Mother West Wind's Animal Friends

by Thornton W. Burgess

  XI

  GRANDFATHER FROG'S JOURNEY

  Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad in the Smiling Pooland--Grandfather Frog was asleep! There was no doubt about it,Grandfather Frog was really and truly asleep. His hands were foldedacross his white and yellow waistcoat and his eyes were closed. Threetimes the Merry Little Breezes blew a foolish green fly right past hisnose;--Grandfather Frog didn't so much as blink.

  Presently Billy Mink discovered that Grandfather Frog was asleep.Billy's little black eyes twinkled with mischief as he hurried over tothe slippery slide in search of Little Joe Otter. Then the two scampshunted up Jerry Muskrat. They found him very busy storing away a supplyof food in his new house. At first Jerry refused to listen to what theyhad to say, but the more they talked the more Jerry became interested.

  "We won't hurt Grandfather Frog, not the least little bit," protestedBilly Mink. "It will be just the best joke and the greatest fun ever,and no harm done."

  The more Jerry thought over Billy Mink's plan, the funnier the jokeseemed. Finally Jerry agreed to join Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter.Then the three put their heads together and with a lot of giggling andchuckling they planned their joke on Grandfather Frog.

  Now Jerry Muskrat can stay a very long time under water, and his teethare long and sharp in order to cut the roots on which he depends formuch of his food. So Jerry swam out to the big green lily-pad on whichsat Grandfather Frog fast asleep. Diving way to the bottom of theSmiling Pool, Jerry cut off the stem of the big green lily-pad close toits root way down in the mud.

  While Jerry was at work doing this, Billy Mink sent the Merry LittleBreezes hurrying over the Green Meadows to call all the little meadowpeople to the Smiling Pool. Then, when Jerry Muskrat came up for abreath of air, Billy Mink dived down and, getting hold of the end of thelily-pad stem, he began to swim, towing the big green lily-pad after himvery slowly and gently so as not to waken Grandfather Frog. When Billyhad to come up for air, Little Joe Otter took his place. Then JerryMuskrat took his turn.

  Across the Smiling Pool, past the Big Rock, they towed the big greenlily-pad, while Grandfather Frog slept peacefully, his hands foldedover his white and yellow waistcoat. Past the bulrushes and JerryMuskrat's new house, past Little Joe Otter's slippery slide sailedGrandfather Frog, and still he slept and dreamed of the days when theworld was young.

  Out of the Smiling Pool and into the Laughing Brook, where the brownwater flows smoothly, the three little swimmers towed the big greenlily-pad. It floated along of itself now, and all they had to do was tosteer it clear of rocks and old logs. Once it almost got away from them,on the edge of a tiny waterfall, but all three pulling together towed itout of danger. At last, in a dear little pool with a mossy green bank,they anchored the big green lily-pad.

  Then Billy Mink hurried back to the Smiling Pool to tell the littlemeadow people where to find Grandfather Frog. Little Joe Otter climbedout on the mossy green bank and Jerry Muskrat joined him there to restand dry off. One by one the little meadow people came hurrying up. ReddyFox was the first. Then came Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk. Ofcourse Peter Rabbit was on hand. You can always count Peter in, whenthere is anything going on among the little meadow people. Danny MeadowMouse and Happy Jack Squirrel arrived quite out of breath. Sammy Jay andBlacky the Crow were not far behind. Last of all came Jimmy Skunk, whonever hurries.

  Each in turn peeped over the edge of the mossy green bank to seeGrandfather Frog still sleeping peacefully on his big green lily-pad inthe dear little pool. Then all hid where they could see him when heawoke, but where he could not see them.

  Presently Billy Mink reached out with a long straw and tickledGrandfather Frog on the end of his nose. Grandfather Frog opened hiseyes and yawned sleepily. Right over his head he saw jolly, round, redMr. Sun smiling down on him just as he last saw him before fallingasleep. He yawned again and then looked to see if Billy Mink was sittingon the Big Rock.

  Where was the Big Rock? Grandfather Frog sat up very suddenly and rubbedhis eyes. There wasn't any Big Rock! Grandfather Frog pinched himself tomake sure that he was awake. Then he rubbed his eyes again and lookeddown at the big green lily-pad. Yes, that was his, the very samelily-pad on which he sat every day.

  Grandfather Frog was more perplexed than ever. Slowly he looked around.Where were the slippery slide and Jerry Muskrat's new house? Where werethe bulrushes and where--where was the _Smiling Pool_? GrandfatherFrog's jaw dropped as he looked about him. His own big green lily-padwas the only lily-pad in sight. Had the world turned topsy-turvy whilehe slept?

  "Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "This is very strange, verystrange, indeed!"

  Then he turned around three times and pinched himself again. "Verystrange, very strange, indeed," muttered Grandfather Frog over and overagain. He scratched his head first with one hand and then with theother, and the more he scratched the stranger it all seemed.

  Just then he heard a giggle up on the mossy green bank. Grandfather Frogwhirled around. "Chug-a-rum!" he exclaimed. "Billy Mink, come out frombehind that tall grass and tell me where I am and what this means! Imight have known that you were at the bottom of it."

  Then out jumped all the little meadow people and the Merry LittleBreezes to shout and laugh and dance and roll over and over on the mossygreen bank. Grandfather Frog looked at one and then at another andgradually he began to smile. Pretty soon he was laughing as hard as anyof them, as Billy Mink told how they had towed him down to the dearlittle pool.

  "And now, Grandfather Frog, we'll take you home again," concluded BillyMink.

  So, as before, Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat tookturns towing the big green lily-pad, while in the middle of it satGrandfather Frog, catching foolish green flies which the Merry LittleBreezes blew over to him.

  Reddy Fox, Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Danny Meadow Mouse, StripedChipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel and Jimmy Skunk raced and capered alongthe bank and shouted encouragement to the three little swimmers, whileover-head flew Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow. And, never once losing hisbalance, Grandfather Frog sat on the big green lily-pad, enjoying hisstrange ride and smacking his lips over the foolish green flies.

  And so they came once more to the Smiling Pool, past the slippery slide,past the bulrushes and Jerry Muskrat's new house and the Big Rock, untilGrandfather Frog and his queer craft were once more anchored safe andsound in the old familiar place.

  "Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "I think I'd like to go again."