Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-09-12

his new suit had all the most beauti-
full stripes to be obtained.
Mr.. Jay. who was something OF a
dandy, had a wonderful new coat that
looked for all the world as If 1t had
been cut from the bluest patch OF sky
and trimmed with edging taken from
the whitest clouds. Even MI. Grow
very best.
But Mr.. Toad couldn't see the need
OF such a fuss. He thought his neigh
bors spent altogether too much time
and thought on dress. To be sure he
wa anxious to look his best when Old
Mother Nature came. SO he got a new
suit all ready. But Mr.. Toad couldn't
ing his new clothes. No indeed! Mr..
Toad had too muc to do. He was all
together too busy. He had a large
garden to take care OF, had Mr.. Toad,
and work In a garden is very hard on
clothes. So MI. Toad just wore his old
SUIT e his new n and went about
his business.
B and by the great day came when
Old Mother Nature arrived to inspect
the kingdom OF Old King Bear. All
the little Meadow people and all the
little Forest folk fastened to pay their
respect to Old Mother Nature and to
strut about In their fine clothes-all
"a = AO0N. ne WAS so DuSy IIdI ne
didn't even know that Old Mother Ma
ture a arrived,
Late in the afternoon. MT. Toad
stopped to rest. He had just cleared
his cabbage patch OF the slugs which
threatened to eat up his crop. and he
was very tired. Presently he hap
pened t look up. the road. and who
herself coming to visit his garden and
to find out why Mr.. Toad had NOT been
to a her his respects.
suddenly Mr.. Toad remembered.
that he had on his working clothes.
which We're very old. very dirty and
very ragged. For just a minute he
didn't know what to do. Then he dove
under a cabbage leaf and began to
pull of his old suit. But the old suit
stuck! He was in such a hurry and SO
excited that he couldn't find the but
tons. Finally he got his trousers off.
Then he reached over and got hold of
the back Of his oat In tugged and
coat off right over his head just as if
1T were a shirt.
Mr.. Toad gave a great sigh of relief
as he stepped out in his new suit, for
you remember that he had bIen wear
ing that new suit underneath the old
one all the time. :
Mr.. Toad was very wen pleased
NAssA AAA0 0AAtIl Nv IlIOuSIl IIOW ISI:
ribly untidy that ragged old suit
looked lying on the ground. What
should he do with it? He couldn't hide
1t In the garden. for Old Mother Ma
lures eyes are SO sharp that she would
be sure to see 1t. What should he do?
Then Mr.. Toad had a happy.
big mouth. But what was a big mouth
for If not to use? He would swallow
his old suit. In a flash MI. Toad love
under q cabbage leaf and crammed
his old suit into his mouth.
when Old Mother Nature came into
the garden. Mr.. Toad was waiting in
the path to receive her. Very fine he
in his new suit and. you. would
have thought he had been waiting all
day to receive Old Mother Nature; but
for n thing-swallow as much and az
lard as he would. he couldn't get down
quite all of his old suit, and a leg Of
his trousers hung out OF a corner OF
his big mouth.
1t right away. And nov she did laugh!
And of course Mr.. Toad felt very much
mortified. But Mother Nature was so
pleased with Mr.. Toad's garden and
Mr.. Toad's industry that she quite
overlooked the ragged trousers leg
hanging from the corner of Mr.. Toad's
mouth.
M = AAO nv hCN w NC SOIlJs
pared with fine work. said Old Mother
Nature. I herewith appoint you my
chief gardener. Mr.. Toad. And as a
sign that all may know that this is so.
hereafter you shall always swallow
your old suit whenever you change
your clothes!'
And from that day to this the toads
have been the very best gardeners, and
in memory of their great, great. great
grandfather a thousand times removed,
they have always swallowed their old
suits. -
Now you know what my cousin, Old
Mr.. Toad, did with his old suit just be-
fore Peter Rabbit passed his house
this morning. concluded Great
Grandfather Frog.
"Oh." cried the Merry Little Breezes.
Thank you, thank you, Grandfather
Then they raced away across the
Green Meadows and up the Crooked
Little Path to see II old Mr.. Toad was
gardening. And Peter Rabbit still
wondered what Old Mr. Toad did with
his old suit.