Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-03-31
REVELATIONS AS TO THE TOAD

Did you ever see a toad catch and eat
his supper: asks 4 correspondent in
Forest and Stream. That has been
my good fortune, and it was a reyela-
ton. / was sitting one evening in my
back yard contentedly smoking and
looking with some pride at a small
garden patch where / had spent many
j hours on various vines and plants that
i were now reWarding me by vigorous
growth. That garden was the home
or resort of many toadS, and we had
/ become well acquainted With each
other, although l thought them rather
stupid lot. 1t was comical, however,
when l accidentally disturbed one
among the leaves VI hauled him out
OF the soft earth, where he was resting,
to see the little fellow puff himself out
TO the point of bursting and roll up the
whites of his eyes 1T me With IN ex-
preston of sleepy rcproach. think
they soon became accustomed to my
presence, and would only take one
or two hops from under my feet and
then watch me with stupid gravity.
| had about finished my pipe when 1
observed one Of my toadS coming to-
ward me along the path that led to
garden He was lis usual quite deliher-
ative i'll his movements. \ hop, long
wait. and then another hop. AS he
came near my seat he eyed me solemn
ly for Il while, then hopped between
my feet, and disappeared under the
chair. ON turning around i few min
utes later | saw him on the Gravcled
walk leading to the front Of the house
Without amy object | rose and Strollcd
after him. The sun had Disappeared
but it was light enough to see even
small object ut quite Il distance. The
toad paid not attention to me rs [
came up with him. suddenly he made
Il leap toward the edge of the path
and vanished from sight. | knew he
had not reached the grass border, and
was puzzled at his strange disappear
;ncc. took a step forward and Stoop-
eel over he spot where he had landed.
The mystery was solved, although |
could scarce believe what | plainly
saw The toad was there, but the fat,
chunky body seemed literally pasted to
the walk and was scarcely diScernbie
from it. 1t looked rs if he might have
been run over by cart wheel, SO per-
pectly fattcned was the body. As
looked there was Il lightning change.
Like Il flash my toad threw himself
at the grass BORDER thought | saw
IL darling tOnguc-and then he lciSlIrely
hoped back to the walk the same re
tund, stupid-loolling fellow l knew SO
wei | opened my eyes very wide and
followed him closely.
Again and again was that marvellous
Hattening process repeated, rs he
caught sight of objects to me utterly in
visible; again and again he launched
himself like an arrow into the air or
ut il tuft of grass, and ! do not believe
that he once missed his prey. In this
manner we travcrScd the whole length
of the walk, when the toad turned and
rctraccd his StcpS-or, rather, hops.
1t was now quite dark and | babe him
goodnight. | had found out my friend
of the garden. Instead of being Il loggy,
slow-moving animal he was Il cunning
as a cat and twice as active. | am
afraid he is something of Il hypocrite
in his daily life, but who is not more
or less one? Every summer my garden
is filled with toads. ! treat them with
profound respect.