The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-10-13
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Little Stories
For Bedtime
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Greed's a dreadful thing to see.
AS everybody will agree.

At first Little Joe Otter. sitting on
the bank of the Smiling Pool, laughed
himself almost sick as he watched
Grandfather Frog trying to swallow
a fish almost as big as himself when
his white and yellow waistcoat was
already stuffed so full of foolish
green flies that there wasn't room for
ANYTHING more. Such greed would
have been disgusting If it hadn't been
so very, Very funny. At least 1t was
funny at first.
You see. the fish had gone down
Grandfather Frogs big throat head
first until it reached his stomach. but
then IT couldn't go a bit further. be
cause his stomach was already full.
Right there the fish has stuck, the
tail still sticking out Of Grandfather
Frogs big mouth. Grandfather Frog
hltched this way and hitched that way
best to swallow. Twice he tumbled
Off with a splash into the Smiling
Fool. Each time he scrambled back
again and rolled his great goggly eyes
in silent appeal to Little Joe Otter
to come to his aid.
hut Little Joe was laughing SO that
he had to hold his sides. and he didn't
UNDERSTAND that Grandfather Frog
and Jerry Mu.krat came along M and
as soon ss they saw Grandfather
Frog they began to laugh. They Just
laughed and laughed and laughed un-
til the tears came. They rolled over
and over on the bank and kicked
their heels from sheer enjoyment. It
was the funniest thing they had seen
for a long. long time.
Did o ever see such greed %
sasped Billy Mink.
Why don't YOU pull it out and
start over again." shouted Little Joe
Otter.
Now this is just what Grandfather
Frog was trying to do. At least he
was trying to pull the fish II He
hadn't the least desire in the world
he felt just then as IL he v
" wanted to see another fish so
long as he lived. But. Grandfather
Frogs hands are not made for grasp
ing slippery things, and the tail of a
fish is very slippery. indeed. He tried
first with one hand, then with the
other. and at last with both. 1t vas
bulge that fish. He couldn't cough it
up because 1t had gone toe far down
for that. The more he clawed at that
waving tail with his hands the fun
nier he looked and the harder Little
Joe Otter and Billy Mink and Jerry
MFuckrat laughed. They made such
a noise that Spotty the Turtle. who
had been taking a sun bath on the
end of an old log. slipped into the
water and started to see what it was
all about.
Now spotty the Turtle is very. very
slow on land. but he is a good SWIM
mer. He hurried now because he
didn't want to miss the fur. At first
he didn't see Grandfather Frog.
Whats the joke" he asked.
Little Joe Otter simply pointed at
Grandfather Frog. Little Joe had
laughed so much that he couldn't
even speak. Spotty looked over to the
big green lily-pad and started to
laugh, too. Then he saw great tears
rolling down from Grandfather Frogs
eyes and heard little chokey sounds.
He stopped laughing and started for
Grandfather Frog as fast as he could
swim. He climbed right up on the
big green lily-pad and. reaching out.
grabbed the end Of the fish tail in his
beak-like mouth. Then Spotty h
Turtle settled back and pulled and
Grandfather Frog settled back and
pulled. Splash! Grandfather Frog
had fallen backward into the Smil-
Ing Pool on one side Of the big
green lily-pad. Splash: Spotty the
Turtle had fallen backward into the
Smiling Pool OIL the opposite side OF
the green Mly-pad. And the fsh
which had. caused all the trouble lay
floating. on the, WATER .-~.-:t