The Adventures of Grandfather Frog | Page 9

and by the time his cousin, old Mr. Toad, arrived, he
was sulky and just grunted when Mr. Toad told him how glad he was to
find Grandfather Frog quite recovered.
Old Mr. Toad pretended not to notice how out of sorts Grandfather
Frog was but kept right on talking.
"If you had been out in the Great World as much as I have been, you
would have known that Little Joe Otter wasn't giving you that fish for
nothing," said he.
Grandfather Frog swelled right out with anger. "Chugarum!" he
exclaimed in his deepest, gruffest voice. "Chugarum! Go back to your
Great World and learn to mind your own affairs, Mr. Toad."
Right away old Mr. Toad began to swell with anger too. For a whole
minute he glared at Grandfather Frog, so indignant he couldn't find his
tongue. When he did find it, he said some very unpleasant things, and
right away they began to dispute.
"What good are you to anybody but yourself, never seeing anything of
the Great World and not knowing anything about what is going on or
what other people are doing?" asked old Mr. Toad.
"I'm minding my own affairs and not meddling with things that don't
concern me, as seems to be the way out in the Great World you are so
fond of talking about," retorted Grandfather Frog. "Wise people know
enough to be content with what they have. You've been out in the Great
World ever since you could hop, and what good has it done you? Tell
me that! You haven't even a decent suit of clothes to your back."
Grandfather Frog patted his white and yellow waistcoat as he spoke and
looked admiringly at the reflection of his handsome green coat in the

Smiling Pool.
Old Mr. Toad's eyes snapped, for you know his suit is very plain and
rough.
"People who do honest work for their living have no time to sit about in
fine clothes admiring themselves," he replied sharply. "I've learned this
much out in the Great World, that lazy people come to no good end,
and I know enough not to choke myself to death."
Grandfather Frog almost choked again, he was so angry. You see old
Mr. Toad's remarks were very personal, and nobody likes personal
remarks when they are unpleasant, especially if they happen to be true.
Grandfather Frog was trying his best to think of something sharp to say
in reply, when Mr. Redwing, sitting in the top of the big hickory-tree,
shouted: "Here comes Farmer Brown's boy!"
Grandfather Frog forgot his anger and began to look anxious. He
moved about uneasily on his big green lily-pad and got ready to dive
into the Smiling Pool, for he was afraid that Farmer Brown's boy had a
pocketful of stones as he usually did have when he came over to the
Smiling Pool.
Old Mr. Toad didn't look troubled the least bit. He didn't even look
around for a hiding-place. He just sat still and grinned.
"You'd better watch out, or you'll never visit the Smiling Pool again,"
called Grandfather Frog.
"Oh," replied old Mr. Toad, "I'm not afraid. Farmer Brown's boy is a
friend of mine. I help him in his garden. How to make friends is one of
the things the Great World has taught me."
"Chugarum!" said Grandfather Frog. "I'd have you to know that--"
But what it was that he was to know old Mr. Toad never found out, for
just then Grandfather Frog caught sight of Farmer Brown's boy and
without waiting even to say good-by he dived into the Smiling Pool.

X
GRANDFATHER FROG STARTS OUT TO SEE THE GREAT
WORLD
Grandfather Frog looked very solemn as he sat on his big green lily-pad
in the Smiling Pool. He looked very much as if he had something on
his mind. A foolish green fly actually brushed Grandfather Frog's nose
and he didn't even notice it. The fact is he did have something on his
mind. It had been there ever since his cousin, old Mr. Toad, had called
the day before and they had quarreled as usual over the question
whether it was best never to leave home or to go out into the Great
World.
Right in the midst of their quarrel along had come Farmer Brown's boy.
Now Grandfather Frog is afraid of Farmer Brown's boy, so when he
appeared, Grandfather Frog stopped arguing with old Mr. Toad and
with a great splash dived into the Smiling Pool and hid under a lily-pad.
There he stayed and watched his cousin, old Mr. Toad, grinning in the
most provoking way, for he wasn't afraid of Farmer Brown's boy. In
fact, he had boasted that they were friends. Grandfather Frog had
thought that this was just an idle