It took Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog only a moment or two to gobble up two more little ducklings. This time the frogs who were watching heard two sharp, shrill little quacks. The father and mother ducks heard them too. Then they both began to quack wildly and swim frantically about. They hurried from the pond with only two downy ducklings following—all that was left of their lovely family. They ran up and down the shore ruffling their feathers and quacking loudly. But Mr. and Mrs. John Bull Frog climbed leisurely back to their place on the rock with a broad smirk on their faces and looking very fat and contented.
The two old ducks took their two babies and hurried off through the woods as fast as the ducklings could go, all the time looking back with eyes wide with fright. Bully followed as near as he dared, keeping out of sight. He met a Robin who said he would follow the ducks and then come back and tell him where they went. Late in the afternoon the Robin flew back and said the ducks had told him they were going far away, and never, never again would they be seen in that awful Frog Pond or in Rainbow Valley.
That night you may be sure the music in and about the old Frog Pond was wonderful. Every frog sang his loudest. Bully was so happy he could not sit still. He stood right up and danced a jig on his lily pad.
Bully danced a jig on his lily pad
MRS. HOUSE FROG ARRIVES AT THE POND
The next morning after the ducks went away, the sun looked down smilingly on the home of the happiest little people in all the world. The most joyful chorus ever heard rang out over the pond. Every frog, big and little, was hopping about singing lustily. The old bullfrogs sang in their deep bass voices, "Kerrump, ker-r-rump, rump, rump, rump, ker-rumpety, rump." Above them could be heard the high, clear tenor voices of the tree frogs as they sang, "Ker-rump, ker, ker-rump, ker-r-r-rumpety rump." And the young bullfrogs kept time with the others in the squeakiest of tones, saying, "Ker-ker, ker-rump, ker-ker, ker-rump." Even Mrs. Toad and the mother frogs, who, we know, haven't much music in them, were making a brave attempt to say, "Ker-rump."
A neighbor bobolink swinging on a tall cat-tail sang, "Bobolink, bobolink, spink, spank, spink." When the swaying cat-tail bent down near the water, Mr. Bobolink tipped way over as if about to fall off, and called, "Chee, chee, chee!" All the other little birds about the pond sang and sang until it seemed as if their tiny throats would burst.