see it clearly

Grandfather Frog Has A Grouch

By Thornton W. Burgess

Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad in the Smiling Pool. Grandfather Frog was out of sorts. In fact, he had the very worst kind of a grouch. Now, a grouch is a very bad thing to have; it makes everyone uncomfortable and no one likes to come anywhere near one who is grouchy.

So Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily-pad and couldn't see that jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was smiling, nor that the Merry Little Breezes were playing in the meadow grass, nor could he hear the birds singing, or the bees humming. In fact, he was so grouchy that he let three foolish green flies go right past his nose. And what do you think it was all about? Why, it was just because his cousin, old Mr. Toad, had beaten him in a race the day before.

It had been a funny race, the funniest race that the Green Meadows had ever seen. Grandfather Frog's legs are longer than those of his cousin, old Mr. Toad, and Grandfather Frog had been so sure that he would win that race that even now it was hard work for him to believe that he had lost. The reason that he had lost was because Peter Rabbit had hopped up behind old Mr. Toad and shouted in his ear that Mr. Blacksnake was coming. Now, there is nothing in the world that so frightens old Mr. Toad as the thought that Mr. Blacksnake is somewhere near, and when he heard Peter shout that, he hopped so fast that he passed Grandfather Frog and won the race.

Of course, all the little meadow and forest people teased Grandfather Frog almost to death. They teased him so much that Grandfather Frog quite lost his temper, and this is the reason that he sat on his big green lily-pad and was so grouchy that even the Merry Little Breezes kept away from the Smiling Pool.

"It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all," grumbled Grandfather Frog to himself. "I can beat old Mr. Toad every day in the week and he knows it."

Just then he saw his cousin, old Mr. Road coming down to the edge of the Smiling Pool. Grandfather Frog shook his fist. Yes, Sir, he actually shook his fist at his cousin, old Mr. Toad. And when old Mr. Toad just grinned at him, Grandfather Frog hopped up and shook both fists. Old Mr. Toad said nothing, he just grinned and grinned. The more he grinned, the angrier Grandfather Frog became.

"I'll race you again right now," shouted Grandfather Frog.

Now Peter Rabbit had come down to the edge of the Smiling Pool without being seen and when he heard Grandfather Frog say that, Peter just stole around behind old Mr. Road and shouted just as he had the day before, "here comes Mr. Blacksnake!"

Off started Mr. Toad, just as he had the day before, without even turning to see what was behind him. Grandfather Frog watched him go and then all of a sudden Grandfather opened his big mouth just as wide as he could and began to laugh.

"Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho! He, he, he!" shouted Grandfather Frog and held on to his sides. You see he had just realized for the first time what a joke it all was, and it tickled him so that he nearly split his sides laughing.

And that was the end of Grandfather Frog's grouch.