NEWS

"Caw, caw, caw!" cried a black Crow as he lit in the top of a tall old tree. "Caw, caw, caw!" he cried again as he flew across the Frog Pond and lit in a tree on the opposite shore. No one paid the least bit of attention to him, so he flew over the pond and lit on the old limb that reached out over Grandfather's island. Flapping his wings, he again cried loudly, "Caw, caw, caw!"

The frogs paid no attention to the Crow because he came often to the Frog Pond and called to them from the treetops. Maybe he did this because he thought he was a better singer than the frogs. Another reason why they did not notice him might have been because it was early twilight and everyone was busy hunting his supper.

"Caw, caw, caw!" he cried. "News, news, news! Listen to the news I have to tell you!"

"What's the matter with you? Have you gone crazy?" asked Golden Tree Frog as he came hurrying along the limb to the place where the crow was perched.

"Have you gone crazy?" Golden Tree Frog asked the Crow

"No, I'm not crazy," answered the Crow crossly. "And if you're not going to be polite, I shall spread my wings and fly away without telling you my news. I'm very sure the frogs of this pond would like to know what I found out, but if they all think more of filling their stomachs than of listening to me, I shall not take the trouble to tell it."

"Please pardon us, friend Crow," said Golden Tree Frog. "I will go and see if I can find Grandfather Bull Frog."

Back along the old limb and quickly down the tree trunk to the ground he ran, and soon was out of sight. It was not long before Grandfather and Grandmother Bull Frog and Golden Tree Frog swam quickly from among the bulrushes to the island. As soon as they had landed, Grandfather croaked loudly three or four times. At the summons every frog stopped eating his supper at once and went splashing off through the water to join Grandfather on his island.

Bully and Mrs. House Frog were among the first to reach there. When all the frogs had landed on the island, Grandfather Bull Frog asked the Crow to tell his news.

"Yesterday," he told them, "our friend the Lark came home."

"The Lark came home!" cried several frogs all at once. "Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"Of course I'm sure," replied the Crow crisply. "Isn't he an old friend of mine? And don't I know where the Larks' nest is? I saw the Lark and talked with him. He is hard at work helping his mate find fat worms for those dear baby larks."

Then without adding anything more the Crow flew away and the astonished frogs sat still looking at each other. "What could have made the Lark come home so soon?" they asked each other.

"Surely he has not told all the frogs," sobbed Bully, "and I was so sure he would do that." Mrs. House Frog begged Bully in a whisper not to cry until he had seen his friend the Lark and found out his reason for coming home so soon.

"I can't understand why he should come back now," said Grandfather Bull Frog thoughtfully, "unless he has told all the frogs. Though I hardly think it possible that he has seen them all. But let us wait until we learn from him his reason for coming back before we find fault with him. He will no doubt be round to see us in a day or two. Then he can tell us his story."

So the frogs went back to finish their supper. Many of them said they didn't understand why their friend had not done as he promised. Bully was so worried he just couldn't eat his supper. Climbing on his lily pad, he sat there all alone thinking sadly about his friend, for he felt sure he hadn't quite done as he had promised.