One day Hoppy Toad was hopping along in the grass near Tadpole Pond when he was surprised to find himself resting on the bushy tail of a squirrel.
The squirrel, who was in the act of cracking a nut, turned his head to see who was on his tail; it startled him quite a bit and caused him to drop the nut.
“Pardon me,” said Hoppy Toad.
“That’s all right,” said the squirrel. “You gave me quite a scare, though. I thought it was someone after me.”
“What is your name?” asked Hoppy Toad.
“Bimby Squirrel,” replied the squirrel. “What is yours?”
“Hoppy Toad,” said Hoppy.
“I’ve heard of you,” said Bimby Squirrel. “Billy Bull-Frog told me something about you once. I believe he showed you the way home one time when you got lost in the woods. He lives near me.”
“How is Billy Bull-Frog these days?” asked Hoppy Toad.
“He has been under the weather a bit lately; he doesn’t seem to know what the trouble is,” said Bimby Squirrel.