“‘Pooh! You Tads! Where are your front legs?’
“‘They’ll grow soon, and when they do we’ll come out there and duck you impudent Polliwogs!’ threatened one Tad, named Tibby.
“At the bare mention of ‘duck’ every Tad jumped and even Tibby Tad shivered with apprehension, for it was well known that a duck was a deadly foe to a Polliwog or a Tadpole.
“‘Quick—run to cover! Here comes a duck!’ shouted a Polliwog from the larger creek.
“Instantly every Tad burrowed down through the muddy inlet and remained hidden until they heard the Pollys’ laugh and jeer, then the Tads knew they had been made sport of.
“‘I’m going to swim out there and slap that Polliwog’s face!’ exclaimed Tibby Tad, as he started up from the soft mud.
“Just then a dreadful thing happened on the surface of the water above him. A big black thing fell ker-splash into the pool, and the ripples circled about as it tried to scramble forth again.
“The big black bug saw the Tads, however, and made a quick dive for them. Alas! Some were caught and gobbled up, but Tibby escaped without a scratch!
“‘That wasn’t a duck, but it was just as bad as one,’ said Tibby to himself, as he decided not to swim out to the big creek that day but stick close to the home-bank of mud.
“Some time after this, the other legs began to grow and the Tads who had survived the raids of ducks, beetles, bugs and other enemies, found they could hop feebly to the bank.