Jolly round, red Mr. Sun looked down on the Smiling Pool. He almost
forgot to keep on climbing up in the blue sky, he was so interested in
what he saw there. What do you think it was? Why, it was a convention at
the Big Rock, the queerest convention he ever had seen. Your papa would
say that it was a mass-meeting of angry citizens. Maybe it was, but that
is a pretty long term. Anyway, Mother Muskrat said it was a convention,
and she ought to know, for she is the one who had called it.
Of course Jerry Muskrat was there, and his uncles and aunts and all
his cousins. Billy Mink was there, and all his relations, even old
Grandfather Mink, who has lost most of his teeth and is a little hard of
hearing.
Little Joe Otter was there, with his father and mother and all his
relations even to his third cousins. Bobby Coon was there, and he had
brought with him every Coon of his acquaintance who ever fished in the
Smiling Pool or along the Laughing Brook. And everybody was looking very
solemn, very solemn indeed.
When the last one had arrived, Mother Muskrat climbed up on the Big Rock
and called Jerry Muskrat up beside her, where all could see him. Then
she made a speech. “Friends of the Smiling Pool and Laughing Brook,”
began Mrs. Muskrat, “I have called you together to show you what has
happened to my son Jerry and to ask your advice.” She stopped and
pointed to Jerry's sore tail. “What do you think did that?” she
demanded.
“Probably Jerry's been in a fight and got whipped,” said Bobby Coon to
his neighbor, for Bobby Coon is a graceless young scamp and does not
always show proper respect to his neighbors.
Mrs. Muskrat glared at him, for she had overheard the remark. Then she
held up one hand to command silence. “Friends, it was a trap--a trap
set by Farmer Brown's boy! a trap to catch you and me and our children!”
said she solemnly. “It is no longer safe for our little folks to play
around the Smiling Pool or along the Laughing Brook. What are we going
to do about it?”
Everybody looked at everybody else in dismay. Then everybody began to
talk at once, and if Farmer Brown's boy could have heard all the things
said about him, his cheeks certainly would have burned. Indeed, I am
afraid that they would have blistered. Such excitement! Everybody had
a different idea, and nobody would listen to anybody else. Old Mr. Mink
lost his temper and called Grandpa Otter a meddlesome know-nothing. It
looked very much as if the convention was going to break up in a sad
quarrel. Then Mr. Coon climbed up on the Big Rock and with a stick
pounded for silence.
“I move,” said he, “that in as much as we cannot agree, we tell
Great-Grandfather Frog all about the danger and ask his advice, for he
is very old and very wise and remembers when the world was young. All in
favor please raise their right hands.”
At once the air was full of hands, and everybody was good-natured once
more. So it was agreed to call in Great-Grandfather Frog.