At last Mr. Frog grew calmer. He drew forth a big handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped his eyes.
"You're certainly the funniest sight I've ever seen!" he exclaimed.
"I wish you'd explain about my suit being upside down," Bobby said. "I've worn it this way for almost two months. And only yesterday my wife told me there was nothing wrong with it."
"Ah!" Mr. Frog cried. "She doesn't know about the styles. If she did, she'd know what was the matter. Your waistcoat is black; and you wear bright colors on your back. Anybody that follows the fashions as I do could tell you that your coat should be black, and that the yellow and white ought to be on your waistcoat. That's one of the rules: Coat dark, waistcoat bright and gay! Look at me!" And[p. 83] Mr. Frog drew himself up proudly and leaned against a stump, with his feet crossed, exactly as if he was having his picture taken.
Bobby Bobolink looked at him. And all at once he burst out laughing.
Now it was Mr. Frog's turn to feel uncomfortable.
"What's the matter?" he asked. "Isn't my tie straight?"
"Oh, I dare say your tie's correct," Bobby Bobolink told him. "But there's something queer about you. Maybe it's because your feet are so big!" And he laughed harder than ever; for Mr. Frog certainly looked funny.
Now, Mr. Frog's feet were a great trial to him. He had always wanted small ones. But somehow he had never been able to change them.
"They aren't really as big as they[p. 84] look," he remarked, gazing down at his feet mournfully. "You see, trousers are being worn very tight this summer. And that always makes the feet seem bigger.... My feet can't look peculiar."