The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-11
Monsieur Crapaud's Frogs.

Monsieur Crapaud's Frogs.
"What else does your uncle Kari
know, Benny"
"Oh, grand lot; all kinds of differ
ent things"
The voices came from the vicinity OF
the brook, and Uncle Karl, who was
lazily smoking his long German pipe in
the depths of a hammock near by,
smiled to himself as he overheard Ben
ny's proud boast of his uncles superior
knowledge.
"What shall l tell the urchins to day,
thought he, "to prove Benny's bold as
sertion2" Then catching sound of the
babble of the brook gurgling over the
stones, he suddenly recollected old Mon
sieur Crapaud's ponds in Belgium, and
he called out: "Come over here, Benny
and Tom, and will tell you about some
funny frogs"
The amphibious animals themselves
could not have hoped up more agilely
than did the two boys at this invitation,
and very few minutes found them be-
side the hammock eager to hear anything
Uncle Karl proposed to tell them.
"When was quite young man," he
began, "and lived in Belgium, [ made
the acquaintance of very good old
French gentleman. Monsieur Crapaud
was his name. He lived outside of the
city, in an old place that had been built
upon what were once monastery grounds.
His life was almost that of monk, for
he lived quite alone, with no companion
save his pets. The grounds were large
and very peculiarly laid out. There
were any number of ponds, large and
small, upon the place, all connected by
little canals, and all containing fishes
and frogs. In the middle of one of the
largest ponds there was q beautiful little
island, on which grew TALL stately trees,
and here Monsieur Crapaud had little
pagoda summer house erected. Once q
year the old gentleman gave tete, to
which he invited the poor of the adjoin-
ing villages, and gave them permission
to bring their nets and catch the fish
from the ponds for their families.
Occasionally he would also invite
few intimate friends to take tea with him
in his chateau. Upon one of these oc-
casions / was included in the invitation,
which was given principally to my grand
father, but you may rest assured Jump
ed at the fine opportunities thus should
have to see old Monsieur Crapaud's
pets.
For over forty years had the old
gentleman lived upon this place, alone
with his fishes and frogs and so long
had the frogs known his voice, his step,
and his ways, that they were like so many
little children with him.
after we had taken our supper that
evening, and the elder gentlemen had
finished their wine, Monsieur Crapaud
invited us all to follow him to his island
retreat, where we should be introduced
to his children, as he called his pets.
We were rowed over to the place in a
small boat. 1t was lovely summer
night, and the placid waters of the pond
looked like silver in the moonlight. eau
tioning us to be very silent, and make
no noise or motion to disturb his water
friends, Monsieur Crapaud took from Lis
pocket little wooden fageolet, upon
which he played soft, sweet little tune.
Presently there was a curious stir in the
still waters, and it seemed as though
hundred heads appeared at once, and
answered to the call with variety of
frog language. Then there followed a
regular concert, the frogs keeping per-
feet time and a sort of tone to the
music of the fageolet. There were bas-
SEES, double BASES, tenors sopranos, and
contraltos, with chorus beside.
"After quite little operetta, Mon
sieur Crapaud suddenly cried out, in
shrill voice, Tdisez-UOusv which is
French for Be still, and the voices i'm
mediately ceased. Then he called out,
Jacques, chantezP and Jacques, who
seemed to be the deepest voiced and
leader of them all, sang alone. Then he
called to Pierre, Jean, Batiste, and
host of others, who all obeyed his
voice, and joined in in regular order. 1t
was all SO curious and ludicrous-the
quaint old French gentleman, the pond
alive with heads, and the frogs croaking
away in the moonlight-that some one
forgot the injunction of silence put upon
us, and broke out into laugh. In
stantly there was n grand splash, and
Monsieur Crapqud's pets all disappeared
into the waters OF the pond. Every one
was very still then, you may be sure, for
Monsieur Crapaud was very angry,
and it was the last time he ever
invited any one out to his chateau or his
grounds"
Is that all, and is it all true 2" asked
Benny and Tommy, breathless and big
eyed, as Uncle Karl stopped and began
to refill his long pipe.
Eyes, that is all, and it's perfectly
true Now, run off to the brook, boys,
and find some frogs to tame"
Didn't / tell you he knew lots ?"
whispered Benny, as they scampered
off.
"Good gracious, Ben, don't he 4" wa
he answer.