A RUDE STRANGER

It was almost evening. The big round sun was growing larger and redder as the clouds spread their white, fleecy blanket over him as they were putting him to bed. The spring wind, which had howled fiercely all through the long day, tossing things about from place to place, had now become a gentle evening breeze which whispered softly among the leaves and grasses. The evening shadows were gently creeping under the trees as Bully climbed onto the log once more. He was very happy to-night. Every frog about the Pond seemed to feel happy, too. Did they not have the most beautiful spot on the whole earth for a home? He sat watching the butterflies chase each other, darting swiftly here and there under the trees and over the still water. Their red and yellow wings looked very beautiful as the sun shot his last beam of light through a break in the clouds. Some of those wings at that moment looked like pure gold. Grandfather Bull Frog was beginning to call loudly from the island. It was time for the full chorus. How fine it was to be a frog, thought Bully as he sat there listening as a voice called first here then there.

"Yes, it's just splendid to be a frog," he said to himself.

He thought he was alone until he was rudely pushed to one side by a big strange frog. "Here," said the newcomer, "wake up, you sleepy little frog, and tell us if this is the place we are looking for."

Bully quickly turned around. There, right beside him, sat two very big frogs. They looked larger even than Grandfather Bull Frog or Grandmother Bull Frog, although they were really not any larger. "Can't you talk?" they said. "Is this the Frog Pond the Lark told us about?"

"Y-e-s, I think it is," said Bully. He was frightened. Yes, truly he was afraid of those strange frogs. They didn't look one bit friendly.

"Now tell us," the stranger went on, "who is it we see on the island over there?"

"That," Bully was at last able to say, "is Grandfather Bull Frog. He rules this Pond. Shall I take you to see him?"

"You needn't do any such thing, youngster," the stranger replied. "I can attend to that myself."

The stranger was not at all polite. Bully didn't know what was best to do. He was afraid even to get off the log unless he was told he might do so.

The strange frog got slowly to the ground, jumped into the water, and swam to the island. Then Bully sprang off the log as quickly as he could. He was a bit afraid of Mrs. Stranger, who was still sitting there. But he swam quickly over to his lily pad and climbed upon it, for he wanted to hear what the stranger said to Grandfather Bull Frog.

Grandfather Bull Frog saw the strange frog coming toward the island and went to meet him.

"I am very glad to welcome you to our Frog Pond," said he.

The stranger did not reply at once. By and by he said, "This is a nice island."

"Yes, it is," answered Grandfather Bull Frog.

"I think," said the stranger, "I will take it for my home. You can find a place for yourself somewhere else."

Grandfather Bull Frog was too much surprised at first to reply. But he finally said, "You don't seem to understand how it is. You see, I am the ruler of this Frog Pond and the island is my home."

"That makes no difference," said the stranger slowly. "It's going to be my island now, and you must get off at once, for I'm going to take it."

With that he began to puff out his cheeks, bulge out his big eyes, and snap his teeth together. He looked as if he were ready to swallow poor old Grandfather Bull Frog whole. While he kept up this threatening manner, he moved closer and closer to Grandfather, with his body very close to the ground. He didn't hop, but crept up an inch or two at a time, with his wicked eyes fixed on Grandfather Bull Frog. It certainly looked as if a very bad frog had arrived.

Bully had thought the strange frog looked anything but friendly when he first saw him on the log, but now he looked ten times more wicked. Where Bully sat he could see and hear everything that was going on. He watched Grandfather closely to see how he would take what the stranger was saying and doing. Would he frighten him into giving up the island? Bully was afraid he might. Bully thought he wouldn't blame Grandfather very much if he did, for the strange frog certainly looked both bad and big.

But Grandfather Frog didn't say a word. At first he looked surprised, then his handsome old face clouded all over with the most fearful rage. His big eyes fairly blazed with wrath, his cheeks puffed out hugely, and all at once he seemed much bigger than the bad stranger. He didn't move back an inch as he saw the bad frog coming toward him. He planted his big feet more firmly on the ground, as though about to make a mighty leap. He stretched out his neck with his chin almost touching the ground. Then, opening his big mouth and showing all his sharp teeth, he made one short leap and landed right on the back of that wicked stranger.

Grandfather jumped so suddenly and with so much force, that the bad frog was knocked down and rolled over and over on his back in the dirt. He was taken entirely by surprise, for he expected Grandfather to be so frightened he would leave the island without a fight. But before he knew what was happening, he was down, with Grandfather's big teeth gripping him in his side. My, how it hurt! He began to see his folly and the danger he was in and he wished he had been good. He saw that he must make the fight of his life. So, watching his chance, he sank his teeth into Grandfather's side. This made Grandfather bite all the harder, and sink his big teeth in all the deeper.

Each one holding onto the other, they rolled about in the dust, kicking, biting, and scratching. Grandfather stuck one of his fingers into the left eye of the bad frog, which almost made him let go, but just then the strange frog stuck his knee into Grandfather's stomach, almost knocking the breath out of him. He pulled his finger out of the bad frog's eye to hold it for a moment on his own stomach. The fight went on. Now the stranger was down on his back, and now Grandfather was under the stranger. They were so evenly matched in size and strength that it was hard to tell who would win.

But there was a bit of difference. Grandfather was in the right, and knew it, while the bad frog was in the wrong, and he knew it, too. It makes one strong to feel he is in the right. Grandfather was fighting for his home and family, and the stranger was fighting for that which didn't belong to him. This made the one strong and the other weak.

It was a dreadful battle to those who looked on. Every frog in the pond was too frightened to come near. Most of them jumped into the water and swam out of sight of it, while others hid under leaves and stones or behind logs. Once in a while the braver ones would put their noses out and take a peep at the fighters and then dodge quickly back. A stillness hung over the whole Frog Pond. If anyone spoke, he did so in a whisper. The frogs had never seen two big frogs fight before. Neither had they ever seen dear old Grandfather look so terrible.

On went the fight. Neither was willing to give up. Sometimes it looked as if Grandfather would surely win, then the bad frog would succeed in getting on top and it looked as if he would win. Bully could see that Grandfather was on top most of the time, yet he was afraid for him just the same. The big frog was giving him about all he could do. Both were now breathing hard and fighting as if for life.

The big round moon came up and looked down on them through the trees. She could see the frogs fighting, and Bully fancied there was a scowl on her usually smiling face. And he wondered what she thought of such a sight. The little stars peeped down upon the island. They did not seem to twinkle and sparkle as usual. The wind sighed and moaned in the treetops. The dew fell on the leaves and grasses. Bully thought it very like tears Mother Nature was shedding over the dreadful battle being fought on the island. Oh, why had the Lark invited the bad frog to come to the island to spoil their happiness!

There was no evening concert. Not a frog sang even one note. The only sound was that low, muffled, rolling-about noise over on the island. It was almost midnight. But not a frog had thought of sleep. But at last the sounds grew fainter and fainter. Bully wondered if Grandfather Bull Frog was dying. Perhaps they both were dying. How he wished he knew! Oh, if he could only see how the fight was going! He wondered why some of the other frogs didn't do something to help Grandfather. All of them seemed too terrified to think of anything. They just kept out of sight.

Finally Bully could stand it no longer. He slipped off his lily pad and swam over to the island and quietly peeped through the tall grasses. They were still fighting, and poor old Grandfather Bull Frog seemed very weak. He looked as if he couldn't hold out much longer. But the strange frog looked as if he would soon have to quit also. Bully was very sure Grandfather needed help. He rushed through the grass and went right up to that big strange frog. He set his little sharp teeth into the side of the strange frog's cheek and hung on with all his might. The strange frog couldn't hurt him without letting go of Grandfather Bull Frog. So Bully hung on. All three rolled about in the dust. At last the strange frog let go of Grandfather Bull Frog and fell back. Bully put his cold little nose against him to let him know he was sorry. He stayed close by until morning. By that time Grandfather was able to hop about a little. The big strange frog moved about some, too. When Bully and Grandfather went up to him, he drew back, saying, "Don't kill me, please don't! And please let me stay here. I will be good."

"No," said Grandfather Bull Frog, "I am not going to kill you. And you may stay if you will promise never again to try to take this island."

The big frog promised. And he was as good as his word. Like some people who have to learn their lessons in life by sad experience, this strange frog never forgot the lesson of that awful night. He became a wiser and better frog and one of Grandfather's best friends.