JOHN BULL FROG'S STORY

In a few days both Grandfather Bull Frog and the stranger were about the pond once more. Scratches were still to be seen on their shiny coats, but Mother Nature was giving them her very best care and they were healing rapidly. Most of the time they both hid under some big cool leaves where the hot sun could not find them and where the gentle breezes helped to heal their wounds.

Everyone about the Frog Pond praised Bully for what he had done until his foolish little head was filled with pride. His brothers and sisters didn't understand how he had dared do such a thing as attack that fierce, strange frog. They told him he had saved Grandfather Bull Frog's life. Bully really believed this was true. Was not old Grandfather about ready to quit when he had jumped in and helped him? We shall just have to forgive him for being a bit puffed up. We can't really blame him very much if his head was turned with pride. It would make almost anyone proud to have his whole family saying nice things about him. Bully, sitting on his lily pad and looking up at the sky, even thought the little stars were winking and nodding their approval of what he had done. Mrs. Moon's lovely face no longer wore a frown. She seemed to beam kindly on him as she rode slowly along in the clear sky. Even the tall cat-tails nodded their brown heads, and the faces of the snowy water lilies seemed smiling at him in the moonlight. Yes, Bully's heart was full of pride and happiness as he sat there on his lily pad. Do you wonder at it?

About a week after the great fight Grandfather Bull Frog said he was again able to lead the concert. When each frog was in his usual place, Grandfather looked about and said, "This stranger has promised to be good if we will let him live in the old Frog Pond. I will do as you say. Shall he stay?"

All the frogs at once croaked loudly, "Yes, let him stay if he really promises to be good."

"I shall be glad to have him stay," said Grandfather Bull Frog. "We will give him for his home the deep place over by the bulrushes. Now before we begin to sing suppose we ask him to tell us his story."

The stranger stood up and, beginning very meekly, said, "I thank you for letting me stay. I shall try to do right. You see, I have not always been a trouble-making frog. I wandered away from my old home and have been living among the wrong kind of people."

"Bad company always spoils good frogs," boomed out several voices at once. "But there are no really bad frogs here, so you ought to find it easy to be good."

"Yes," he replied, "I believe everyone here is trying to do right, and I promise you I shall try to do right, too."

"We believe you will. We shall try you anyway," croaked every frog in the pond.

"Thank you very much," the stranger replied. "Now for my story:

"I came from a land far across the ocean, from a country called Belgium. With many of my family I lived in a fine old swamp which was as good a home as any frog need wish. It was very pleasant there, although the people often would catch and eat some of us. Mrs. Frog and I always managed to hide when they came looking for us, so we escaped. Yes, it was pleasant living there, until one day we saw a great many men marching by with big guns which made a dreadful noise and sent out fire and smoke. After that we were never free from fear.

"One day, when we were hurrying about looking for a safe place to hide, we saw a man's coat lying on the ground. It had a wide, deep pocket and we crawled into it and hid. We had been hiding there quite a while when a man came along, picked up the coat, and put it on. We didn't have time to get out of the pocket, so we snuggled down close to the bottom and kept still. Oh, but we were frightened! We thought we should surely be eaten. The man walked a long way, all the time talking to a companion. He had his hand in the pocket where we were hiding, but his arm was too short for his hand to touch us. At last the men stopped walking, but went on talking. We heard the man say, 'Now, where are those papers? They must be in this pocket.' And at that he reached down and found us. It seemed to make him very angry, for he jerked us out. My, how he did hurt us! 'Two frogs, ugh!' he said, and he threw us both as far as he could. As he was standing on the seashore we fell far out in the salty water. We thought we should be killed. The water made our eyes smart and made us feel ill. We swam about until a big wave tossed us upon a long, narrow, queer-looking boat that was floating on the water.

"Two men were about to board her when they saw us. One of them said, 'Oh, the Kaiser's frogs! We will take them along for mascots.' I didn't know what they meant by that. They put us down in the boat in the dark and started for sea. For many days the boat tumbled about. We were so seasick we couldn't eat. We thought we should surely die. We found out from what the men said that they were going to America to destroy New York Harbor. They talked a great deal about being able to take this country and said many times that it was theirs if they could take it. That is why I thought this Frog Pond would be mine if I could take it."

"Oh, I see!" said Grandfather Bull Frog. "You surely were in bad company."

"Yes," said the stranger, "I must have been.

"One morning we heard the men on the boat say, 'Here we are at last. Now for the torpedoes.' Then they began to hurry about as though getting ready to do something. While they hurried to and fro there came an awful crash. The noise was louder than forty old bullfrogs all singing at once. The boat went to pieces, and we, with those Germans, were blown into the air. I don't know what was wrong with that boat. I didn't understand the noise or the crash."

"It was strange," croaked all the frogs. "What could have been the matter?"

"I've wondered a lot about it," the stranger said, "but I can't think what made the noise and why the boat went all to pieces so quickly. It's certainly strange. Well, anyway, it didn't hurt Mrs. Frog and me, but the men went to pieces just like the boat. We never saw them again. We came down together and fell into more salty water. We swam about the best we could. Finally a big wave lifted us out of the water and threw us up on the shore. With our eyes, nose, and mouth smarting, we lay there for a while nearly dead. We were so weak we couldn't stand on our feet. My, I hope I shall never have to swim in salt water again! It is awful! I hate it," he said.

"There are no frogs in the world," said wise old Grandfather Frog, "who can stand salt water. We can't live in it."

"Well," continued the strange frog, "we lay so quiet on the beach that we must have seemed quite dead. By and by, opening one eye just a little, I saw a bird hopping along the shore looking for his breakfast. Coming up close to us, he said, 'Two dead frogs! Too bad, too bad!' By trying hard I managed to croak hoarsely, 'No, we're not dead. We shall soon be all right again.' The bird then told us of this beautiful place, and how the frogs in this pond had sent him to invite all other frogs to come and make it their home. He said it was not far away and that we could reach it in a few days.

"He showed us where to get a good breakfast, and after resting in the sun a few hours we started out. We were pretty weak at first, but as we hopped along, finding plenty to eat by the way, we began to feel stronger. At last we came in sight of this beautiful spot. We knew from what the bird had told us that it must be the right place. And now that you have decided to let us stay, I want to tell you how sorry I am for what I did a week ago."

"We shall have to forget that," said Grandfather Bull Frog. "And now," turning to the others, "what shall we call this stranger?" he asked.

Several frogs croaked, "Call him the Kaiser."

"No, no," said the strange frog. "Call me John Bull Frog, for I have many relatives in England. Don't call me the Kaiser. I am glad he threw us into the sea and that we are here where he can never lay hands on us again."

At that all the frogs began to say, "John Bull Frog it shall be."

So John Bull Frog we will now call him.

"Can you sing?" asked Grandfather.

"They say," said John Bull Frog, "that I'm one of the world's finest singers." He said this rather modestly, blushing just a little as he glanced first at Mrs. John Bull Frog, who sat close beside him, and then at the other frogs.

"Then will you sing for us?" asked Grandfather.

"I shall be glad to do so," said John, "but not to-night. Please excuse me this time. I don't feel like singing just now."

After a few songs by the grand chorus the meeting broke up. Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog were shown to their new home over by the bulrushes. They were thankful indeed that the other frogs had said they might stay. Before going to sleep that night they talked over all the things that had happened to them since they were thrown out of the Kaiser's pocket. How good the frogs in Rainbow Valley had been to them—better than they deserved! They made up their minds always to do right.