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Show KOf AND THE FAIRIES In a pond In a dell lived a big family of frogs, and one day when the sun wta shining all the young bull r h.s ill out of the WHtrr and hopt'l on he lie nk. "I think It would be ?oO'l f-ll lf see what is in tiie dell lrMe this pond," said 8illy Bull, who was a young and tnquuiltve frux. "What do you fellows say to a lark tonight by the light of the moon?" -We'll go. we'll go, Billy Bull." said all the other young frogs in chorus. "Better stay home, better stny home," croaked old Grandfather Bull Frog from his seat on a stump by the edge of the pond. "Oh. hear old grandfather croaking," said Bully Bull: "he never went out of this pond in all his days, and what does he know of the dell?" "Better stay home, better slay home," croaked Grandfather Frog. "You can. Grandfather Frog. If yqu like, but we young fross are going far lush tseishli ees whm we tome esi we will tell yo'u what Is in the dell," said Billy Bull. That night when the moon was up and shining through the trees, out of the pond leaped all the young froggies. "Better stay home, better stay home," croaked Grandfather Frog from his seat on the stump, but the young froagles only laughed aa the grandfather's warning followed them through the dell "better stay home, better stay home." It happened that the fairies were holdlnK a party that night, and when Billy Bull and all the other young frogs hopped and leaped Into the middle mid-dle .of the dell they saw the bright lights of the fireflies lanterns. "Looks tu me as If all the fireflies in the world had gathered for us to feast on." said Billy Bull. "What luck for us." Away off they could nt 111 hear Grandfather Frog croaking his warning: warn-ing: .."Better stay home, better stay tumie But II vsnn warning to the young frogxics; they only -saw the fireflies fire-flies and the feast In store for them. The frogcirs had never seen the fairies bef-jre and they 4h"UKht they, tM. were Utile insects, eo without atop-J atop-J W to think or look . loser Into the . , ajiHst of (be fairy revel. In leaped Wily Boll .and ajl his cousins. But the fairies were as quick as the . , frogs, and no sooner hud they leaped than up went all -the fairy wands, and . there stood Tach frog still and stiff. They were not able to move; they could only stare and listen. "What are these creatures that dare , to disturb us?" asked the Queen. "Your majesty, they are frogs." said a firefly; "and 1 expect they Intended to eat us." ' "Kilt the lantern bearers of the T fairies!" said the (Jueen. "They shall suffer for this." "Off with a toe on each front foot, and then perhaps these frogs will slay i at home jindllot JinDrthout all niflht. Where do Ihcy live?" askedTlieueen. , "In the pond at the end of the dell," i said the fireflies. "nd them home." said the Queen, "and every time they wander far from their pond thev shall lose a toe." Down on the foot of the froggies , went the fairy wands, and where the frogs hail five toes there remained only four on each of their front feet, and then with their wands on .the heads of the froggies the failles turned them around and drove them back to (heir pond. j "Better stayed home, better stayed home," crouked Grandfather FYog. as the young froggies leeped sadly Into the pond and huried themselves In the mud at the bottom. . And that was the way. it is said, frogs came to have five toea on each of their hind feet and only four toes on each front foot. If they had Jlstened to their grandfather's warning, they would still have their other toes. ' t (CuemsM, KIT. hr l' MrCVir Simwrn arnlini. |
