the pond once more. Scratches were still to be seen on their shiny
coats, but Mother Nature was giving them her very best care and they
were healing rapidly. Most of the time they both hid under some big
cool leaves where the hot sun could not find them and where the gentle
breezes helped to heal their wounds.
Everyone about the Frog Pond praised Bully for what he had done until
his foolish little head was filled with pride. His brothers and
sisters didn't understand how he had dared do such a thing as attack
that fierce, strange frog. They told him he had saved Grandfather
Bull Frog's life. Bully really believed this was true. Was not old
Grandfather about ready to quit when he had jumped in and helped him?
We shall just have to forgive him for being a bit puffed up. We can't
really blame him very much if his head was turned with pride. It would
make almost anyone proud to have his whole family saying nice things
about him. Bully, sitting on his lily pad and looking up at the sky,
even thought the little stars were winking and nodding their approval
of what he had done. Mrs. Moon's lovely face no longer wore a frown.
She seemed to beam kindly on him as she rode slowly along in the clear
sky. Even the tall cat-tails nodded their brown heads, and the faces
of the snowy water lilies seemed smiling at him in the moonlight. Yes,
Bully's heart was full of pride and happiness as he sat there on his
lily pad. Do you wonder at it?
About a week after the great fight Grandfather Bull Frog said he was
again able to lead the concert. When each frog was in his usual place,
Grandfather looked about and said, "This stranger has promised to be
good if we will let him live in the old Frog Pond. I will do as you
say. Shall he stay?"
All the frogs at once croaked loudly, "Yes, let him stay if he really
promises to be good."
"I shall be glad to have him stay," said Grandfather Bull Frog. "We
will give him for his home the deep place over by the bulrushes. Now
before we begin to sing suppose we ask him to tell us his story."
The stranger stood up and, beginning very meekly, said, "I thank you
for letting me stay. I shall try to do right. You see, I have not
always been a trouble-making frog. I wandered away from my old home and
have been living among the wrong kind of people."
"Bad company always spoils good frogs," boomed out several voices at
once. "But there are no really bad frogs here, so you ought to find it
easy to be good."
"Yes," he replied, "I believe everyone here is trying to do right, and
I promise you I shall try to do right, too."
"We believe you will. We shall try you anyway," croaked every frog in
the pond.
"Thank you very much," the stranger replied. "Now for my story:
"I came from a land far across the ocean, from a country called
Belgium. With many of my family I lived in a fine old swamp which was
as good a home as any frog need wish. It was very pleasant there,
although the people often would catch and eat some of us. Mrs. Frog and
I always managed to hide when they came looking for us, so we escaped.
Yes, it was pleasant living there, until one day we saw a great many
men marching by with big guns which made a dreadful noise and sent out
fire and smoke. After that we were never free from fear.
"One day, when we were hurrying about looking for a safe place to hide,
we saw a man's coat lying on the ground. It had a wide, deep pocket
and we crawled into it and hid. We had been hiding there quite a while
when a man came along, picked up the coat, and put it on. We didn't
have time to get out of the pocket, so we snuggled down close to the
bottom and kept still. Oh, but we were frightened! We thought we should
surely be eaten. The man walked a long way, all the time talking to a
companion. He had his hand in the pocket where we were hiding, but his
arm was too short for his hand to touch us. At last the men stopped
walking, but went on talking. We heard the man say, 'Now, where are
those papers? They must be in this pocket.' And at that he reached down
and found us. It seemed to make him very angry, for he jerked us out.
My, how he did hurt us! 'Two frogs, ugh!' he said, and he threw us both
as far as he could. As he was standing on the seashore we fell far out
in the salty water. We thought we should be killed. The water made our
eyes smart and made us feel ill. We swam about until a big wave tossed
us upon a long, narrow, queer-looking boat that was floating on the
water.
"Two men were about to board her when they saw us. One of them said,
'Oh, the Kaiser's frogs! We will take them along for mascots.' I
didn't know what they meant by that. They put us down in the boat in
the dark and started for sea. For many days the boat tumbled about. We
were so seasick we couldn't eat. We thought we should surely die. We
found out from what the men said that they were going to America to
destroy New York Harbor. They talked a great deal about being able to
take this country and said many times that it was theirs if they could
take it. That is why I thought this Frog Pond would be mine if I could
take it."
"Oh, I see!" said Grandfather Bull Frog. "You surely were in bad
company."
"Yes," said the stranger, "I must have been.
"One morning we heard the men on the boat say, 'Here we are at last.
Now for the torpedoes.' Then they began to hurry about as though
getting ready to do something. While they hurried to and fro there
came an awful crash. The noise was louder than forty old bullfrogs all
singing at once. The boat went to pieces, and we, with those Germans,
were blown into the air. I don't know what was wrong with that boat. I
didn't understand the noise or the crash."
"It was strange," croaked all the frogs. "What could have been the
matter?"
"I've wondered a lot about it," the stranger said, "but I can't think
what made the noise and why the boat went all to pieces so quickly.
It's certainly strange. Well, anyway, it didn't hurt Mrs. Frog and me,
but the men went to pieces just like the boat. We never saw them again.
We came down together and fell into more salty water. We swam about the
best we could. Finally a big wave lifted us out of the water and threw
us up on the shore. With our eyes, nose, and mouth smarting, we lay
there for a while nearly dead. We were so weak we couldn't stand on our
feet. My, I hope I shall never have to swim in salt water again! It is
awful! I hate it," he said.
"There are no frogs in the world," said wise old Grandfather Frog, "who
can stand salt water. We can't live in it."
"Well," continued the strange frog, "we lay so quiet on the beach that
we must have seemed quite dead. By and by, opening one eye just a
little, I saw a bird hopping along the shore looking for his breakfast.
Coming up close to us, he said, 'Two dead frogs! Too bad, too bad!'
By trying hard I managed to croak hoarsely, 'No, we're not dead. We
shall soon be all right again.' The bird then told us of this beautiful
place, and how the frogs in this pond had sent him to invite all other
frogs to come and make it their home. He said it was not far away and
that we could reach it in a few days.
"He showed us where to get a good breakfast, and after resting in the
sun a few hours we started out. We were pretty weak at first, but as
we hopped along, finding plenty to eat by the way, we began to feel
stronger. At last we came in sight of this beautiful spot. We knew from
what the bird had told us that it must be the right place. And now that
you have decided to let us stay, I want to tell you how sorry I am for
what I did a week ago."
"We shall have to forget that," said Grandfather Bull Frog. "And now,"
turning to the others, "what shall we call this stranger?" he asked.
Several frogs croaked, "Call him the Kaiser."
"No, no," said the strange frog. "Call me John Bull Frog, for I have
many relatives in England. Don't call me the Kaiser. I am glad he threw
us into the sea and that we are here where he can never lay hands on us
again."
At that all the frogs began to say, "John Bull Frog it shall be."
So John Bull Frog we will now call him.
"Can you sing?" asked Grandfather.
"They say," said John Bull Frog, "that I'm one of the world's finest
singers." He said this rather modestly, blushing just a little as he
glanced first at Mrs. John Bull Frog, who sat close beside him, and
then at the other frogs.
"Then will you sing for us?" asked Grandfather.
"I shall be glad to do so," said John, "but not to-night. Please excuse
me this time. I don't feel like singing just now."
After a few songs by the grand chorus the meeting broke up. Mr. and
Mrs. John Bull Frog were shown to their new home over by the bulrushes.
They were thankful indeed that the other frogs had said they might
stay. Before going to sleep that night they talked over all the things
that had happened to them since they were thrown out of the Kaiser's
pocket. How good the frogs in Rainbow Valley had been to them--better
than they deserved! They made up their minds always to do right.
BULLY AND THE WOOLLY WORM
As early summer drew near, mornings grew warm and pleasant. And when
the sun peeped above the horizon old John Bull Frog thundered a noisy
greeting to him. Several other old bullfrogs, not wishing to be outdone
by John Bull, woke early to boom out a morning welcome. Very few frogs
could sleep late. But they didn't mind, for the world in the early
morning was so full of joy and song. Even the little frogs were awake
and trying their voices at this hour.
Our little Bully was roaming around among some big leaves looking for
his breakfast. He was not hungry, for he had a splendid meal late the
night before. He was a great deal like a boy--anything tasted good at
any old time. As he hopped about, a woolly worm--the kind of worm we
call caterpillar--began to be afraid and started from his hiding place
under a big leaf. He hurried away as fast as he could, for he didn't
care to make a breakfast for a little frog.
"Wait a minute!" cried Bully. "Why are you in such a rush?"
[Illustration: _"Why are you in such a rush?" called Bully to the
Woolly Worm_]
"I don't want to be eaten," Woolly Worm replied in a very much
frightened voice.
Bully had never eaten a woolly worm. He wasn't at all sure he would
like the taste of one, so he said, "I won't eat you. Let's be friends."
"I should like to be your friend," replied Woolly Worm, "but I'm afraid
I can't trust you."
"I won't eat you," again promised Bully. "You are far too handsome to
be eaten."
Woolly Worm knew quite well he was goodlooking, and was proud of his
looks. He wore several rings--not the kind children like to wear. Oh,
no! His were black and yellow. They were of wool and went around his
entire body. They surely made a splendid coat. When Bully called him a
handsome fellow he stopped to listen, for he liked to be told that he
was well dressed.
"Well, if you won't eat me," said Woolly Worm, "we shall be friends."
He talked with short, panting little breaths. His eyes looked as if
they were being squeezed from his head, and he seemed to be in great
distress.
"What's the matter with you?" asked Bully. "You don't look right."
"I'm afraid I've been too greedy," panted Woolly Worm. "But everything
tastes so good, how can I help it? This morning my coat's far too tight
for me. I feel as if my inside is too big for my outside."
Bully knew how it felt to wear a tight coat. He also knew how to get a
new one. "Can't you get a new coat?" he asked.
"Oh, yes," replied Woolly Worm, "that's no trouble at all. I was just
about to change my old coat for a new one when you frightened me from
my hiding place."
"Please pardon me," said Bully. "I didn't mean to frighten you. Don't
mind me. Just go ahead and change your coat."
"I will," said Woolly Worm. "This one isn't very comfortable. The
reason I was afraid you'd eat me," he continued, "is because after I
change my coat I'm so weak for a few hours I can't get about. You're
sure you will not change your mind?" he asked a little anxiously.
"No, I promise you I won't," replied Bully. "Cross my heart and hope to
die if I do," he said as he drew his hand criss-cross on the front of
his vest.
"All right, I'll trust you then," said Woolly Worm. At once he began
to hump his back and bend and twist about. Then his coat, like Bully's
old coat, split wide open down the back. In a short time Woolly Worm
had pulled it off. With the coat came also the lining to his stomach
and intestines. He lay beside them looking very pale and feeble. Bully
thought Woolly Worm was dying. He went a little nearer to him. "Are
you dying?" he asked in alarm.
"Oh, no," answered Woolly Worm. "All I need is a few hours of rest and
quiet. Then I'll be myself again."
"But your new coat?" gasped Bully. "Where is it?"
"I have it on," Woolly Worm answered in a feeble voice. "It takes a
little time for it to get dry and hard. Please go away and let me
alone."
"But don't you want me to stay with you? You look so sick," insisted
Bully.
"No, no, go away, I want to sleep," said Woolly Worm crossly.
Bully went off a little distance, but he made up his mind to come back
soon to see how his new friend was getting along. Bully was worried,
Woolly Worm looked so weak and sick. But he forgot all about the
worm when he heard Grandfather Bull Frog's big voice saying, "Hello,
strangers, where are you from?" Bully hurried away to see who had
arrived at the Frog Pond.
THE TREE FROGS ARRIVE
There was much excitement and a great babble of voices over the way
under a big elm tree. Mrs. Toad, hearing the noise, came from her home
as fast as her short legs and her fat body would bring her. All the
father and mother frogs, all the boy and girl frogs, and all the baby
frogs could be seen hoppity-hopping toward the big elm tree with the
very biggest and longest leaps they could make. What was it all about?
Surely some great person has come, thought Bully as he, too, hurried
over to the gathering under the elm tree.
There in the center of a large circle of frogs he saw six strangers
sitting. Two of them were dressed in fine green coats with "spots of
brown and bands of darker green shaded in." These two strangers said
they had always lived in the forest a few miles away. They said the
other four strangers had stopped at their house to spend the night,
and had told them of the Frog Pond in Rainbow Valley and invited them
to come here with them. The two stranger frogs wanted to come, as they
had heard the Frog Pond was the most beautiful and the safest place in
the world for frogs to live. "It certainly is lovely," they declared as
they gazed around.
Two of the other four stranger frogs wore blue coats with pure white
vests. "We are the Blue Tree Frogs from South America," they said.
"What splendid clothes!" exclaimed some of the old frogs.
The Blue Tree Frogs only smiled and said, "These are our friends Mr.
and Mrs. Golden Tree Frog from Tasmania."
The Golden Tree Frogs wore coats of grass green thickly covered with
shiny yellow embroidery that looked like the purest beaten gold.
Several of the mother frogs gasped as they saw their beautiful clothes.
They went near and touched them gently. They had not known there were
such handsome frogs in the world as these. The Golden Tree Frogs were
much pleased to be so admired. They believed no other frogs could dress
so well.
"A man came to our home and captured us and brought us to this
country," said Mr. Golden Tree Frog. "He also brought the Blue Tree
Frogs from South America. He took all of us to his beautiful country
home and placed us in the trees."
"I don't understand why he should have done that," said Mrs. Blue Tree
Frog. "We wanted to stay in our own beautiful country. We have always
been unhappy in America. One day a Lark lit in our tree and began
talking to us. We told him how homesick we were. 'If I were you,' said
the Lark, 'I'd go and live in the Frog Pond.' We asked what Frog Pond
he was talking about. He then told us of this lovely place in Rainbow
Valley. He talked about these fine old trees and this beautiful little
lake. He also told us of the fine old father and mother frogs and of
all the young frogs who live here. He said so much about it that we
decided to come at once. I can see," he said, looking around, "that the
Lark told the truth. It is lovely here. I know we shall like it."
Grandfather Bull Frog asked them what they would like for a house. "Oh,
a tree, of course," they said, "if it makes no difference to you."
"Take any one you like, it's all the same to me," said Grandfather Bull
Frog, bowing low with his hand on his vest. "I am glad you came," he
went on, "for there are so many insects in these trees I was afraid the
trees would be destroyed."
"One thing I can't understand," said John Bull Frog, "is how a tree
frog can climb. I have tried many times to climb, but I can't do it."
"It is because you do not have suctorial discs, or tiny sucking cups,
on the bottom of your feet as we do. These cups help us cling to a tree
or anything we may wish to walk upon," said Mr. Blue Tree Frog.
"And see my vest," said a tree frog proudly. "Look at the tiny holes in
it. Through these holes I can drink the dew from the leaves. I don't
have to come to the ground for a drink of water. No indeed, I don't,"
he boasted.
"Where do you lay your eggs and hatch your polly-wogs?" asked Mrs. Toad.
"Oh," answered Mrs. Blue Tree Frog, "of course we come down for that,
as our babies must spend the first three months in the water."
"Do you sing?" asked some one of the boys among the crowd.
"A very little," they replied.
"We should be glad to have you sing in our grand concert which we give
each evening," said Grandfather Bull Frog.
"Thank you. We shall be glad to do our best," they answered. "Now if
you will please excuse us," they said, "we shall go to our new home and
rest."
The company then divided, each frog going his own way, but all were
glad that the new frogs had come to live near the Frog Pond.
Late that afternoon Bully was sitting on an old log wondering why he
was not a tree frog. He thought it would be fine to wear such beautiful
clothes and to be able to climb trees. It seemed hardly fair that he
must always stay on the ground while others could climb so high in the
world. He was sitting very still thinking of this when he was startled
by a voice near him saying, "Are you asleep?" He came to himself with a
jump. There, close by him, was a woolly worm. It was much like the one
he had seen change his coat early in the morning, only this worm was
wearing a bright, new-looking coat. The woolly worm looked proud and
happy.
"No, I was not asleep," said Bully, "but you frightened me." He then
remembered the sick worm he had left under the leaf. Perhaps this worm
knew him. So Bully asked, "How is the woolly worm who changed his coat?
Is he dead?"
The worm laughed. "Now that's a good joke on you," he said. "You don't
know an old friend when you meet him. I'm the sick worm. Do you like my
new coat?"
"You!" exclaimed Bully. "Are you the worm that was so weak and so sick
this morning?"
"Of course I am," the worm replied. "I told you I should be all right
in a few hours. How do you like my coat?" he asked again.
"It is fine; much handsomer than the old one," Bully told him. "But how
did you get well so quickly?"
"Oh, that's easy," answered Woolly Worm as he slid off the log and
disappeared among the thick leaves.
Bully kept on thinking for some time; then he croaked to himself,
"Humph! I don't see how it could be so easy!" Then he sprang into the
water and disappeared.
DUCKS
The morning was dark and gloomy. Black clouds hung low over the Frog
Pond. Deep thunder rumbled and rolled, and across the sky the lightning
flashed and zigzagged back and forth. The wind made a low moaning
sound in the treetops, as if he knew that a great sorrow had come to
the little folks who lived there. The tall cat-tails bowed their heads
and sighed. Every frog was quiet and very much afraid. What were they
afraid of? Not of the coming storm, I am sure, for frogs dearly love
raindrops. Some one very dreadful had come during the early morning
hours. And now every little heart was beating fast with fear. Every
little face had a look of care and fright.
This morning Bully had slept quite late because he had learned that the
very best time to get a good meal is at night. In the darkness many of
the little flying and crawling creatures are out. You see, Bully has
good eyes. He can see almost as well in the dark as in the light. He
had a habit of roaming about among the weeds and grasses during the
early hours of the night. He was growing round and fat, for he had
learned to be a good hunter.
But of course a little frog must sleep some, too. So he had slept a
little later than usual on this stormy morning. As he opened his eyes
and sat looking about, he wondered why everything was so quiet. He
could not hear the croak of a single frog. Neither could he see any on
Grandfather Frog's island. But here and there peeping through the water
he saw a little face wearing a frightened look. It seemed very strange
indeed. What did it mean?
He was turning these things over in his mind when he heard a new,
strange noise. It came from over beyond the bulrushes. It sounded
like quack, quack. He was greatly alarmed. What could it mean? Some
one dreadful must have come in the night--some one that would hurt
little frogs. When he heard quack, quack the second time, Bully sprang
quickly into the water and went down, down as deep as he could, and
then crawled under a rock on the bottom of the pond. Whoever made that
dreadful noise seemed to be following him. He could not stay hidden
long, so he thought he would go quietly over to his old log and try
to find Grandmother Bull Frog. She always took care of him in time of
danger, so he must find her. You know there is no place quite so safe
as the one close to mother when danger is near. And Grandmother, you
remember, was the only mother Bully knew.
Down behind the old log he found most of the old frogs. They were
talking scarcely above a whisper, and all of them looked frightened
and worried. He heard them say, "What shall we do? We can't live here
with those ducks. There isn't room in the Frog Pond for both ducks and
frogs. But how can we make the ducks go away? Is it possible the Lark
made a mistake and invited those dreadful ducks to come here, too? Or
did they see a great many frogs coming this way and follow them?"
"Perhaps they won't stay," said one. "They may not like this pond!"
"But they will like it," answered another. "See all these tender young
frogs and polly-wogs! They can't help liking this pond."
"They will gobble our children by the thousands," said another.
Bully was dreadfully frightened. From what the old frogs said he
learned that Mr. and Mrs. Duck had come, and if they stayed there would
be no more peace and happiness for the frogs in Rainbow Valley. Their
home would be quite spoiled. Oh, it was the very worst thing that had
ever happened to them!
Now, even though he was so badly frightened, Bully found that he was
hungry. He must have some breakfast. He was not only hungry, but he
was curious to see what a duck looked like. So he crept out from under
the log and started off. He kept out of sight as much as he could by
hiding under the leaves and behind the rocks until he got to a place
where he could look across the pond and see Mr. and Mrs. Duck. Near a
bunch of tall grass on the opposite shore they were walking about and
talking noisily. They seemed to be much interested in something in the
grass. From where Bully sat he could see Mrs. Duck turn herself round
and round in the grass. Then he saw Mr. Duck go where she was and begin
to pull some of the grass down and lay it carefully around the place
Mrs. Duck had been tramping with her feet. Both ducks worked hard for
some time. At last they stood looking down and talking over what they
had done. Then Bully saw Mrs. Duck pull soft, downy feathers from her
breast and place them carefully about the nest. For that is what they
had been doing--making a nest. Finally Mr. Duck walked proudly out
and stood oiling and dressing his feathers while Mrs. Duck sat on the
nest.