All the birds in the woods went the next morning to the old oak tree. The branches of the tree were so full of birds that some of them sagged way down. Under the tree the ground was all hard and smooth. Jumping Jehosophat was there waiting. He was certainly a queer animal. He had a great big body and a little bit of a head. His hind legs were long and strong and his front legs were no bigger than a rabbit’s. As he stood up he was almost as tall as a man; his fur was gray and he had funny little eyes which twinkled as he talked. On his breast were at least a dozen medals for jumping. He folded his arms and hopped about on his hind legs.
“Birds in the tree,” he said, “in me you see the great Jumping Jehosophat, the bounding kangaroo. Because I jump so high I got away from the circus. Now, then, where is that miserable little speckled green thing that thinks it can jump?”
Nobody spoke for a long time and then Sly Fox came out from behind the bushes, carrying a bulrush for a cane.
“Birds in the tree,” said Sly Fox, “the great and only Kerchug, the only creature who is not afraid to leap both in the water and on the dry land, has just finished his test, and is now on his way to show how a truly great leap frog can jump.”
“There he is!” screamed all the birds up in the tree. And, sure enough, there came Kerchug, all dressed up in green tights, with spangles all over them. Sly Fox, who had gone into the bushes to bring him out, came up behind him, carrying a great, big stone.
“With this e-nor-mous stone,” said Sly Fox, “Kerchug has just leaped 100 times, so as to get ready for some real jumping. He will now wait until this poor and awkward creature here has a chance to do the same, so that you will all say that he has been fair.”
“O, that is easy!” said Jumping Jehosophat.
So the bounding kangaroo took the big stone in his little arms and jumped up into the air 100 times.
“Now, then,” said Sly Fox, “we shall have the pleasure of seeing who is the better jumper, Jumping Jehosophat, the bounding kangaroo, or my little friend here, who leaps as well on the dry land as in the wettest pool.”
Then Kerchug made a great, big jump, and Sly Fox marked the place.