Morris tribune., 1882-09-14

Johnny began to want to go fishing all the time
Did You ever see such boy? And wherever
he went Mamie went too.
There was o green meadow at the foot Of q
hill, close by the hotel, with stream winding
through it, where patient boy might now and
then catch small pickerel or club
Here johnny spent many hours. and some
times brought homo string OF fish long
enough to really make difference in the hotel
supper.
One day he had been gone but little WHILE
when ne came running back up the hill, hot
and excited, Mamie close behind him, both
shouting:
We've caught frog! we've caught a
frogT ~
Johnny could not speak fast enough.
I'D just put in my line and something bit
and pulled it out and it was a frog, and Pm
going to tame him and take him home, may l,
mamma?"
Johnny mad the frog in his handkerchief,
and mamma went up stairs to their room with
him to see the wonder
Put it IN the washbowl," she said, and when
he had done so, behold, it Was the biggest
green bullfrog you ever saw. There he sat
quite still and stared.
Such happy children, and such doubling
mamma! However, she thought they would
tire of him in a day or 80, and let him go with
out grief, so she sald
'Put little water in the bowl and let him
rest" u.
But they did not tire of him. He would sit
in that bowl for hours, staring wisely about,
but IT Johnny put him on the carpet and held
his hand before him, the frog would leap over
1t. wait for him to place it again, then leap
again, and So on across tue room.
He would eat flies from tho chidren's hands.
and seemed willing to make the best of the
situation. m-.
But after the novelty wore off 1t was rather
embarrassing, whenever Won wanted to wash
hands q
green bullfrog first, and mamma began to talk
about letting him 60 At last Johnny said he
would take him back to the meadow, if he
could catch little one first that would be cas-
Ter to carry home.
The very mex. day he and Mamie caught one
in the grass, smart little ono, about two
inches long, and then they let the big frog go,
to his great JOY. He jumped from the green
bank down into the stream, with a loud croak,
and that was the last of him.
The small frog was carried to tina hotel and
put in the washbowl, but he wouldn't stay
there minute. He hoped on the soap dish
and then to the floor, and went under the bu-
reau. 1t was dinner time, go Johnny said he
would leave him there till he came up again.
After dinner mamma sat III the piazza talk
ing with some ladies, when Johnny came to her
with an anxious face, and said the frog was
gone; he could not find him anywhere in the
room. g..
She went up to the room with him, and
there was Mamie hunting in every corner in
vain. .'-A
I'm, afraid we shall step on him." said
mamma, looking carefully over the carpet.
But they all looked too low down! Where
do you suppose Master Froggy was? On tho
top of the bureau, sitting on mammals white
feather fan. Nan spied him first, and such q
shout of merriment
That frog would not be tanned, he would not
keep still and he would not eat. johnny gave
up his plan at last, and toward evening, as the
rain began to fall, took him 10 the hill and there
sat him down in the grass.
The little frog. with long leaps, started at
once toward the meadow, and hope is happy
there to this day