Tale of Ferdinand Frog — Stop That!, </p>A Long, Sharp Bill, </p>and Making Button-holes</p>
XVI STOP THAT!
On a cool summer's morning Ferdinand Frog was sitting among the reeds near the bank of the pond when a harsh voice suddenly said: "Stop that!"
Looking up, Mr. Frog saw a huge bird standing on one leg in the water, watching him.
The stranger was actually so big that Mr. Frog hadn't noticed him.
To be sure, he had seen what he thought was a stick stuck upright in the muddy bottom of the pond.
That was really the stranger's leg; but Mr. Frog hadn't taken the trouble to glance upwards and see what was at the top of it.
Of course, Mr. Frog was frightened as soon as he discovered his mistake, for the bird had a great, long bill.
Without being told, Ferdinand Frog knew that that bill could open like a trap--and seize him, too.
But he showed not the least sign that he was even disturbed.
"Stop that, I say!"
the stranger repeated, before Mr. Frog had so much as said a word.
"Stop what?"
Mr. Frog asked.
"Stop sticking your tongue out at me!"
the other commanded.
In spite of his alarm, when he heard that Ferdinand Frog began to laugh.
"I beg your pardon," he said, "but I think you are mistaken.
I wasn't sticking my tongue out at you.
I was only catching flies."
Mr. Frog paid no attention to the sneering laugh that the stranger gave.
"You see," he went on, "I'm having my breakfast.
And this is how I manage it: I wait here without moving until a fly comes my way.
Then I dart my tongue at him as quick as lightning.
"My tongue," Mr. Frog explained, "is fastened at the front of my mouth instead of at the back.
So I can often reach a fly when he thinks he's perfectly safe.
And furthermore, my tongue is so sticky that if it touches a fly, he can't get away.
Then I swallow that one and wait for another."
"A likely story!"
the big bird scoffed.
"I've been watching you for a long time (Mr. Frog shivered when he heard that!
) and I know what I'm talking about.
.
.
.
There you go again!"
he shrieked angrily, as Ferdinand Frog's tongue flew out and captured another fly so quickly that the stranger couldn't see just what had happened.
"Listen to me a moment!"
Mr. Frog said.
"Like most people, I have to eat.
And when I eat I can't help sticking out my tongue.
So I'd suggest that if you don't care to watch me at my breakfast you'd better go away.
It certainly isn't my fault that you're standing right in front of me."
But the stranger declined to move.
"If you really meant to be polite," he grumbled, "you'd at least turn your back when you stick out your tongue."
But Mr. Frog never stirred.
He was afraid that the moment he turned his back the big bird would pounce upon him.
"It's not necessary for me to turn around now," he explained.
"I've finished my breakfast.
And I hope you've had yours, too."
[Illustration: Grand-daddy Beaver Appeals to Mr. Frog] "I'm sorry to say that I have," the stranger answered with a sigh, as he looked longingly at plump Mr. Frog.
"I couldn't eat another mouthful if it sat right in front of me."
And then Ferdinand Frog felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his mind.
He smiled all over his face, to show the stranger that he was glad to see him.
"Ah!"
Mr. Frog cried.
"Then we can have a friendly chat together.
I
always like to talk with travellers.
.
.
.
What a long, sharp bill you have!"
Now, some people would think that a rude remark.
But it seemed to please the stranger immensely.
XVII A LONG, SHARP BILL
Certainly it was an odd remark that Ferdinand Frog made about the stranger's wicked-looking bill.
But knowing that its owner had eaten until he had no appetite left for the time being, Mr. Frog forgot his fear.
And he couldn't help being curious about the big bird, because he had never seen another like him.
Of course, what Mr. Frog said would have annoyed some people a good deal, for he had just the same as told the stranger that he had _a long, sharp nose_.
But luckily it happened that the newcomer was very vain both of the length and the sharpness of his bill.
So he liked Mr. Frog's comment.
And he promptly forgot his displeasure over Mr. Frog's tongue.
"Yes!"
he said, in response to Ferdinand Frog's speech, "there isn't another bill like mine for twenty miles around--except my wife's." "You don't live in this neighborhood, do you?"
Mr. Frog inquired.
"My home is beyond the Second Mountain," the stranger informed him.
And Ferdinand Frog was glad to hear that the huge fellow dwelt no nearer.
"What's your name, friend?"
Mr. Frog then asked.
"My name----" the giant bird replied--"my name is G. B.
Heron."
"'G. B.'
" Mr. Frog exclaimed, turning a pale green color.
"What do those letters stand for?
Not Grizzly Bear, I hope!"
He had heard of--but had never seen--a Grizzly Bear; and for a moment he thought that perhaps he had met one at last.
But the stranger soon set his fresh fears at rest.
"My full name," he told Mr. Frog, "is Great Blue Heron.
But plain Mr. Heron will do, when you address me."
"I hope I'll see you sooner the next time we meet," Mr. Frog said.
And he resolved that he would keep a sharp eye out for Mr. Heron, so that he might have plenty of time to hide the moment he caught sight of him.
"There's no doubt that we'll meet again," Mr. Heron replied.
"I expect to come here to live.
And I flew over here to-day to look about a bit.
.
.
.
Are there many in your family?"
"No!"
Mr. Frog hastened to answer.
"There's only myself living in this pond."
"But you must have plenty of relations somewhere," Mr. G.
B.
Heron insisted.
"If I came here to live, and anything happened to you, I'd want to tell your family."
"Well, I have a few relations, to be sure," Mr. Frog admitted.
"But they don't amount to much.
They're a stringy lot, I can tell you."
Mr. Heron looked at him as if he couldn't quite believe that statement.
"That's odd," he observed.
"Now, you're nice and plump."
"Oh, I'm _too_ fat," Ferdinand Frog said.
"Aunt Polly Woodchuck tells me that if I get much fatter I'll lose my good looks."
"I don't agree with her," said Mr. Heron.
"You look good to me."
And now it was Mr. Frog's turn to be pleased; for he was very vain.
"I'm glad to hear it!"
he cried.
"And I'll tell you a secret: I've always been quite satisfied with myself until my eyes fell on you.
Oh!
if I only had such a bill as yours!"
"You like my bill, then?"
Mr. Heron asked him.
"Yes!"
Ferdinand Frog answered.
"And it must be very handy, too."
"What for?"
Mr. Heron inquired.
"Why, for making button-holes!"
Ferdinand Frog exclaimed.
XVIII MAKING BUTTON-HOLES
Mr. Heron couldn't help being interested.
"Button-holes in what?"
he asked Ferdinand Frog.
"Why, in suits of clothes, of course!"
the tailor answered.
"If you had a tailor's shop, as I have, you'd find that bill of yours a handy thing to have.
When you wanted to make a button-hole in a piece of cloth all you'd need do would be to stick your bill through it."
"I'd like to try that," Mr. Heron remarked.
"Then come right over to my shop," Mr. Frog urged him.
"I'll let you make all the button-holes you want."
"Very well!"
Mr. Heron agreed.
"I'll make button-holes until I get hungry."
"That's a good idea!"
Mr. Frog cried.
And his new friend smiled, for he thought the tailor must be very stupid.
He intended to stay with Mr. Frog until he was hungry enough to eat him.
And no one who wasn't dull-witted could have failed to grasp his plan.
Well, they started off together; and they arrived shortly afterward at the tailor's shop.
Observing that Mr. Heron was altogether too big to squeeze inside the tiny building, Mr. Frog entered it, to reappear soon with an armful of cloth.
On this Mr. Frog proceeded to mark a row of dots.
And then he hung the cloth upon some reeds.
"There!"
he announced.
"Can you hit the mark?"
"Certainly I can," Mr. Heron replied.
And quick as lightning his sharp bill darted out and made a neat hole exactly where every dot had been.
"Splendid!
Perfect!"
Mr. Frog exclaimed.
And thereupon he brought forth more cloth.
In a surprisingly short time Mr. Heron had made eighty-seven button-holes.
But Mr. Frog noticed that beginning with the seventy-seventh button-hole the stranger's aim began to fail.
He did not hit the dots quite squarely.
And he seemed not to have his mind on his work.
"What's the matter?"
Mr. Frog inquired.
"Are you getting tired?"
"No--not tired," Mr. Heron told him.
"Are your eyes troubling you?"
the tailor asked him.
"No--I can see well enough," Mr. Heron replied.
"But I'm beginning to feel a bit faint.
And I think I've made enough button-holes for one day."
But Mr. Frog said that he had a special suit which he was making for somebody.
And he begged Mr. Heron to make the button-holes in that too.
Mr. Heron frowned.
But presently he yielded, telling Mr. Frog to hurry, for he had another matter to attend to.
So the tailor leaped into his shop once more.
And for a few moments he was very busy, arranging another strip of cloth so that the stranger might make button-holes in it.
When all was ready Mr. Heron stepped up to do his work.
He was just about to strike, when he suddenly paused.
"Who's going to have this suit?"
he asked the tailor.
"Mr. Fish Hawk," said the tailor.
"Do you know him?"
"I should say I did!"
Mr. Heron cried.
"And he's no friend of mine, I assure you.
I only wish he was behind this cloth!
I'd run my bill clean through him!"
A cold, cruel glitter came into Mr. Heron's eyes.
And when he struck, he struck with all his power, as if he were driving his wicked bill through Mr. Fish Hawk that very moment.
He made only that one thrust.
And he did not withdraw his bill, either.
Instead he set up a terrible squawking and began to flounder about on the bank of the pond.
"Help!
Help!"
he cried in a muffled voice.
But Ferdinand Frog only smiled--and made no move to assist his new acquaintance.
The truth of the matter was that he had hidden a block of wood behind the cloth, and Mr. Heron had driven his bill into it so far that he couldn't pull it out.
With a loud chuckle Mr. Frog jumped into the water and swam away.
And that very day he moved to Black Creek, without troubling himself to learn how Mr. Heron got himself out of his difficulty.
But the tailor couldn't help thinking what a handy thing it would be to have a bill like Mr. Heron's.
