CHAPTER II.
THE FROG AND THE TOAD
“Tommy Smith takes a turn in the garden next day,
And he finds the frog ready with something to say.”
AS soon as he had had his breakfast, Tommy Smith went out into the garden. It had been raining a little, and the first thing he saw was a large yellow frog sitting on the wet grass. Tommy Smith had a stick in his hand, and he at once lifted it up over his shoulder.
“Don’t hit me,” said the frog. “That would be a very wicked thing to do.”
Tommy Smith was so surprised to hear a frog speak that he dropped his stick and stood with both his eyes wide open for several seconds.
“Why do you want to kill me?” said the frog.
Tommy Smith thought he must say something, so he answered, “Because you are a nasty, stupid frog.”
“I don’t know what you mean by calling me nasty,” said the frog. “Look at my bright smooth skin, how nice and clean it is—cleaner than your own face, I daresay, although it is not long since you have washed it. As for my being stupid, you see that I can speak your language, although you cannot speak mine; and there are lots of other things which I am able to do, but you are not. I think I can catch a fly better than you can.”