Chapter 20
The Drop of WaterOF course you know what is meant by a magnifying glass—one
of those round spectacle-glasses that make everything look a
hundred times bigger than it is? When any one takes one of these
and holds it to his eye, and looks at a drop of water from the pond
yonder, he sees above a thousand wonderful creatures that are
otherwise never discerned in the water. But there they are, and it
is no delusion. It almost looks like a great plateful of spiders
jumping about in a crowd. And how fierce they are! They tear off
each other's legs. and arms and bodies, before and behind; and yet
they are merry and joyful in their way.
Now, there once was an old man whom all the people called
Kribble-Krabble, for that was his name. He always wanted the best
of everything, a
