[Illustration: Old Mr. Frog's Grandson.]
"There goes that dandified young Frog again, and this time I believe it
is my duty to teach him that the wisest course any one can pursue, is to
stay at home and attend to his own business, rather than roaming around
to show his good clothes," Mr. Gander said, starting off as rapidly as
his short legs would carry him, and, looking up, your Aunt Amy saw young
Mr. Frog, dressed in his best, just coming out of his house.
"Well, did you ever?" Mrs. Goose exclaimed as Mr. Gander hurried away in
pursuit of the frog. "Wouldn't it be strange if Mr. Gander caught him?"
"Why would it be strange?" your Aunt Amy asked, knowing full well that
geese often ate frogs, and Mrs. Goose replied:
"It would be at least odd, because it was his own grandfather who was
swallowed up by the lily-white duck, just after the cat and her kittens
came tumbling into Mrs. Mouse's hall, although Mr. Crow says, in some
poetry I've got of his, that one animal is always like others of his
kind. If old Mr. Frog went down the throat of a duck, I don't know why
his grandson shouldn't feel proud of being taken in by one of the goose
family."
While Mrs. Gray Goose was talking, Mr. Gander had been running at full
speed in pursuit of Mr. Frog, who was so busy trying to keep his hat on
that he didn't pay any attention to what was happening behind him.
A moment later Mr. Gander had overtaken the foppish young Frog, and your
Aunt Amy did not have time to call Mrs. Goose's attention to what was
going on, before Mr. Frog disappeared down Mr. Gander's throat.
[Illustration: How Young Mr. Frog Disappeared.]
"Well, I never before believed that Mr. Gander would be so piggish!"
Mrs. Goose exclaimed as her friend's bill closed upon the end of Mr.
Frog. "To think that he hadn't the politeness to offer me a taste!"
"He really didn't have the time," your Aunt Amy said laughingly, and
then, to take Mrs. Goose's attention from what was really a greedy act,
she asked about Mr. Crow's poetry concerning the likeness of one animal
to another of its kind.