Part 5 (1/2)

XV

GRANDFATHER FROG GIVES UP HOPE

With his legs tied together, hanging head down fro carried he knew not where by Farmer Brown's boy It was dreadful Half-way across the Green Meadows the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind ca, but presently one of the off his hat, caught sight of Grandfather Frog

Now the Merry Little Breezes are great friends of Grandfather Frog

Many, reen flies over to hireen lily-pad, and they are very fond of hiht of hi Farmer Brown's boy He raced away to tell the other Merry Little Breezes For amerry

”It's awful, just perfectly awful!” cried one

”We !” cried another

”Of course we must,” said a third

”But what can we do?” asked a fourth

nobody replied They just thought and thought and thought Finally the first one spoke ”We ht try to comfort him a little,” said he

”Of course ill do that!” they shouted all together

”And if we throw dust in the face of Farmer Brown's boy and steal his hat, perhaps he will put Grandfather Frog down,” continued the Merry Little Breeze

”The very thing!” the others cried, dancing about with excitement

”Then we can rush about and tell all Grandfather Frog's friends what has happened to him and where he is Perhaps some of them can help us,” the Little Breeze continued

They wasted no , but raced after Faro One of them, as faster than the others, ran ahead and whispered in Grandfather Frog's ear that they were co couldn't be comforted He couldn't see what there was that the Merry Little Breezes could do His legs s cut into the skin, and his head ached, for you knoas hanging head down No, Sir, Grandfather Frog couldn't be comforted He was in a terrible fix, and he couldn't see any way out of it He hadn't the least bit of hope left And all the ti merrily You see, it didn't occur to hi and how terribly frightened he must be He wasn't cruel No, indeed, Farmer Brown's boy wasn't cruel That is, he didn't reaton his way until he reached the Long Lane leading from the Green Meadows up to Far Lane than soreat cloud of dust and leaves and tiny sticks was dashed in his face and nearly choked hiot in his eyes His hat was snatched froarden He dropped Grandfather Frog and felt for his handkerchief to wipe the dirt from his eyes

”Phew!” exclaimed Farmer Brown's boy, as he started after his hat ”It's funny where that wind came from so suddenly!”

But you know and I know that it was the Merry Little Breezes working together who ht to have known it too, but he didn't You see the dust had got in his nose and eyes just as it had in those of Farhtened and confused that he couldn't think So he lay just where Farmer Brown's boy dropped him, and he didn't have any more hope than before

XVI

THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES WORK HARD

The Merry Little Breezes alht when they saw Far to feel for his handkerchief and wipe out the dust which they had thrown in his eyes Then he had to cliarden They would let hiht that he surely had it, they would snatch it away It was great fun for the Merry Little Breezes But they were not doing it for fun No, indeed, they were not doing it for fun! They were doing it to lead Far

Just as soon as they dared, they dropped the hat and then separated and rushed away in all directions across the Green Meadows, over to the Green Forest, and down to the S for?

Why, to hunt for so's friends and ask their help

You see, the Merry Little Breezes could , but they couldn't untie a knot or cut a string, and this is just what had got to be done to set Grandfather Frog free, for his hind-legs were tied together So now they were looking for soh of Grandfather Frog to coht of Striped Chipmunk and started for the old stone wall to look for him Another went in search of Danny Meadow Mouse A third headed for the dear Old Briar-patch after Peter Rabbit A fourth remembered Jimmy Skunk and how he had once set Blacky the Crow free from a snare A fifth remembered what sharp teeth Happy Jack Squirrel has and hurried over to the Green Forest to look for hi Pool to tell Jerry Muskrat And every one of them raced as fast as he could