, 1889-09-19
A LAKE IDYL,
Recollections OF the Romantic Carcer
of . Zig Green Frog.

Recollections of the Romantic Career
of . Big Green Frog.
tFrom the Minneapolis Tribune1
"TIe's croaking"
"Who's croaking?'
"rhe tame frog up in the tank"
"Yes, OF course they all croak,'
It wi was st too G true. The big s'@p srcen.sided
monster mt the exposition, who has
learned to sing and do several clever
tricks, died at about supper time YES.
terday. He had been alling for two
days, and had been unable to do more
than sit on his square, chip in the tank
liquid eyes, that snapped and glowed III
the early days of the exposition, were
dull and had vacant stare. His plump
sides began to have long drawn out
appearance, and his appetite was
gone. He, grew rapidly worse yes.
tterday and numbness came over
him, so that he paid no at
tention to one or two fierce attacks from
pickerel which has been his companion
In the tank. Yesterday afternoon the
chill of death came over him. His limbs
floatcd motionlcss on the water, his eyes
closed and the beating of his heart grew
fainter and fainter. 4 little child, who
the water and laid him on a dry place In
the sunshine. But he could not live. 1t
was peaceful death, no sign OF pain, no
struggle, no look ofanguish. The lights
were growing dim in the big building,
the crowd had gone, the band had ceased
playing. Far from the west came one
slanting ray of sunshine, and fell upon
tho water near where tho dying frog lay.
He opened his eyes little and saw the
sunshine. 1t was inst such as had often
fallen upon the lily pads of the blue
Minnetorka his early home and
lighted up his family circle as
they gathered for their evening Of
UP in an instant, faraway look came
into his eye, and the utmost peace sat
upon his countcnance. IL was his dying
moment, and with one last, long ''kcr-
chug," his life went out, and his long
slippery toes turned upward toward the
daisies. His career, which had been
notable ever since he was. pollywog
was ended. No more will he dive from
some nut brown log and swim with
lightning speed past the very jaws of
some hungry pickerel, lurking in am
bush for him. No more will his voice go
up beneath the moon on summer eve
ming and wake the slumbering echoes of
the lake. His day is done. An event
ful life was his. Once when two lovers
strayed beneath the shadows of sum
mer night he sat upon little pad and
blinked at them as the young man
poured ont burning words of love. The
romance in his being was kindled and as
a silence came, and the youth waited to
hear the maiden's whisper, he be-
gan to hum what he supposed was love
song, sweet and low to charm the maid
to answer yes. But she, alas, wrought
OH by her lovers burning words, turned
pale with fear as she heard the note
from the lily pad and made no answer,
but said she must go home. And so
this shadow of u broken romance ever
afterward hung like pail upon this
frog s existence Just what caused his
death is not known. Whether the con-
finement In the tank and the change of
dirt since his capture so affected him
that he could not live or whether in q
spasm of glee at his curious pranks some
child squeezed him with a death grip is
not known. His chip in the tank will
wear somber black border for three
days, and the little frogs and the pick
erel who mourn his loss will look lone
some without him as they gather
for their morning and evening meal. He
was "a favorite with many exposition
visitors who will miss his musical
'dr-o-o-o-o-n-u-u-k" when the shadows
gather and the corners of the big build
ing darken as the night comes on.