Frog and Toad / Квак и Жаб. 3-4 классы - Лобел Арнольд - Страница 6

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“Yes,” said Frog. “If the first try did not work, and the second try did not work, and the third try did not work, I knew that we needed to make one more try!”

The robins flew out of the bush. But they could not fly as high as the kite.

Frog and Toad sat and watched their kite. It flew to the top of the sky.

The night was cold and dark.

“Listen to the wind in the trees,” said Frog. “What a fine time for a ghost story.”

Toad sat deeper into his chair.

“Toad,” asked Frog, “do you like to be scared? Do you like to feel the shivers?”

“I am not too sure,” said Toad.

Frog made some tea. He sat down and began a story.

“When I was little,” said Frog, “my mother and father and I went out for a picnic.

On the way home we lost our way. My mother was worried.

‘We must get home,’ she said. ‘We do not want to meet the Old Dark Frog.’

‘Who is that?’ I asked.

‘A terrible ghost,’ said my father. ‘He comes at night and eats little frog children for supper.’”

Toad drank his tea.

“Frog,” he asked, “did this really happen?”

“Maybe yes and maybe no,” said Frog.

“My mother and father went to look for a path,” said Frog. “They told me to wait until they came back. I sat under a tree and waited. The woods became dark. I was afraid. Then I saw two big eyes. It was the Old Dark Frog. He stood near me.”

“Frog,” asked Toad, “did this really happen?”

“Maybe it did and maybe it did not,” said Frog.

Frog went on with his story. “The Dark Frog pulled a jump rope out of his pocket.

‘I am not hungry now,’ said the Dark Frog. ‘I ate too many tasty frog children. But after I jump rope one hundred times, I will be hungry again. Then I will eat YOU!’

The Dark Frog tied one end of the rope to a tree.

‘Turn for me!’ he shouted.

I turned the rope for the Dark Frog.

He jumped twenty times.

‘I am beginning to get hungry,’ said the Dark Frog.

He jumped fifty times.

‘I am hungrier now,’ said the Dark Frog.

He jumped ninety times.

‘I am very hungry now!’ said the Dark Frog.”

“What happened then?” asked Toad.

“I had to save my life,” said Frog. “I ran around and around the tree with the rope. I tied the Old Dark Frog. Then I ran away fast. I found my mother and father. We went home.”

“Frog,” asked Toad, “was it a true story?”

“Maybe it was and maybe it was not,” said Frog.

Frog and Toad sat by the fire. They were afraid. They had the shivers. It was a good, warm feeling.

On Toad’s birthday Frog gave him a hat.

Toad was very happy.

“Happy birthday,” said Frog.

Toad put on the hat. It covered his eyes.

“I am sorry,” said Frog. “That hat is too big for you. I will give you something else.”

“No,” said Toad. “This hat is your present to me. I like it, and I will wear it.”

Frog and Toad went for a walk. Toad bumped into a tree and a rock. He fell in a hole.

“Frog,” said Toad, “I can’t see anything. I cannot wear your beautiful present. This is a sad birthday for me.”

Frog and Toad were sad for a while.

Then Frog said, “Toad, this is what you must do. Tonight when you go to bed you must think some very big thoughts. The big thoughts will make your head bigger. In the morning your new hat may be just the right size.”

“What a good idea,” said Toad.

That night when Toad went to bed he thought really big thoughts. Toad thought about big flowers. He thought about big trees. He thought about big mountains. Then Toad fell asleep.

Frog came into Toad’s house at night. He found the hat and took it to his house. Frog poured some water on the hat. He put the hat in a warm place to dry. It began to get smaller and smaller. Frog went back to Toad’s house. Toad was still sleeping. Frog put the hat back where he found it.

When Toad woke up in the morning, he put the hat on his head. It was just the right size. Toad ran to Frog’s house.

“Frog, Frog!” he cried. “All my big thoughts made my head bigger. Now I can wear your present!”

Frog and Toad went for a walk. Toad did not bump into a tree or a rock. He did not fall in a hole. It was a very happy day after Toad’s birthday.

Toad went to Frog’s house. He found a note on the door.

The note said, “Dear Toad, I am not at home. I went out. I want to be alone.”

“Alone?” said Toad. “I am Frog’s friend. Why does he want to be alone?”

Toad looked through the windows. He looked in the garden. He did not see Frog.

Toad went to the woods. Frog was not there.

He went to the meadow. Frog was not there.

Toad went to the river. There was Frog.

He was sitting on an island all by himself.

“Poor Frog,” said Toad. “He is very sad. I will make him happy.”

Toad ran home. He made sandwiches. He made iced tea. He put everything in a basket.

Toad went back to the river.

“Frog,” he shouted, “it’s me. It’s your best friend, Toad!”

Frog was too far away and did not hear.

Toad took off his jacket and waved it like a flag.

Frog was too far away and did not see.

Toad shouted and waved, but with no result.

Frog sat on the island. He did not see or hear Toad.

A turtle swam by. Toad got on the turtle’s back.

“Turtle,” said Toad, “take me to the island. Frog is there. He wants to be alone.”

“If Frog wants to be alone,” said the turtle, “why don’t you let him be alone?”

“Maybe you are right,” said Toad. “Maybe Frog does not want to see me. Maybe he does not want me to be his friend anymore.”

“Yes, maybe,” said the turtle and swam to the island.

“Frog!” cried Toad. “I am sorry for all the silly things I did. I am sorry for all the silly things I said. Please be my friend again!”

Toad got off the turtle. He fell in the river.

Frog helped Toad to get onto the island.

Toad looked in the basket. The sandwiches were wet. There was no iced tea.

“Oh, no, our lunch!” said Toad. “I made it for you, Frog, to make you happy.”

“But Toad,” said Frog. “I am happy. I am very happy. This morning when I woke up I was happy because the sun was shining. I was happy because I was a frog. And I was happy because I have you, my friend. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to think about how happy I am.”

“Oh,” said Toad. “I see why you wanted to be alone.”

“But now,” said Frog, “I do not want to be alone. Let’s eat our lunch.”

Frog and Toad sat on the island all day. They ate wet sandwiches without iced tea. They were two close friends sitting alone together.

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