"A long, long time ago," Grandmother answered, "Grandfather Bull Frog and I lived in a very nice pond far away from here. It was in the field of a man who had two bad boys. We liked that home, for it was very pleasant. But those boys were cruel. They used to catch the young frogs and kill them. And they would throw stones at us whenever we got far enough out of the water so that they could see us. It was very annoying. I never could understand just why they did it. We did the boys no harm. One day when we did not know they were about, some of the young frogs had climbed upon a rock that lifted its head out of the water. Some of the old frogs were teaching these young frogs to sing. Everything was going along nicely, when a stone came flying right through the air toward the rock. Everyone jumped into the water as quickly as he could. Most of the frogs got away safely. But three young frogs were not quick enough and were smashed flat against the rock and killed. Oh, how dreadful it was! But those cruel boys laughed loudly. They seemed to think they had done a smart thing. We all hid down in the deep water and did not dare go out for anything to eat until we were nearly starved. Your Grandfather and I talked the matter over and decided we must leave our beautiful home and look for a safer place. We traveled for many days. At last we came to this pond. As there were no bad boys here or anything that would kill us, we decided to stay. Here we mean always to live."
"Oh, Grandmother, how dreadful!" little Bully cried. "Why can't we ask all the frogs to come and live here in this pond where there are no bad boys to kill them?"
"That would be fine," she answered; "but how could we send them word? We have no one to take the message to them. I think we should be as happy as we can and not think too much about the sorrow of others. But come now," she continued, "I can hear Grandfather Bull Frog calling everyone to the evening concert. We must hurry."
Each evening all the frogs came together for a grand concert. Bully thought this the very best time of the whole day. He liked to hear those big booming frog voices as they made the forest ring with their song. He always sat on a lily pad near Grandfather Bull Frog's island during the concert. To tell the truth, that was usually his bed, for he nearly always fell into a sound sleep before the concert was half through. This night while he slept he dreamed of bad boys throwing stones. He thought he was telling all the other frogs to come to Rainbow Valley and make their home in this dear old Frog Pond.
BULLY AND THE LARK
It was a beautiful morning in early spring. The old bullfrogs about the pond were singing so loudly that it seemed as if their cheeks must burst. The cat-tails were sending up tall, sturdy green shoots through the still water. The trees were bursting into full bloom. The little johnny-jump-ups and yellow buttercups turned their smiling faces up to the beautiful warm sun, and tiny dewdrops were like thousands of sparkling diamonds on the leaves and grasses. All nature seemed joyous and smiling in Rainbow Valley.
Everybody about the Frog Pond was happy except Bully. He was sitting on the old log this bright morning looking very glum. He didn't notice the beauty about him at all. You may wonder what was the matter with him. Surely a little frog has nothing to worry about! Maybe not, but anyhow, that was what he was doing.
He had been very unhappy ever since Grandmother Bull Frog had told him the story of the bad boys and the frogs. He had thought a great deal about it, and it made him sad. His little heart was heavy. He sat around all humped up and wished and wished there was some way to tell all the frogs about this lovely place and invite them to come here and make it their home. Oh, if he could only go himself to tell them! But he knew it was a long way off and that he couldn't find the way. Surely there must be a way to invite them if he could only think of it. He wished he could see his friend the Lark. Perhaps he could think of a plan. It seemed as if it could not be done. Grandmother Bull Frog had said it could not, and Bully knew Grandmother was a wise old frog.
Did you ever want anything very, very much? So much it fairly made you ache thinking about it? Perhaps it was a new hat or a new suit, a ticket to the picture show or to a circus. You thought and thought about how you might get the new hat or how you might get a ticket to the show. But it was all no use. You just didn't see any way to get what you wanted, yet you would not give up. That new hat or the ticket would bob up and keep on bobbing up in your mind and dancing before your eyes. Well, that is the way it was with Bully that lovely spring morning. He couldn't get rid of the longing to have all the other frogs come and share his home with him any more than a hungry boy could quit thinking about the dinner he wanted.