see it clearly

Grandfather Frog Gains Wisdom

By Thornton W. Burgess

Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad dreaming of the days when the world was young. His hands were clasped across his white and yellow waistcoat and he looked the picture of contentment. Presently out of the corner of one big goggly eye he caught sight of something moving. It wasn't a foolish green fly. No, it didn't act like a fly. What could it be? Grandfather Frog changed his position so that he could see better.

Just then he heard Jerry Muskrat slap the water with his tail, which is Jerry's danger signal. Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter heard it and didn't wait to ask questions. They slid off the Big Rock into the Smiling Pool and out of sight. But Grandfather Frog was too much interested in the queer thing that had caught his eye to heed any warnings. The thing was very curious, very curious indeed! It was red, a very bright red.

Now Grandfather Frog is very old and he is accounted very wise, but even age and wisdom are sometimes foolish. It was so with Grandfather Frog. Red is a color for which he has no liking. It always makes him angry. Here was this bright red thing dangling before his eyes and it annoyed him.

"Chugarum!" said Grandfather Frog, and sprang at it with his big mouth wide open. Before it could close on the queer red thing the latter was snatched away by one of Old Mother West Wind's Merry Little Breezes. Grandfather Frog landed with a great splash in the Smiling Pool.

Now, the most foolish thing in the world is for wisdom to lose its temper, and that is just what Grandfather Frog did. Yes, Sir, he lost his temper. As fast as he could climb out on the big green lily-pad he leaped for that queer red thing, and the Merry Little Breezes had all they could do to snatch it away from him each time. In vain they whispered "Danger! Danger!" in his ear. In vain Jerry Muskrat slapped the water with his tail. Grandfather Frog was deaf to everything and blind to all save the provoking red thing.

Finally he had to stop for breath. Very cautiously Jerry Muskrat swam under the big green lily-pad on which Grandfather Frog was sitting. Reaching over the edge he poked Grandfather Frog in the back.

"Look out for Farmer Brown's boy," whispered Jerry.

Then for the first time Grandfather Frog looked. Sure enough, there was Farmer Brown's freckle-faced boy on the bank of the Smiling Pool. He was reaching out with a long pole from which dangled a string and on the end of the string was a hook half hidden by a bit of red flannel.

"Chugarum!" exclaimed Grandfather Frog, and dived under the lily-pads, while the Merry Little Breezes danced happily away over the Green Meadows to look for Johnny Chuck.

And since that day Grandfather Frog has been wiser than ever, which is one reason why he is very, very fond of the Merry Little Breezes and of Jerry Muskrat.