Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-08
Little Bears Toad

One morning. when Little Bear was
n,avina in the forest near his home
he heard a Toad calling for help:
where are you?" asked Little
Bear. where are you, Mr.. Toad
II have fallen into deep hole. anc
I can't get out. Is that you, Little
Bear?''
Eyes, and I will get you out, Mr.
Toad"
"Please do, Little Bear, and be QUICK
because L can't live much longer II
this dry, sandy place. There isn't a
particle of moisture here. If you viii
help me out of this trouble. I'll be
your pet Toad, and work for your
father"
Little Bear was too polite to say
that he did not care to have pet TOAD
nor did he laugh at the idea of a wee
Toad's working for big Father Bear
Gently he lifted Mr.. Toad from the
hole and placed him on the ground.
"Why, Mr.. Toad, you are Ill! Wha1
is the matter?" inquired Little Bear
when he saw that the toad was thlI
and weak.
water! water!" begged the Toad
"Please bring me water!"
Without stopping to talk, Little Bear
ran to get his tin pail, which he fllleo
at the river, and carried to the suffer
er. Here, Mr.. Toad said he, take
a good big drink"
"Toads never drink with their
mouths" answered the Toad. please
Little Bear, pour the water over me.
take water in through my skim"
Greatly wondering. Little Bear did
as he was told, and soon Mr.. Toad
was sprawling in a puddle of water,
and drinking it in through his skin,
and soon he was a plump and happy
Toad once more. After, that, out went
Mr.. Toad's tongue, and gone was the
fly that Little Bear had seen only a
moment before. Again a fly dis.
appeared down Mr.. Toad's throat, and
then another and another.
., ''How do you do It, Mr.. Toad?''
asked Little Bear. Il never saw such
quick work in my life! You sit still
as a mouse, dart out your tongue, and
you have caught the fly! 1t seems
wonderful to me. I couldn't do it."
That's nothing" said Mr.. Toad.
who felt much refreshed after his
bath. Look at my tongue, Little
Bear. You see, 1t is placed in the
front of my mouth instead of at the
back, and it is sticky, SO that flies
can't get away. But I am hungry.
must have a dozen caterpillars and
forty or fifty grasshoppers and molas'
ses, or shall not be strong enough to
travel all the way to the Three Bears
house."
Little Bear soon ran away to play
in the forest, and forgot Mr.. Toad until
middle-sized Mother Bear called him
to dinner. When he reached home,
there was Mr.. Toad under the door
step, dressed in a bright new skin. He
was winking and blinking happily.
81 have just changed my Clothes
explained Mr.. Toad. 81 am sorry you
weren't here to see me do it.
"Where did you put the old ones?"
asked Little Bear.
81 swallowed them" was the an
swer. "My coat split down the middle
of the back pulled out my legs. drew
the skin over my face, and sucked 1t
into my mouth Our folks always get
new suits at least four times a year.
Please tell your father that your Toad
has gone into the garden to hunt.
You must remember, Little Bear, that
am your Toad
Big Father Bear was much pleased
when he heard about Mr.. Toad. Good
news, good news!" said he.
Sure enough. from that day Mr..
Toad lived in the Three Bears -four.
fishing garden, where he works from
late afternoon until early morning. He
destroys Father Bears enemies
grasshoppers. flies, beetles, crickets,
caterpillars. and the tussock-moth.-
Frances Margaret Fox, in Youths
COmpaniOn