THE LARK'S STORY

That night Bully had a dream. In his dream he saw bad boys killing frogs, and he saw snakes and turtles eating them. He saw men, with live frogs on cruel hooks, jerking them back and forth through the water trying to catch fish with them. In his dream he saw frogs put in stuffy little pens with little to eat, and many people lean over the pen looking down at them. And he saw ducks eating thousands and thousands of young frogs. All these little cousins were reaching out their tiny hands and begging him to get the Lark to hurry and tell them how to find the Frog Pond. In his dream they told him they were unhappy where they were and wanted to go to his beautiful home.

Bully sobbed in his sleep. He wiggled about uneasily. Then he dreamed he was trying to find his friend the Lark. He went looking behind old stumps and among the rocks. He hunted among the tall weeds and grasses. In his dream he was gazing up into the treetops to see if the Lark was there. He looked and looked every place in the whole round world to find the Lark, but he could not be found. "Oh," cried Bully aloud, "what shall I do? I cannot find him!"

"Ha, ha!" sang a well-known voice near him. "And why are you moaning in your sleep?" the Lark went on, gently pecking him in the side. "Wake up! Wake up! Aren't you glad to see me?"

Bully opened his eyes, and sure enough, there was his friend on the lily pad close beside him. "Oh, those poor suffering frogs!" Bully cried out. "They want to come so much, and they don't know the way. Why didn't you tell all of them? What made you come home so soon? You didn't tell all the frogs, did you, friend Lark?"

"No, I didn't," replied the Lark. "When I went away I had made up my mind to be gone all summer, but as the days went by I thought more and more about my mate and our babies. I wondered and wondered how they were getting along without me. I wondered if they were well, or if anything had harmed them. I kept thinking of how many worms it would take every day to feed them. I wondered if my mate would be able to get enough food for them. And the more I thought about it, the more I worried. It seemed to me I wasn't a very good father to go away and leave them. I kept flying about trying to find frogs, but my thoughts were all the time with my mate and babies. I seemed to hear them calling me.

"At last I got so homesick I couldn't eat or sleep. I could only long for my home. I hated to come and break my promise. Perhaps it was foolish to think so much about my family. I made up my mind not to come home; and just then something dreadful happened that made me come.

"One afternoon I lit in an old tree to plume my feathers and rest a bit. Hearing a chirping below me, I looked down and saw a lark's nest hidden among some tall grasses. The father and mother lark were flying about looking for worms and insects to feed their hungry family. They were so happy! They seemed to love one another so much, and how proud they were of their babies! It kept them pretty busy to get enough food. Often they would be away for some time.

"As I sat on the limb watching this family of larks, it made me think of my own dear mate and babies. I hid my head under my wing and cried. I could not eat my supper that night. I didn't feel like it. I just sat there thinking of that lark family. Some time in the night a cry of fear rang out. Opening my eyes, I saw the father lark flying swiftly round and round above the nest. He was crying out in wild grief and terror.

"As the moon was bright, I could plainly see why he cried out. A coyote had found the larks. He was eating the mother bird. After that it took him only a little time to eat the babies. The father bird was almost crazy with grief, but there was nothing he could do. He had just to bear his trouble as best he could.

"After I saw what happened to that lark family I just had to come home. There seemed no other way. I started at once, and flew and flew and flew as fast as I could, without food or rest. I was so afraid something dreadful had happened to my mate and babies. But I found them all well and doing finely. Mrs. Lark says she wishes me to go again and tell the rest of the frogs about this pond, as she is very sorry for them. She wants them to be happy. I think I shall start in a few days."

Bully told the Lark he was glad he loved his babies so much, and that all the frogs loved him for being so good to them.

"Have many of them come?" the Lark asked him.

"Yes," Bully told him, "a good many of them are here. And they seem to like it."

"I shall try to go again," the Lark said. "I have heard of several frogs I wish to invite. I know they would like to come. I've been told there are some frogs shut up in a stuffy pen. I must find them and get them free. An oriole told me he saw a big strange frog wandering about all alone, not seeming to know where to go. I must find him too. And there are many others to tell. Now I must fly back to Mrs. Lark and the babies."

He spread his wings and was gone. Bully hurried over to the island to tell Grandfather Bull Frog all the Lark had told him.