The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-12-10
- Toads Do Funny Things.

mo one knows the funny things
toads will do" said leading citizen
of this village, writes a Hawley, Pa,
correspondent to the Nea0 lork. Suaa.~
''On o recent cloudy day. after hard
rain, there was a cool breeze blowing.
was looking over my garden when /
heard a peculiar sound. Looking in
the direction from which it came, l
saw two toads in an open space in the
garden. One was quite large, and the
other was at least a third smaller.
They were both standing on their hind
feet facing each other. The large toad
had its fore feet on each side of the
smaller toad's shoulders. The small
toad had his left fore foot on the large
ones right leg. As they stood in that
way they uttered strange cultural
sounds, as if they were discussing
some subject between themselves.
Suddenly the small toad thrust its
right forefoot, or hand, against the
J large ones stomach, and the next in
stant the latter threw the former to the
ground, and lively wrestle was going
on. During the struggle on the
ground the skins of both toads burst
open on the back, and l supposed l
was about to see the interesting pro-
cess of toads taking off their old coats,
rolling them up in little balls, and
swallowing them, as naturalists say
they do. did witness the process of
shedding the skin, but something much
more singular than the swallowing in
cident occurred. As / said, the day
was quite raw and cold, and after the
toads had rubbed their skins in a conf
Al,., L. kl,ayv
had both pulled themselves clear of
them, each one began to shiver very
perceptibly with the cold. Suddenly
the small toad hoped quickly TO
where the skin of the big one lay, and
picking it up in his mouth, hoped
away several feet. The big toad looked
after the purloiner of his cast-otf
clothing. and gave two or three ap-
pealing croaks, but made no attempt
to recapture the stolen goods. When
the small toad saw that he was not
followed, he deliberately set to work
to don the skin he had taken. 1t took
him some time to do it, but he finally
accomplished his purpose, and went
masquerading around in the misfit gar
ments exactly like clown in circus
wearing the big. baggy costumes that
| some of them appear in. The little
fellow seemed to enjoy the novelty OF
the situation, and hoped around the
| large toad in the most tantalizing man.
| ner. The big toad was shivering like
q person chilled through and through,
and by and by picked up the skin OF
the small toad. and began to force it
ON his body. The process was hard
| one, but after several moments of un-
| ceasing effort he stood habilitated in
the cast-off garments of his diminutive
companion. If the effect of the big
skin on the little toad had been conf
| cal, that of the little skin on the bic
toad was much more so. The sleeves
on the coat, SO to speak, only came
halfway down the arms. and the legs
/ of the trousers covered the frogs legs
rs though they had been Knicker
bockers. The body of the garment
was so tight that the toad could moi
| work either his legs or his arms, anC
he stood there the picture of comica
despair. Bye and bye he began te
swell himself up. and that apparently
stretched the tight apparel, for he was
able to move away slowly. He fol
lowed the small toad into the bushe.
in digniiied manner, and both dis
appeared. What the outcome of thi'
curious exchange of clothing was
never knew.