Part 3 (2/2)
”n.o.body!”
”Nonsense!” Mr. Frog scoffed. ”I can be fooled once, maybe. But I'm not to be fooled twice. And you needn't think for a moment that you can make me believe any such thing.”
”I don't care whether you believe it or not,” Freddie Firefly declared.
”All I ask you to do is to tell the story to Mr. Crow.”
”He won't believe it, either,” the tailor retorted.
”Perhaps he will when he hears the rest of the message,” Freddie answered. ”I was just going to explain that Kiddie Katydid has a trick of rubbing his wing covers together to make that _Katy did_ sound.”
”For the land's sake!” cried Mr. Frog, as he leaped into the water, convinced at last of the truth of Freddie Firefly's claim. ”I must hurry home at once, for dawn's already breaking. And Mr. Crow may come sailing over my place at any moment.” He landed with a splash in the creek and started to swim rapidly away. But after a few strokes he paused and turned around. ”You might almost say that Kiddie Katydid is a fiddler, mightn't you?” he called.
”Something like that!” Freddie Firefly agreed a bit doubtfully.
”I'll tell Mr. Crow that, anyhow,” said the tailor. ”It will make the story more interesting, at least. And so far as I can see, it can't do any harm.”
And then he hastened away, leaving Freddie Firefly to get home as best he could in the gray of the early morning.
”You may as well put out your light!” Mr. Frog shouted back, as he disappeared among the reeds. But he didn't wait to see whether Freddie took his advice. He was too much excited over the strange news. And as he swam easily along with practiced strokes he kept talking to himself.
”I'm a pretty clever chap, I am!” he chuckled. ”I've discovered a great secret this night. And old Mr. Crow will be glad to hear all about it.
Perhaps he'll want me to help him with his newspaper after this.
”And for all I know I'll have so much to do that I won't be able to make any more clothes for my customers.”
He hadn't swum far before he had entirely forgotten that it was really Freddie Firefly who had discovered the secret and told it to him.
No doubt if anybody had reminded Mr. Frog of that fact he would have been very indignant.
X
A PAIR OF RASCALS
Mr. Frog reached home just as the sun peeped over the hills. He slipped hastily out of the water, sprang up the bank of the creek, and in three jumps landed on the roof of his tailor's shop. There he squatted, while his queer, bulging eyes scanned the sky in every direction. He was watching for Mr. Crow, and all but bursting with the news that he had for the old gentleman.
Mr. Frog had not sat there long before he heard a hoa.r.s.e _Caw, caw!_ in the distance.
”There he is!” cried the tailor aloud. ”There's the old boy! He'll be in sight in a moment.”
And sure enough! soon Mr. Crow flapped out of the woods and came sailing over the meadows.
Thereupon Mr. Frog set up a great croaking. And to his delight his elderly friend heard him calling and dropped down at once.
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