Omaha daily bee., 1919-04-06

~ ME- upon a hfNe III the Lang OF
II J Frogs, when everything was
~ green and peaceful and the mud
oozy and cool with little green roots
and bugs sticking all over ii, and the
froggies were happy as happy could
be. a great terror came among them
they called it The Green Dragon.
1t was so long - froggies all in d
row were not as long and green in
color with gray and black spots
all over it. and. oh, such a wick ID
head and long fiery tongue and cold.
beady, black eyes: the heart OF every
frog thumped in terror against its
ribs when the low swish, swish of
the dragon was heard in the water
or when they saw the green grasses
on the river bank sweep dow with
the weight of the oncoming monstr.
Brave troggies had fallen victim
to this terrible beast when they Fad
Jared forth with spear and lance to
do him battle, for the dragon, II a
froggie dared look him m the eye,
would hypnotic him. first making
him dance for his amusement until,
tired of this sport. he would NUT
ter deep in his Shiny throat, Come
closer, come closer" running his
fCrked tongue out toward the poor
unfortunate froggie who, unable to
help himself, would dance, closer
and closer to this wicked pirate Of
the land and seas who then would
slowly wind his long Shiny body
around the quaking frog and Cob
bic, gobble," in two sha kes there
was no longer froggie in sight, Just
one sly old snake grinning SO WIDE
all his toothless jaws cleaned like
coral reefs and you could almost I'M
agine you saw the hind leg of Master
Frog away down his throat.
Well, it went on and on and no
gallant froggie could kill this NOR
ster who would steal up in the broad
OF day or gloom OF night, and with
cunning instinct pick the youngest,
the fairest and the latest from their
midst, carrying them away never to
return again. Baby froggles wouid
scream wildly if their mammas lef.
them for a second, older frogs low
cred their WOW vows and ker-
hunks, ker-hunks, when gathered i'll
sociable circles Of a dusky lsurn-
mer's eve, even the counting youths
Jared forth no more 10 serenade
their winsome plump lassies for fear
of betraying to the Green Dragon
the hiding place OF their brides-to-be.
The old king was in despair and
many a night he had spent pacing
the palace back and forth with his
crown pushed to the back of his
lfead, scheming and planning how
TO rid the kingdom of this dreaded
.-evil. One half the kingdom and The
princess hand was offered as e
ward to brave frogs who succeeded
in killing him and many were the
noble dukes and counts of Froggie-
land who lost their lives in vain.
1t was early morning OF a bright
summer day, the king and his sages
were gathered in the courtroom in
pomp and splendor as befitted the
occasion, the old kings stern eoun-
tenance was distort with grief and
rage; the night before. his favorite
son, his second child, had been cap
tured by the old pirate, and all the
kings council and all the kings
men were gathered together to ad-
wise as how to rid themselves of
this parasite. Outside the palace
the wind blew as cody. as refresh
ingly as ever. the willows bent their
glossy heads in reverence of the
majesty of the heavens-tRe sun,
the grasses dipped long fingers into
the cooling stream, bob-o-links and
bluebirds chirped gaily on Dough
and linby while the slvery snow
white ducks sailed majesticaly up
and down the rivers edge like a
fleet oil canoes set adrift, but within,
gloom and terror held sway DER
king and council alike.
The kings only daughter, the
princess, whose hand had been Of
fered as reward with half the king
dom to the gallant youth who killed
the dragon. had taken this chance to
slip away from the yigilant watch
OF guards and s-in-waiting to
visit her favorite retreat which had
been, forbidden her since the ad-
vent Of the Green Dragon, for SO
long had restraint been placed upon
the lovely princess that freedom,
even with peril so close at hand, y
seemed to her the one thing desir-
able. she envied the lot of her poor
brother so tired OF watching eyes
was she: so there she was. this
Princes lisa. carrying a large. long
stemmed lily leaf for an umbrella
to shade her lovely green complex
ion from the increasing heat of the