Everyone about the Frog Pond praised Bully for what he had done until his foolish little head was filled with pride. His brothers and sisters didn't understand how he had dared do such a thing as attack that fierce, strange frog. They told him he had saved Grandfather Bull Frog's life. Bully really believed this was true. Was not old Grandfather about ready to quit when he had jumped in and helped him? We shall just have to forgive him for being a bit puffed up. We can't really blame him very much if his head was turned with pride. It would make almost anyone proud to have his whole family saying nice things about him. Bully, sitting on his lily pad and looking up at the sky, even thought the little stars were winking and nodding their approval of what he had done. Mrs. Moon's lovely face no longer wore a frown. She seemed to beam kindly on him as she rode slowly along in the clear sky. Even the tall cat-tails nodded their brown heads, and the faces of the snowy water lilies seemed smiling at him in the moonlight. Yes, Bully's heart was full of pride and happiness as he sat there on his lily pad. Do you wonder at it?
About a week after the great fight Grandfather Bull Frog said he was again able to lead the concert. When each frog was in his usual place, Grandfather looked about and said, "This stranger has promised to be good if we will let him live in the old Frog Pond. I will do as you say. Shall he stay?"
All the frogs at once croaked loudly, "Yes, let him stay if he really promises to be good."
"I shall be glad to have him stay," said Grandfather Bull Frog. "We will give him for his home the deep place over by the bulrushes. Now before we begin to sing suppose we ask him to tell us his story."
The stranger stood up and, beginning very meekly, said, "I thank you for letting me stay. I shall try to do right. You see, I have not always been a trouble-making frog. I wandered away from my old home and have been living among the wrong kind of people."
"Bad company always spoils good frogs," boomed out several voices at once. "But there are no really bad frogs here, so you ought to find it easy to be good."
"Yes," he replied, "I believe everyone here is trying to do right, and I promise you I shall try to do right, too."
"We believe you will. We shall try you anyway," croaked every frog in the pond.
"Thank you very much," the stranger replied. "Now for my story:
"I came from a land far across the ocean, from a country called Belgium. With many of my family I lived in a fine old swamp which was as good a home as any frog need wish. It was very pleasant there, although the people often would catch and eat some of us. Mrs. Frog and I always managed to hide when they came looking for us, so we escaped. Yes, it was pleasant living there, until one day we saw a great many men marching by with big guns which made a dreadful noise and sent out fire and smoke. After that we were never free from fear.