“It is deep, Akoúlya, I’m afraid!”

“Come on,” replied the other. “Don’t be frightened. It won’t get any deeper.”

When they got near one another, Akoúlya said:

“Mind, Malásha, don’t splash. Walk carefully!”

She had hardly said this, when Malásha plumped down her foot so that the water splashed right on to Akoúlya’s frock. The frock was splashed, and so were Akoúlya’s eyes and nose. When she saw the stains on her frock, she was angry and ran after Malásha to strike her. Malásha was frightened, and seeing that she had got herself into trouble, she scrambled out of the puddle, and prepared to run home. Just then Akoúlya’s mother happened to be passing, and seeing that her daughter’s skirt was splashed, and her sleeves dirty, she said:

“You naughty, dirty girl, what have you been doing?”

“Malásha did it on purpose,” replied the girl.