The Adventures of Grandfather Frog

by Thornton W. Burgess

  You see, Grandfather Frog likes the soft wet mud, and he couldn'tunderstand how any one, even Farmer Brown's boy, could prefer a hard drypath. Of course he never had worn shoes himself, so he couldn'tunderstand why any one should want dry feet when they could just as wellhave wet ones. He was still puzzling over it when he heard a sound thatmade him nearly lose his balance and tumble off the hummock. It was awhistle, the whistle of Farmer Brown's boy! Grandfather Frog knew itright away, because he often had heard it over by the Smiling Pool. Thewhistle came from over in the Long Lane. Farmer Brown's boy had had hisdinner and was on his way back to look for Grandfather Frog where he hadbeen dropped.

  Grandfather Frog actually grinned as he thought how surprised FarmerBrown's boy was going to be when he could find no trace of him. Suddenlythe smile seemed to freeze on Grandfather Frog's face. That whistle wascoming nearer! Farmer Brown's boy had left the Long Lane and was comingalong the little path. The truth is, he was coming for a drink at thespring, but Grandfather Frog didn't think of this. He was sure that insome way Farmer Brown's boy had found out which way he had gone and wascoming after him. He crouched down as flat as he could on the bighummock and held his breath. Farmer Brown's boy went straight past.Just a few steps beyond, he stopped and knelt down. Peeping through thegrass, Grandfather Frog saw him dip up beautiful clear water in an oldcup and drink. Then Grandfather Frog knew just where the spring was.

  A few minutes later, Farmer Brown's boy passed again, still whistling,on his way to the Long Lane. Grandfather Frog waited only long enough tobe sure that he had really gone. Then, with bigger jumps than ever, hestarted for the spring. A dozen long jumps, and he could see the water.Two more jumps and then a long jump, and he had landed in the springwith a splash!

  "Chugarum!" cried Grandfather Frog. "How good the water feels!"

  And all the time, Grandfather Frog had jumped straight into moretrouble.

  XX

  GRANDFATHER FROG LOSES HEART

  Look before you leap; The water may be deep.

  That is the very best kind of advice, but most people find that out whenit is too late. Grandfather Frog did. Of course he had heard that littleverse all his life. Indeed, he had been very fond of saying it to thosewho came to the Smiling Pool to ask his advice. But Grandfather Frogseemed to have left all his wisdom behind him when he left the SmilingPool to go out into the Great World. You see, it is very hard work forany one whose advice has been sought to turn right around and takeadvice themselves. So Grandfather Frog had been getting into scrapesever since he started out on his foolish journey, and now here he was instill another, and he had landed in it head first, with a great splash.

  Of course, when he had seen the cool, sparkling water of the spring, ithad seemed to him that he just couldn't wait another second to get intoit. He was so hot and dry and dreadfully thirsty and uncomfortable! Andso--oh, dear me!--Grandfather Frog didn't look at all before he leaped.No, Sir, he didn't! He just dived in with a great long jump. Oh, howgood that water felt! For a few minutes he couldn't think of anythingelse. It was cooler than the water of the Smiling Pool, because, as youknow, it was a spring. But it felt all the better for that, andGrandfather Frog just closed his eyes and floated there in purehappiness.

  Presently he opened his eyes to look around. Then he blinked themrapidly for a minute or so. He rubbed them to make sure that he sawaright. His heart seemed to sink way, way down towards his toes."Chugarum!" exclaimed Grandfather Frog, "Chugarum!" And after that for along time he didn't say a word.

  You see, it was this way. All around him rose perfectly straight smoothwalls. He could look up and see a little of the blue, blue sky rightoverhead and whispering leaves of trees and bushes. Over the edge of thesmooth straight wall grasses were bending. But they were so far abovehis head, so dreadfully far! _There wasn't any place to climb out!_Grandfather Frog was in a prison! He didn't understand it at all, but itwas so.

  Of course, Farmer Brown's boy could have told him all about it. A longtime before Farmer Brown himself had found that spring, and because thewater was so clear and cold and pure, he had cleared away all the dirtand rubbish around it. Then he had knocked the bottom out of a niceclean barrel and had dug down where the water bubbled up out of the sandand had set the barrel down in this hole and had filled in the bottomwith clean white sand for the water to bubble up through. About half-wayup the barrel he had cut a little hole for the water to run out as fastas it bubbled in at the bottom. Of course the water never could fill thebarrel, because when it reached that hole, it ran out. This left astraight, smooth wall up above, a wall altogether too high forGrandfather Frog to jump over from the inside.

  Poor old Grandfather Frog! He wished more than ever that he never, neverhad thought of leaving the Smiling Pool to see the Great World. Roundand round he swam, but he couldn't see any way out of it. The littlehole where the water ran out was too small for him to squeeze through,as he found out by trying and trying. So far as he could see, he hadjust got to stay there all the rest of his life. Worse still, he knewthat Farmer Brown's boy sometimes came to the spring for a drink, for hehad seen him do it. That meant that the very next time he came, he wouldfind Grandfather Frog, because there was no place to hide. WhenGrandfather Frog thought of that, he just lost heart. Yes, Sir, he justlost heart. He gave up all hope of ever seeing the Smiling Pool again,and two big tears ran out of his big goggly eyes.

  XXI

  THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES TRY TO COMFORT GRANDFATHER FROG

  When the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind had leftGrandfather Frog in the Long Lane where Farmer Brown's boy had droppedhim, and had hurried as fast as ever they could to try to find some ofhis friends to help him, not one of them had been successful. No one wasat home, and no one was in any of the places where they usually were tobe found. The Merry Little Breezes looked and looked. Then, one by one,they sadly turned back to the Long Lane. They felt so badly that theyjust hated to go back where they had left Grandfather Frog.

  When they got there, they found Striped Chipmunk, who now was scoldingFarmer Brown's boy as fast as his tongue could go.

  "Where is he?" cried the Merry Little Breezes excitedly.

  Striped Chipmunk stopped scolding long enough to point to Farmer Brown'sboy, who was hunting in the grass for some trace of Grandfather Frog.

  "We don't mean him, you stupid! We can see him for ourselves. Where'sGrandfather Frog?" cried the Merry Little Breezes, all speaking at once.

  "I don't know," replied Striped Chipmunk, "and what's more, I don'tcare!"

  Now this wasn't true, for Striped Chipmunk isn't that kind. It wasmostly talk, and the Merry Little Breezes knew it. They knew thatStriped Chipmunk really thinks a great deal of Grandfather Frog, just asthey do. So they pretended not to notice what he said or how put out heseemed. After a while, he told them that he had set Grandfather Frogfree and that then he had started for the spring on the other side ofthe Long Lane. The Merry Little Breezes were delighted to hear the goodnews, and they said such a lot of nice things to Striped Chipmunk thathe quite forgot to scold Farmer Brown's boy. Then they started for thespring, dancing merrily, for they felt sure that there Grandfather Frogwas all right, and they expected to find him quite at home.

  "Hello, Grandfather Frog!" they shouted, as they peeped into the spring."How do you like your new home?"

  Grandfather Frog made no reply. He just rolled his great goggly eyes upat them, and they were full of tears.

  "Why--why--why, Grandfather Frog, what is the matter now?" they cried.

  "Chugarum," said Grandfather Frog, and his voice sounded all choky, "Ican't get out."

  Then they noticed for the first time how straight and smooth the wallsof the spring were and how far down Grandfather Frog was, and they knewthat he spoke the truth. They tried bending down the grasses that grewaround the edge of the spring, but none were long enough to reach thewater. If they had stopped to think, they would have known thatGrandfather Frog couldn't have climbed up by them, an
yway. Then theytried to lift a big stick into the spring, but it was too heavy forthem, and they couldn't move it. However, they did manage to blow an oldshingle in, and this gave Grandfather Frog something to sit on, so thathe began to feel a little better. Then they said all the comfortingthings they could think of. They told him that no harm could come tohim there, unless Farmer Brown's boy should happen to see him.

  "That's just what I'm afraid of!" croaked GrandfatherFrog. _Page 109_.]

  "That's just what I am afraid of!" croaked Grandfather Frog. "He is sureto see me if he comes for a drink, for there is no place for me tohide."

  "Perhaps he won't come," said one of the Little Breezes hopefully.

  "If he does come, you can hide under the piece of shingle, and then hewon't know you are here at all," said another.

  Grandfather Frog brightened up. "That's so!" said he. "That's a goodidea, and I'll try it."

  Then one of the Merry Little Breezes promised to keep watch for FarmerBrown's boy, and all the others started off on another hunt for some oneto help Grandfather Frog out of this new trouble.

  XXII

  GRANDFATHER FROG'S TROUBLES GROW

  Head first in; no way out; It's best to know what you're about!

  Grandfather Frog had had plenty of time to realize how very true thisis. As he sat on the old shingle which the Merry Little Breezes hadblown into the spring where he was a prisoner, he thought a great dealabout that little word "if." _If_ he hadn't left the Smiling Pool, _if_he hadn't been stubborn and set in his ways, _if_ he hadn't been in sucha hurry, _if_ he had looked to see where he was leaping--well, any oneof these _ifs_ would have kept him out of his present trouble.

  It really wasn't so bad in the spring. That is, it wouldn't have beenso bad but for the fear that Farmer Brown's boy might come for a drinkand find him there. That was Grandfather Frog's one great fear, and itgave him bad dreams whenever he tried to take a nap. He grew cold allover at the very thought of being caught again by Farmer Brown's boy,and when at last one of the Merry Little Breezes hurried up to tell himthat Farmer Brown's boy actually was coming, poor old Grandfather Frogwas so frightened that the Merry Little Breeze had to tell him twice tohide under the old shingle as it floated on the water.

  At last he got it through his head, and drawing a very long breath, hedived into the water and swam under the old shingle. He was just intime. Yes, Sir, he was just in time. If Farmer Brown's boy hadn't beenthinking of something else, he certainly would have noticed the littlerings on the water made by Grandfather Frog when he dived in. But he wasthinking of something else, and it wasn't until he dipped a cup in forthe second time that he even saw the old shingle.

  "Hello!" he exclaimed. "That must have blown in since I was hereyesterday. We can't have anything like that in our nice spring."

  With that he reached out for the old shingle, and Grandfather Frog,hiding under it, gave himself up for lost. But the anxious Little Breezehad been watching sharply and the instant he saw what Farmer Brown's boywas going to do, he played the old, old trick of snatching his hat fromhis head. The truth is, he couldn't think of anything else to do. FarmerBrown's boy grabbed at his hat, and then, because he was in a hurry andhad other things to do, he started off without once thinking of the oldshingle again.

  "Chugarum!" cried Grandfather Frog, as he swam out from under theshingle and climbed up on it, "That certainly was a close call. If Ihave many more like it, I certainly shall die of fright."

  Nothing more happened for a long time, and Grandfather Frog waswondering if it wouldn't be safe to take a nap when he saw peeping overthe edge above him two eyes. They were greenish yellow eyes, and theystared and stared. Grandfather Frog stared and stared back. He justcouldn't help it. He didn't know who they belonged to. He couldn'tremember ever having seen them before. He was afraid, and yet somehow hecouldn't make up his mind to jump. He stared so hard at the eyes that hedidn't notice a long furry paw slowly, very slowly, reaching downtowards him. Nearer it crept and nearer. Then suddenly it moved like aflash. Grandfather Frog felt sharp claws in his white and yellowwaistcoat, and before he could even open his mouth to cry "Chugarum," hewas sent flying through the air and landed on his back in the grass.Pounce! Two paws pinned him down, and the greenish yellow eyes were notan inch from his own. They belonged to Black Pussy, Farmer Brown's cat.

  XXIII

  THE DEAR OLD SMILING POOL ONCE MORE

  Black Pussy was having a good time. Grandfather Frog wasn't. It wasgreat fun for Black Pussy to slip a paw under Grandfather Frog and tosshim up in the air. It was still more fun to pretend to go away, but tohide instead, and the instant Grandfather Frog started off, to pounceupon him and cuff him and roll him about. But there wasn't any fun in itfor Grandfather Frog. In the first place, he didn't know whether or notBlack Pussy liked Frogs to eat, and he was terribly frightened. In thesecond place, Black Pussy didn't always cover up her claws, and theypricked right through Grandfather Frog's white and yellow waistcoat andhurt, for he is very tender there.

  At last Black Pussy grew tired of playing, so catching up GrandfatherFrog in her mouth, she started along the little path from the spring tothe Long Lane. Grandfather Frog didn't even kick, which was just aswell, because if he had, Black Pussy would have held him tighter, andthat would have been very uncomfortable indeed.

  "It's all over, and this is the end," moaned Grandfather Frog. "I'mgoing to be eaten now. Oh, why, why did I ever leave the Smiling Pool?"

  Just as Black Pussy slipped into the Long Lane, Grandfather Frog heard afamiliar sound. It was a whistle, a merry whistle. It was the whistle ofFarmer Brown's boy. It was coming nearer and nearer. A little bit ofhope began to stir in the heart of Grandfather Frog.

  He didn't know just why, but it did. Always he had been in the greatestfear of Farmer Brown's boy, but now--well, if Farmer Brown's boy shouldtake him, he might get away from him as he did before, but he was verysure that he never, never could get away from Black Pussy.

  The whistle drew nearer. Black Pussy stopped. Then she began to make aqueer whirring sound deep down in her throat.

  "Hello, Black Pussy! Have you been hunting? Come here and show me whatyou've got," cried a voice.

  Black Pussy arched up her back and began to rub against the legs ofFarmer Brown's boy, and all the time the whir, ring sound in her throatgrew louder and louder. Farmer Brown's boy stooped down to see what shehad in her mouth.

  "Why," he exclaimed, "I do believe this is the very same old frog thatgot away from me! You don't want him, Puss. I'll just put him in mypocket and take him up to the house by and by."

  With that he took Grandfather Frog from Black Pussy and dropped him inhis pocket. He patted Black Pussy, called her a smart cat, and thenstarted on his way, whistling merrily. It was dark and rather close inthat pocket, but Grandfather Frog didn't mind this. It was a lot betterthan feeling sharp teeth and claws all the time. He wondered how soonthey would reach the house and what would happen to him then. After whatseemed like a long, long time, he felt himself swung through the air,and then he landed on the ground with a thump that made him grunt.Farmer Brown's boy had taken off his coat and thrown it down.

  The whistling stopped. Everything was quiet. Grandfather Frog waitedand listened, but not a sound could he hear. Then he saw a little ray oflight creeping into his prison. He squirmed and pushed, and all of asudden he was out of the pocket. The bright light made him blink. Assoon as he could see, he looked to see where he was. Then he rubbed hiseyes with both hands and looked again. He wasn't at Farmer Brown's houseat all. Where do you think he was? Why, right on the bank of the SmilingPool, and a little way off was Farmer Brown's boy fishing!

  "Chugarum!" cried Grandfather Frog, and it was the loudest, gladdestchugarum that the Smiling Pool ever had heard. "Chugarum!" he criedagain, and with a great leap he dived with a splash into the dear oldSmiling Pool, which smiled more than ever.

  And never again has Grandfather Frog tried to see the Great World. Heis quite content to leave
it to those who like to dwell there. And sincehis own wonderful adventures, he has been ready to believe anything heis told about what happens there. Nothing can surprise him, not even theastonishing things that happened to Chatterer the Red Squirrel, aboutwhich it takes a whole book to tell.