The record-union., 1893-07-20
A TOAD'S SUPPER
How He Catches 1t and Enjoys 1t
When 1t Is Caught.

How He Catches 1t and Enjoys 1t
When 1T Is Caught.
Did you ever see toad catch and eat
his supper? That has been my good for
tune, and it was a revelation. / was sit
ting one evening in my back yard, con-
tentedIy smoking and looking with some
pride at a small garden patch, where |
had spent many hours on various vines
and plants that were now rewarding me
by vigorous growth. The garden was
the home or resort of many toads, and
we had become well acquainted with
each other, although l thought them
rather a stupid lot. 1t was comical, how
ever, when l accidentally disturbed one
among the leaves, or 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 at me with an express
sion of sleepy reproach. | think they
soon became accustomed to my presence,
and would only take one or two hons
from under my feet, and then watch me
with stupid gravity.
l had about finished my pipe when I
observed one of my tOads coming toward
me along the path that led to the garden.
He was, as usual, quite deliberate in his
movements. n hop, a long wait, and
then another hop. As he came near nv
seat he eyed me SOlemnly tor a while.
then hoped between my feet and disap-
peared under the chair. On turning
around few minutes later / saw him on
the graveled walk leading to the front of
the house. Without any object | arose
and strolled after him. 1he sun had dis
appeared, but it was light enough to see
even small object at quite distance
The toad paid no attention to me as
came up with him. Suddenly he made a
leap toward the edge of the path and
vanished from sight. | knew he had not
reached the grass border, and | was puz-
Zled at his strange disappearance. l took
n step forward and stopped over the spot
where he had landed. The mystery was
solved, although | could scarcely believe
what | plainly saw. The toad was there
but the fat, chunky body seemed liter
ally pasted to the walk. and was scarcely
discernible from il. 1t looked as if he
might have been run over by cart
wheel, so perfectly tiattened was the
body. AS | looked, there was a
my toad threw himself at the
grass border. + thought saw
darting tongue, and then he
leisurely hoped back to the walk-the
same rotund. stupid-looking fellow
knew so well. / opened my eyes very
wide and followed him closely. Again
and again was that marvellous tiatteninc
process repeated. as he caught sight Of
objects to me invisible; again and again
he launched himself ike an arrow into the
air or at a tutt of grass, and | do not be-
lieve that he once missed his prey. In
this manner we traversed the whole
length Of the walk, when tie toad turned
and retraced his steps, or rather hops. 1t
was now quite dark and | babe him good
night. l mad found out my friend OF the
garden. Instead of being a loggy, slow
moving animal, he was as cunning as a
cat and quite as active. l am afraid he is
something Of . hypocrite in his daily life,
but who is not more or less one? Every
summer my garden is filled with toads.
l treat them with profound respect.
hope my old acquaintance is among them,
and / think he is. | have often noticed
one seek-looking fellow hopping after
me as | move about, and it seems to me
there is a twinkle in his eye l see in none
OF the others. Probably ne is aware that
he cannot humbug me again with his pre-
tended clumsy ways. We understand
each other.-Forest and Stream.