The Turquoise Story Book: Stories and Legends of Summer and Nature
General
The Turquoise Story Book: Stories and Legends of Summer and Nature
Nature -- Juvenile literature; Summer -- Juvenile literature
"Wish we could go to the concert."
"Ker-chug!" answered Father Frog.
It sounded very much like a hoarse chuckle. "Why don't you go?"
"No invitation."
"No dress suit."
"Can't breathe out of the water."
The tadpoles' voices were very mournful as they gave their reasons.
"I invite you," said Father Frog, "to the July concert three weeks from
to-day. Your dress suits will be ready, and as far as breathing is
concerned it's all practice. Would you believe it?" he said in a hoarse
whisper, "I couldn't stay out of the water very well myself at one time,
but I practised breathing every day, until now it is the easiest thing
in the world. But speaking of practice making perfect reminds me I must
rehearse my song for the concert.
"Come along, come along,
Come along!"
"Let's go down in the sand," whispered Pollie. "I can always think
better down there; and, really, this is all so surprising I must think
it over. Oh, Taddy, do you think we could truly go to the concert?"
Taddy swished his tail and dived down without answering, feeling this to
be too much of a problem for a tadpole to decide.
"It's very strange," said Taddy a few days later; "it certainly seems as
if we were getting legs—what use have tadpoles for them? We only need
our strong tails for swimming."
"Taddy," cried Pollie, "there's something still stranger. Our tails are
shrinking. If they don't stop they will disappear, and then what could
we do?"
"Grr-nm, grr-nm!" sounded Father Frog's hoarse voice. "Getting ready for
the concert, I see! Well, when you lose those ridiculous tails you will
look much better."
"Lose them!" exclaimed the tadpoles; "and what do you think we could do
without them?" But Father Frog had disappeared, leaving only the echo of
his "Come along."
"I feel as if something strange were about to happen," said Pollie. "I'm
tired of tag and hide-and-seek; let's think of some new game."
"We might practice breathing, as Father Frog advised," suggested Taddy;
"let's go to the top of the water and see who can keep his head out the
longer."
This new game interested the tadpoles very much, and in a week's time
they began really to enjoy the air.
"I can stay out a long while now," announced Taddy triumphantly, "and
since my front legs appeared I can jump quite high."
"Our tails are quite gone," said Pollie, "and I don't know but that it
is an improvement. I think I like legs better than tails, and hopping is
much more fun than swimming. Some day I mean to hop up on that wet stone
where Father Frog sits so often. Wouldn't he be surprised to see me
there?"
"What fun!" exclaimed Taddy. "Try it now. There, you did it! Oh, Pollie,
how fine you look! Do you like it up there? I'm coming, too, Pollie.
Hurrah!"
"Ho, ho!" chuckled Father Frog from the land. "Are you ready for the
concert, little frogs?"
Taddy and Pollie looked at each other in astonishment.
"Are we frogs?" they cried.
"Why, yes."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account