treetops. The little flowers bowed and smiled to their neighbors. The
pond lilies lifted their beautiful faces a little higher and trembled
for joy. The tall cat-tails waved their handsome brown heads to show
that they, too, were glad. Even the rocky old cliff beamed with
happiness as he looked down on the beautiful little lake which lay
shining in the morning sun. Every little creature seemed bubbling over
with joy. Each one in his own way seemed to praise God and give thanks
that he was alive and that his home was safe once more. Doesn't it seem
strange that when the ducks were so happy the frogs were so miserable?
Now the frogs were happier than they had ever been before, and the
poor ducks were somewhere in the woods sighing and calling over and
over again for their lost babies. Some folks just can't live happily
together.
Mrs. House Frog came hurrying through the deep woods. Long before she
reached the pond she had heard the singing of the frogs. She knew this
must be the place the Lark had told her about. She panted a little as
the frogs all crowded about her. Everyone wanted to know who she was,
where she came from, and what she was like. Old Grandfather Bull Frog
made them all stand back so she might have a chance to speak.
"I am called a house frog," she said, "and I came from a land far
across the big ocean. It is the land of Australia. You can see I am
not at all handsome. My clothes, although quite plain, are good for
traveling. I find that as I look so much like the leaves I am not
easily seen."
The frogs did not wait for Mrs. House Frog to tell any more of her
story, as everyone was so anxious to tell her about the ducks and how
the John Bull Frogs had driven them away. Near the edge of the crowd
sat Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog smiling and looking greatly pleased
with themselves. They were too modest to boast of what they had done,
but it made them proud and happy to hear others tell it. Everybody
was talking at once. There was such a chatter that Mrs. House Frog
could hardly tell what they were saying. Even old Blackie the Crow was
screaming, "Caw, caw, caw," right over their heads. He too, was trying
to tell the exciting story. Grandfather Bull Frog shook his wise old
head at so much noise. He clapped his hands loudly. Standing up, he
beckoned to the crowd, calling for order in deep bass tones. Soon he
was able to quiet the frogs. When they stopped talking and their eyes
were fixed on him, he turned to Mrs. House Frog with a kindly smile on
his handsome old face and said real politely and with a graceful bow,
"Mrs. House Frog, you may, if you like, live under the old log just
over there."
Looking toward where he pointed, Mrs. House Frog said very pleasantly
that she would be delighted to have such a fine home. Bully was very
happy when he heard this, for he felt that he would like Mrs. House
Frog, and he was glad her home was to be where he could see her often.
He went with her to her new house, and while she was resting asked her
to tell him why she was called a house frog.
MRS. HOUSE FROG'S STORY
After a few moments Mrs. House Frog said:
"A few years ago a man and his wife, who were called missionaries, came
to my country and built a nice little house near the place where Mr.
House Frog and I lived. We didn't know for a long, long time why they
were called missionaries. Mr. House Frog and I used to wonder what
such a big word meant. One Sunday we heard the man explaining to the
children that they were called missionaries because they were sent on
a mission to tell people about God. We could hear everything he was
saying, for the meeting was held under a big tree in the yard and we
were sitting on a limb right over the children's heads.
"We hid in this tree each day and watched the missionaries build their
house. We could see them saw the boards and put them in place by
driving big nails into them with a heavy hammer. How they did work!
From the first time we saw them Mr. House Frog and I liked the looks of
those people, so we made up our minds to live in that new house, too.
"A few days after they moved in, as we were climbing about and looking
over the outside of the house, we found a small hole up under the
eaves. Just as soon as it was dark we packed up and moved in too, going
through this hole. My, but it was splendid! It was so new and clean.
That night we went through the whole house, even the cupboards and
closets. After we had looked into every nook and corner we decided to
sleep during the day under a box in a corner of the kitchen. They used
this box as a stand for their water pail, and there must have been a
tiny hole in the pail, for the water trickled down just enough to suit
us.
"We lived there some time before we were found out. We had a splendid
time every night, and got sleek and fat from helping ourselves to all
the good things we could find. But one day the woman found out that
the water pail was leaking, so she moved the box. We were having a
nice nap when suddenly we awoke and, looking up, saw her bending over
us. Of course we jumped as quickly as possible. The woman was badly
startled and screamed loudly. Her husband came running to see what was
the matter. When he saw what had frightened her, he laughed and said,
'It is nothing but two harmless frogs.' He took the broom and swept us
outdoors. This didn't worry us in the least, for that night we got into
the house again through our private door up near the roof.
"A few nights after this I chased a fat beetle up the table leg. As he
was rushing across the top of the table I almost nabbed him, but he
dodged around a glass of milk which stood on the table. As I jumped
round the other side of the glass to head him off, I knocked the glass
over and it rolled to the floor with a loud crash. The milk ran all
over the tablecloth and trickled down on the floor. My, but I was
upset! That glass made such a racket I forgot all about the beetle and
gave a big jump. I landed under the stove, where I hid.
"Well, you should have heard those people! This time they were both
frightened. I could see their faces plainly from where I sat under the
stove. They were both pale, as I saw by the light of the lamp they
carried. From what they said they seemed to think a man had got in the
house. I kept still and trembled while they peered about and poked the
lamp into all the dark corners. I was glad to keep out of sight, you
may be sure.
"A few nights after this I made another mistake and they found me
again. As I was wandering about, I saw a water pitcher on the dining
table. Finding its nose nice and damp, I decided to sleep on it all the
next day. In the morning, after I had just dropped off into a sound
sleep, the family rose, and when breakfast was ready the woman came,
took up the pitcher, and poured a glass of water. I woke up just as I
went into the glass with the water. She was talking and laughing and
did not see me until she raised the glass to her lips to drink. Giving
a faint little 'O horrors!' she dropped the glass to the floor and
sank into a chair. Her husband sprang up and, seeing me, laughed and
laughed. Then he took the broom and quickly swept me outdoors. 'Just
think,' I heard her say, 'I might have drunk that frog!' The man kept
on laughing until she, too, saw how funny it was and laughed merrily.
Now I was outside and Mr. House Frog was inside. I didn't mind this, as
I knew well where our door was, and that I could get back in.
"It was some time before they found us again. We had grown careless,
and one night when playing hide-and-seek, chasing each other over the
wall, we both saw a large bug which we had frightened from behind one
of the pictures. He ran up the wall and began to walk across the
ceiling as fast as he could go. I was close behind him and Mr. House
Frog a little way behind me. I thought I was near enough to grab the
bug, when suddenly he dodged to one side. In trying to turn myself
about as he had done, I slipped and fell. Mr. House Frog, when he saw
me fall, was so frightened he, too, slipped and fell.
"We had been so busy chasing the bug we didn't notice we were directly
over where the people of the house were sleeping. When I fell I hit the
woman squarely in the face, and Mr. House Frog went down slap in the
man's face. They both sprang from the bed, and the woman screamed and
screamed. Finally she fainted and fell to the floor. The man picked her
up and laid her on the bed. After awhile she moaned, 'Oh, those awful
frogs! I know I shall die if you don't kill them.'
"'I can't kill them,' the man told her, 'but in the morning I will
carry them a long way off and leave them.'
"He did as he said he would. He put us into a closed box and took us a
half-day's journey into the country. As he let us go he said, 'Now, you
little rascals, you will bother us no more!'
"When he had gone, we made up our minds to go back as soon as we could.
That house suited us to a T. We promised ourselves we would never again
be so careless. It was a long, tiresome journey, but we didn't mind it.
We got to the house about dusk, tired and hungry. We saw the folks were
eating supper, as we once more peeped through that little hole under
the eaves. We saw some crumbs fall to the floor as they ate, and as
we were so very hungry we decided to go down very quietly, hide under
the table, and have our supper at once. We got as far as the man's
chair when all of a sudden he tipped back and raised the front legs of
the chair from the floor. Just then a nice soft crumb fell from his
knee. Mr. House Frog sprang to get it, when down came the front legs
of the chair on him and crushed him. Oh," shuddered Mrs. House Frog,
"it was dreadful, dreadful! His eyes bulged out of his head and his
tongue hung from his mouth. I was so frightened I could not move. Oh,
Oh," she shuddered, "I can't bear to think of it. It was so very, very
dreadful!" Mrs. House Frog covered her eyes with her little hands and
shook with sobs, while Bully looked on, his little heart filled with
pity.
After some time she lifted her hands from her eyes and said, "I saw the
man looking at Mr. House Frog, and the woman crying and saying, 'How
terrible! Here are those poor little frogs back again. I am so sorry,
so sorry!' Now she didn't seem at all afraid, only very, very sorry for
us. The man picked me up in his big, warm hands and said, 'You poor
little thing! You know I didn't mean to hurt you.' Of course I knew he
was not to blame, but I couldn't tell him so.
"They took Mr. House Frog out and buried him, and the woman said I
should always live with them. She said never again would she be so
silly as to be afraid of me. Well, I lived there a long time. Then one
day the woman began to put their things into trunks and boxes. I knew
something was going to happen. Seeing me, the man picked me up and
said, 'You shall go with us, Froggie. You have stood by us so long.'
"They packed me in soft mud, and I slept for many days. I was awakened
by a boy who had spilled the mud on the ground. Several people were
near us, and I learned by their conversation that we had crossed the
great ocean and were now in a strange land. The man had died at sea and
the woman was going to the mountains. 'I shall have this frog for my
pet,' said the boy. How I learned to dislike that boy! He poked me with
sticks. He threw dirt at me when I tried to sing. He kept me in a pen
where I had not enough to eat.
"Do you wonder that when I found a small hole in the pen I squeezed
through it and hurried away as fast as I could? After going a little
way I saw a Lark hopping about looking for his breakfast. I was so
sad and lonely I went right over and spoke to him. I told him all my
troubles, and that I did not know where to go in this big strange land.
"The Lark told me all about this beautiful place. It made me want to
come here at once. I am glad I came, for it is very beautiful. I am
sure I shall like to live here."
THE WONDERFUL NEST
Just as the sinking sun began to drop his dark curtain over the Frog
Pond, and the beautiful moon lifted her fair face in the east, a
strange frog came out of the woods and hopped toward the pond.
"Ker-r-rump," called an old bullfrog very loudly. On hearing this,
frogs could be seen coming from almost every direction. Soon there was
a great crowd around the stranger. They began all at one time asking
her questions. Grandfather Frog told them to be quiet and give her a
chance to speak for herself.
"I have come a long way," said the stranger. "My home is in the far-off
land of Brazil. I was happy there and wished for no better place to
live. One day a man came along, and then all my life was changed. He
caught my mate and me in a net and brought us away to this big country.
Here he put us in a tiny lake that was in a small park. We lived there
only a short time when one evening, as I was busy building a nest,
an owl swooped down from the sky. Before I knew he was near he had
seized me with his big feet and swiftly carried me away. 'Oh, dear,' I
thought, 'this will surely be the last of me, for he is taking me to
his nest as food for his babies.'
"The owl flew a long distance. But as we were passing over a farmhouse
a man came to the door and shot him. He flew on a little way before he
fell, keeping fast hold of me until we reached the ground.
"I was not badly hurt, but I was very much frightened. When I heard
the children coming to get the dead owl, I hid under the edge of a big
stone and I stayed there for a couple of days. Then I decided that I
would see if I could get back to the pond where I had left my mate. As
I was slowly hopping along, a Lark lit near me and asked where I was
going. I soon told him how the owl had snapped me up and carried me
away, and how anxious I was to get back home. 'Why not go to the Frog
Pond?' he asked. 'There are no owls there.' He told me all about this
place, but I said, 'I must first go for my mate.'
"'Oh, go right on to the Frog Pond,' said the Lark. 'I will look your
husband up and tell him where to find you. He can come by himself as
well as not.' This seemed after all the best plan, so here I am."
Grandfather Bull Frog told her he was very glad she had come directly
to the pond. He asked her where she would like to live. A tree would
suit her best, she said, as she had spent most of her time in Brazil in
a tree.
"Before I choose my tree," she told them, "I had better make my nest,
as it is getting so late in the season. It is time my polly-wogs were
hatching."
"Do you make your own nest?" Mrs. Toad asked her.
"Of course I do," she said. "I thought all frogs did that. Our family
always do."
"Where will you make it?" Grandmother Bull Frog asked her.
"If you don't mind," she answered, "I should like this shallow place in
the edge of the pond."
As no one objected, she jumped into the water and disappeared. In a
short time the frogs crowded on the shore saw her two hands come up
filled with mud. She chose a spot where she carefully placed the mud,
then disappeared again. Soon she came up with more mud and placed it
near the first bit. Many times the little hands disappeared and came up
loaded with mud, which was carefully placed with the other.
By and by the frogs saw that the nest began to look round like a
circle. Then pretty soon the mud wall became so high the builder had to
bring her head and shoulders out of the water in order to put the mud
in the right place.
Not a frog croaked. They were all too much taken up with what she was
doing to spend time in that way.
After she had worked for some time she stopped and, looking around,
said, "It's pretty hard work lifting and shaping so much mud!"
"Don't you think you should have waited until your mate was here?"
asked Grandmother. "He could have helped you."
"I should say not!" said the stranger. "You don't know him. He is the
laziest frog you ever saw. He never helps me build my nest. He just
doesn't enjoy working. I always have to make the nest myself. Of course
he is a dear fellow and I'm fond of him," she said hastily, "but he
just won't work."
Then she went on with her nest, lifting handful after handful of mud
from the bottom of the lake and piling it up on the round wall. When
the wall was about four inches high and twelve inches across, she
smoothed the inside with her hands, and then rubbed the bottom of the
nest and the lower part of the wall with the underside of her body and
feet. She paid no attention to the outside of the wall. That was left
rough and uneven.
When she had finished her nest it looked like a mud bowl half full of
water sitting in the pool. "Here," she said, as she climbed on the
bank, "is where I shall place my eggs. I can then keep an eye on the
polly-wogs and see that nothing harms them. They cannot get out of the
nest."
Of course all the frogs had to see that nest. And every one of them
said that it was most wonderfully made.
"You see," she said, as she showed them her hands, "all my fingers are
largest on the ends. That is why I can handle the mud so well. Now I
must have something to eat," she said as she began to look around for
insects. "It gives one an appetite to work so hard."
As the frogs hopped away everyone was saying, "That is truly a
wonderful nest!" Many of the mother frogs sighed and wished for one as
good.
NEWS
"Caw, caw, caw!" cried a black Crow as he lit in the top of a tall old
tree. "Caw, caw, caw!" he cried again as he flew across the Frog Pond
and lit in a tree on the opposite shore. No one paid the least bit of
attention to him, so he flew over the pond and lit on the old limb that
reached out over Grandfather's island. Flapping his wings, he again
cried loudly, "Caw, caw, caw!"
The frogs paid no attention to the Crow because he came often to the
Frog Pond and called to them from the treetops. Maybe he did this
because he thought he was a better singer than the frogs. Another
reason why they did not notice him might have been because it was early
twilight and everyone was busy hunting his supper.
"Caw, caw, caw!" he cried. "News, news, news! Listen to the news I have
to tell you!"
"What's the matter with you? Have you gone crazy?" asked Golden Tree
Frog as he came hurrying along the limb to the place where the crow
was perched.
[Illustration: _"Have you gone crazy?" Golden Tree Frog asked the Crow_]
"No, I'm not crazy," answered the Crow crossly. "And if you're not
going to be polite, I shall spread my wings and fly away without
telling you my news. I'm very sure the frogs of this pond would like
to know what I found out, but if they all think more of filling their
stomachs than of listening to me, I shall not take the trouble to tell
it."
"Please pardon us, friend Crow," said Golden Tree Frog. "I will go and
see if I can find Grandfather Bull Frog."
Back along the old limb and quickly down the tree trunk to the ground
he ran, and soon was out of sight. It was not long before Grandfather
and Grandmother Bull Frog and Golden Tree Frog swam quickly from among
the bulrushes to the island. As soon as they had landed, Grandfather
croaked loudly three or four times. At the summons every frog stopped
eating his supper at once and went splashing off through the water to
join Grandfather on his island.
Bully and Mrs. House Frog were among the first to reach there. When all
the frogs had landed on the island, Grandfather Bull Frog asked the
Crow to tell his news.
"Yesterday," he told them, "our friend the Lark came home."
"The Lark came home!" cried several frogs all at once. "Are you sure
you haven't made a mistake?"
"Of course I'm sure," replied the Crow crisply. "Isn't he an old friend
of mine? And don't I know where the Larks' nest is? I saw the Lark and
talked with him. He is hard at work helping his mate find fat worms for
those dear baby larks."
Then without adding anything more the Crow flew away and the astonished
frogs sat still looking at each other. "What could have made the Lark
come home so soon?" they asked each other.
"Surely he has not told all the frogs," sobbed Bully, "and I was so
sure he would do that." Mrs. House Frog begged Bully in a whisper not
to cry until he had seen his friend the Lark and found out his reason
for coming home so soon.
"I can't understand why he should come back now," said Grandfather Bull
Frog thoughtfully, "unless he has told all the frogs. Though I hardly
think it possible that he has seen them all. But let us wait until we
learn from him his reason for coming back before we find fault with
him. He will no doubt be round to see us in a day or two. Then he can
tell us his story."
So the frogs went back to finish their supper. Many of them said they
didn't understand why their friend had not done as he promised. Bully
was so worried he just couldn't eat his supper. Climbing on his lily
pad, he sat there all alone thinking sadly about his friend, for he
felt sure he hadn't quite done as he had promised.
THE LARK'S STORY
That night Bully had a dream. In his dream he saw bad boys killing
frogs, and he saw snakes and turtles eating them. He saw men, with live
frogs on cruel hooks, jerking them back and forth through the water
trying to catch fish with them. In his dream he saw frogs put in stuffy
little pens with little to eat, and many people lean over the pen
looking down at them. And he saw ducks eating thousands and thousands
of young frogs. All these little cousins were reaching out their tiny
hands and begging him to get the Lark to hurry and tell them how to
find the Frog Pond. In his dream they told him they were unhappy where
they were and wanted to go to his beautiful home.
Bully sobbed in his sleep. He wiggled about uneasily. Then he dreamed
he was trying to find his friend the Lark. He went looking behind
old stumps and among the rocks. He hunted among the tall weeds and
grasses. In his dream he was gazing up into the treetops to see if the
Lark was there. He looked and looked every place in the whole round
world to find the Lark, but he could not be found. "Oh," cried Bully
aloud, "what shall I do? I cannot find him!"
"Ha, ha!" sang a well-known voice near him. "And why are you moaning in
your sleep?" the Lark went on, gently pecking him in the side. "Wake
up! Wake up! Aren't you glad to see me?"
Bully opened his eyes, and sure enough, there was his friend on the
lily pad close beside him. "Oh, those poor suffering frogs!" Bully
cried out. "They want to come so much, and they don't know the way.
Why didn't you tell all of them? What made you come home so soon? You
didn't tell all the frogs, did you, friend Lark?"
"No, I didn't," replied the Lark. "When I went away I had made up my
mind to be gone all summer, but as the days went by I thought more and
more about my mate and our babies. I wondered and wondered how they
were getting along without me. I wondered if they were well, or if
anything had harmed them. I kept thinking of how many worms it would
take every day to feed them. I wondered if my mate would be able to
get enough food for them. And the more I thought about it, the more I
worried. It seemed to me I wasn't a very good father to go away and
leave them. I kept flying about trying to find frogs, but my thoughts
were all the time with my mate and babies. I seemed to hear them
calling me.
"At last I got so homesick I couldn't eat or sleep. I could only long
for my home. I hated to come and break my promise. Perhaps it was
foolish to think so much about my family. I made up my mind not to come
home; and just then something dreadful happened that made me come.
"One afternoon I lit in an old tree to plume my feathers and rest a
bit. Hearing a chirping below me, I looked down and saw a lark's nest
hidden among some tall grasses. The father and mother lark were flying
about looking for worms and insects to feed their hungry family. They
were so happy! They seemed to love one another so much, and how proud
they were of their babies! It kept them pretty busy to get enough food.
Often they would be away for some time.
"As I sat on the limb watching this family of larks, it made me think
of my own dear mate and babies. I hid my head under my wing and cried.
I could not eat my supper that night. I didn't feel like it. I just sat
there thinking of that lark family. Some time in the night a cry of
fear rang out. Opening my eyes, I saw the father lark flying swiftly
round and round above the nest. He was crying out in wild grief and
terror.
"As the moon was bright, I could plainly see why he cried out. A coyote
had found the larks. He was eating the mother bird. After that it took
him only a little time to eat the babies. The father bird was almost
crazy with grief, but there was nothing he could do. He had just to
bear his trouble as best he could.
"After I saw what happened to that lark family I just had to come
home. There seemed no other way. I started at once, and flew and flew
and flew as fast as I could, without food or rest. I was so afraid
something dreadful had happened to my mate and babies. But I found them
all well and doing finely. Mrs. Lark says she wishes me to go again and
tell the rest of the frogs about this pond, as she is very sorry for
them. She wants them to be happy. I think I shall start in a few days."
Bully told the Lark he was glad he loved his babies so much, and that
all the frogs loved him for being so good to them.
"Have many of them come?" the Lark asked him.
"Yes," Bully told him, "a good many of them are here. And they seem to
like it."