Show The Brook and the Frogs A Poem in Prose by Mark M. M Tuttle Tattle Composed an and read rend b by him at the the- welcome home homo dinner given gl b by Freeman Freeman Freeman Free Free- man tar in honor of ot Mrs tar on her return home from tram several se months in the east east- I NCE u on a time time- there was 1 TI t L ONCE O O brook and arid a Jovial bit of bright tangled water it was as it came camo 3 flashing lashing down the tho mountainside from L the home borne o of oC eternal snows not snows not forgetting forgetting forgetting for for- getting to bluster a n little even een after atter entering tho the bosky glades of the low low- lands But bluster being only as th the froth of oC wine soon dissipates dissIpates and and t ift KO O our presently sobered into a I staid an and self respecting ribbon of a I. I rivulet ulet us It would Its devious lous wa ra way through the ferns nn and restraining grasses until hl ha having reached the tre overarching overarching over over- arching trec trees tree's where the wood comes come comedown down to meet met the time meadow It suddenly became of ot its and ex ex- expanded expanded Into a shining shining- sheet of oC placid I water va t er Our pool thou though h shy was winning In Ic t Its ways aS shrinking from the time too ardent attentions of or the thc sun Him and nestling nestling- in inthe int the thc lowest and find grassiest spot spot and and yet yot t the tho blue of at tho the sit sky lurked in its pebbly depths while while- the bees droned ron d through the languid summer hours the hours the Improvident Im provident butterfly loitered after atter its own owr I wavering Wa way va and 1 the air from the tho billowy deeps of at the adjacent forest breathed In very truth a a. benediction 1 of peace Here Hero might ht b b. b a seen seen an arra array iii of Jt t sturdy plants Jolly good fellows fellow's a as I plants go lovers Ko-lovers lovers of ot quiet t nooks am and I Iwho who without undue trespass on the tin rights o of Camaraderie were prone to tc get close to the stream to Insure cas r laving having for their fibrous toes in th the i seepage while mingling their I In friendly embrace as a shield from fron L prying eyes and a warrant to the se seclusion seclusion seclusion se- se so acar to the denizens of at th the tho wild Some of the bolder Indigenous reeds reed I had lad waded out from tram the shore until I thc they stood knee-deep knee in limpid water flaunting their green reen plumes as though I to sn say afraid whilo while tho the more mor I timid flowers leaning gracefully over the he moss mossy edge on a a. RP spy for the re reflection re- re of at their own air fair faces looked I blushed and nodded to tho the caressing wi wind rid And here well weB within the thc shelter ot of or orsome some friendly reeds rises the Roost or to speak more mord respectfully the tin I throne-rock throne o of tho the green backed ed bull bully Ip p of tho the pool Mr Bull Frog Sr a Q fat Cat fatuous fellow and father to the thc shoal I of or puny pollywogs that fringe the shore shor with gray bellies nestling casU cosily in th the tho soft sort ooze and their brown backs Just Jus C breaking tile the magic magic- meeting meeting- line o 1 of C air and water while unwittingly ly await awalt- 1 lu lug ing an exchange of oC caudal attachments S I for for little legs legH goggle optics and th tho eerie cerle croak peculiar pecullar to marsh dwellers 1 Here also In the gloaming th the light of oC the solemn moon Mr lIr B. B r F F. F tells his beads beads- as all aU thoughtful I amphibious citizens do do baSs bags unwar unwary bugs or wakes uncanny ec echoes oes that tha t give somber tinges to the thc dreams o 1 of restless sleepers sleepers and and then n when th tho n moon hangs hailS's now at peace with his stomach and arid the tho world pipes a good gOal goodnight goodnight night croak and tal takes ti a header into the tho wooing water where he sleeps the sleep of at the just wrapped in a mantle of ot woven waves beneath the tho roots of or ofa ofa ora a convenient tre tree II But our venerable patriarch It lt by no means the only toad In the- the puddle for In evidence are sundry last years year's eals ta tadpoles tail tad poles who having already laid aside their and donned green s-reen pants and white waistcoats with sickly whits breast trimmings and expanded their modest mouths Into cavernous Inch four slits silts are aro by reason thereof somewhat puffed purred up and given s-Iven to wind windy and prolonged vo vociferation which Is by frog wisdom fashioned into sibilant and hallelujah choruses somewhat choruses somewhat at off color perhaps t L 3 L I I. I 1 I 1 as a regards tuna tune an and variety but hut maKIn making making mak maK- ing In up in vigor of oC sustained notes the lack of ot tone quality an and having the vibrato down so pat as to suggest st the so source from flom which aping humanity con contracted this ha habit bl t. t So it goes loes without saying that tho they being in their a c have sprightly wa ways and make it interesting for the older amphibians amphibians-a blans-a blans a course ourse of or procedure not altogether unknown even en evenIn In higher circles of at existence The They are arc of at course prone to th tho th habit of or leap frog end and alsoto also alsoto to flashing fringes of or emerald legs in air In their haste to be he first to splash p ash the water or water or to sitting sitting- so pertly ertl de demure demure demuro de- de mure muro a la Ia upon a. a mos mossy mosey n- n stone that It only needs twisted leaf leaf- cones cocked aslant to emphasize em- em time the likeness to certain lings 8 of oC the genus homo But let us whisper a secret in your car ear Do you OU know that our green green- reon- reon le legged ned are jowl by with the brownies brownIe that that they on propitious propitious propitious occasion Join John hands in iii circle dances on the mos mossy mat garnishing s the tue floor of at Kings Hoo Roost t. t and cut tho cutest capers when coy Luna unveils I all her charms in the midnight sky I Well Mis s. Grundy Grund says so so though though how sho she knows it is hard to sa say ns ts mortal eyes may not behold the magic magle ring nor nOI yet et tho the agile asHe antics of or the thc cs' cs therein though it cannot bo de denied denied de- de nied ned that the tinkle lc of ot fairy fairs bells and ami eerie laughter mingled with the thoa languorous odor of or moon flowers are sometimes borne borno afar upon the wind to tingle le with awe the ears of or timorous timor ous night capped citizens Justice however demands tho the admission admission admission ad ad- mission that In tho the main our out frisky friends are pinks of propriety propriety holding holding high carnival only In the thai gloaming or when tho the June sun glows lows in the tho peace of or evening but evening but when Aurora heralds herald tho morn morning Ins Ins- the tho succeeding hours are devoted to garnering of oC the ubiquitous fly or fly or to mute contemplation from the sunny side of or the roost roost roost-or or to the lazy luxury of a a- afloat float with limbs extended and rimmed gold optics Just peeping above e the time water water but but t. t as the marsh people s danger er ans-er from tram afar na naught gh appears to an Intruders Intruder's vision Islon save radiating ripples and rising bubbles where when In precipitate silence they he sink into tho the aqueous depths And hero also In tho the tranquil seren It ity of at earl early autumn as dwellers part from tram the pomp and circumstance of at life Uc lite with the turbulence of at the tho dis ills distant tant city sub subdued to a lulling roar and naught to vex the drowsy air save c the chirp of birds tho monotone of insect life and tho time murmuring overflow o of at tho the brook following its his destiny to wend on an and on to final absorption In the embracing all ocean ocean how how pleasant to lie in the lush bordering grass with only the vaulted azure between h I us and u. u i uio HO ant LUL flecking the landscape with grateful s shadowS shadow and ami then winging away to fade Cade on tho the far tar horizon horIzon to to dream daydreams day day- dreams to to rear fantastic castles in the time air all as unsubstantial as the pillars of at if a summer Bummer cloud cloud to to think great thoughts thoughts to to wander wunder In retrospect down thc f S dim aisles ot of the thc corridors of oC time to childhoods childhood's happy realm to to foci again the m-a m lQ Of eyes CyCH once eloquent ClO- ClO quent with love now love now dimmed and gone Jono and the tho r roar ar of at f friendly voices noW voices now fj stilled cd Yes It Jt Is ls cs' cs well for tor our souls to get geta t a away for tor a season fr from m strenuous 11 liti vH and ri live t a again in In memory the tho vanished 5 Years cars ears years that knew no care but were bright ht with rainbows of ot hope These timings things appeal to sane and sen- sen hearts like Uke strains of half for gotten cotten melodies swelling In the wind wind wind- what wh tenderness What t regret And while the avenues of ot tho the spirit are arc hIgher open to 2 refreshing freshlEr from a source r than tho the azure let us not be unmindful of ot the unique place we occupy occupy oc- oc cupy between en two eternities the eternities the Past and anul tho the Future nor Future nor forget torSet that the only measure of or futurity Is the thc years that ar arts and dead and which though dead yet hold a torch to illuminate the cen- cen m meditative o tunes f unborn And also alBa ma may not communion with the tho ether dome MB suf suggest that at worship of oC th the golden ol en calf Is ISn not a religious duty nor tho thie chief chiet end ml of oC C and arid i that SIef food tood well re regulated life for tor the soul which endures en- en dures Is more to be desired than nourIshment flour nour- for tor the tho bod body thAt swiftly ro- ro turns turn to mingle Us its dust with that of oC mother earth May wo we not also with profit Ponder on kv time tho influence that our world life may moy have i on the eternal and and calculate the amount of or lucre it would take tak to outweigh h In value a human is soul and also as to the or of starving the spirit to amass 1 m heap ot at golden dross K-J K It If We h hf f are arc wlee vise we e 0 may be able to sa that say a n loiter b by hi tho the brook has hai its c compensations and m and that loafing of ot sour soul foul which makes for tal higher Ideals must surely find favor or with the tho gods I |