Tale of Ferdinand Frog — Catching up with Mr. Frog, </p>Mr. Frog is in no Hurry, </p>and A Bad Blunder</p>

Tired Tim Beaver asked Mr. Frog point-blank how a person might catch up with him in the matter of clothes.

"If you manage to dress in a style that's five years ahead of the times, I should like to know the way to be just as fashionable," Tired Tim said.

But he got no help--then--from Mr. Frog.

All Ferdinand Frog would say was that he'd be glad to oblige a friend, but he couldn't--and wouldn't--be hurried.

And though the unhappy, eager Tim teased and begged him to tell his secret, Mr. Frog only smiled the more cheerfully and said nothing.

It was maddening--for Tired Tim--though Mr. Frog seemed to be enjoying himself hugely.

And the result was that Tired Tim Beaver returned to the village in the pond in a terrible state of mind.

Since he told everyone else what he had learned about Ferdinand Frog and his clothes, it was only a short time before the whole Beaver family was so stirred up that they couldn't do a stroke of work.

Ferdinand Frog was in everybody's mouth, so to speak.

And at last old Grandaddy Beaver hit upon a plan.

"Why don't you get somebody to make you a suit exactly like Mr. Frog's?"

he asked Tired Tim.

So Tired Tim took Grandaddy's advice.

That very night he disappeared, to swagger back in a few days in a costume that made him appear almost like Mr. Frog's twin brother--if one didn't look at his face.

And there were some among the villagers who even declared that Tired Tim's mouth seemed wider than it had been, and more like Mr. Frog's. When they asked Tired Tim if his tailor hadn't stretched his mouth for him he replied no, that he had been smiling a good deal for a day or two, and perhaps that was what made his mouth look different.

Well, the whole Beaver village was delighted with Tired Tim's new suit.

"Wait till Mr. Frog sees you!"

people cried.

"He'll be _so_ surprised!"

[Illustration: Mr. Frog Liked to Hear Himself Sing] And somebody swam away in great haste to find Mr. Frog and ask him to come to the lower end of the pond, where all the houses were.

But when Ferdinand Frog arrived, everybody was disappointed, and especially Tired Tim, who had felt very proud in his gorgeous new clothes.

For he saw at once that Mr. Frog was arrayed from head to foot in an entirely new outfit.

He looked almost like a rainbow, so brilliant were the colors of his costume.

At the same time Tired Tim put on as brave a front as he could.

And drawing near to Mr. Frog, he said: "What do you think of my new suit?"

Ferdinand Frog looked at him as if he hadn't noticed him before.

"Your suit's all right," he replied, "for one who isn't particular.

But it's not far enough ahead of the times for me.

.

.

.

I'd hate to be caught wearing it."

It was a bitter blow for Tired Tim Beaver.

In fact, he felt more tired than ever; and he sank to the bottom of the pond to rest, where his friends couldn't see him.

As for the other members of the Beaver family, they all went home with a great longing inside them.

There wasn't a single one of them that wasn't eager to wear clothes exactly as far ahead of the times as were those of the elegant stranger, Ferdinand Frog.

XI FERDINAND FROG IS IN NO HURRY

Although everybody in the Beaver village looked worried, Mr. Frog seemed to be all the more cheerful.

He knew well enough that there was hardly one Beaver in the pond that didn't wish and long for clothes which were, like Mr. Frog's, five years ahead of the times.

As day after day passed, not only were the Beavers unable to do a single stroke of work; they were so upset that they could scarcely eat or sleep.

And at last the older villagers, such as Grandaddy Beaver, began to see that something would have to be done.

There was the dam, which needed mending; and there was the winter's food, which had to be gathered.

So Grandaddy Beaver went to Ferdinand Frog one day and told him that he simply _must_ come to the rescue of the pond folk, and tell them how they might have clothes as far ahead of the times as were his own.

"Why?"

Mr. Frog inquired.

"What's the trouble?"

"They can't work," Grandaddy Beaver told him.

"And there's the dam to be fixed, and tree-tops to be cut and stored for food, because winter's a-coming, and there's no way we can stop it."

"I'll tell you what you and your people can do," Ferdinand Frog replied.

"Just bury yourselves in the mud during the winter, as I do, and you'd have no use for a dam, nor for food, either."

But Grandaddy Beaver explained that though such a plan might suit a Frog exceedingly well, for a Beaver it would never do at all.

"You have got us into this scrape," he told Mr. Frog, "so it's only fair that you should help us out of it."

Ferdinand Frog then did a number of things, all of which were intended to let Grandaddy Beaver see that what he asked couldn't be done.

Mr. Frog held up his hands with the palms out and rolled his eyes; he shut his great mouth together as if he did not intend to say another word.

He looked so determined that Grandaddy Beaver's heart sank.

And then--when Grandaddy Beaver had almost given up all hope--then Mr. Frog said suddenly: "I'll consent to help you, because I see that it's my duty."

"Good!"

Grandaddy Beaver cried.

"I told people that I knew you'd come to our rescue, for you have such a kind face!

.

.

.

"And now, tell me!"

he bade Ferdinand Frog with great eagerness, while he held a hand behind one of his ears, in order to hear more clearly.

But Mr. Frog was not ready to give away his secret.

He winked at Grandaddy Beaver, and poked his fingers into the old gentleman's ribs.

"Not so fast, my lad!"

said Mr. Frog, who was certainly many years younger than Grandaddy Beaver.

"I'm not prepared to explain everything to you just yet.

"You come to the big rock on the other side of the pond as soon as it's dark to-night; and bring with you everybody who wants to know how to get clothes like mine.

"Now, do exactly as I say," Mr. Frog cautioned Grandaddy, "and _everything will be made easy_."

XII A BAD BLUNDER

When it was almost dark Grandaddy Beaver swam across the pond to the big rock, where Ferdinand Frog had told him to come.

And trooping after Daddy was almost everybody in the village.

Not counting the women and children, there were eleven of them.

They climbed upon the rock, looking for Mr. Frog.

But he was nowhere in sight.

"He'll be here in a minute or two, probably," Grandaddy Beaver said hopefully, for all he looked a bit anxious.

Then somebody spied a neat building near-by, which not one of them had noticed before.

"What's this strange house?"

people asked one another.

"Is this where Mr. Frog lives?"

But nobody seemed to know the answer to that question.

"It can't be a shop," Grandaddy decided, "for there's no sign on it.

And nobody would have a shop without a sign."

Now, the door of the little building was shut and fastened.

And the window-shades were pulled carefully down.

It certainly looked as if nobody was at home.

But suddenly there came a sound that made the Beaver family jump.

It came from the house--there was no doubt of that.

In fact it came right through the keyhole; and it was like nothing in the world but a sneeze.

A number of people were all ready to jump into the water and swim away, they were so startled.

And then a snicker followed the sneeze.

And by that time Grandaddy Beaver and his friends guessed who was inside the building.

It was Ferdinand Frog; and he had been watching his callers all the time, through the keyhole, and listening to everything that they said.

A few felt slightly uneasy, as they tried to remember exactly what remarks they had made about Mr. Frog himself.

"Come out!"

they all cried, as soon as they had recovered from their surprise.

"We want to see you!"

And they formed a half-circle in the dooryard.

Presently the door swung out, as if somebody had pushed it open.

And there, on the _inside_ of the open door, which was flung back against the outside of the building, they all saw a sign, which said: MR.

FERDINAND FROG

UNFASHIONABLE TAILOR

ALL THE STYLES

FIVE YEARS AHEAD

OF THE TIMES

People began exclaiming that that was just like Ferdinand Frog--who was an odd fellow--to have his sign painted on the inside of his door instead of on the outside.

"It'll be all the style five years from now," he retorted.

So that was Mr. Frog's secret!

He was a tailor himself!

And there he was, ready to make clothes for all of them!

It was almost too good to be true.

But there he stood in the doorway, with a tape around his neck, smiling and bowing.

"You'd better form in line!"

he suggested.

"You can come in through the front door.

I'll measure you.

And you can pass out the back way.

.

.

.

Don't crowd, please!"

Now, that was just where Mr. Frog made a great blunder.

But he didn't find it out till it was too late.

XIII