JOHN BULL FROG MAKES GOOD

The days slipped slowly away. The people, big and little, in and about the pond were silent and sad—all except the ducks. They swam about, ate all the frogs they could hold, and were as happy as well-fed ducks could be. They hadn't anything to worry about, so why shouldn't they be happy? They thought they were very lucky to have found such a lovely spot in which to make a nest and raise a family. They made themselves perfectly at home in the Frog Pond. They liked the tall grasses and the quiet water. They loved this home better than any other they had ever had. It was so safe. Then there was such fine swimming and so much to eat. They could eat just as many frogs as they wanted.

The frogs watched them nearly all the time. They peeped slyly from under a big leaf or from behind a rock. They put their heads for a moment up out of the water and then dodged quickly back. In this way they were able to find out where the ducks were at any time of day. They thought it very hard that they must be so careful because all the time a great danger was always near at hand.

One bright morning after the ducks had lived there some time, the frogs who were watching closely saw Mrs. Duck throwing shells from the nest. Now and then she would quack softly. Mr. Duck and she both seemed very happy about something. Bully wondered what it could be. As the hours passed, still more shells were thrown out. Now the knowing old frogs seemed sadder and more worried than ever. "Things are getting worse here every day," he heard some one say. He looked around and saw several old bullfrogs near him watching Mrs. Duck. The frog who had spoken continued, "Now that duck will come from her nest in a day or two with a whole brood of babies. She will then take them to the water and they will eat all of our polly-wogs."

"It is very bad," said another frog. "I don't know what we shall do!"

"Do you suppose," said another, "that Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog can do anything?"

"Oh, I'm all out of patience with hearing about that!" was the answer. "If they can do anything, why haven't they done it before this? Now instead of two ducks we shall probably have a dozen of them. I just can't bear to think of those John Bull Frogs and their promises," he continued. "They have promised so much and have done so little. There they are now!"

Bully looked toward the bulrushes, and sure enough, there were Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog climbing up on their rock. They seemed very happy today—happier than he had ever seen them. They were both smiling as they watched the ducks. In fact, there was a broad grin on John Bull Frog's handsome face, as he nudged Mrs. John Bull Frog with his elbow and pointed toward Mrs. Duck and her family.

"Just look at them now," said an old frog. "I really believe they are laughing. Don't they know that their babies will disappear faster than ever now?"

"They don't seem to care for their babies," said a fat old frog. "The hard-hearted things, I wish they had never come here at all!"

Still more shells were thrown from the nest, and the ducks were quacking softly.

Bully heard some one crying. He looked around to see who it was. Mrs. Toad was sitting in her doorway sobbing, "Oh, my poor toadies, my poor little polly-wogs! What shall I do? What shall I do?"

There seemed to be nothing that she or anybody else could do. Everyone seemed downhearted and discouraged except Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog and those dreadful ducks. The frogs were very, very unhappy for the next day or two as they waited to see the ducks come from their nest.

At last, early one morning when the big bright round sun was just peeping through the treetops, and the dew on the grass around the Frog Pond was sparkling like thousands of tiny diamonds, Mrs. Duck stepped out of her nest, saying, "Quack, quack," very softly. Behind her toddled ten of the most beautiful little downy ducklings any mother could wish for. Mr. Duck walked with them to the edge of the pond to help Mrs. Duck get them into the water. He wanted to show them the nice young polly-wogs they were to have for breakfast, too. No one has to teach a little duck to swim any more than a young robin has to be taught to eat worms. A duckling seems to know all about swimming from the day he leaves the nest.

When the ducks were all in the water, the frogs who were watching on the opposite side of the pond saw Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog quietly slip into the pond and go out of sight. Then very soon they saw two of the little ducks suddenly disappear under the water. In a short time Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog climbed back on their rock. They looked a bit fatter and happier than when they went in. The frogs couldn't understand what made them seem so. And what had become of those two little ducks!

Mr. and Mrs. Duck didn't seem to notice that anything unusual had happened. After they had eaten their breakfast of young frogs and polly-wogs they left the Frog Pond. Mrs. Duck led her family back to the home nest and cuddled them snugly under her warm wings. There were really only eight left, but she didn't seem to notice. She is not very good at numbers.

The next morning all the frogs were smiling broadly. They knew now why Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog had looked so happy the day before. They gathered early on their bank of the Frog Pond to see if Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog would dare do the same thing they had done the day before. Sure enough, when the ducks were all swimming around in the water, the John Bulls slipped from their rock and disappeared.

The eyes of the frogs who were watching almost popped out of their heads from excitement. Pretty soon they saw two more little ducks go under the water with a jerk, just as had happened the day before. This time they heard one give a faint little quack. After a few moments Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog climbed back on their rock. They were smiling more broadly than ever and looked as if they had enjoyed a very good breakfast. This time Mrs. Duck seemed to notice that something was wrong, but she didn't know just what it was. Very soon she left the water with her babies. Six little ducks were all she had now. She looked around and quacked a few times. Then she sat down on the bank of the pond and called to the little ducks to come and get under her wings. She put her head first under one wing and then under the other as though she was trying to count her family. Perhaps she was!

The next day you may be sure every frog in the pond, as well as Mrs. Toad and even the tree frogs, gathered early on the banks to see the Duck family go down to the water for their morning swim. Every frog face wore a wide smile. Bully was full of joy, and even Mrs. Toad had wiped away her tears and was smiling a wee bit of a smile. But Mr. and Mrs. Duck didn't seem quite as happy as usual. They had a worried look. Their quacks sounded almost like a sob. The ducks and frogs in Rainbow Valley had begun to change places. A few days ago the ducks were happy and the frogs were sad. Now the frogs were ready to hold their sides with laughter and the ducks were looking troubled and frightened.

Mrs. Duck didn't start out as early as usual this morning. She kept looking this way and then that, and acted as though she were worried about something. No matter which way she looked about the pond, she could see nothing but frogs. They seemed to be everywhere, and each one seemed to be looking straight at her and her family. But surely, thought she, they can't harm me or my family. But she didn't seem to understand what the trouble was, or why all those frogs were sitting on the bank and watching her. Now where were those other little ducks? Surely she had more than these. But she couldn't answer any of these questions.

The little ducks under her wings began to quack softly. This meant they were hungry and wanted some breakfast. Her babies must be fed, and she knew of no food quite so good for them as polly-wogs. Why hadn't she fed them before? They ought to have had their breakfast long ago. As she thought this she got up and waddled slowly to the edge of the water, the little ducks following her eagerly. She watched carefully to see that no danger was near. She gathered them all around her for a few minutes and quacked softly to them. Then she led them down into the water. Soon they were having such a splendid time swimming happily about and eating their breakfast.

But all too soon Mrs. Duck and Mr. Duck, who had also come down to the water, heard two real loud little quacks. Now they really were worried. They left the water at once, but only four of their family toddled after them. They looked all about, and then looked at their babies, and all the time Mother Duck kept saying, "Quack, quack." She was surely calling, calling, calling those other dear downy babies of hers. But they had gone away and would never come back. Her voice shook as she called, and there was a big lump in her throat. Mr. Duck didn't say much. He didn't seem to be able to quack out loud. He just walked along after those four babies not looking at anything else.

It was much later than usual the next day when Mrs. Duck came back to the old Frog Pond to feed her four babies. She acted as if she did not want to go near the water. It was there she had lost her other downy babies. She waited about as long as she could. For some time the little ducks had been calling loudly for their breakfast. She had tucked them back under her wings and kept them there as long as she could. They kept saying they wanted to go to the pond and catch polly-wogs for breakfast. They were so very, very hungry. She told them they might leave the nest, but she did not like to start out with them.

She could see no danger, but somehow she was in great fear that morning. At last she left the nest, but she did not mean to let the four little ducks go near the water. But what did those naughty babies of hers do? As soon as she left the nest the little ducks ran ahead of her as fast as their short yellow legs would carry them. Then they plunged right into the water. Mrs. Duck ran after them, quacking softly at first, then louder and louder. She begged them to come back. Then she scolded them. But like all naughty children, they wouldn't mind her. They loved the water and the tender little polly-wogs. They were sure there was nothing to be afraid of. They thought anybody could see that. Why was mother making such a fuss? That is what they asked as they ate their breakfast.

It took Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog only a moment or two to gobble up two more little ducklings. This time the frogs who were watching heard two sharp, shrill little quacks. The father and mother ducks heard them too. Then they both began to quack wildly and swim frantically about. They hurried from the pond with only two downy ducklings following—all that was left of their lovely family. They ran up and down the shore ruffling their feathers and quacking loudly. But Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog climbed leisurely back to their place on the rock with a broad smirk on their faces and looking very fat and contented.

The two old ducks took their two babies and hurried off through the woods as fast as the ducklings could go, all the time looking back with eyes wide with fright. Bully followed as near as he dared, keeping out of sight. He met a Robin who said he would follow the ducks and then come back and tell him where they went. Late in the afternoon the Robin flew back and said the ducks had told him they were going far away, and never, never again would they be seen in that awful Frog Pond or in Rainbow Valley.

That night you may be sure the music in and about the old Frog Pond was wonderful. Every frog sang his loudest. Bully was so happy he could not sit still. He stood right up and danced a jig on his lily pad.

Bully danced a jig on his lily pad