Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-09-07
.LITILE@oRIEs
rBEDTInE
The Little Foxes Find a
Queer Fellow.
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.


Just keep this fact in mind, my dear:
old Mother Nature.
II was so very different along the
Laughing Brook from the Old Pasture
end the Green Meadows that the Tour
young Foxes. visiting it for the nrst
, time found so much to see that they
couldn't keep still The running water
of the Laughing Brook was a continual
wonder to them. They were little
afraid of it, yet they couldn't forget that
both Reddy Fox and Mrs. Reddy had
told them that at times it might prove
TO be their best friend.
They ran about this way and that way.
looking at everything and shifting at
everything that was new to them. once
Croaker the Green Frog was discovered
by one of the young Foxes. He called
the others Come here" he cried.
Here is the funniest looking Toad you
. ever have SEEN His coat is all smooth
and it is green instead Of brown. Let's
make him hop.
The other little Foxes hurried over to
see the queer Toad. They had seen
some Of Old Mr.. Toad's family several
times, and it had always tickled them
10 make the loads hop. Once one of
them had taken Toad into his mouth.
but he didn't do 1t a second time. You
see Old Mr.. Toad and the members OF
his family have most unpleasant
liquid which they can pour out in tiny
drops through the skin, and this lexves
a most unpleasant taste in the mouth
of one who catches them. 1t was some
time before that little Fox got rid OF
that unpleasant taste. So after that
when the Young Foxes found Toad
they simply teased him just to see him
make his little. funny, short hops.
That what thew Dlanne0 TO do with
this queer green-coated fellow. The
one who had found him reached a little
black paw forward to touch him, but
the green-coated Toad didn't wait to
be touched. He suddenly leaped and it
was such surprisingly long leap that
the four young Foxes received one of
the greatest surprises of their short
, lives. Before they could even exclaim
he made another long leap and disap-
peared head first with little splash in
the Laughing Brook.
Then the four little Foxes raced to
the edge of the Laughing Brook to see
what had become Of him. No, sir; he
wasn't to be seen. He had gone straight
TO the bottom and buried himself in the
mud. Reddy Fox, who had seen the
whole performance, chuckled as he saw
the puzzled look on the faces of his four
excited children. What are you look
ing att" he asked, as he walked over
TO where they were excitedly running
back and forth along the bank and
staring down into the water.
1t was a funny Toad cried one
little Fox, land he jumped right into
the water. And now we can't see him
anywhere.
You won't see him unless you have
a great deal of patience and wait a
very long time said Reddy. And
that wasn't a Toad at all. 1t was a
cousin of the Toads. 1t was Croaker
the Green Frog. and he is quite as much
at home in the water as on the land.
If you could jump as far for your size
as he can for his size you would be
one of the best jumpers in all the
Great World Frogs are very good eat
ing when there is nothing better. if YOU
can catch them. They do not leave
that unpleasant taste in your mouth
that the Toads do
IN catch the next one 1 see." de-
clared a little Fox.
Perhaps said Reddy. and 1rinned
you'll have to be smarter than you've
shown yourself to be yet
Why haven't we seen a Frog be-
fore?" inquired another little Fox.
Because this is the first time you
have been near the water and you will
seldom find Croaker more than two or
three jumps from the water" explained
Reddy
So the young Foxes learned the diff
ference between the Toads and their
cousins. the Frogs.
Copyright. 1922. by T. ". Burgess)
The next story: An Adventure
Near the Laughing Brook"