　　Forhimwedidnotcare:
　　Forwecanwrestleandfight，myboys，Andjumpoutanywhere。
　　Forit’smydelightofalikelynight，Intheseasonoftheyear。“
　　Thechoruswastakenupbytheotherboyswithshoutsoflaughter，andthekeeperturnedawaywithagrunt，butevidentlybentonmischief。Theboysthoughtnomoreofthematter。
　　ButnowcameontheMay-flyseason；thesoft，hazysummerweatherlaysleepilyalongtherichmeadowsbyAvonside，andthegreenandgrayfliesflickeredwiththeirgraceful，lazyup-
　　and-downflightoverthereedsandthewaterandthemeadows，inmyriadsuponmyriads。TheMay-fliesmustsurelybethelotus-
　　eatersoftheephemerae——thehappiest，laziest，carelessestflythatdancesanddreamsouthisfewhoursofsunshinylifebyEnglishrivers。
　　Everylittlepitiful，coarsefishintheAvonwasonthealertfortheflies，andgorginghiswretchedcarcasswithhundredsdaily，thegluttonousrogues！andeveryloverofthegentlecraftwasouttoavengethepoorMay-flies。
　　SoonefineThursdayafternoon，Tom，havingborrowedEast’snewrod，startedbyhimselftotheriver。Hefishedforsometimewithsmallsuccess——notafishwouldriseathim；butasheprowledalongthebank，hewaspresentlyawareofmightyonesfeedinginapoolontheoppositeside，undertheshadeofahugewillow-tree。Thestreamwasdeephere，butsomefiftyyardsbelowwasashallow，forwhichhemadeoffhot-foot；andforgettinglandlords，keepers，solemnprohibitionsoftheDoctor，andeverythingelse，pulleduphistrousers，plungedacross，andinthreeminuteswascreepingalongonallfourstowardstheclumpofwillows。
　　Itisn’toftenthatgreatchub，oranyothercoarsefish，areinearnestaboutanything；butjustthentheywerethoroughlybentonfeeding，andinhalfanhourMasterTomhaddepositedthreethumpingfellowsatthefootofthegiantwillow。Ashewasbaitingforafourthpounder，andjustgoingtothrowinagain，hebecameawareofamancomingupthebanknotonehundredyardsoff。Anotherlooktoldhimthatitwastheunder-keeper。
　　Couldhereachtheshallowbeforehim？No，notcarryinghisrod。Nothingforitbutthetree。SoTomlaidhisbonestoit，shinningupasfastashecould，anddragginguphisrodafterhim。Hehadjusttimetoreachandcrouchalonguponahugebranchsometenfeetup，whichstretchedoutovertheriver，whenthekeeperarrivedattheclump。Tom’sheartbeatfastashecameunderthetree；twostepsmoreandhewouldhavepassed，when，asill-luckwouldhaveit，thegleamonthescalesofthedeadfishcaughthiseye，andhemadeadeadpointatthefootofthetree。Hepickedupthefishonebyone；hiseyeandtouchtoldhimthattheyhadbeenaliveandfeedingwithinthehour。Tomcrouchedloweralongthebranch，andheardthekeeperbeatingtheclump。“IfIcouldonlygettherodhidden，“
　　thoughthe，andbegangentlyshiftingittogetitalongsideofhim；“willowtreesdon’tthrowoutstraighthickoryshootstwelvefeetlong，withnoleaves，worseluck。“Alas！thekeepercatchestherustle，andthenasightoftherod，andthenofTom’shandandarm。
　　“Oh，beupther’，be’ee？“sayshe，runningunderthetree。
　　“Nowyoucomedownthisminute。“
　　“Tree’datlast，“thinksTom，makingnoanswer，andkeepingascloseaspossible，butworkingawayattherod，whichhetakestopieces。“I’minforit，unlessIcanstarvehimout。“Andthenhebeginstomeditategettingalongthebranchforaplunge，andscrambletotheotherside；butthesmallbranchesaresothick，andtheoppositebanksodifficult，thatthekeeperwillhavelotsoftimetogetroundbythefordbeforehecangetout，sohegivesthatup。Andnowhehearsthekeeperbeginningtoscrambleupthetrunk。Thatwillneverdo；sohescrambleshimselfbacktowherehisbranchjoinsthetrunk；andstandswithliftedrod。
　　“Hullo，Velveteens；mindyourfingersifyoucomeanyhigher。“
　　Thekeeperstopsandlooksup，andthenwithagrinsays，“Oh！
　　beyou，beit，youngmeaster？Well，here’sluck。NowItells’eetocomedownatonce，and’t’llbebestfor’ee。“
　　“Thank’ee，Velveteens；I’mverycomfortable，“saidTom，shorteningtherodinhishand，andpreparingforbattle。
　　“Werrywell；pleaseyourself，“saysthekeeper，descending，however，tothegroundagain，andtakinghisseatonthebank。
　　“Ibean’tinnohurry，soyoumaytakeyourtime。I’lll’arn’eetogeehonestfolknamesaforeI’vedonewith’ee。“
　　“Myluckasusual，“thinksTom；“whatafoolIwastogivehimablack！IfI’dcalledhim’keeper，’now，Imightgetoff。Thereturnmatchisallhisway。“
　　Thekeeperquietlyproceededtotakeouthispipe，fill，andlightit，keepinganeyeonTom，whonowsatdisconsolatelyacrossthebranch，lookingatkeeper——apitifulsightformenandfishes。Themorehethoughtofitthelesshelikedit。
　　“Itmustbegettingnearsecondcalling-over，“thinkshe。
　　Keepersmokesonstolidly。“Ifhetakesmeup，Ishallbefloggedsafeenough。Ican’tsithereallnight。Wonderifhe’llriseatsilver。“
　　“Isay，keeper，“saidhemeekly，“letmegofortwobob？“
　　“Notfortwentyneither，“gruntshispersecutor。
　　Andsotheysatontilllongpastsecondcalling-over，andthesuncameslantinginthroughthewillow-branches，andtellingoflocking-upnearathand。
　　“I’mcomingdown，keeper，“saidTomatlast，withasigh，fairlytiredout。“Nowwhatareyougoingtodo？“
　　“Walk’eeuptoSchool，andgive’eeovertotheDoctor；them’smyorders，“saysVelveteens，knockingtheashesoutofhisfourthpipe，andstandingupandshakinghimself。
　　“Verygood，“saidTom；“buthandsoff，youknow。I’llgowithyouquietly，sonocollaringorthatsortofthing。“
　　Keeperlookedathimaminute。“Werrygood，“saidheatlast。
　　AndsoTomdescended，andwendedhiswaydrearilybythesideofthekeeper，uptotheSchoolhouse，wheretheyarrivedjustatlocking-up。AstheypassedtheSchool-gates，theTadpoleandseveralotherswhowerestandingtherecaughtthestateofthings，andrushedout，crying，“Rescue！“ButTomshookhishead；sotheyonlyfollowedtotheDoctor’sgate，andwentbacksorelypuzzled。
　　HowchangedandsterntheDoctorseemedfromthelasttimethatTomwasupthere，asthekeepertoldthestory，notomittingtostatehowTomhadcalledhimblackguardnames。“Indeed，sir，“
　　brokeintheculprit，“itwasonlyVelveteens。“TheDoctoronlyaskedonequestion。
　　“Youknowtheruleaboutthebanks，Brown？“
　　“Yes，sir。“
　　“Thenwaitformeto-morrow，afterfirstlesson。“
　　“Ithoughtso，“mutteredTom。
　　“Andabouttherod，sir？“wentonthekeeper。“Master’stoldweaswemighthavealltherods——“
　　“Oh，please，sir，“brokeinTom，“therodisn’tmine。“
　　TheDoctorlookedpuzzled；butthekeeper，whowasagood-
　　heartedfellow，andmeltedatTom’sevidentdistress，gaveuphisclaim。Tomwasfloggednextmorning，andafewdaysafterwardsmetVelveteens，andpresentedhimwithhalfacrownforgivinguptherodclaim，andtheybecameswornfriends；andIregrettosaythatTomhadmanymorefishfromunderthewillowthatMay-flyseason，andwasnevercaughtagainbyVelveteens。
　　Itwasn’tthreeweeksbeforeTom，andnowEastbyhisside，wereagainintheawfulpresence。Thistime，however，theDoctorwasnotsoterrible。Afewdaysbefore，theyhadbeenfaggedatfivestofetchtheballsthatwentoffthecourt。Whilestandingwatchingthegame，theysawfiveorsixnearlynewballshitonthetopoftheSchool。“Isay，Tom，“saidEast，whentheyweredismissed，“couldn’twegetthoseballssomehow？“
　　“Let’stry，anyhow。“