The longer that Pinkie Whiskers looked at the tadpole, the more proud he
grew to think that he had caught him.
At last the tadpole found his voice and said, "Oh, please put me back in
the water. I want to go home."
Pinkie Whiskers jumped when the tadpole spoke. Someway he had not
thought about a tadpole having a voice or being able to talk.
"No, my little tadpole. I am not going to let you go back home. I am
going to take you to my home. I will put you in a glass of water and you
can swim as much as you please," replied Pinkie Whiskers.
"I have a mother and father just as you have and I do not want to leave
them. I want to stay here and I will stay here," said the tadpole and
he jumped about so lively that Pinkie Whiskers had all he could do to
keep from falling off the stone.
"Stop pulling my fish line. Stop pulling it, I say," cried Pinkie
Whiskers.
The little tadpole paid no heed to Pinkie Whiskers' demand. In fact he
jumped and pulled all the harder and faster.
The first thing Pinkie Whiskers knew, he had slipped off from the stone
and was up to his neck in the water.
But Pinkie Whiskers was not the kind to give up a prize easily. My, no!
He remembered to hold fast to the fish rod. The little tadpole swam away
as far as he could and tugged and tugged at the line.
Pinkie Whiskers was nearly pulled over in the water, but just in time he
threw out his hand and caught hold of the rock, then using all the
strength he had, he managed to climb up onto it.
Once more he pulled the tadpole free from the water and slipped the net
under it. He was panting for breath but he said:
"Now, little tadpole, I am surely going to take you home with me, but I
will not put you in the glass. I will fry you and eat you for my
breakfast."
The poor little tadpole was so frightened that he screamed, "Help! help!
help!"
Now Father Frog had gone back on the shore to stretch himself in the
sunshine and to see what he could find to eat.
He was returning to the creek when he heard his son call for help. He
was very much frightened for he knew that the tadpole could not get up
onto the rocks himself and yet the call for help came from the rocks.
Father Frog hopped as fast as he could, but his heart beat so wildly
that he could not jump very far at a time.
When he reached the creek he stopped a moment to look and what he saw
struck him with such horror that he could not move. His legs would not
work.
About this same time Mother Gray went to give Pinkie Whiskers another
piece of bread and cheese. To her surprise he was nowhere to be seen.
She called and called, but Pinkie Whiskers was too far away to hear.
"Father Gray, you must go and find Pinkie Whiskers," she cried. "Run as
fast as you can. I am afraid that he is in trouble or mischief."
"Now, now," said Uncle Whiskers, "you worry too much about Pinkie
Whiskers. He is a fine, big boy and can take care of himself."
"That may be true but I am going to find him now," said Mother Gray as
she ran for the creek.
Father Gray said, "Wait a moment and I will come along with you."
Winkle cried, "I want to come too."
Twinkle cried, "I want to come too, please wait for me."
Uncle Whiskers grumbled, "Well, I never did see such a fuss in my life.
I have not had enough to eat yet, but I guess I will join the hunt for
Pinkie Whiskers anyway."
Billy Jay laughed and said, "I will go with you, Uncle Whiskers. We can
finish our supper when we return."
So off they all ran after Pinkie Whiskers and although Mother Gray was
worried, she never suspected what serious trouble and danger Pinkie
Whiskers was in.