The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-10-16

whether snch a freak of nature
BODIED good or evil to the colony.
Mamma" piped apuny pollyWog,
"I'm freezing, and 1 can't e
What is all that yellow stuff pour
inc off the bank into our pond, mann
ma? It's binding my eyes will 1T
ever stop, and can I ever see again!
"Hnsh! Rob-" commanded his
mother, Madame Greenleg, a lank
specimen of her peculiar tribe as
she recalled a scanty recollection OF
it's having rained sometime in the
long 9 during her life among the
green herbs and weeds around a far
off pool, her former dwelling place.
She was puzzled, too. There lurked
somewhere in her perplexed brain a
faint knowledge of the flooded rill,
the destruction of her home and the
mysterious waiting of her body to
her present lodging place.
II do no remember" she thought,
s'such a lengthy and heavy spell
since the time I was brought here.
There have been numerous little
droppings since, but none so strange
as this, so full of that yellow fluid"
Mamma" again interposed the
anxious little Rob, aren't you
afraid it's going to destroy US and
our pond?"
"Hush, child You must not speak
so about it. I am certain I do not
know what to think"
"Now, my dear Mrs. Greenleg,"
spoke up Professor Y~ellowhead, who
had from time immemorial been sing
ing-master of the neighbOrhOOd and
instructor of the many youngsters in
the arts of swimming, jumping and
diving, 81 shouldn't think the sit
uation so gloomy as to warrant so
woful a prognosticatiOn. Surely
you are aware that those tiny,
splashing drops come from yonder
regions above where God reigns
over a city called Heaven, whence
come all life and blessings of food,
etc. And do you not know that this
pond and meadow are dependent n
tirely for existence upon the coming
of such spells of what men call rain?"
"Ah, Professor" put in Mr.. Grog-
gle-eyes, a fatherly old soul, pretty
much sided in doubt with Mrs. Green
leg, ''you are mistaken. Don't you
know that a short time ago at just
such a spell the upper pools were all
torn up and many Of the inhabitants
killed, a few being saved by a for
tunate entrance into our community?
And you must know that on the
same occasion the fences around
this meadow were totally destryed,
and the crops within drowned en-
tirely out"
Certainly, I remember it very
WE'LL" said old Mrs. Toddyhead.
Truly, Mrs. Greenleg, you have
good grounds for your fears"
Yes, yes," chimed in a chorus,
''there's danger, let us locate the
water and save ourselves on shore -
Immediately there was a rush to-
ward the nearest point, but such a
strong current came dashing over
just there that they were all eager
to find their former places of shelter
beneath the s~heltering bank. Here
the Professor again attempted to
control his skeptical companions
with a learned account of the origin
of rain, how necessary it is even to
life in the water, and how little dan
ger actually threatened the pond.
Bah my people,, he began-but
just at that moment old Mr.. Wally-
Wrinkle, the oldest member of the
frog tribe in that locality, and, as
some regarded him, much to the
Professors disgust, the most know
ing man in matters puZzling to COM
prehension or endangering the col
ony, came to the scene.
"Yellowhead, cease your senseless
gab! - said he. Il have had many a
hurt in such times, aye, many a
r-breadth escape with my life.
Now, ladies'" he continued, turning
to the females, ''let me advise you
to hop from here IS quickly as pos
sible, for certain as I now speak,
this storm Gor, Professor, it's not a
common rain) will leave but little of
this pond. If you would live, getr
Agreeably to the word they "got"