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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/18599-0.txt b/18599-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c85f623 --- /dev/null +++ b/18599-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5455 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. Garis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bully and Bawly No-Tail + +Author: Howard R. Garis + +Illustrator: Louis Wisa + +Release Date: June 16, 2006 [EBook #18599] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +_BEDTIME STORIES_ + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL +(THE JUMPING FROGS) + +BY +HOWARD R. GARIS + +Author of “Sammie and Susie Littletail,” +“Uncle Wiggily’s Automobile,” “Daddy Takes Us Camping,” +“The Smith Boys,” “The Island Boys,” etc. + +_ILLUSTRATED BY LOUIS WISA_ + +A. L. BURT COMPANY +PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK + + + + +THE FAMOUS +BED TIME SERIES + +Five groups of books, intended for reading aloud to the little +folks each night. Each volume contains 8 colored illustrations, +31 stories, one for each day of the month. Handsomely bound in +cloth. Size 6-1/2 x 8-1/4. + +Price 60 cents per volume, postpaid + +HOWARD R. GARIS’ +Bed Time Animal Stories + +No. 1. SAMMIE AND SUSIE LITTLETAIL +No. 2. JOHNNY AND BILLY BUSHYTAIL +No. 3. LULU, ALICE & JIMMIE WIBBLEWOBBLE +No. 5. JACKIE AND PEETIE BOW-WOW +No. 7. BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG +No. 9. JOIE, TOMMIE AND KITTIE KAT +No. 10 CHARLIE AND ARABELLA CHICK +No. 14 NEDDIE AND BECKIE STUBTAIL +No. 16 BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL +No. 20 NANNIE AND BILLIE WAGTAIL +No. 28 JOLLIE AND JILLIE LONGTAIL + +Uncle Wiggily Bed Time Stories + +No. 4 UNCLE WIGGILY’S ADVENTURES +No. 6 UNCLE WIGGILY’S TRAVELS +No. 8 UNCLE WIGGILY’S FORTUNE +No. 11 UNCLE WIGGILY’S AUTOMOBILE +No. 19 UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE SEASHORE +No. 21 UNCLE WIGGILY’S AIRSHIP +No. 27 UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE COUNTRY + +For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of +price by the publishers + +A. L. BURT CO., 114-120 East 23d St., New York + + + + +Copyright, 1915, by +R. F. FENNO & COMPANY + + + + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL + + +The stories herein contained appeared originally in the Evening News, of +Newark, N. J., where (so many children and their parents were kind +enough to say) they gave pleasure to a number of little folks and +grown-ups also. Permission to issue the stories in book form was kindly +granted by the publisher and editor of the News, to whom the author +extends his thanks. + + + + +Contents + +STORY I BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING 9 +STORY II BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL 15 +STORY III BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY 21 +STORY IV BULLY’S AND BAWLY’S BIG JUMP 26 +STORY V GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL 34 +STORY VI PAPA NO-TAIL IN TROUBLE 40 +STORY VII BULLY NO-TAIL PLAYS MARBLES 46 +STORY VIII BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT 52 +STORY IX GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA 58 +STORY X BAWLY NO-TAIL AND JOLLIE LONGTAIL 65 +STORY XI BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE 71 +STORY XII BAWLY NO-TAIL GOES HUNTING 77 +STORY XIII PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT 83 +STORY XIV BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE 90 +STORY XV BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS 97 +STORY XVI BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES 104 +STORY XVII GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY 110 +STORY XVIII MRS. NO-TAIL AND MRS. LONGTAIL 117 +STORY XIX BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. 123 +STORY XX BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. 128 +STORY XXI GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG 135 +STORY XXII PAPA NO-TAIL AND NANNIE GOAT 141 +STORY XXIII MRS. NO-TAIL AND NELLIE CHIP-CHIP 148 +STORY XXIV BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE 154 +STORY XXV BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE 161 +STORY XXVI BULLY NO-TAIL AND KITTIE KAT 168 +STORY XXVII HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER 174 +STORY XXVIII BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL 180 +STORY XXIX BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS 186 +STORY XXX BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN 194 +STORY XXXI THE FROGS’ FAREWELL HOP 200 + + + + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL + +STORY I + +BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING + + +Once upon a time, not so very many years ago, there were two little frog +boys who lived in a little pond near a nice big farm. It wasn’t very far +from where Peetie and Jackie Bow-Wow, the puppy dogs, had their home, +and the frogs’ house was right next door to the pen where Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble the ducks lived. + +There was Bully No-Tail, and his brother Bawly No-Tail, and the reason +Bawly had such a funny name was because when he was a little baby he +used to cry a good bit. And once he cried so much that he made a lot +more water in the pond than should have been there, and it ran over, +just like when you put too much milk in your glass, and made the ground +all wet. + +The last name of the frogs was “No-Tail,” because, being frogs, you see, +they had no tails. + +But now Bawly was larger, and he didn’t cry so much, I’m glad to say. +And with the frog boys lived their papa and mamma, and also a nice, big, +green and yellow spotted frog who was named Grandpa Croaker. Oh, he was +one of the nicest frogs I have ever known, and I have met quite a +number. + +One day when Bully and Bawly were hopping along on the ground, close to +the edge of the pond, Bully suddenly said: + +“Bawly, I think I can beat you in a swimming race.” + +“I don’t believe you can,” spoke Bawly, as he thoughtfully scratched his +left front leg on a piece of hickory bark. + +“Well, we’ll try,” said Bully. “We’ll see who can first swim to the +other side of the pond, and whoever does it will get a stick of +peppermint candy.” + +“Where can we get the candy?” asked Bawly. “Have you got it? For if you +have I wish you’d give me a bite before we jump in the water, Bully.” + +“No, I haven’t it,” replied his brother. “But I know Grandpa Croaker +will give it to us after the race. Come on, let’s jump in.” + +So the next minute into the pond jumped those two frog boys, and they +didn’t take off their shoes or their stockings, nor even their coats or +waists, nor yet their neckties. For you see they wore the kind of +clothes which water couldn’t hurt, as they were made of rubber, like a +raincoat. Their mamma had to make them that kind, because they went in +the water so often. + +Into the pond the frogs jumped, and they began swimming as fast as they +could. First Bully was a little distance ahead, and then Bawly would +kick out his front legs and his hind legs, and he would be in the lead. + +“I’m going to win! I’ll get the peppermint candy!” Bawly called to his +brother, winking his two eyes right in the water, as easily as you can +put your doll to sleep, or play a game of marbles. + +“No. I’ll beat!” declared Bully. “But if I get the candy I’ll give you +some.” + +So they swam on, faster and faster, making the water splash up all +around them like a steamboat going to a picnic. + +Well, the frogs were almost half way across the pond, when Lulu and +Alice Wibblewobble, the duck girls, came out of their pen. They had just +washed their faces and their yellow bills, and had put on their new hair +ribbons, so they looked very nice, and proper. + +“Oh, see Bully and Bawly having a swimming race!” exclaimed Lulu. “I +think Bully will win!” + +“I think Bawly will!” cried Alice. “See, he is ahead!” + +“No, Bully is ahead now,” called Lulu, and surely enough so Bully was, +having made a sudden jump in the water. + +And then, all of a sudden, before you could take all the seeds out of an +apple or an orange, if you had one with seeds in, Bawly disappeared from +sight down under the water. He vanished just as the milk goes out of +baby’s bottle when she drinks it all up. + +“Oh, look!” cried Lulu. “Bawly is going to swim under water!” + +“That’s so he can win the race easier, I guess,” spoke Alice. + +“What’s that?” asked Bully, wiggling his two eyes. + +“Your brother has gone down under the water!” cried the two duck girls +together. + +“So he has!” exclaimed Bully, glancing around. And then, when he had +looked down, he cried out: “Oh, a great big fish has hold of Bawly’s +toes, and he’s going to eat him, I guess! I must save my brother!” + +Bully didn’t think anything more about the race after that. No, indeed, +and some tomato ketchup, too! Down under water he dived, and he swam +close up to the fish who was pulling poor Bawly away to his den in among +a lot of stones. + +“Oh, let my brother go, if you please!” called Bully to the fish. + +“No, I’ll not,” was the answer, and then the big fish flopped his tail +like a fan and made such a wave that poor Bully was upset, turning a +somersault in the water. But that didn’t scare him, and when he had +turned over right side up again he swam to the fish once more and said: + +“If you don’t let my brother go I’ll call a policeman!” + +“No policeman can catch me!” declared the fish, boldly, and in a saucy +manner. + +“Oh, do something to save me!” cried poor Bawly, trying to pull his toes +away from the fish’s teeth, but he couldn’t. + +“I’ll save you!” shouted Bully, and then he took a stick, and tried to +put it in the fish’s mouth to make him open his jaws and let loose of +Bawly. But the stick broke, and the fish was swimming away faster than +ever. Then Bully popped his head out of the water and cried to the two +duck girls: + +“Oh, run and tell Grandpa Croaker! Tell him to come and save Bawly!” + +Well, Alice and Lulu wibbled and wobbled as fast as they could go to the +frog house, and told Grandpa Croaker, and the old gentleman gave one +great big leap, and landed in the water right down close to where the +fish had Bawly by the toes. + +“Boom! Boom! Croak-croak-croaker-croak!” cried Grandpa in his deepest +bass voice. “You let Bawly go!” And, would you believe it, his voice +sounded like a cannon, or a big gun, and that fish was so frightened, +thinking he was going to be shot, that he opened his mouth and let Bawly +go. The frog boy’s toes were scratched a little by the teeth of the +fish, but he could still swim, and he and his brother and Grandpa were +soon safe on shore. + +“Well, I guess we won’t race any more to-day,” said Bawly. “Thank you +very much for saving me, Grandpa.” + +“Oh, that’s all right,” said Mr. Croaker kindly. “Here is a penny for +each of you,” and he gave Bully and Bawly and Lulu and Alice each a +penny, and they bought peppermint candy, so Bully and Bawly had +something good to eat, even if they didn’t finish the race, and the bad +fish had nothing. Now, in case I see a green rose in bloom on the pink +lilac bush, I’ll tell you next about Bully making a water wheel. + + + + +STORY II + +BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL + + +Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was sitting out in the yard in front of his +house, with his knife and a lot of sticks. He was whittling the sticks, +and making almost as many chips and shavings as a carpenter, and as he +whittled away he whistled a funny little tune, about a yellow +monkey-doodle with a pink nose colored blue, who wore a slipper on one +foot, because he had no shoe. + +Pretty soon, along came Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, and he +perched on the fence in front of Bully, put his head on one side—not on +one side of the fence, you know, but on one side of his own little +feathered neck—and Dickie looked out of his bright little eyes at Bully, +and inquired: + +“What are you making?” + +“I am making a water-wheel,” answered the frog boy. + +“What! making a wheel out of water?” asked the birdie in great surprise. +“I never heard of such a thing.” + +“Oh, no indeed!” exclaimed Bully with a laugh. “I’m making a wheel out +of wood, so that it will go ‘round and ‘round in the water, and make a +nice splashing noise. You see it’s something like the paddle-wheel of a +steamboat, or a mill wheel, that I’m making.” + +“And where are you going to get the water to make it go ‘round?” asked +Dickie. + +“Down by the pond,” answered Bully. “I know a little place where the +water falls down over the rocks, and I’m going to fasten a wooden wheel +there, and it will whizz around very fast!” + +“Does the water hurt itself when it falls down over the rocks?” asked +Dickie Chip-Chip. “Once I fell down over a little stone, and I hurt +myself quite badly.” + +“Oh, no, water can’t hurt itself,” spoke Bully, as he made a lot more +shavings. “There, the wheel is almost done. Don’t you want to see it go +‘round, Dickie?” + +The little sparrow boy said that he did, so he and the frog started off +together for the pond. Dickie hopping along on the ground, and Bully +flying through the air. + +What’s that? I’m wrong? Oh, yes, excuse me. I see where I made the +mistake. Of course, Dickie flew through the air, and Bully hopped along +on the ground. Now we’re all straight. + +Well, pretty soon they came to the pond and to the little place where +the water fell over the rocks and didn’t hurt itself, and there Bully +fastened his water-wheel, which was nearly as large as he was, and quite +heavy. He fixed it so that the water would drop on the wooden paddles +that stuck out like the spokes of the baby carriage wheels, and in a +short while it was going around as fast as an automobile, splashing the +drops of water up in the sunlight, and making them look like the +diamonds which pretty ladies wear on their fingers. + +“That’s a fine wheel!” cried Dickie. “I wonder if we could ride on it?” + +“I guess we could,” spoke Bully. “It’s like a merry-go-round, only it’s +turned up the wrong way. I’ll see if I can ride on it, and if it goes +all right with me you can try it.” + +So Bully hopped on the moving water-wheel, and, surely enough, he had a +fine ride, only, of course, he got all splashed up, but he didn’t care. + +“Do you mind getting your feathers wet?” he asked of Dickie as he hopped +off, “because if you don’t mind the wet, you can ride.” + +“Oh, I don’t mind the wet a bit,” said the sparrow boy. “In fact, I take +a bath every morning and I wet my feathers then. So I’ll ride on the +wheel and get wet now.” + +Well, he got on, and around the wheel went, splashing in the water, and +then Bully got on, and they both had a fine ride, just as if they were +in a rainstorm with the sun shining all the while. + +But listen. Something is going to happen, I think. Wait a minute—yes, +it’s going to happen right now. What’s that animal sneaking along +through the woods, closer and closer up to where Bully and Dickie are +playing? What is it, eh? A cat! I knew it. A bad cat, too! I could just +feel that something was going to happen. + +You see that cat was hungry, and she hoped to catch the sparrow and the +frog boy and eat them. Up she sneaked, walking as softly as a baby can +creep, and just then Dickie and Bully got off the wheel, and sat down on +the bank to eat a cookie, which Bully found in his water-proof pocket. + +“Now’s my chance!” thought the cat. “I’ll grab ’em both, and eat ’em!” +So she made a spring, but she didn’t jump quite far enough and she +missed both Bully and Dickie. Dickie flew up into a tree, and so he was +safe, but Bully couldn’t fly, though he hopped away. + +After him jumped the cat, and she cried: + +“I’ll get you yet!” + +Bully hopped some more, but the cat raced toward him, and nearly had the +froggie. Then began quite a chase. The cat was very quick, and she kept +after Bully so closely that she was making him very tired. Pretty soon +his jumps weren’t as long as they had been at first. And the cat was +keeping him away from the pond, too, for she knew if he jumped into that +he would get away, for cats don’t like water, or rain. + +But finally Bully managed to head himself back toward the pond, and the +cat was still after him. Oh, how savage she looked with her sharp teeth, +and her glaring eyes! Poor Bully was much frightened. + +All of a sudden, as he hopped nearer and nearer to the pond, he thought +of a trick to play on that cat. He pretended that he could hardly hop +any more, and only took little steps. Nearer and nearer sneaked the cat, +lashing her tail. At last she thought she could give one big spring, and +land on Bully with her sharp claws. + +She did spring, but Dickie, up in the tree, saw her do it, and he called +to his friend Bully to look out. Then Bully gave a great big hop and +landed on the water-wheel, and the cat was so surprised that she jumped, +too, and before she knew it she had leaped on the wheel also. Around and +around it went, with Bully and the cat on it, and water splashed all +over, and the cat was so wet and miserable that she forgot all about +eating Bully. But Bully only liked the water, and didn’t mind it a bit. + +Then the frog boy hopped off the wheel to the shore and hurried away, +with Dickie flying overhead, and the cat, who was now as wet as a +sponge, and very dizzy from the wheel going around so fast, managed to +jump ashore a little while afterward. But her fur was so wet and +plastered down that she couldn’t chase after Bully any more, and he got +safely home; and the cat had to stay in the sun all day to dry out. But +it served her right, I think. + +Now in case the little boy next door doesn’t take our baby carriage and +make an automobile of it, I’ll tell you next about Bawly and Uncle +Wiggily. + + + + +STORY III + +BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the woods one +fine day, whistling a merry tune, and wondering if he would meet any of +his friends, with whom he might have a game of ball. He had a baseball +with him, and he was very fond of playing. I just wish you could have +seen him stand up on his hind legs and catch balls in his mouth. It was +as good as going to the best kind of a moving picture show. Perhaps some +day you may see Bawly. + +Well, as I said, he was hopping along, tossing the ball up into the air +and catching it, sometimes in his paw and sometimes in his mouth, when, +all of a sudden he heard a funny pounding noise, that seemed to be in +the bushes. + +“Gracious, I wonder what that can be!” exclaimed Bawly, looking around +for a good place to hide. + +He was just going to crawl under a hollow stump, for he thought perhaps +the noise might be made by a bad wolf, or a savage fox, sharpening his +teeth on a hard log, when Bawly heard some one say: + +“There, I’ve dropped my hammer! Oh, dear! Now I’ll have to climb all the +way down and get it, I s’pose.” + +“Well, that doesn’t sound like a wolf or a fox,” thought Bawly. “I guess +it’s safe to go on.” + +So he didn’t hide under the stump, but hopped along, and in a little +while he came to a place in the woods where there were no trees, and, +bless you! if there wasn’t the cutest little house you’ve ever seen! It +wasn’t quite finished, and, in fact, up on the roof was Uncle Wiggily +Longears, the old gentleman rabbit, putting on the shingles to keep out +the rain if it came. + +“Oh, hello, Uncle Wiggily!” called Bawly, joyfully. + +“Hello,” answered the rabbit carpenter. “You are just in time, Bawly. +Would you mind handing me my hammer? It slipped and fell to the ground.” + +“Of course I’ll throw it up to you,” said Bawly, kindly. “But you had +better get behind the chimney, Uncle Wiggily, for I might hit you with +the hammer, though, of course, I wouldn’t mean to. You see I am a very +good thrower from having played ball so much.” + +“I see,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “Well, I’ll get behind the chimney.” + +So Bawly picked up the hammer and he threw it carefully toward the roof, +but, would you believe me, he threw it so hard that it went right over +the house, chimney and all, and fell down on the other side. + +“My! You are too strong!” exclaimed Uncle Wiggily laughing so that his +fur shook. “Try again, Bully, if you please.” + +“Oh, I’m Bawly, not Bully,” said the frog boy. + +“Excuse me, that was my mistake,” spoke the old gentleman rabbit. “I’ll +get it right next time, Peetie—I mean Bawly.” + +Well, Bawly threw the hammer again, and this time it landed right on the +roof close to the chimney, and Uncle Wiggily picked it up and began +nailing on more shingles. + +“If you please,” asked Bawly, when he had watched the rabbit carpenter +put in about forty-’leven nails, “who is this house for?” + +“It is for Sammie and Susie Littletail,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “They +are going to have rabbit play-parties in it, and I hope you and Bully +will come sometimes.” + +“We’ll be glad to,” spoke Bawly. Then Uncle Wiggily drove in another +nail, and the house was almost done. + +“How do you get up and down off the roof?” asked Bawly, who didn’t see +any ladder. + +“Oh, I slide up and down a rope,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “I have a +strong cord fastened to the chimney, and I crawl up it, just like a +monkey-doodle, and when I want to come down, I slide down. It’s better +than a ladder, and I can climb a rope very well, for I used to be a +sailor on a ship. See, here is the rope.” + +Well, he took hold of it, near where it was fastened to the chimney, to +show the frog boy how it was done, but, alas, and also alack-a-day! All +of a sudden that rope became untied, it slipped out of Uncle Wiggily’s +paw and fell to the ground! Now, what do you think about that? + +“Oh, my! Now I have gone and done it!” exclaimed the elderly rabbit, as +he leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down. “Now I am in a +pickle!—if you will kindly excuse the expression. How am I ever going to +get down? Oh, dear me, suz dud and a piece of sticking-plaster likewise. +Oh, me! Oh, my!” + +“Can’t you jump, Uncle Wiggily?” asked Bawly. + +“Oh, my, no! I might be killed. It’s too far! I could never jump off the +roof of a house.” + +“Perhaps you can climb down from one window shutter to the other, and so +get to the ground,” suggested Bawly. + +“No,” said Uncle Wiggily, looking over the edge of the house again. +“There are no window shutters on as yet. So I can’t climb on ’em.” + +Well, it did seem as if poor Uncle Wiggily would have to stay up there +on the roof for a long, long time, for there was no way of getting down. + +“If there was a load of hay here, you could jump on that, and you +wouldn’t be hurt,” said Bawly, scratching his nose. + +“But there is no hay here,” said the rabbit carpenter, sadly. + +“Well, if there was a fireman here with a long ladder, then you could +get down,” said Bawly, wiggling his toes. + +“But there is no fireman here,” objected Uncle Wiggily. “Ah, I have it, +Bawly! You are a good jumper, perhaps you can jump up here to the roof +with the rope and I can fasten it to the chimney again and slide down as +I did before.” + +“I’ll try,” said Bawly, and he did; but bless you! He couldn’t jump as +high as the house, no matter how many times he tried it. And the dinner +bell rang and Uncle Wiggily was very hungry and very anxious to get off +the roof and eat something. + +“Oh, I know how to do it!” cried Bawly at length, when he had jumped +forty-sixteen times. “I’ll tie a string to my baseball, and I’ll throw +the ball up to you. Then you catch it, untie the string, which I’ll keep +hold of on this end, and I’ll tie the rope to the cord. Then you can +haul up the rope, fasten it to the chimney, and slide down.” + +“Good!” cried Uncle Wiggily, clapping his front paws together in +delight. + +Well, if you’ll believe me, Bawly did tie the string to his baseball and +with one big throw he threw it right up to Uncle Wiggily, who caught it +just as if he were on first base in a game. And then with the little +cord, which reached down to the ground, he pulled up the big rope, +knotted it around the chimney, and down he slid, just in time for +dinner, and he took Bawly home with him and gave him a penny. + +Now if it should happen that I don’t lose my watch down the inkwell so I +can see when it’s time for my pussy cat to have his warm soup, I’ll tell +you in the story after this about Bully’s and Bawly’s big jump. + + + + +STORY IV + +BULLY’S AND BAWLY’S BIG JUMP + + +One day Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, looked in the pantry to see what +there was to eat for dinner and there wasn’t a single thing. No, just +like Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, the pantry was bare, though there was a +bone in it that was being saved for some time when Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow, the puppie-dog boys, might come on a visit. + +“Oh, some one will have to go to the store to get something for supper,” +said Mrs. No-Tail. “Do you feel able to go, Grandpa Croaker?” + +“Well, I could go,” said the old frog gentleman, in his deepest bass +voice, which sounded like the rumble of thunder over the hills and far +away, “but I promised I would go over and play a game of checkers with +Uncle Wiggily Longears. He has just finished the playhouse for Sammie +and Susie, and he wants to show me that. So I don’t see how I can go to +the store very well.” + +“If Bully and Bawly were here they’d go,” said their mamma. “I wish +they’d come. Oh, here they are now,” she went on, as she looked out of +the window and saw the two frog boys coming home from school. “Hurry!” +she called to them. “I want you to go to the store.” + +“All right,” they both answered, and they were so polite about it that +Mrs. No-Tail gave them each a penny, though, of course, they would have +gone without that, for they always liked to help their mamma. + +“I want some sugar, and molasses, and bread, and butter, and some corn +meal, and bacon and watercress salad,” said the mother frog, and Bully +and Bawly each took a basket in which to carry the things. Then they +hopped on toward the store. + +“I’m going to buy marbles with my penny,” said Bully. + +“And I’m going to buy a whistle with mine,” said Bawly. + +Well, they got to the grocery, all right, and the cow lady who kept it +gave them the things their mamma wanted. Then they went to the toy store +and Bully got his marbles, and Bawly his whistle, which made a very loud +noise. + +Now I’m very sorry to be obliged to tell it, but something is going to +happen to Bully and Bawly very soon. In fact, I think it is going to +take place at once. Just excuse me a moment, will you, until I look out +of the window and see if the alligator is coming. Yes, there he is. He +just got off the trolley car. The conductor put him off because he had +the wrong transfer. + +So, all at once, as Bully and Bawly were hopping along through the +woods, this alligator that I was telling you about jumped out at them +from under a prickly briar bush. Right at them he jumped, and he was a +very savage alligator, for he had gotten loose out of the circus, where +he belonged, and he had been tramping around without anything to eat for +a long time, so he was very hungry. + +“Now, I see where I’m going to have a nice dinner,” the alligator said +to himself, as he jumped out at Bully and Bawly. + +But those two frog boys were smart little fellows, and they were always +looking around for danger. So, as soon as the alligator made a jump at +them, they also leaped to one side, and the unpleasant creature didn’t +get them. + +“Oh, you just wait! I’ll have you in a minute!” the alligator cried, and +he opened his mouth so wide that it went all the way back to his ears, +and the top of his head nearly flew off. + +“We haven’t time to wait,” said Bully with a laugh, as he hopped on with +his basket of groceries. + +“No, we must get back home in time for supper,” spoke Bawly. “So we’ll +have to leave you,” and on he hipped and skipped and hopped with his +basket. + +Those frog boys didn’t really think that that alligator could reach +them, for he was so big and clumsy-looking that it didn’t seem as if he +could run very fast. But he could, and the first thing Bully and Bawly +knew, that most unprepossessing creature, with a smile that went away +around to his ears, was close behind them and gnashing his teeth at +them. + +“Oh, hop, Bully, hop!” cried Bawly in great fright. + +“Sure, I’ll hop!” answered his brother. “You hop, too!” + +Well, they both hopped as fast as they could, but on account of the +baskets of groceries which they had they couldn’t hop as fast as usual. +The alligator saw this, and after them he crawled, and several times he +nearly had them by their tails. Oh, no, excuse me, if you please, frogs +don’t have tails. I was thinking of tadpoles. + +“Oh, just wait until I catch you!” cried the alligator, snapping his +teeth together. + +But Bully and Bawly didn’t wait. On they hopped, as fast as they could, +hoping to get away. And would you ever believe that an alligator could +be so mean as this one was? For he chased Bully and Bawly right up a +steep hill. You know it’s hard to walk up hill, and harder still to hop, +so Bully and Bawly were soon tired. But do you s’pose that alligator +cared? Not a bit of it! + +Right after them he kept crawling, faster and faster. + +Bully and Bawly hopped as swiftly as they could, but the alligator kept +getting nearer and nearer to them, for he was big and strong, and didn’t +mind the hill. They could hear his savage jaws gnashing together, and +they trembled so that Bully almost spilled the molasses out of his +basket and Bawly nearly dropped the granulated sugar. + +Well, finally the two frog boys were at the top of the hill, and they +were very thankful, thinking that they could now get away from the +alligator, when they suddenly saw that the hill came to an end, and fell +over the edge of a great precipice just like the Niagara waterfall, only +there wasn’t any water there, of course. + +“Oh, we can’t go any farther,” cried Bully, coming to a stop. + +“No,” said his brother, “we can’t jump down that awful gully. But look, +Bully, there is another hill over there,” and he pointed across the big, +open space. “If we could jump across from this hill to that hill, the +alligator couldn’t get us.” + +“Oh, but it’s a terrible big jump,” said Bully, and indeed it was; about +as wide as a big river. “But we’ve got to do it!” cried Bully, “for here +comes the terrible beast!” + +The alligator was almost upon them. He opened his mouth to grab them +with his teeth, when Bully, spreading out his legs, and taking a firm +hold of his grocery basket, gave a great, big jump. Through the air he +sailed, over the deep valley, and he landed safely on the other hill. +Then Bawly did the same, and with one most tremendous, extemporaneous +and extraordinary jump, he landed close beside his brother, and the +alligator couldn’t get either of them because he couldn’t jump across +the chasm. + +Oh, but he was an angry alligator though! He gnashed his teeth and +wiggled his tail and even cried big round tears. Nearly all alligators +cry little square tears, but even round ones didn’t do a bit of good. +Then Bully threw a marble at the savage creature, and hit him on the +nose, and Bawly blew his whistle so loud, that the alligator thought a +policeman, or postman, was coming, and he turned around and ran away, +and the frog boys went on safely home with their baskets of groceries +and had a good supper. + +Now in case that alligator doesn’t chase after me, and chew up my +typewriter to make mincemeat of it for the wax doll, I’ll tell you in +the next story about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. + + + + +STORY V + +GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL + + +It happened, once upon a time when Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, went to +the pump to get some water for supper, that a little fish jumped out of +the pump spout and nearly bit her on the nose. + +“Ha! That is very odd,” she said. “There must be fish in our well, and +in that case I think we had better have a new one.” + +So that night, when Mr. No-Tail came home from the wallpaper factory, +where he stepped into ink and then hopped all over white paper to make +funny patterns on it—that night, I say, Mrs. No-Tail said to her +husband: + +“I think we will have to get a new well.” Then she told him about the +fish from the pump nearly biting her, and Mr. No-Tail remarked: + +“Yes, I think we had better have a new place to get our water, for the +fish in the old well may drink it all up.” + +“Well, well!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker in such a deep bass voice that +he made the dishpan on the gas stove rattle as loudly as if Bully or +Bawly were drumming on it with a wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey. +“Let me dig the well,” went on the old gentleman frog. “I just love to +shovel the dirt, and I can dig a well so deep that no fish will ever get +into it.” + +“Very well,” said Mr. No-Tail. “You may start in the morning, and Bully +and Bawly can help you, as it will be Saturday and there is no school.” + +Well, the next morning Grandpa Croaker started in. He marked a nice +round circle on the ground in the back yard, because he wanted a round +well, and not a square one, you see; and then he began to dig. At first +there was nothing for Bully and Bawly to do, as when he was near the top +of the well their Grandpa could easily throw the dirt out himself. But +when he had dug down quite a distance it was harder work, to toss up the +dirt, so Grandpa Croaker told the boys to get a rope, and a hook and +some pails. + +The hook was fastened to one end of the rope, and then a pail was put on +the hook. Then the pail was lowered into the well, down to where Grandpa +Croaker was working. He filled the pail with dirt, and Bully and Bawly +hauled it up and emptied it. + +“Oh, this is lots of fun!” exclaimed Bully, as he and his brother pulled +on the rope. “It’s as much fun as playing baseball.” + +“I think so, too,” agreed Bawly. Then Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, +came along, and so did Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. They +wanted to help pull up the dirt, so Bully and Bawly let them after +Sammie had given the frog brothers a nice marble, and Peetie and Jackie +each a stick of chewing gum. + +Grandpa Croaker kept on digging the well, and the frog boys and their +friends pulled up the dirt, and pretty soon the hole in the ground was +so deep and dark that, by looking up straight, from down at the bottom +of it, the old gentleman frog could see the stars, and part of the moon, +in the sky, even if it was daylight. + +Then he dug some more, and, all of a sudden, his shovel went down into +some water, and then Grandpa Croaker knew that the well was almost +finished. He dug out a little more earth, in came more water, wetting +his feet, and then the frog well-digger cried: + +“I’ve struck water! I’ve struck water!” + +“Hurrah!” shouted Bawly. + +“Hurray! Hurray!” exclaimed Bully, and they were so happy that they +danced up and down. Then Sammie Little-Tail and Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow grew so excited and delighted that they ran off to tell all their +friends about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. That left Bully and Bawly +all alone up at the edge of the big hole in the ground, at the bottom of +which was their grandpa. + +“Let’s have another little dance!” suggested Bully. + +“No,” replied Bawly, “let’s jump down the well and have a drink of the +new water that hasn’t any fishes in it.” + +So, without thinking what they were doing, down they leaped into the +well, almost failing on Grandpa Croaker’s bald head, and carrying down +with them the rope, by which they had been pulling up the pails of dirt. +Into the water they popped, and each one took a big drink. + +“Well, now you’ve done it!” cried Grandpa Croaker, as he leaned on his +shovel and looked at his two grandsons. + +“Why, what is the matter?” asked Bully, splashing some water on Bawly’s +nose. + +“Yes. All we did was to jump down here,” added Bawly. “What’s wrong?” + +“Why that leaves no one above on the ground to help me get up,” said the +old gentleman frog. “I was depending on you to haul me up by the rope, +and here you jump down, and pull the rope with you. It’s as bad as when +Uncle Wiggily was on the roof, only he was up and couldn’t get down, and +we’re down and can’t get up.” + +“Oh, I think I can jump to the top of the well and take the rope with +me. If I can’t take this rope I’ll get another and pull you both up,” +said Bully. So he hopped and he hopped, but he couldn’t hop to the top +of the well. Every time he tried it, he fell back into the water, +ker-slash! + +“Let me try,” said his brother. But it was just the same with Bawly. +Back he sploshed-splashed into the well-water, getting all wet. + +“Now we’ll never get out of here,” said Grandpa Croaker sadly. “I wish +you boys would think a little more, and not do things so quickly.” + +“We will—next time,” promised Bawly as he gave another big jump, but he +came nowhere near the top of the well. + +Then it began to look as if they would have to stay down there forever, +for no one came to pull them out. + +“Let’s call for help,” suggested Bully. So he and Bawly called as loud +as they could, and so did Grandpa Croaker. But the well was so deep, and +their voices sounded so loud and rumbling, coming out of the hole in the +ground, that every one thought it was thunder. And the animal people +feared it would rain, so they all ran home, and no one thought of +grandpa and the two frog boys in the deep well. + +But at last along came Alice Wibblewobble, and, being a duck, she didn’t +mind a thunder storm. So she didn’t run away, and she heard Grandpa +Croaker and Bully and Bawly calling for help at the bottom of the well. +She asked what was the trouble, and Bully told her what had happened. + +“Oh, you silly boys, to jump down a well!” exclaimed Alice. “But never +fear, I’ll help you up.” So they never feared, and Alice got a rope and +lowered it down to them, and then, with the help of her brother Jimmie +and her sister Lulu, she pulled all three frogs up from the well, and +they lived happy for ever after, and drank the water that had no fishes +in it. + +Now if the faucet in the kitchen sink doesn’t turn upside down, and +squirt the water on the ceiling and into the cat’s eye, I’ll tell you +next about Papa No-Tail in trouble. + + + + +STORY VI + +PAPA N + + +Papa No-tail, the frog gentleman, was working away in the wallpaper +factory one day, when something quite strange happened to him, and if +you all sit right nice and quiet, as my dear old grandmother used to +say, I’ll tell you all about it, from the beginning to the end, and I’ll +even tell you the middle part, which some people leave out, when they +tell stories. + +Papa No-Tail would dip his four feet, which were something like hands, +in the different colored inks at the factory. There was red ink, and +blue ink, and white ink, and black ink, and sky-purple-green ink, and +also that newest shade, skilligimink color, which Sammie Littletail once +dyed his Easter eggs. After he had his feet nicely covered with the ink, +Papa No-Tail would hop all over pieces of white paper to make funny +patterns on them. Then they would be ready to paper a room, and make it +look pretty. + +“I think that is very well done,” said the old gentleman frog to himself +as he looked at one roll of paper on which he had made a picture of a +mouse chasing a big lion. “Now I think I will make a pattern of a doggie +standing on his left ear.” And he did so, and very fine it was, too. + +“Now, while I’m waiting for the ink to dry,” said Mr. No-Tail, “I’ll lie +down and take a nap.” So he went fast, fast asleep on a long piece of +the wall paper that was stretched out on the floor, and this was the +beginning of his trouble. + +For, all at once, a puff of wind—not a cream puff, you understand, but a +wind puff—came in the window, and rolled up the wallpaper in a tight +little roll, and the worst of it was that Papa No-Tail was asleep +inside. Yes, fast, fast asleep, and he never knew that he was wrapped +up, just like a stick of chewing gum; only you mustn’t ever chew gum in +school, you know. + +Well, time went on, and the clock ticked, and Papa No-Tail still slept. +Then a man looked in the window of the wallpaper factory and, seeing no +one there, he thought he would take a roll of paper home with him, to +paste on his little boy’s bedroom. + +“The next time I come past here, perhaps some one will be in the +office,” the man said, “and then I can pay them for the paper,” for he +wanted to be very honest, you see. “I’ll get Uncle Butter, the goat, to +paste the paper on the wall for me,” said the man. Then he reached +inside the room, and what do you think? Why he picked up the very piece +of wallpaper that was wrapped around Papa Chip-Chip—Oh, no, excuse me! I +mean Papa No-Tail. Yes, the man picked up that roll, with Bully’s and +Bawly’s papa inside, and away he went with it, and the old gentleman +frog was still sound asleep. + +Now this is about the middle of his trouble, just as I said I’d tell +you, but we haven’t gotten to the end yet, though we will in a little +while. + +Home that man went, as fast as he could go, and on his way he stopped at +Uncle Butter’s office. + +“I have a little wallpapering I want done at my house,” the man said to +the old gentleman goat, “and I wish you’d come right along with me and +do it. I have the paper here.” + +“To be sure I will,” said Uncle Butter. So he got his pail of paste, and +gave Billie and Nannie Goat a little bit on some brown paper, just like +jam, and they liked it very much. The goat paper-hanger took his shears, +and his brushes, and his stepladders, tying them on his horns, and away +he went with the man. + +Pretty soon they came to the house where the man lived, and his little +boy was there, and very delighted he was when he heard that he was to +have some new paper on his room. + +“May I watch you put it on?” he asked Uncle Butter. + +“Yes,” answered the old gentleman goat, “if you don’t step in the paste, +and spoil the carpet.” + +The little boy promised that he wouldn’t, and Uncle Butter went to work. +First he got his sticky stuff all ready, and then he made a little table +on which to lay out and paste the paper. + +“Now, we’ll cut the roll into strips and fasten it on the wall good and +tight, so that it won’t fall off in the middle of the night and scare +you,” said Uncle Butter. Then he reached for the roll of paper, and, +mind you, Papa No-Tail was still asleep inside of it. But all at once, +just as the paper-hanger goat was about to pick up the roll, Mr. No-Tail +awakened and was quite surprised to discover where he was. + +“My, I never would have believed it,” he said, and he wiggled his legs +and arms and made a great rustling sound inside the roll of paper like a +fly in a sugar bag. + +“Hello! What’s that?” cried Uncle Butter, jumping back so quickly that +he upset his paste-pot. + +“What’s the matter?” asked the little boy in glad surprise. + +“Why, there’s something inside that paper!” cried the goat. “See, it’s +moving! There must be a fairy inside!” + +Surely enough, the paper was rolling and twisting around on the floor in +a most remarkable manner, for Papa No-Tail inside was wriggling and +twisting, and trying his best to get out. But the paper was wound around +him too tightly, and he couldn’t get loose. + +“Oh, do you think it’s a fairy?” asked the little boy eagerly, for he +loved the dear creatures, and wanted to see one. + +“Let me out! Oh, please let me out!” suddenly cried Papa No-Tail just +then. + +“Of course it’s a fairy, my boy!” exclaimed Uncle Butter. “Didn’t you +hear it call? Oh, I’m going right away from here! I’ve pasted all kinds +of paper, but never before have I handled fairy paper, and I’m afraid to +begin now.” + +He started to run out of the room but his foot slipped in the paste, and +down he fell, and his little table fell on top of him, and the +stepladder was twisted in his horns. And Papa No-Tail was trying harder +than ever to get loose, and the roll of wallpaper rolled right toward +Uncle Butter. + +“Don’t catch me! Please, don’t catch me!” the goat called to the fairy +he supposed was inside. “I never did anything to you!” + +Faster and faster rolled the paper, for Mr. No-Tail was wiggling quite +hard now, and he was crying to be let out. Then, all of a sudden, the +paper with the frog in, rolled close to the little boy. The boy was +brave, and he loved fairies, so he opened the roll, and out hopped Mr. +No-Tail, being very glad indeed to get loose, for it was quite warm +inside there. + +“Oh my! Was that you in the paper?” asked Uncle Butter, solemnly, +sitting in the middle of the floor, on a lot of paste. + +“It was,” said Papa No-Tail, as he helped the goat to get up. + +“Well, I never heard tell of such a thing in all my life! Never!” +exclaimed the goat, when the frog gentleman told him all about it. Then +Uncle Butter pasted the paper on the wall, and Papa No-Tail hopped home, +and that’s the end of the story, just as I promised it would be. + +Now in case the pussy cat doesn’t wash the puppy dog’s face with the +cork from the ink bottle and make his nose black, I’ll tell you on the +next page about Bully playing marbles. + + + + +STORY VII + +BULLY N + + +It happened one day that, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was walking +along with his bag of marbles going clank-clank in his pocket, he met +Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels. + +“Hello, Bully!” called the two brothers. “Do you want to have a game of +marbles?” + +“Of course I do,” answered Bully. “I just bought some new ones. ‘First +shot agates!’” + +“First shot!” yelled Billie, right after Bully. + +“First shot!” also cried Johnnie, almost at the same time. + +“Well, I guess we’re about even,” spoke Bully, as he opened his marble +bag to look inside. “Now, how are we going to tell who will shoot +first?” + +“I’ll tell you,” proposed Billie. “We’ll each throw a marble up into the +air, and the one whose comes down first will shoot first.” + +Well, the other two animal boys thought that was fair, so they tossed +their marble shooters up into the air. Billie only sent his up a little +way, for then he knew it would come down first, but Johnnie and Bully +didn’t think of this, and they threw their shooters up as high as they +could. And, of course, their marbles were so much longer coming down to +the ground again. + +“Oh, ho! Here’s mine!” cried Billie. “I’m to shoot first.” + +“And here’s mine,” added Johnnie, a little later, as his marble came +down. + +“Yes, but where’s mine?” asked Bully, and they all listened carefully to +tell when Bully’s shooter would fall down. But the funny part of it was +that it didn’t come. + +“Say, did you throw it up to the sky?” asked Billie surprised like. + +“Because, if you did, it won’t come down until Fourth of July,” added +Johnnie. + +“No, I didn’t throw it as high as that,” replied the frog boy. “But +perhaps Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, is flying around up there, +and he may have taken it in his bill for a joke.” + +So they looked up toward the clouds as far as they could, but no little +sparrow boy did they see. + +“Well, we’ll have a game of marbles, anyhow,” said Bully at length. “I +have another shooter.” + +So he and Billie and Johnnie made a ring in the dirt, and put some +marbles in the centre. + +Then they began to play, and Billie shot first, then Johnnie, and last +of all Bully. And all the while the frog boy was wondering what had +happened to his first marble. Now, a very queer thing had happened to +it, and you’ll soon hear all about it. + +Billie and Johnnie had each missed hitting any marbles, and when it came +Bully’s turn he took careful aim, with his second-best shooter, a red +and blue one. + +“Whack-bang!” That’s the way Bully’s shooter hit the marbles in the +ring, scattering them all over, and rolling several outside. + +“Say, are you going to knock ’em all out?” asked Billie. + +“That’s right! Leave some for us,” begged Johnnie. + +“Wait until I have one more trial,” went on Bully, for you see he had +two shots on account of being lucky with his first one and knocking some +marbles from the ring. + +Then he went to look for his second-best shooter, for it had rolled +away, but he couldn’t find it. It had completely, teetotally, +mysteriously and extraordinarily disappeared. + +“I’m sure it rolled over here,” said Bully as he poked around in the +grass near a big bush. “Please help me look for it, fellows.” + +So Billie and Johnnie helped Bully look, but they couldn’t find the +second shooter that the frog boy had lost. + +“You two go on playing and I’ll hunt for the marble,” said Bully after a +while, so he searched along in the grass, and, as he did so, he dropped +a nice glass agate out of his bag. He stooped to pick it up, but before +he could get his toes on it something that looked like a big chicken’s +bill darted out of the prickly briar bush and gobbled up the marble. + +“Oh!” cried Bully in fright, jumping back, “I wonder if that was a +snake?” + +“No, I’m not a snake,” was the answer. “I’m a bird,” and then out from +behind the bush came a great, big Pelican bird. + +“Did—did you take my marble?” asked Bully timidly. + +“I did!” cried the Pelican bird, snapping his bill together just like a +big pair of scissors. “I ate the first one after it fell to the ground +near me, and I ate the second one that you shot over here. They’re +good—marbles are! I like ’em. Give me some more!” + +The bird snapped his beak again, and Bully jumped back. As he did so the +marbles in his pocket rattled, and the Pelican heard them. + +“Ha! You have more!” he cried: “Hand ’em over. I’ll eat ’em all up. I +just love marbles!” + +“No, you can’t have mine!” exclaimed Bully, backing away. “I want to +play some more games with Billie and Johnnie with these,” and he looked +to see where his two friends were. They were quite some distance off, +shooting marbles as hard as they could. + +Then, all of a sudden, that Pelican bird made a swoop for poor Bully, +and before the frog boy could get out of the way the bird had gobbled +him up in his big bill. There Bully was, not exactly swallowed by the +bird, you understand, but held a prisoner in the big pouch, or skin +laundry-bag that hung down below the bird’s lower beak. + +“Oh, let me out of here!” cried Bully, hopping about inside the big bag +on the bird’s big bill. “Let me out! Let me out!” + +“No, I’ll not,” said the big bird, speaking through his nose because his +mouth was shut. “I’ll keep you there until you give me all your marbles, +or until I decide whether or not I’ll eat you for my supper.” + +Well, poor Bully was very much frightened, and I guess you’d be, too. He +tried to get out but he couldn’t, and the bird began walking off to his +nest, taking the frog boy with him. Then Bully thought of his bag of +marbles, and, inside the big bill, he rattled them as loudly as he +could. + +“Billie and Johnnie Bushytail may hear me, and help me,” he thought. + +And, surely enough the squirrel boys did. They heard the rattle of +Bully’s marbles inside the Pelican’s beak, and they saw the big bird, +and they guessed at once where Bully was. Then they ran up to the +Pelican, and began hitting him with their marbles, which they threw at +him as hard as they could. In the eyes and on his ears and on his +wiggily toes and on his big beak they hit him with marbles, until that +Pelican bird was glad enough to open his bill and let Bully go, marbles +and all. Then the bird flew away to its nest, and Bully and his friends +could play their game once more. + +The Pelican didn’t come back to bother them, but he had Bully’s two +shooters, that he had swallowed. So Johnnie, the squirrel, lent the boy +frog another shooter, and it was all right. And, in case the rain +doesn’t come down the chimney and put the fire out, so I can’t cook some +pink eggs with chocolate on for my birthday, I’ll tell you in the +following story about Bawly and the soldier hat. + + + + +STORY VIII + +BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT + + +Susie Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk were having a play party in the +woods. They had their lunch in little birch-bark baskets, and they used +a nice, big, flat stump for a table. They took an old napkin for a +tablecloth, and they had pieces of carrots boiled in molasses and +chocolate, and cabbage with pink frosting on, and nuts all covered with +candy, and some sugared popcorn, and all nice things like that, to eat. + +“Oh, isn’t this lovely!” exclaimed Susie. “Please pass me the fried +lolly-pops, Jennie, aren’t they lovely?” + +“Yes, they’re perfectly grand!” spoke Jennie as she passed over some +bits of turnip, which they made believe were fried lolly-pops. “I’ll +have some sour ginger snaps, Susie.” + +So Susie passed the plate full of acorns, which were make-believe sour +ginger snaps, you know, and the little animal girls were having a very +fine time, indeed. Oh, my, yes, and a bottle of horseradish also! + +Now, don’t worry, if you please. I know I did promise to tell about +Bawly and the soldier hat, and I’m going to do it. But Susie’s and +Jennie’s play party has something to do with the hat, so I had to start +off with them. + +While they were playing in the woods, having a fine time, Bawly No-Tail, +the frog boy, was at home in his house, making a big soldier hat out of +paper. I suppose you children have often made them, and also have played +at having a parade with wooden swords and guns. If you haven’t done so, +please get your papa to make you a soldier hat. + +Well, finally Bawly’s hat was finished, and he put a feather in it, just +as Yankee Doodle did, only Bawly didn’t look like macaroni. + +“Now, I’ll go out and see if I can find the boys and we’ll pretend +there’s a war, and a battle, and shooting and all that,” went on the +frog chap, who loved to do exciting things. So Bawly hopped out, and +Grandpa Croaker, who was asleep in the rocking chair didn’t hear him go. +Anyhow, I don’t believe the old gentleman frog would have cared, for +Bawly’s papa was at work in the wallpaper factory and his mamma had gone +to the five and ten cent store to buy a new dishpan that didn’t have a +hole in it. As for the other frog boy, Bawly’s brother Bully, he had +gone after an ice cream cone, I think, or maybe a chocolate candy. + +On Bawly hopped, but he didn’t meet any of his friends. He had on his +big, paper soldier hat, with the feather sticking out of the top, and +Bawly also had a wooden gun, painted black, to make it look real, and he +had a sword made out of a stick, all silvered over with paint to make it +look like steel. + +Oh, Bawly was a very fine soldier boy! And as he marched along he +whistled a little tune that went like this: + + “Soldier boy, soldier boy, + Brave and true, + I’m sure every one is + Frightened at you. + Salute the flag and + Fire the gun, + Now wave your sword + and Foes will run. + Your feathered cap + gives Lots of joy, + Oh! you’re a darling + Soldier boy!” + +Well, Bawly felt finer than ever after that, and though he still didn’t +meet any of his friends, with whom he might play, he was hoping he might +see a savage fox or wolf, that he might do battle with the unpleasant +creature. But perhaps you had better wait and see what happens. + +All this while, as Bawly was marching along through the woods with his +soldier cap on, Susie and Jennie were playing party at the old stump. +They had just eaten the last of the sweet-sour cookies, and drank the +last thimbleful of the orange-lemonade when, all at once, what should +happen but that a great big alligator crawled out of the bushes and made +a jump for them! Dear me! Would you ever expect such a thing? + +“Oh, look at that!” cried Susie as she saw the alligator. + +“Yes. Let’s run home!” shouted Jennie in fright. + +But before either of them could stir a step the savage alligator, who +had escaped from the circus again, grabbed them, one in each claw, and +then, holding them so that they couldn’t get away, he sat up on the end +of his big tail, and looked first at Susie and then at Jennie. + +“Oh, please let us go!” cried Susie, with tears in her eyes. + +“Oh, yes, do; and I’ll give you this half of a cookie I have left,” +spoke Jennie kindly. + +“I don’t want your cookie, I want you,” sang the alligator, as if he +were reciting a song. “I’m going to eat you both!” + +Then he held them still tighter in his claws, and fairly glared at them +from out of his big eyes. + +“I’m going to eat you all up!” he growled, “but the trouble is I don’t +know which one to eat first. I guess I’ll eat you,” and he made a motion +toward Susie. She screamed, and then the alligator changed his mind. +“No, I guess I’ll eat you,” and he opened his mouth for Jennie. Then he +changed his mind again, and he didn’t know what to do. But, of course, +this made Jennie and Susie feel very nervous and also a big word called +apprehensive, which is the same thing. + +“Oh, help! Help! Will no one help us?” cried Susie at last. + +“No, I guess no one will,” spoke the alligator, real mean and saucy +like. + +But he was mistaken. At that moment, hopping through the woods was Bawly +No-Tail, wearing his paper soldier hat. He heard Susie call, and up he +marched, like the brave soldier frog boy that he was. Through the holes +in the bushes he could see the big alligator, and he saw Susie and +Jennie held fast in his claws. + +“Oh, I can never fight that savage creature all alone,” thought Bawly. +“I must make him believe that a whole army of soldiers is coming at +him.” + +So Bawly hid behind a tree, where the alligator couldn’t find him, and +the frog boy beat on a hollow log with a stick as if it were a drum. +Then he blew out his cheeks, whistling, and made a noise like a fife. +Then he aimed his wooden gun and cried: “Bang! Bang! Bung! Bung!” just +as if the wooden gun had powder in it. Next Bawly waved his cap with the +feather in it, and the alligator heard all this, and he saw the waving +soldier cap, and he, surely enough, thought a whole big army was coming +after him. + +“I forgot something,” the alligator suddenly cried, as he let go of +Susie and Jennie. “I have to go to the dentist’s to get a tooth filled,” +and away that alligator scrambled through the woods as fast as he could +go, taking his tail with him. So that’s how Bawly saved Susie and +Jennie, and very thankful they were to him, and if they had had any +cookies left they would have given him two or sixteen, I guess. + +Now if our gas stove doesn’t go out and dance in the middle of the back +yard and scare the cook, so she can’t bake a rice-pudding pie-cake, I’ll +tell you next about Grandpa Croaker and the umbrella. + + + + +STORY IX + +GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA + + +One day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was coming home from school he +thought of a very hard word he had had to spell in class that afternoon. +It began with a “C,” and the next letter was “A” and the next one was +“T”—CAT—and what do you think? Why Bully said it spelled “Kitten,” and +just for that he had to write the word on his slate forty-’leven times, +so he’d remember it next day. + +“I guess I won’t forget it again in a hurry,” thought Bully as he hopped +along with his books in a strap over his shoulder. “C-a-t spells—” And +just then he heard a funny noise in the bushes, and he stopped short, as +Grandfather Goosey Gander’s clock did, when Jimmy Wibblewobble poured +molasses in it. Bully looked all around to see what the noise was. “For +it might be that alligator, or the Pelican bird,” he whispered to +himself. + +Just then he heard a jolly laugh, and his brother Bawly hopped out from +under a cabbage leaf. + +“Did I scare you, Bully?” asked Bawly, as he scratched his right ear +with his left foot. + +“A little,” said Bully, turning a somersault to get over being +frightened. + +“Well, I didn’t mean to, and I won’t do it again. But now that you are +out of school, come on, let’s go have a game of ball. It’ll be lots of +fun,” went on Bawly. + +So the two brothers hopped off, and found Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, +the squirrels, and Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, and some other +animal friends, and they had a fine game, and Bawly made a home run. + +Now, about this same time, Grandpa Croaker, the nice old gentleman frog, +was hopping along through the cool, shady woods, and he was wondering +what Mrs. No-Tail would have good for supper. + +“I hope she has scrambled watercress with sugar on top,” thought +Grandpa, and just then he felt a drop of rain on his back. The sun had +suddenly gone under a cloud, and the water was coming down as fast as it +could, for April showers bring May flowers, you know. Grandpa Croaker +looked up, and, as he did so a drop of rain fell right in his eye! But +bless you! He didn’t mind that a bit. He just hopped out where he could +get all wet, for he had on his rubber clothes, and he felt as happy as +your dollie does when she has on her new dress and goes for a ride in +the park. Frogs love water. + +The rain came down harder and harder and the water was running about, +all over in the woods, playing tag, and jumping rope, and everything +like that, when, all at once, Grandpa Croaker heard a little voice +crying: + +“Oh, dear! I’ll never get home in all this rain without wetting my new +dress and bonnet! Oh, what shall I do?” + +“Ha, I wonder if that can be a fairy?” said Grandpa. + +“No, I’m not a fairy,” went on the voice. “I’m Nellie Chip-Chip, the +sparrow girl, and I haven’t any umbrella.” + +“Oh, ho!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker as he saw Nellie huddled up under a +big leaf, “why do you come out without an umbrella when it may rain at +any moment? Why do you do it?” + +“Oh, I came out to-day to gather some nice wild flowers for my teacher,” +said Nellie. “See, I found some lovely white ones, like stars,” and she +held them out so Grandpa could smell them. But he couldn’t without +hopping over closer to where the little sparrow girl was. + +“I was so interested in the flowers that I forgot all about bringing an +umbrella,” went on Nellie, and then she began to cry, for she had on a +new blue hat and dress, and didn’t want them to get spoiled by the rain +that was splashing all over. + +“Oh, don’t cry!” begged Grandpa. + +“But I can’t get home without an umbrella,” wailed Nellie. + +“Oh, I can soon fix that,” said the old gentleman goat—I mean frog. +“See, over there is a nice big toadstool. That will make the finest +umbrella in the world. I’ll break it off and bring it to you, and then +you can fly home, holding it over your head, in your wing, and then your +hat and dress won’t get wet.” + +Nellie thanked Grandpa Croaker very kindly and thought what a fine frog +gentleman he was. Off he hopped through the rain, never minding it the +least bit, and just as he got to the toadstool what do you s’pose he +saw? Why, a big, ugly snake was twined around it, just as a grapevine +twines around the clothes-post. + +“Hello, there!” cried Grandpa. “You don’t need that toadstool at all, +Mr. Snake, for water won’t hurt you. I want it for Nellie Chip-Chip, so +kindly unwind yourself from it.” + +“Indeed, I will not,” spoke the snake, saucily, hissing like a steam +radiator on a hot day. + +“I demand that you immediately get off that toadstool!” cried Grandpa +Croaker in his hoarsest voice, so that it sounded like distant thunder. +He wanted to scare the snake. + +“I certainly will not get off!” said the snake, firmly, “and what’s more +I’m going to catch you, too!” And with that he reached out like +lightning and grabbed Grandpa, and wound himself around him and the +toadstool also, and there the poor gentleman frog was, tight fast! + +“Oh! Oh! You’re squeezing the life out of me!” cried Grandpa +Croaker. + +“That’s what I intend to do,” spoke the snake, savagely. + +“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What shall I do?” asked Nellie. “Shall I bite his +tail, Mr. Frog?” + +“No, stay there. Don’t come near him, or he’ll grab you,” called Grandpa +Croaker in a choking voice. “Besides you’ll get all wet, for it’s still +raining. I’ll get away somehow.” But no matter how hard he struggled +Grandpa couldn’t get away from the snake, who was pressing him tighter +and tighter against the toadstool. + +Poor Grandpa thought he was surely going to be killed, and Nellie was +crying, but she didn’t dare go near the snake, and the snake was +laughing and snickering as loud as he could. Oh, he was very impolite! +Then, all of a sudden, along hopped Bully and Bawly, the frog boys. The +ball game had been stopped on account of the rain, you know. + +“Oh, look!” cried Bully. “We must save Grandpa from that snake!” + +“That’s what we must!” shouted Bawly. “Here, we’ll make him unwind +himself from Grandpa and the toadstool and then hit him with our +baseball bats.” + +So those brave frog boys went quite close to the snake, and that wiggily +creature thought he could catch them, and so put out his head to do it. +Then Bully and Bawly hopped around the toadstool in a circle, and the +snake, keeping his beady, black eyes on them, followed them with his +head, around and around, still hoping to catch them, until he finally +unwound himself, just like a corkscrew out of a bottle. + +Then Bully and Bawly hit him with their baseball bats, and the snake ran +away, taking his tail with him, and Grandpa Croaker was free. Then, +taking a long breath, for good measure, the old gentleman frog broke off +the toadstool and gave it to Nellie Chip-Chip for an umbrella, and the +sparrow girl could go home in the rain without getting wet. And Grandpa +thanked Bully and Bawly and hopped on home with them. So that’s the end +of this story. + +But in case the little dog next door doesn’t take our doormat and eat it +for supper with his bread and butter I’ll tell you in the story after +this one about Bawly and Jollie Longtail. + + + + +STORY X + +BAWLY N + + +For a few days after Grandpa Croaker, the old frog gentleman, had been +wound around the toadstool by the snake, as I told you in the story +before this one, he was so sore and stiff from the squeezing he had +received, that he had to sit in an easy chair, and eat hot mush with +sugar on. And, in order that he would not be lonesome, Bawly and Bully +No-Tail, the frog boys, sat near him, and read him funny things from +their school books, or the paper, and Grandpa Croaker was very thankful +to them. + +The frog boys wanted very much to go away and play ball with their +friends, for, it being the Easter vacation, there was no school, but, +instead, they remained at home nearly all the while, so Grandpa wouldn’t +feel lonesome. + +But at last one day the old gentleman frog said: + +“Now, boys, I’m sure you must be very tired of staying with me so much. +You need a little vacation. I am almost well now, so I’ll hop over and +see Uncle Wiggily Longears. Then you may go and play ball, and here is a +penny for each of you.” + +Well, of course Bully and Bawly thanked their Grandpa, though they +really hadn’t expected anything like that, and off they hopped to the +store to spend the money. For they had saved all the pennies for a long +time, and they were now allowed to buy something. + +Bully bought a picture post card to send to Aunt Lettie, the nice old +lady goat, and Bawly bought a bean shooter. That is a long piece of tin, +with a hole through it like a pipe, and you put in a bean at one end, +blow on the other end, and out pops the bean like a cork out of a soda +water bottle. + +“What are you going to do with that bean shooter?” asked Bully of his +brother. + +“Oh, I’m going to carry it instead of a gun,” said Bawly, “and if I see +that bad alligator, or snake, again I’ll shoot ’em with beans.” + +“Beans, won’t hurt ’em much,” spoke Bully. + +“No, but maybe the beans will tickle ’em so they’ll laugh and run away,” +replied his brother. Then they hopped on through the woods, and pretty +soon they met Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. + +“Let’s have a ball game,” suggested Peetie, as he wiggled his left ear. + +“Oh, yes!” cried Jackie, as he dug a hole in the ground to see if he +could find a juicy bone, but he couldn’t I’m sorry to say. + +Well, they started the ball game, and Bawly was so fond of his bean +shooter that he kept it with him all the while, and several times, when +the balls were high in the air, he tried to hit them by blowing beans at +them. But he couldn’t, though the beans popped out very nicely. + +But finally the other players didn’t like Bawly to do that, for the +beans came down all around them, and tickled them so that they had to +laugh, and they couldn’t play ball. + +Then Bawly said he’d lay his shooter down in the grass, but before he +could do so his brother Bully knocked such a high flying ball that you +could hardly see it. + +“Oh, grab it, Bawly! Grab it!” cried Peetie and Jackie, dancing about on +the ends of their tails, for Bawly was supposed to chase after the +balls. Away he went with his bean shooter, almost as fast as an +automobile. + +Farther and farther went the ball, and Bawly was chasing after it. All +of a sudden he found himself in the back yard of a house where the ball +had bounced over the fence, and of course, being a good ball player, +Bawly kept right on after it. But he never expected to find himself in +the yard, and he certainly never expected to see what he did see. + +For there was a great, big, ugly, cruel boy, and he had something in his +hand. At first Bawly couldn’t tell what it was, and then, to his +surprise, he saw that the boy had caught Jollie Longtail, the nice +little mousie boy, about whom I once told you. + +“Ah ha! Now I have you!” cried the boy to the mouse. “You went in the +feed box in my father’s barn, and I have caught you.” + +“Oh, but I only took the least bit of corn,” said Jollie Longtail. But +the boy didn’t understand the mouse language, though Bawly did. + +“I’m going to tie your tail in a knot, hang you over the clothes line +and then throw stones at you!” went on the cruel boy. “That will teach +you to keep away from our place. We don’t like mice.” + +Well, poor Jollie Longtail shivered and shook, and tried to get away +from that boy, but he couldn’t, and then the boy began tying a knot in +the mousie’s tail, so he could fasten Jollie to the clothes line in the +yard. + +“Oh, this is terrible!” cried Bawly, and he forgot all about the ball +that was lying in the grass close beside him. “How sorry I am for poor +Jollie,” thought Bawly. + +“There’s one knot!” cried the boy as he made it. “Now for another!” + +Poor Jollie squirmed and wiggled, but he couldn’t get away. + +“Now for the last knot, and then I’ll tie you on the clothes line,” +spoke the boy, twisting Jollie’s tail very hard. + +“Oh, if he ever gets tied on the clothes line that will be the last of +him!” thought Bawly. “I wonder how I can save him?” + +Bawly thought, and thought, and thought, and finally he thought of his +bean shooter, and the beans he still had with him. + +“That’s the very thing!” he whispered. Then he hid down in the grass, +where the boy couldn’t see him, and just as that boy was about to tie +Jollie to the line, Bawly put a bean in the shooter, put the shooter in +his mouth, puffed out his cheeks and “bango!” a bean hit the boy on the +nose! + +“Ha!” cried the boy. “Who did that?” He looked all around and he +thought, maybe, it was a hailstone, but there weren’t any storm clouds +in the sky. Then the boy once more started to tie Jollie to the line. + +“Bungo!” went a bean on his left ear, hitting him quite hard. + +“Stop that!” the boy cried, winking his eyes very fast. + +“Cracko!” went a bean on his right ear, for Bawly was blowing them very +fast now. + +“Oh, wait until I get hold of you, whoever you are!” shouted the boy, +looking all around, but he could see no one, for Bawly was hiding in the +grass. + +“Smacko!” went a bean on the boy’s nose again, and then he danced up and +down, and was so excited that he dropped poor Jollie in the soft grass, +and away the mousie scampered to where he saw Bawly hiding. + +Then Bawly kindly loosened the knots in the mousie’s tail, picked up the +ball, and away they both scampered back to the game, and told their +friends what had happened. And maybe Jollie wasn’t thankful to Bawly! +Well, I just guess he was! And that boy was so kerslastrated, about not +being able to find out who blew the beans at him, that he stood right up +on his head and wiggled his feet in the air, and then ran into the +house. + +Now, if it should happen that our pussy cat doesn’t go roller skating +and fall down and hurt its little nose so he can’t lap up his milk, I’ll +tell you next about Bully and the water bottle. + + + + +STORY XI + +BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE + + +Well, just as I expected, my little cat did go roller skating, and +skated over a banana skin, and fell down and rubbed some of the fur off +his ear. But anyhow I’ll tell you a story just the same, and it’s going +to be about what happened to Bully No-Tail, the frog, when he had a +water bottle. + +Do you know what a water bottle is? Now don’t be too sure. You might +think it was a bottle made out of water, but instead it’s a bottle that +holds water. Any kind of a bottle will do, and you can even take a milk +bottle and put water in it if the milkman lets you. + +Well, one day, when Bully didn’t know what to do to have some fun, and +when Bawly, his brother, had gone off to play ball, Bully thought about +making a water bottle, as Johnnie Bushytail had told him how to do it. + +Bully took a bottle that once had held ink, and he cleaned it all out. +Then he got a cork, and, taking one of his mamma’s long hatpins, he +made, with the sharp point, a number of holes through the cork, just as +if it were a sieve, or a coffee strainer. Then Bully filled the bottle +with water, put in the cork, and there he had a sprinkling-water-bottle, +just as nice as you could buy in a store. + +“Now I’ll have some fun!” exclaimed Bully, as he jiggled the bottle up +and down quite fast, with the cork end held down. The water squirted out +from it just like from the watering can, when your mamma waters the +flowers. + +“I guess I’ll go water the garden first,” thought Bully. So he hopped +over to where there were some seeds planted and the little green sprouts +were just peeping up from the ground. Bully sprinkled water on the dry +earth and made it soft so the flowers could come through more easily. + +“Oh, this is great!” cried the frog boy, as he held the water bottle +high in the air and let some drops sprinkle down all around on his own +head and clothes. + +But please don’t any of you try that part of the trick unless you have +on your bathing suit, for your mamma might not like it. As for Bully, it +didn’t matter how wet he got, for frogs just like water, and they have +on clothes that water doesn’t harm. + +So Bully watered all the flowers, and then he sprinkled the dust on the +sidewalk and got a broom, and swept it nice and clean. + +“Ha! That’s a good boy!” said Grandpa Croaker, in his deepest voice, as +he hopped out of the yard to go over and play checkers with Uncle +Wiggily Longears. “A very good boy, indeed. Here is a penny for you,” +and he gave Bully a bright, new one. + +“I’m going to buy some marbles, as I lost all mine,” said Bully, as he +thanked his Grandpa very kindly and hopped off to the store. + +But before Bully had hopped very far he happened to think that his water +bottle was empty, so he stopped at a nice cold spring that he knew of, +beside the road, and filled it—that is, he filled his water bottle, you +know, not the spring. + +“For,” said Bully to himself, “I might happen to meet a bad dog, and if +he came at me to bite me I could squirt water in his eyes, almost as +well as if I had a water pistol, and the dog would howl and run away.” + +Well, the frog boy hopped along, and pretty soon he came to a store +where the marbles were. He bought a penny’s worth of brown and blue +ones, and then the monkey-doodle, who kept the store, gave him a piece +of candy. + +“Now I’ll find some of the boys, and have a game of marbles,” thought +Bully, as he took three big hops and two little ones. Then he hopped +into the woods to look for his friends. + +Well, Bully hadn’t gone on very far before, just as he was hopping past +a big stump, he heard a voice calling: + +“Now I have you!” + +Well, you should have seen that frog boy jump, for he thought it was a +savage wolf or fox about to grab him. But, instead he saw Johnnie +Bushytail, the squirrel, and right in front of Johnnie was a great big +horned owl, with large and staring eyes. + +“Now I have you!” cried the owl again, and this time Bully knew the bad +bird was speaking to poor Johnnie Bushytail and not to him. And at that +the owl put out one claw, and, before the squirrel could run away the +savage creature had grabbed him. “Didn’t I tell you I had you?” the bird +asked, sarcastic like. + +“Yes, I guess I did,” answered Johnnie, trembling so that his tail +looked like a dusting brush. “But please let me go, Mr. Owl. I never did +anything to you.” + +“Didn’t you climb up a tree just now?” asked the owl, real saucy like. + +“Yes. I guess I did,” answered Johnnie. “I’m always climbing trees, you +know. But that doesn’t hurt you; does it?” + +“Yes, it does, for you knocked down a piece of bark, and it hit me on +the beak. And for that I’m going to take you home and cook you for +dinner,” the owl hooted. + +“Oh, please, please don’t!” begged poor Johnnie, but the owl said he +would, just the same, and he began to get ready to fly off to his nest +with the squirrel. + +“Ha, I must stop that, if it’s possible,” thought Bully, the frog, who +was still hiding behind the stump. “I mustn’t let the owl carry Johnnie +away. But how can I stop him?” Bully peeked around the edge of the stump +and saw the owl squeezing poor Johnnie tighter and tighter in his claws. + +“Ah, I have it!” cried Bully. “My water bottle and my marbles!” And with +that he hopped softly up on top of the stump, and leaning over the edge +he saw below him the owl holding Johnnie. Then Bully took the water +bottle, turned it upside down, and he sprinkled the water out as hard as +he could on that savage owl’s back. Down it fell in a regular shower. + +“My goodness me!” cried the owl. “It’s raining and I have no umbrella! +I’ll get all wet!” + +Then Bully squirted out more water, shaking it from the bottle as hard +as he could, and he rattled his bag of marbles until they sounded like +thunder and hailstones, and the owl looked up, but couldn’t see Bully on +the stump for the water was in his eyes. Then, being very much afraid of +rain and thunder storms, that bad owl bird suddenly flew away, leaving +Johnnie Bushytail on the ground, scared but safe. + +“Ha! That’s the time the water bottle did a good trick!” cried Bully, as +he went to see if Johnnie was hurt. But the squirrel wasn’t, very much, +and he could soon scramble home, after thanking Bully very kindly. + +And that owl was so wet that he caught cold and had the epizootic for a +week, and it served him right. Now in case the baby’s rattle box doesn’t +bounce into the pudding dish and scare the chocolate cake, I’ll tell you +next about Bawly going hunting. + + + + +STORY XII + +BAWLY N + + +“Oh, Grandpa, will you please tell us a story?” begged Bully and Bawly +No-Tail one evening after supper, when they sat beside the old gentleman +frog, who was reading a newspaper. “Do tell us a story about a giant.” + +“Ha! Hum!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker. “I’m afraid I don’t know any giant +stories, but I’ll tell you one about how I once went hunting and was +nearly caught myself.” + +“Oh, that will be fine!” cried the two frog boys, so their Grandpa took +one of them up on each knee, and in his deepest, bass, rumbling, +stumbling, bumbling voice he told them the story. + +It was a very good story, and some day perhaps I may tell it to you. It +was about how, when Grandpa was a young frog, he started out to hunt +blackberries, and got caught in a briar bush and couldn’t get loose for +ever so long, and the mosquitoes bit him very hard, all over. + +“And after that I never went hunting blackberries without taking a +mosquito netting along,” said the old frog gentleman, as he finished his +story. + +“My but that _was_ an adventure!” cried Bully. + +“That’s what!” agreed his brother. “You were very brave, Grandpa, to go +off hunting blackberries all alone.” + +“Yes, I was considered quite brave and handsome when I was young,” +admitted the old gentleman frog, in his bass voice. “But now, boys, run +off to bed, and I’ll finish reading the paper.” + +The next morning when Bully got up he saw Bawly at the side of the bed, +putting some beans in a bag, and taking his bean shooter out from the +bureau drawer where he kept it. + +“What are you going to do, Bawly?” asked Bully. + +“I’m going hunting, as Grandpa did,” said his brother. + +“But blackberries aren’t ripe yet. They’re not ripe until June or July,” +objected Bully. + +“I know it, but I’m going to hunt mosquitoes, not blackberries. I’m +going to kill all I can with my bean shooter, and then there won’t be so +many to bite the dear little babies this summer. Don’t you want to come +along?” asked Bawly. + +“I would if I had a bean shooter,” answered Bully. “Perhaps I’ll go some +other time. To-day I promised Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow I’d come over +and play ball with them.” + +So Bully went to play ball, with the puppy dogs, and Bawly went hunting, +after his mamma had said that he might, and had told him to be careful. + +“I’ll put up a little lunch for you,” she said, “so you won’t get hungry +hunting mosquitoes in the woods.” + +Off Bawly hopped, with his lunch in a little basket on one leg and +carrying his bean shooter, and plenty of beans. He knew a deep, dark, +dismal stretch of woodland where there were so many mosquitoes that they +wouldn’t have been afraid to bite even an elephant, if one had happened +along. You see there were so many of the mosquitoes that they were bold +and savage, like bears or lions. + +“But just wait until I get at them with my bean shooter,” said Bawly +bravely. “Then they’ll be so frightened that they’ll fly away, and never +come back to bother people any more.” + +On and on he hopped and pretty soon he could hear a funny buzzing noise. + +“Those are the mosquitoes,” said the frog boy. “I am almost at the deep, +dark, dismal woods. Now I must be brave, as my Grandpa was when he +hunted blackberries; and, so that I may be very strong, to kill all the +mosquitoes, I’ll eat part of my lunch now.” + +So Bawly sat down under a toadstool, for it was very hot, and he ate +part of his lunch. He could hear the mosquitoes buzzing louder and +louder, and he knew there must be many of them; thousands and thousands. + +“Well, here I go!” exclaimed the frog boy at length, as he wrapped up in +a paper what was left of his lunch, and got his bean shooter all ready. +“Now for the battle. Charge! Forward, March! Bang-bang! Bung-bung!” and +he made a noise like a fife and drum going up hill. + +“Well, I wonder what that can be coming into our woods?” asked one +mosquito of another as he stopped buzzing his wings a moment. + +“It looks like a frog boy,” was the reply of a lady mosquito. + +“It is,” spoke a third mosquito, sharpening his biting bill on a stone. +“Let’s sting him so he’ll never come here again.” + +“Yes, let’s do it!” they all agreed. + +So they all got ready with their stingers, and Bawly hopped nearer and +nearer. They were just going to pounce on him and bite him to pieces +when he suddenly shot a lot of beans at them, hitting quite a number of +mosquitoes and killing a few. + +“My! What’s this? What’s this?” cried the mosquitoes that weren’t +killed. “What is happening?” and they were very much surprised, not to +say startled. + +“This must be a war!” said some others. “This frog boy is fighting us!” + +“That’s just what I’m doing!” cried Bawly bravely. “I’m punishing you +for what you did to Grandfather Croaker! Bang-bang! Bung-bung! Shoot! +Fire! Aim! Forward, March!” and with that he shot some more beans at the +mosquitoes, killing hundreds of them so they could never more bite +little babies or boys and girls, to say nothing of papas and mammas and +aunts and uncles. + +Oh, how brave Bawly was with his bean shooter! He made those mosquitoes +dance around like humming birds, and they were very much frightened. +Then Bawly took a rest and ate some more of his lunch, laying his bean +shooter down on top of a stump. + +“Now the battle will go on again!” he cried, when he had eaten the last +crumb and felt very strong. But, would you believe me, while he was +eating, those mosquitoes had sneaked up and taken away his bean shooter. + +“Oh, this is terrible!” cried Bawly, as he saw that his tin shooter was +gone. “Now I can’t fight them any more.” + +Then the mosquitoes knew that the frog boy didn’t have his bean-gun with +him, for they had hid it, and they stung him, so much that maybe, they +would have stung him to death if it hadn’t happened that Dickie and +Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrows, flew along just then. Into the swarm of +mosquitoes the birds flew, and they caught hundreds of them in their +bills and killed them, and the rest were so frightened that they flew +away, and in that manner Bawly was saved. + +So that’s how he went hunting all alone, and when he got home his +Grandpa Croaker and all the folks thought him very brave. Now, in case I +see a red poodle dog, with yellow legs, standing on his nose while he +wags his tail at the pussy cat, I’ll tell you next about Papa No-Tail +and the giant. + + + + +STORY XIII + +PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT + + +Did you ever hear the story of the giant with two heads, who +chased a whale, and caught him by the tail, and tickled the terrible +monster with a big, crooked hickory fence rail? + +Well, I’m not going to tell you a story about that giant, but about +another, who had only one head, though it was a very large one, and this +giant nearly scared Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, into a conniption +fit, which is almost as bad as the epizootic. + +It happened one day that there wasn’t any work for Mr. No-Tail to do at +the wallpaper factory, where he dipped his feet in ink and hopped around +to make funny black, and red, and green, and purple splotches, so they +would turn out to be wallpaper patterns. The reason there was no work +was because the Pelican bird drank up all the ink in his big bill, so +they couldn’t print any paper. + +“I have a holiday,” said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped about, “and I am +going to have a good time.” + +“What are you going to do?” asked Grandpa Croaker as he started off +across the pond to play checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears. + +“I think I will take Bully and Bawly and go for a swim, and then we’ll +take a hop through the woods and perhaps we may find an adventure,” +answered Mr. No-Tail. + +So he went up to the house, where Bully and Bawly, the two boy frogs, +were just getting ready to go out roller skating, and Mr. No-Tail asked +them if they didn’t want to come with him instead. + +“Indeed we do!” cried Bully, as he winked both eyes at his brother, for +he knew that when his papa took them out hopping, he used often to stop +in a store and buy them peanuts or candy. + +Well, pretty soon, not so very long, in a little while, Papa No-Tail and +the two boys got to the edge of the pond, and into the water they hopped +to have a swim. My! I just wish you could have seen them. Papa No-Tail +swam in ever so many different ways, and Bully and Bawly did as well as +they could. And, would you believe me? just as Bully was getting out of +the water, up on the bank, ready to go hopping off with Bawly and his +papa through the woods, a big fish nearly grabbed the little frog boy by +his left hind leg. + +“Oh my!” he cried, and his papa hopped over quickly to where Bully was, +and threw a stick at the bad fish to scare him away. + +“Ha! hum!” exclaimed Mr. No-Tail, “that was nearly an adventure, Bully, +but I don’t like that kind. Come on into the woods, boys, and we’ll see +what else we can find.” + +So into the woods they went, where there were tall trees, and little +trees, and bushes, and old stumps where owls lived. And the green leaves +were just coming out nicely on the branches, and there were a few early +May flowers peeping up from under the leaves and moss, just as baby +peeps up at you, out from under the bedclothes in the morning when the +sun awakens her. + +“Oh, isn’t it just lovely here in the woods!” cried Bully. + +“It is certainly very fine,” agreed Bawly, and he looked up in the +treetops, where Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels, were +frisking about, and then down on the ground, where Sammie and Susie +Littletail, the rabbits, were sitting beside an old stump, in which +there were no bad owls to scare them. + +“Now I think we’ll sit down here and eat our lunch,” said Papa No-Tail +after a while, as they came to a nice little open place in the woods, +where there was a large flat stump, which they could use as a table. So +they opened the baskets of lunch that Mamma No-Tail had put up for them, +and they were eating their watercress sandwiches, and talking of what +they would do next, when, all of a sudden, they heard a most startling, +tremendous and extraordinary noise in the bushes. + +It was just as if an elephant were tramping along, and at first Papa +No-Tail thought it might be one of those big beasts, or perhaps an +alligator. + +“Keep quiet, boys,” he whispered, “and perhaps he won’t see us.” So they +kept very quiet, and hid down behind the stump. + +But the noise came nearer and nearer, and it sounded louder and louder, +and, before you could spell “cat” or “rat,” out from under a big, tall +tree stepped a big, tall giant. Oh, he was a fearful looking fellow! His +head was as big as a washtub full of clothes on a Monday morning, and +his legs were so long that I guess he could have hopped, skipped and +jumped across the street in about three steps. + +“Oh, look!” whispered Bully. + +“Oh, isn’t he terrible!” said Bawly, softly. + +“Hush!” cautioned their papa. “Please keep quiet and maybe he won’t see +us.” + +So they kept as quiet as they could, hoping the giant would pass by, but +instead he came right over to the stump, and the first any one knew he +had sat down on the top of it. I tell you it’s a good thing Bully and +Bawly and their papa had hopped off or they would have been crushed +flat. But they weren’t, I’m glad to say, for they were hiding down +behind the stump, and they didn’t dare hop away for fear the giant would +see, or hear them. + +The big man sat on the stump, and he looked all about, and he saw some +bread and watercress crumbs where Bully and Bawly and their papa had +been eating their lunch. + +“My!” exclaimed the giant. “Some one has been having dinner here. Oh, +how hungry I am! I wish I had some dinner. I believe I could eat the +hind legs of a dozen frogs if I had them!” + +Well, you should have seen poor Bully and Bawly tremble when they heard +that. + +“This must be a terrible giant,” said Mr. No-Tail. “Now I tell you what +I am going to do. Bully, I will hide you and Bawly in this hollow stump, +and then I’ll hop out where the giant can see me. He’ll chase after me, +but I’ll hop away as fast as I can, and perhaps I can get to some water +and hide before he catches me. Then he’ll be so far away from the stump +that it will be safe for you boys to come out.” + +Well, Bully and Bawly didn’t want their papa to do that, fearing he +would be hurt, but he said it was best, so they hid inside the stump, +and out Mr. No-Tail hopped to where the giant could see him. Papa +No-Tail expected the big man would chase after him, but instead the +giant never moved and only looked at the frog and then he laughed and +said: + +“Hello, Mr. Frog! Let’s see you hop!” And then, what do you think that +giant did? Why he took off his head, which wasn’t real, being hollow and +made of paper, like a false face, so that his own head went inside of +it. And there he was only a nice, ordinary man after all. + +“What! Aren’t you a giant?” cried Papa No-Tail, who was so surprised +that he hadn’t hopped a single hop. + +“No,” said the man; “I am only a clown giant in a circus, but I ran away +to-day so I could see the flowers in the woods. I was tired of being in +the circus so much and doing funny tricks.” + +“But—but—what makes you so tall?” asked Mr. No-Tail. + +“Oh, those are wooden stilts on my legs,” said the giant. “They make me +as tall as a clothes post, these stilts do.” + +And, surely enough, they did, being like wooden legs, and the man wasn’t +a real giant at all, but very nice, like Mr. No-Tail, only different: +and he left off his big hollow paper head, and Bully and Bawly came out +of the stump, and the circus clown-giant, just like those you have seen, +told the frog boys lots of funny stories. Then they gave him some of +their lunch and showed him where flowers grew. Afterward the +make-believe giant went back to the circus, much happier than he had +been at first. + +So that’s all now, if you please, but if the rose bush in our back yard +doesn’t come into the house and scratch the frosting off the chocolate +cake I’ll tell you next about Bawly and the church steeple. + + + + +STORY XIV + +BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE + + +After Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, and their papa, reached home +from the woods, where they met the make-believe giant, as I told you in +the story before this one, they talked about it for ever so long, and +agreed that it was quite an adventure. + +“I wish I’d have another adventure to-morrow,” said Bawly, as he went to +bed that night. + +“Perhaps you may,” said his papa. “Only I can’t be with you to-morrow, +as I have to go to work in my wallpaper factory. We made the Pelican +bird give back the ink, so the printing presses can run again.” + +Well, the next day the frog boys’ mamma said to them: + +“Bully and Bawly, I wish you would go to the store for me. I want a +dozen lemons and some sugar, for I am going to make lemonade, in case +company comes to-night.” + +“All right, we’ll go,” said Bully very politely. “I’ll get the sugar and +Bawly can get the lemons.” + +So they went to the store and got the things, and when they were hopping +out, the storekeeper, who was a very kind elephant gentleman, gave them +each a handful of peanuts, which they put in the pockets of their +clothes, that water couldn’t hurt. + +Well, when Bully and Bawly were almost home, they came to a place where +there were two paths. One went through the woods and the other across +the pond. + +“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” suggested Bully. “You go by the woodland +path, Bawly, and I’ll go by way of the pond and we’ll see who will get +home first.” + +“All right,” said Bawly, so on he hopped through the woods, going as +fast as he could, for he wanted to beat. And Bully swam as fast as he +could in the water, carrying the sugar, for it was in a rubber bag, so +it wouldn’t get wet. But now I’m going to tell you what happened to +Bawly. + +He was hopping along, carrying the lemons, when all at once he heard +some one calling to him: + +“Hello, little frog, are you a good jumper?” + +Bawly looked all around, and there right by a great, big stone he saw a +savage, ugly fox. At first Bawly was going to throw a lemon at the bad +animal, to scare him away, and then he happened to think that the lemons +were soft and wouldn’t hurt the fox very much. + +“Don’t be afraid,” said the fox, “I won’t bite you. I wouldn’t hurt you +for the world, little frog,” and then the fox came slowly from behind +the stone, and Bawly saw that both the sly creature’s front feet were +lame from the rheumatism, like Uncle Wiggily’s, so the fox couldn’t run +at all. Bawly knew he could easily hop away from him, as the sly animal +couldn’t go any faster than a snail. + +“Oh, I guess the reason you won’t hurt me, is because you can’t catch +me,” said Bawly, slow and careful-like. + +“Oh, I wouldn’t hurt you, anyhow,” went on the fox, trying not to show +how hungry he was, for really, you know, he wanted to eat Bawly, but he +knew he couldn’t catch him, with his sore feet, so he was trying to +think of another way to get hold of him. “I just love frogs,” said the +fox. + +“I guess you do,” thought Bawly. “You like them too much. I’ll keep well +away from you.” + +“But what I want to know,” continued the fox, “is whether you are a good +jumper, Bawly.” + +“Yes, I am—pretty good,” said the frog boy. + +“Could you jump over this stone?” asked the fox, slyly, pointing to a +little one. + +“Easily,” said Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +“Could you jump over that stump?” asked the fox, pointing to a big one. + +“Easily,” answered Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +“Ha! Here is a hard one,” said the fox. “Could you jump over my head?” + +“Easily,” replied Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +“Well, you certainly are a good jumper,” spoke the fox, wagging his +bushy tail with a puzzled air. “I know something you can’t do, though.” + +“What is it?” inquired Bawly. + +“You can’t jump over the church steeple.” + +“I believe I can!” exclaimed Bawly, before he thought. You see he didn’t +like the fox to think he couldn’t do it, for Bawly was proud, and that’s +not exactly right, and it got him into trouble, as you shall soon see. + +You know that fox was very sly, and the reason he wanted Bawly to try to +jump over the church steeple was so the frog boy would fall down from a +great height and be hurt, and then the fox could eat him without any +trouble, sore feet or none. I tell you it’s best to look out when a fox +asks you to do anything. + +“Yes, I can jump over the church steeple,” declared Bawly, and he hopped +ahead until he came to the church, the fox limping slowly along, and +thinking what a fine meal he’d have when poor Bawly fell, for the fox +knew what a terrible jump it was, and how anyone who made it would be +hurt, but the frog boy didn’t. + +Bawly tucked the bag of lemons under his leg, and he took a long breath, +and he gave a jump, but he didn’t go very far up in the air as his foot +slipped. + +“Ha! I knew you couldn’t do it!” sneered the fox. + +“Watch me!” cried Bawly, and this time he gave a most tremendous and +extraordinary jump, and right up to the church steeple he went, but he +didn’t go over it, and it’s a good thing, too, or he’d have been all +broken to pieces when he landed on the ground again. But instead he hit +right on top of the church steeple and stayed there, where there was a +nice, round, golden ball to sit on. + +“Jump down! Jump down!” cried the fox, for he wanted to eat Bawly. + +“No, I’m going to stay here,” answered the frog boy, for now he saw how +far it was to the ground, and he knew he’d be killed if he leaped off +the steeple. + +Well, the fox tried to get him to jump down, but Bawly wouldn’t. And +then the frog boy began to wonder how he’d ever get home, for the +steeple was very high. + +Then what do you think Bawly did? Why, he took a lemon and threw it at +the church bell, hoping to ring it so the janitor would come and help +him down. But the lemon was too soft to ring the bell loudly enough for +any to hear. + +Then Bawly thought of his peanuts, and he threw a handful of them at the +church bell in the steeple, making it ring like an alarm clock, and the +janitor, who was sweeping out the church for Sunday, heard the bell, and +he looked up and saw the frog on the steeple. Then the janitor, being a +kind man, got a ladder and helped Bawly down, and the fox, very much +disappointed, limped away, and didn’t eat the frog boy after all. + +“But you must never try to jump over a steeple again,” said Bawly’s +mamma when he told her about it, after he got home with the lemons, and +found Bully there ahead of him with the sugar. + +So Bawly promised that he wouldn’t, and he never did. And now, if the +postman brings me a pink letter with a green stamp on from the playful +elephant in the circus, I’ll tell you next about Bully and the basket of +chips. + + + + +STORY XV + +BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS + + +One nice warm day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along +through the woods, he felt so very happy that he whistled a little tune +on a whistle he made from a willow stick. And the tune he whistled went +like this, when you sing it: + + “I am a little froggie boy, + Without a bit of tail. + In fact I’m like a guinea pig, + Who eats out of a pail. + + ”I swim, I hop, I flip, I flop, + I also sing a tune, + And some day I am going to try + To hop up to the moon. + + “Because you see the man up there + Must very lonesome be, + Without a little froggie boy, + Like Bawly or like me.” + +“Oh, ho! I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” suddenly exclaimed a voice. + +“Try what?” asked Bully, before he thought. + +“Try to jump up to the moon,” went on the voice. “Don’t you remember +what happened to your brother Bawly when he tried to jump over the +church steeple? Don’t do it, I beg of you.” + +“Oh, I wasn’t really going to jump to the moon,” went on Bully. “I only +put that in the song to make it sound nice. But who are you, if you +please?” for the frog boy looked all around and he couldn’t see any one. + +“Here I am, over here,” the voice said, and then out from behind a clump +of tall, waving cat-tail plants, that grew in a pond of water, there +stepped a long-legged bird, with a long, sharp bill like a pencil or a +penholder. + +“Oh ho! So it’s you, is it?” asked Bully, making ready to hop away, for +as soon as he saw that long-legged and sharp-billed bird, he knew right +away that he was in danger. For the bird was a heron, which is something +like a stork that lives on chimneys in a country called Holland. And the +heron bird eats frogs and mice and little animals like that. + +“Yes, it is I,” said the heron. “Won’t you please sing that song on your +whistle again, Bully? I am very fond of music.” And, as he said that, +the heron slyly took another step nearer to the frog boy, intending to +grab him up in his sharp beak. + +“I—I don’t believe I have time to sing another verse,” answered Bully. +“And anyhow, there aren’t any more verses. So I’ll be going,” and he +hopped along, and hid under a stone where the big, big savage bird +couldn’t get him. + +Oh, my! how angry the heron was when he saw that he couldn’t fool Bully. +He stamped his long legs on the ground and said all sorts of mean +things, just because Bully didn’t want to be eaten up. + +“Now I wonder how I’m going to get away from here without that bird +biting me?” thought poor Bully, after a while. + +Well, it did seem a hard thing to do, for the heron was there waiting +for Bully to come out, when he would jab his bill right through the frog +boy. Then Bully thought and thought, which you must always do when you +are in trouble, or have hard examples at school, and finally Bully +thought of a plan. + +“I’ll hop along and go from one stone to another,” he said to himself, +“and by hiding under the different rocks the heron can’t get me.” + +So he tried that plan, hopping very quickly, and he got along all right, +for every time the heron tried to stick the frog boy with his sharp +bill, the bird would pick at a stone, under which Bully was hidden, and +that would make him more angry than ever. I mean it would make the heron +angry, not Bully. + +Well, the frog boy was almost home, and he knew that pretty soon the +heron would have to turn back and run away, for the bird wouldn’t dare +go right up to Bully’s house. Then, all of a sudden, Bully saw a poor +old mouse lady going along through the woods, with a basket of chips on +her arm. She had picked them up where some men were cutting wood, and +the mouse lady intended to put the chips in her kitchen stove, and boil +the teakettle with them. + +She walked along, when, all of a sudden, she stumbled on an acorn, and +fell down, basket and all, and she hurt her paw on a thorn, so she +couldn’t carry the basket any more. + +“Oh, that’s too bad!” exclaimed Bully. “I must help the poor mouse +lady.” So, forgetting all about the savage, long-billed bird, waiting to +grab him, out from under a stone hopped Bully, and he picked up the +basket of chips for the poor mouse lady. + +“Oh, thank you kindly, little frog boy,” she said, and then the heron +made a rush for Bully and the mouse lady and tried to stick them both +with his sharp beak. + +“Oh, quick! Quick! Hop in here with me!” exclaimed the mouse lady, as +she pointed to a hole in a hollow stump, and into it she and Bully went, +basket of chips and all, just in time to escape the bad heron bird. + +“Oh, I’ll get you yet! I’ll get you yet!” screeched the bird, hopping +along, first on one leg and then on the other, and dancing about in +front of the stump. “I’ll eat you both, that’s what I will!” Then he +tried to reach in with his bill and pull the frog boy and the mouse lady +out of the hollow stump, but he couldn’t, and then he stood on one leg +and hid the other one up under his feathers to keep it warm. + +“I’ll wait here until you come out, if I have to wait all night,” said +the bird. “Then I’ll get you.” + +“I guess he will, too,” said Bully, peeping out of a crack. “We are safe +here, but how am I going to get home, and how are you going to get home, +Mrs. Mouse?” + +“I will show you,” she answered. “We’ll play a trick on that heron. See, +I have some green paint, that I was going to put on my kitchen cupboard. +Now we’ll take some of it, and we’ll paint a few of the chips green, and +they’ll look something like a frog. Then we’ll throw them out to the +heron, one at a time, and he’ll be so hungry that he’ll grab them +without looking at them. When he eats enough green chips he’ll have +indigestion, and be so heavy, like a stone, that he can’t chase after us +when we go out.” + +“Good!” cried Bully. So they painted some chips green, just the color of +Bully, and they tossed one out of the stump toward the bird. + +“Now I have you!” cried the heron, and, thinking it was the frog boy, he +grabbed up that green chip as quick as anything. And, before he knew +what it was, he had swallowed it, and then Mrs. Mouse and Bully threw +out more green chips, and the bad bird didn’t know they were only wood, +but he thought they were a whole lot of green frogs hopping out, and he +gobbled them up, one after another, as fast as he could. + +And, in a little while, the sharp chips stuck out all over inside of +him, like potatoes in a sack, and the heron had indigestion, and was so +heavy that he couldn’t run. Then Bully and Mrs. Mouse came out of the +stump, and went away, leaving the bad bird there, unable to move, and as +angry as a fox without a tail. Bully helped Mrs. Mouse carry the rest of +the chips home, and then he hopped home himself. + +Now that’s the end of this story, but I know another, and if the little +boy across the street doesn’t throw his baseball at my pussy cat and +make her tail so big I can’t get her inside the house, I’ll tell you +about Bawly and his whistles. + + + + +STORY XVI + +BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES + + +Did you ever make a willow whistle—that is, out of a piece of wood off a +willow tree? + +No? Well, it’s lots of fun, and when I was a boy I used to make lots of +them. Big ones and little ones, and the kind that would almost make as +much noise as some factory whistles. If you can’t make one yourself, ask +your big brother, or your papa, or some man, to make you one. + +Maybe your big sister can, for some girls, like Lulu Wibblewobble, the +duck, can use a knife almost as good as a boy. + +Well, if I’m going to tell you about Bawly No-Tail, the frog, and his +whistles I guess I’d better start, hadn’t I? and not talk so much about +big brothers and sisters. + +One afternoon Bawly was hopping along in the woods. It was a nice, warm +day, and the wind was blowing in the treetops, and the flowers were +blooming down in the moss, and Bawly was very happy. + +He came to a willow tree, and he said to himself: + +“I guess I’ll make a whistle.” So he cut off a little branch, about +eight inches long, and with his knife he cut one end slanting, just like +the part of a whistle that goes in your mouth. Then he made a hole for +the wind to come out of. + +Then he pounded the bark on the stick gently with his knife handle, and +pretty soon the bark slipped off, just as mamma takes off her gloves +after she’s been down to the five-and-ten-cent store. Then Bully cut +away some of the white wood, slipped on the bark again, and he had a +whistle. + +“My! That’s fine!” he cried, as he blew a loud blast on it. “I think +I’ll make another.” + +So he made a second one, and then he went on through the woods, blowing +first one whistle and then the other, like the steam piano in the circus +parade. + +“Hello!” suddenly cried a voice in the woods, “who is making all that +noise?” + +“I am,” answered Bawly. “Who are you?” + +“I am Sammie Littletail,” was the reply, and out popped the rabbit boy +from under a bush. “Oh, what fine whistles!” he cried when he saw those +Bawly had made. “I wish I had one.” + +“You may have, Sammie,” answered Bawly kindly, and he gave his little +rabbit friend the biggest and loudest whistle. Then the two boy animals +went on through the woods, and pretty soon they came to a place where +there was a pond of water. + +“Excuse me for a minute,” said Bawly. “I think I’ll have a little swim. +Will you join me, Sammie?” he asked, politely. + +“No,” answered the rabbit, “I’m not a good swimmer, but I’ll wait here +on the bank for you.” + +“Then you may hold my whistle as well as your own,” said Bawly, “for I +might lose it under water.” Then into the pond Bawly hopped, and was +soon swimming about like a fish. + +But something is going to happen, just as I expected it would, and I’ll +tell you all about it, as I promised. + +All of a sudden, as Bawly was swimming about, that bad old skillery, +scalery alligator, who had escaped from a circus, reared his ugly head +up from the pond, where he had been sleeping, and grabbed poor Bawly in +his claws. + +“Oh, let me go!” cried the boy frog. “Please let me go!” + +“No, I’ll not!” answered the alligator savagely. “I had you and your +brother once before, and you got away, but you shan’t get loose this +time. I’m going to take you to my deep, dark, dismal den, and then we’ll +have supper together.” + +Well, Bawly begged and pleaded, but it was of no use. That alligator +simply would not let him go, but held him tightly in his claws, and made +ugly faces at him, just like the masks on Hallowe’en night. + +All this while Sammie Littletail sat on the bank of the pond, too +frightened, at the sight of the alligator, to hop away. He was afraid +the savage creature might, at any moment, spring out and grab him also, +and the rabbit boy just sat there, not knowing what to do. + +“I wish I could save Bawly,” thought Sammie, “but how can I? I can’t +fight a big alligator, and if I throw stones at him it will only make +him more angry. Oh, if only there was a fireman or a policeman in the +woods, I’d tell him, and he’d hit the alligator, and make him go away. +But there isn’t a policeman or a fireman here!” + +Then the alligator started to swim away with poor Bawly, to take him off +to his deep, dark, dismal den, when, all of a sudden, Sammie happened to +think of the two willow whistles he had—his own and Bawly’s. + +“I wonder if I could scare the alligator with them, and make him let +Bawly go?” Sammie thought. Then he made up a plan. He crept softly to +one side, and he hid behind a stump. Then he took the two whistles and +he put them into his mouth. + +Next, the rabbit boy gathered up a whole lot of little stones in a pile. +And the next thing he did was to build a little fire out of dry sticks. +Then he hunted up an old tin can that had once held baked beans, but +which now didn’t have anything in it. + +“Oh, I’ll make that alligator wish he’d never caught Bawly!” exclaimed +Sammie, working very quickly, for the savage reptile was fast swimming +away with the frog boy. + +Sammie put the stones in the tin can, together with some water, and he +set the can on the fire to boil, and he knew the stones would get hot, +too, as well as the water. And, surely enough, soon the water in the can +was bubbling and the stones were very hot. + +Then Sammie took a long breath and he blew on those whistles, both at +the same time as hard as ever he could. Then he took some wet moss and +wrapped it around the hot can, so it wouldn’t burn his paws, and he +tossed everything—hot water, hot stones, hot can and all—over into the +pond, close to where the alligator was. Then Sammie blew on the whistles +some more. “Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!” + +“Splash!” Into the water went the hot stones, hissing like snakes. + +“Buzz! Bubble! Fizz!” went the hot water all over the alligator. + +“Toot! Toot!” went the whistles which Sammie was blowing. + +“Skizz! Skizz!” went the hot fire-ashes that also fell into the pond. + +“Oh, it’s a fire engine after me! It’s a terrible fire engine after me! +It’s spouting hot water and sparks on me!” cried the alligator, real +frightened like, and then he was so scared that he let go of Bawly, and +sank away down to the bottom of the pond to get out of the way of the +hot stones and the hot water and the hot sparks, and where he couldn’t +hear the screechy whistles which he thought came from fire engines. And +Bawly swam safely to shore, and he thanked Sammie Littletail very kindly +for saving his life, and they went on a little farther and had a nice +game of tag together until supper time. + +So that’s how the whistles that Bawly made did him a good service, and +next, if it stops raining long enough so the moon can come out without +getting wet, and go to the moving pictures, I’ll tell you about Grandpa +Croaker and Uncle Wiggily Longears. + + + + +STORY XVII + +GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY + + +After the trick which Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, played on the +alligator, making him believe a fire engine was after him, it was some +time before Bully or Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, went near that pond +again, where the savage creature with the long tail lived, after he had +escaped from the circus. + +“Because it isn’t safe to go near that water,” said Bawly. + +“No, indeed,” agreed his brother. “Some day we’ll get a pump and pump +all the water out of the pond, and that will make the alligator go +away.” + +Well, it was about a week after this that Grandpa Croaker, the old +gentleman frog, put on his best dress. Oh, dear me! Just listen to that, +would you! I mean he put on his best suit and started out, taking his +gold-headed cane with him. + +“Where are you going?” asked Mrs. No-Tail. + +“Oh! I think I’ll go over and play a game of checkers with Uncle Wiggily +Longears,” replied the old gentleman frog. “The last game we played he +won, but I think I can win this time.” + +“Well, whatever you do, Grandpa,” spoke Bully, “please don’t go past the +pond where the bad alligator is.” + +“No, indeed, for he might bite you,” said Bawly, and their Grandpa +promised that he would be careful. + +Well, he went along through the woods, Grandpa Croaker did, and pretty +soon, after a while, not so very long, he came to where Uncle Wiggily +lived, with Sammie and Susie Littletail, and their papa and mamma and +Miss Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat nurse. But to-day only Uncle Wiggily +was home alone, for every one else had gone to the circus. + +So the old gentleman goat—I mean frog—and the old gentleman rabbit sat +down and played a game of checkers. And after they had played one game +they played another, and another still, for Uncle Wiggily won the first +game, and Grandpa Croaker won the second, and they wanted to see who +would win the third. + +Well, they were playing away, moving the red and black round checkers +back and forth on the red and black checker board, and they were talking +about the weather, and whether there’d be any more rain, and all things +like that, when, all of a sudden Uncle Wiggily heard a noise at the +window. + +“Hello! What’s that?” he cried, looking up. + +“It sounded like some one breaking the glass,” answered Grandpa Croaker. +“I hope it wasn’t Bawly and Bully playing ball.” + +Then he looked up, and he saw the same thing that Uncle Wiggily saw, and +the funny part of it was that Uncle Wiggily saw the same thing Grandpa +Croaker saw. And what do you think this was? + +Why it was that savage skillery, scalery alligator chap who had poked +his ugly nose right in through the window, breaking the glass! + +“Ha! What do you want here?” cried Uncle Wiggily, as he made his ears +wave back and forth like palm leaf fans, and twinkled his nose like two +stars on a frosty night. + +“Yes, get right away from here, if you please!” said Grandpa Croaker in +his deepest, hoarsest, rumbling, grumbling, thunder-voice. “Get away, we +want to play checkers.” + +But he couldn’t scare the alligator that way, and the first thing he and +Uncle Wiggily knew, that savage creature poked his nose still farther +into the room. + +“Oh, ho!” the alligator cried. “Checkers; eh? Now, do you know I am very +fond of checkers?” And with that, what did he do but put out his long +tongue, and with one sweep he licked up the red checkers and the black +checkers and the red and black squared checker board at one swallow, and +down his throat it went, like a sled going down hill. + +“Ah, ha!” exclaimed the alligator. “Those were very fine checkers. I +think I won that game!” he said, smiling a very big smile. + +“Yes, I guess you did,” said Uncle Wiggily, sadly, as he looked for his +cornstalk crutch. When he had it he was just going to hop away, and +Grandpa Croaker was going with him, for they were afraid to stay there +any more, when the alligator suddenly cried: + +“Where are you going?” + +“Away,” said Uncle Wiggily. + +“Far, far away,” said Grandpa Croaker, for it made him sad to think of +all the nice red and black checkers, and the board also, being eaten up. + +“Oh, no! I think you are going to stay right here,” snapped the +alligator. “You’ll stay here, and as soon as I feel hungry again I’ll +eat you.” + +And with that the savage creature with the double-jointed tail put out +his claws, and in one claw he grabbed Uncle Wiggily and in the other he +caught Grandpa Croaker, and there he had them both. + +Now, it so happened that a little while before this, Bully and Bawly +No-Tail, the frog boys, had started out for a walk in the woods. + +“Dear me,” said Bully, after a while, “do you know I am afraid that +something has happened to Grandpa Croaker.” + +“What makes you think so?” asked his brother. + +“Because I think he went past the pond where the alligator was, and that +the bad creature got him.” + +“Oh, I hope not,” replied Bawly. “But let’s walk along and see.” So they +walked past the pond, and they saw that it was all calm and peaceful, +and they knew the alligator wasn’t in it. + +So they kept on to Uncle Wiggily’s house, thinking they would walk home +with Grandpa Croaker, and when they came to where the old gentleman +rabbit lived, they saw the alligator standing on his tail outside with +his head in through the window. + +“I knew it!” cried Bully. “I knew that alligator would be up to some +tricks! Perhaps he has already eaten Grandpa Croaker and Uncle Wiggily.” + +Just then they heard both the old animal gentlemen squealing inside the +house, for the alligator was squeezing them. + +“They’re alive! They’re still alive!” cried Bawly. “We must save them!” + +“How?” asked Bully. + +“Let’s build a fire under the alligator’s tail,” suggested Bawly. “He +can’t see us, for his head is inside the room.” + +So what did those two brave frog boys do but make a fire of leaves under +the alligator’s long tail. And he was so surprised at feeling the heat, +that he turned suddenly around, dropped Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa +Croaker on the table cloth, and then, pulling his head out of the +window, he turned it over toward the fire, and he cried great big +alligator tears on the flames and put them out. Oh, what a lot of big +tears he cried. + +Then he tried to catch Bully and Bawly, but the frog boys hopped away, +and the alligator ran after them. Just then the man from the circus +came, with a long rope and caught the savage beast and put him back in +the cage and made him go to sleep, after he put some vaseline on his +burns. + +So that’s how Bully and Bawly saved Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa Croaker, +by building a fire under the alligator’s long tail. + +And in case some one sends me a nice ring for my finger, or thumb, with +a big orange in it instead of a diamond, I’ll tell you next about Mrs. +No-Tail and Mrs. Longtail. + + + + +STORY XVIII + +MRS. N + + +“Now, boys,” said Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, to Bully and Bawly one +day, as she put on her best bonnet and shawl and started out, “I hope +you will be good while I am away.” + +“Where are you going, mamma?” asked Bully. + +“I am going over to call on Mrs. Longtail, the mouse,” replied Mrs. +No-Tail. “She is the mother of the mice children, Jollie and Jillie +Longtail, you know, and she has been ill with mouse-trap fever. So I am +taking her some custard pie, and a bit of toasted cheese.” + +“Oh, of course we’ll be good,” promised Bawly. “But if you don’t come +home in time for supper, mamma, what shall we eat?” + +“I have made up a cold supper for you and your papa and Grandpa +Croaker,” said Mrs. No-tail. “You will find it in the oven of the stove. +You may eat at 5 o’clock, but I think I’ll be back before then.” + +Poor Mrs. No-Tail didn’t know what was going to happen to her, nor how +near she was to never coming home at all again. But there, wait, if you +please, I’ll tell you all about it. + +Away hopped Mrs. No-Tail through the woods, carrying the custard pie and +the toasted cheese for Mrs. Longtail in a little basket. And when she +got there, I mean to the mouse house, she found the mouse lady home all +alone, for Jollie and Jillie and Squeaky-Eaky, the little cousin mouse, +had gone to a surprise party, given by Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrow +girl. + +“Oh, I’m so glad to see you,” said Mrs. Longtail. “Come right in, if you +please, Mrs. No-Tail. I’ll make you a cup of tea.” + +“Oh, are you able to be about?” asked Bully’s mamma. + +“Yes,” replied Jollie’s mamma. “I am much better, thank you. I am so +glad you brought me a custard pie. But now sit right down by the window, +where you can smell the flowers in the garden, and I’ll make tea.” + +Well in a little while, about forty-’leven seconds, Mrs. Longtail had +the tea made, and she and Mrs. No-Tail sat in the dining-room eating +it—I mean sipping it—for it was quite hot. And they were talking about +spring housecleaning, and about moths getting in the closets, and eating +up the blankets and the piano, and about whether there would be many +mosquitoes this year, after Bawly had killed such numbers of them with +his bean shooter. They talked of many other things, and finally Mrs. +Longtail said: + +“Let me get you another cup of tea, Mrs. No-Tail.” + +So the lady mouse went out in the kitchen to get the tea off the stove, +and when she got there, what do you think she saw? Why, a great, big, +ugly, savage cat had, somehow or other, gotten into the room and there +he sat in front of the fire, washing his face, which was very dirty. + +“Oh, ho!” exclaimed the cat, blinking his yellow eyes, “I was wondering +whether anybody was at home here.” + +“Yes, I am at home!” exclaimed the mouse lady, “and I want you to get +right out of my house, Mr. Cat.” + +“Well,” replied the cat, licking his whiskers with his red tongue, “I’m +not going! That’s all there is to it. I am glad I found you at home, but +you are not going to be at home long.” + +“Why not?” asked Mrs. Longtail, suspicious like. + +“Because,” answered that bad cat, “I am going to eat you up, and I think +I’ll start right in!” + +“Oh, don’t!” begged Mrs. Longtail, as she tried to run back into the +dining-room, where Mrs. No-Tail was sitting. But the savage cat was too +quick for her, and in an instant he had her in his paws, and was glaring +at her with his yellowish-green eyes. + +“I don’t know whether to eat you head first or tail first,” said the +cat, as he looked at the poor mouse lady. “I must make up my mind before +I begin.” + +Now while he was making up his mind Mrs. No-Tail sat in the other room, +wondering what kept Mrs. Longtail such a long time away, getting the +second cup of tea. + +“Perhaps I had better go and see what’s keeping her,” Mrs. No-Tail +thought. “She may have burned herself on the hot stove, or teapot.” So +she went toward the kitchen, and there she saw a dreadful sight, for +there was that bad cat, holding poor Mrs. Longtail in his claws and +opening his mouth to eat her. + +“Oh, let me go! Please let me go!” the mouse lady begged. + +“No, I’ll not,” answered the cat, and once more he licked his whiskers +with his red tongue. + +“Oh, I must do something to that cat!” thought Mrs. No-Tail. “I must +make him let Mrs. Longtail go.” + +So she thought and thought, and finally the frog lady saw a sprinkling +can hanging on a nail in the dining-room, where Mrs. Longtail kept it to +water the flowers with. + +“I think that will do,” said Mrs. No-Tail. So she very quietly and +carefully took it off the nail, and then she went softly out of the +front door, and around to the side of the house to the rain-water +barrel, where she filled the watering can. Then she came back with it +into the house. + +“Now,” she thought, “if I can only get up behind the cat and pour the +water on him, he’ll think it’s raining, and as cats don’t like rain he +may run away, and let Mrs. Longtail go.” + +So Mrs. No-Tail tip-toed out into the kitchen as quietly as she could, +for she didn’t want the cat to see her. But the savage animal, who had +made his tail as big as a skyrocket, was getting ready to eat Mrs. +Longtail, and he was going to begin head first. So he didn’t notice Mrs. +No-Tail. + +Up she went behind him, on her tippiest tiptoes, and she held the +watering can above his head. Then she tilted it up, and suddenly out +came the water—drip! drip! drip! splash! splash! + +Upon the cat’s furry back it fell, and my, you should have seen how +surprised that cat was! + +“Why, it’s raining in the house,” he cried. “The roof must leak. The +water is coming in! Get a plumber! Get a plumber!” + +Then he gave a big jump, and bumped his head on the mantelpiece, and +this so startled him that he dropped Mrs. Longtail, and she scampered +off down in a deep, dark hole and hid safely away. Then the cat saw Mrs. +No-Tail pouring water from the can, and he knew he had been fooled. + +“Oh, I’ll get you!” he cried, and he jumped at her, but the frog lady +threw the sprinkling can at the cat, and it went right over his head +like a bonnet, and frightened him so that he jumped out of the window +and ran away. And he didn’t come back for a week or more. So that’s how +Mrs. No-Tail saved Mrs. Longtail. + +Now in case the baker man doesn’t take the front door bell away to put +it on the rag doll’s carriage, I’ll tell you next about Bawly and +Arabella Chick. + + + + +STORY XIX + +BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, had been kept in after school one day for +whispering. It was something he very seldom did in class, and I’m quite +surprised that he did it this time. + +You see, he was very anxious to play in a ball game, and when teacher +went to the blackboard to draw a picture of a cat, so the pupils could +spell the word better, Bawly leaned over and asked Sammie Littletail, +the rabbit boy, in a whisper: + +“Say, Sammie, will you have a game of ball after school?” + +Sammie shook his head “yes,” but he didn’t talk. And the lady mouse +teacher heard Bawly whispering, and she made him stay in. But he was +sorry for it, and promised not to do it again, and so he wasn’t kept in +very late. + +Well, after a while the nice mouse teacher said Bawly could go, and soon +he was on his way home, and he was wondering if he would meet Sammie or +any of his friends, but he didn’t, as they had hurried down to the +vacant lots, where the circus tents were being put up for a show. + +“Oh, my, how lonesome it is!” exclaimed Bawly. “I wish I had some one to +play with. I wonder where all the boys are?” + +“I don’t know where they are,” suddenly answered a voice, “but if you +like, Bawly, I will play house with you. I have my doll, and we can have +lots of fun.” + +Bawly looked around, to make sure it wasn’t a wolf or a bad owl trying +to fool him, and there he saw Arabella Chick, the little chicken girl, +standing by a big pie-plant. It wasn’t a plant that pies grow on, you +understand, but the kind of plant that mamma makes pies from. + +“Don’t you want to play house?” asked Arabella, kindly, of Bawly. + +“No—no thank you, I—I guess not,” answered Bawly, bashfully standing +first on one leg, and then on the other. “I—er—that is—well, you know, +only girls play house,” the frog boy said, for, though he liked Arabella +very much, he was afraid that if he played house with her some of his +friends might come along and laugh at him. + +“Some boys play house,” answered the little chicken girl. “But no +matter. Perhaps you would like to come to the store with me.” + +“What are you going to get?” asked Bawly, curious like. + +“Some kernels of corn for supper,” answered Arabella, “and I also have a +penny to spend for myself. I am going to get some watercress candy, +and—” + +“Oh, I’ll gladly come to the store with you,” cried Bawly, real excited +like. “I’ll go right along. I don’t care very much about playing ball +with the boys. I’d rather go with you.” + +“I’ll give you some of my candy if you come,” went on Arabella, who +didn’t like to go alone. + +“I thought—that is, I hoped you would,” spoke Bawly, shyly-like. Well, +the frog boy and the chicken girl went on to the store, and Arabella got +the corn, and also a penny’s worth of nice candy flavored with +watercress, which is almost as good as spearmint gum. + +The two friends were walking along toward home, each one taking a bite +of candy now and then, and Bawly was carrying the basket of corn. He was +taking a nice bite off the stick of candy that Arabella held out to him, +and he was thinking how kind she was, when, all of a sudden the frog boy +stumbled and fell, and before he knew it the basket of corn slipped from +his paw, and into a pond of water it fell—ker-splash! + +“Oh dear!” cried Arabella. + +“Oh dear!” also cried Bawly. “Now I have gone and done it; haven’t I?” + +“But—but I guess you didn’t mean to,” spoke Arabella, kindly. + +“No,” replied Bawly, “I certainly did not. But perhaps I can get the +corn up for you. I’ll reach down and try.” + +So he stretched out on the bank of the pond, and reached his front leg +down into the water as far as it would go, but he couldn’t touch the +corn, for it was scattered out of the basket, all over the floor, or +bottom, of the pond. + +“That will never do!” cried Bawly. “I guess I’ll have to dive down for +that corn.” + +“Dive down!” exclaimed Arabella. “Oh, if you dive down under water +you’ll get all wet. Wait, and perhaps the water will all run out of the +pond and we can then get the corn.” + +“Oh I don’t mind the wet,” replied the frog boy. “My clothes are made +purposely for that. I’m so sorry I spilled the corn.” So into the water +Bawly popped, clothes and all, just as when you fall out of a boat, and +down to the bottom he went. But when he tried to pick up the corn he had +trouble. For the kernels were all wet and slippery and Bawly couldn’t +very well hold his paw full of corn, and swim at the same time. So he +had to let go of the corn, and up he popped. + +“Oh!” cried Arabella, when she saw he didn’t have any corn. “I’m so +sorry! What shall we do? We need the corn for supper.” + +“I’ll try again,” promised Bawly, and he did, again and again, but still +he couldn’t get any of the corn up from under the water. And he felt +badly, and so did Arabella, and even eating what they had left of the +candy didn’t make them feel any better. + +“I tell you what it is!” cried Bawly, after he had tried forty-’leven +times to dive down after the corn, “what I need is something like an ash +sieve. Then I could scoop up the corn and water, and the water would run +out, and leave the corn there.” + +“But you haven’t any sieve,” said Arabella, “and so you can never get +the corn, and we won’t have any supper, and—— Oh, dear! Boo-hoo! +Hoo-boo!” + +“Oh, please don’t cry,” begged Bawly, who felt badly enough himself. +“Here, wait, I’ll see if I can’t drink all the water out of the pond, +and that will leave the ground dry so we can get the corn.” + +Well, he tried, but, bless you, he couldn’t begin to drink all the water +in the pond. And he didn’t know what to do, until, all of a sudden, he +saw, coming along the road, Aunt Lettie, the nice old lady goat. And +what do you think she had? Why, a coffee strainer, that she had bought +at the five-and-ten-cent store. As soon as Bawly saw that strainer he +asked Aunt Lettie if he could take it. + +She said he could, and pretty soon down he dived under the water again, +and with the coffee strainer it was very easy to scoop up the corn from +the bottom of the pond, and soon Bawly got it all back again, and the +water hadn’t hurt it a bit, only making it more tender and juicy for +cooking. + +And just as Bawly got up the last of the corn in the coffee strainer, +down swooped a big owl, and he tried to grab Bawly and Arabella and the +corn and sieve and Aunt Lettie, all at the same time. But the old lady +goat drove him away with her sharp horns, and then Bawly and Arabella +thanked her very kindly and went home, the frog boy carrying the corn he +had gotten up from the pond, and taking care not to spill it again. And +so every one was happy but the owl. + +Now in case the fish man doesn’t paint the glass of the parlor windows +sky-blue pink, so I can’t see Uncle Wiggily Longears when he rings the +door bell, I’ll tell you next about Bully and Dottie Trot. + + + + +STORY XX + +BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. + + +One day Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the +woods, and he felt so very fine, and it was such a nice day, that, when +he came to a place where some flowers grew up near an old stump, nodding +their pretty heads in the wind, the frog boy sang a little song. + + “I love to skip and jump and hop, + I love to hear firecrackers pop, + I love to play + The whole long day, + I love to spin my humming top.” + +That’s what Bully sang, and if there had been a second, or a third, or a +forty-’leventh verse he would have sung that too, as he felt so good. +Well, after he had sung the one verse he hopped on some more, and pretty +soon he came to the place where the mouse lady lived, whose basket of +chips Bully had once picked up, when she hurt her foot on a thorn. I +guess you remember about that story. + +“Ah, how to you do, Bully?” asked the mouse lady, as the frog boy hopped +along. + +“Thank you, I am very well,” he answered politely. “I hope you are +feeling pretty good.” + +“Well,” she made answer, “I might feel better. I have a little touch of +cat-and-mouse-trap fever, but I think if I stay in my hole and take +plenty of toasted cheese, I’ll be better. But here is a nice sugar +cookie for you,” and with that the nice mouse lady went to the cupboard, +got a cookie, and gave it to the frog boy. + +Bully ate it without getting a single crumb on the floor, which was very +good of him, and then, saving a piece of the cookie for his brother +Bawly, he hopped on, after bidding the mouse lady good-by and hoping +that she would soon be better. + +Along and along hopped Bully, and all of a sudden the big giant jumped +out of the bushes—Oh, excuse me, if you please! there is no giant in +this story. The giant went back to the circus, but I’ll tell you a story +about him as soon as I may. As Bully was hopping along, all of a sudden +out from behind a bush there jumped a savage, ugly wolf, and he had +gotten out of his circus cage again, and was looking around for +something to eat. + +“Ah, ha! At last I have found something!” cried the wolf, as he made a +spring for Bully, and he caught the frog boy under his paws and held him +down to the earth, just like a cat catches a mouse. + +“Oh, let me go! Please let me go! You are squeezing the breath out of +me!” cried poor Bully. + +“Indeed I will not let you go!” replied the wolf, real unpleasant-like. +“I have been looking for something to eat all day and now that I’ve +found it I’m not going to let you go. No, indeed, and some horseradish +in a bottle besides.” + +“Are you really going to eat me?” asked Bully, sorrowfully. + +“I certainly am,” replied the wolf. “You just watch me. Oh, no, I +forgot. You can’t see me eat you, but you can feel me, which is much the +same thing.” + +Then the wolf sharpened his teeth on a sharpening stone, and he got +ready to eat up the frog boy. Now Bully didn’t want to be eaten, and I +don’t blame him a bit; do you? He wanted to go play ball, and have a lot +of fun with his friends, and he was thinking what a queer world this is, +where you can be happy and singing a song, and eating a sugar cookie one +minute, and the next minute be caught by a wolf. But that’s the way it +generally is. + +Then, as Bully thought of how good the sugar cookie was he asked the +wolf: + +“Will you let me go for a piece of cookie, Mr. Wolf?” + +“Let me see the cookie,” spoke the savage creature. + +So Bully reached in his pocket, and took out the piece of cookie that he +was saving for Bawly. He knew Bawly would only be too glad to have the +wolf take it, if he let his brother Bully go. + +But, would you ever believe it? That unpleasant and most extraordinary +wolf animal snatched the cookie from Bully’s paw, ate it up with one +mouthful, and only smiled. + +“Well, now, are you going to let me go?” asked Bully. + +“No,” said the wolf. “That cookie only made me more hungry. I guess I’ll +eat you now, and then go look for your brother and eat him, too.” + +“Oh, will no one save me?” cried Bully in despair, and just then he +heard a rustling in the bushes. He looked up and there he saw Dottie +Trot, the little pony girl. She waved her hoof at Bully, and then the +frog boy knew she would save him if she could. So he thought of a plan, +while Dottie, with her new red hair ribbon tied in a pink bow, hid in +the bushes, where the wolf couldn’t see her, and waited. + +“Well, if you are going to eat me, Mr. Wolf,” said Bully, most politely, +after a while, “will you grant me one favor before you do so?” + +“What is it?” asked the wolf, still sharpening his teeth. + +“Let me take one last hop before I die?” asked Bully. + +“Very well,” answered the wolf. “One hop and only one, remember. And +don’t think you can get away, for I can run faster than you can hop.” + +Bully knew that, but he was thinking of Dottie Trot. So the wolf took +his paws off Bully, and the frog boy got ready to take a last big hop. +He looked over through the bushes, and saw the pony girl, and then he +gave a great, big, most tremendous and extraordinarily strenuous jump, +and landed right on Dottie’s back! + +“Here we go!” cried the pony girl. “Here is where I save Bully No-Tail! +Good-by bad Mr. Wolf.” And away she trotted as fast as the wind. + +“Here, come back with my supper! Come back with my supper!” cried the +disappointed wolf, and off he ran after Dottie, who had Bully safely on +her back. + +Faster and faster ran the wolf, but faster and faster ran Dottie, and no +wolf could ever catch her, no matter how fast he ran. And Dottie +galloped and trotted and cantered, and went on and on, and on, and the +wolf came after her, but he kept on being left farther and farther +behind, and at last Dottie was out of the woods, and she and Bully were +safe, for the wolf didn’t dare go any nearer, for fear the circus men +would catch him. + +“Oh, thank you so much, Dottie, for saving me,” said Bully. “I’ll give +you this other piece of cookie I was saving for Bawly. He won’t mind.” + +So he gave it to Dottie, and she liked it very much indeed, and that +wolf was so angry and disappointed about not having any supper that he +bit his claw nails almost off, and went back into the woods, and +growled, and growled, and growled all night, worse than a buzzing +mosquito. + +But Bully and Dottie didn’t care a bit and they went on home and they +met Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, who bought them an ice +cream soda flavored with carrots. + +Now in case my little bunny rabbit doesn’t bite a hole in the back steps +so the milkman drops a bottle down it when he comes in the morning, I’ll +tell you in the following story about Grandpa Croaker and Brighteyes +Pigg. + + + + +STORY XXI + +GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG + + +One nice warm day, right after he had eaten a breakfast of watercress +oatmeal, with sweet-flag-root-sugar and milk on it, Grandpa Croaker, the +nice old gentleman frog, started out for a hop around the woods near the +pond. And he took with him his cane with the crook on the handle, +hanging it over his paw. + +“Where are you going, Grandpa?” asked Bully No-Tail, as he and his +brother Bawly started for school. + +“Oh, I hardly know,” said the old frog gentleman in his hoarsest, +deepest, thundering, croaking voice. “Perhaps I may meet with a fairy or +a big giant, or even the alligator bird.” + +“The alligator isn’t a bird, Grandpa,” spoke Bawly. + +“Oh no, to be sure,” agreed the old gentleman rabbit—I mean frog—“no +more it is. I was thinking of the Pelican. Well, anyhow I am going out +for a walk, and if you didn’t have to go to school you could come with +me. But I’ll take you next time, and we may go to the Wild West show +together.” + +“Oh fine!” cried Bully, as he hopped away with his school books under +his front leg. + +“Oh fine and dandy!” exclaimed Bawly, as he looked in his spelling book +to see how to spell “cow.” + +Well, the frog boys hopped on to school, and Grandpa Croaker hopped off +to the woods. He went on and on, and he was wondering what sort of an +adventure he would have, when he heard a little noise up in the trees. +He looked up through his glasses, and he saw Jennie Chipmunk there. + +She was a little late for school, but she was hurrying all she could. +She called “good morning” to Grandpa Croaker, and he tossed her up a +sugar cookie that he happened to have in his pocket. Wasn’t he the nice +old Grandpa, though? Well, I just guess he was! + +So he went on a little farther, and pretty soon he came to the place +where Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg lived. Only Buddy wasn’t at home, being +at school. But Brighteyes, the little guinea pig girl, was there in the +house, and she was suffering from the toothache, I’m sorry to say. + +Oh! the poor little guinea pig girl was in great pain, and that’s why +she couldn’t go to school. Her face was all tied up in a towel with a +bag of hot salt on it, but even that didn’t seem to do any good. + +“Oh, I’m so sorry for you, Brighteyes!” exclaimed Grandpa. “Have you had +Dr. Possum? Where is your mamma?” + +“Mamma has gone to the doctor’s now to get me something to stop the +pain,” answered Brighteyes, “and to-morrow I am going to have the tooth +pulled. We tried mustard and cloves and all things like that but nothing +would stop the pain.” + +“Perhaps if I tell you a little story it will make you forget it until +mamma comes with the doctor’s medicine,” suggested Grandpa, and then and +there he told Brighteyes a funny story about a little white rabbit that +lived in a garden and had carrots to eat, and it ate so many that its +white hair turned red and it looked too cute for anything, and then it +went to the circus. + +Well, the story made Brighteyes forget the pain for a time, but the +story couldn’t last forever, and soon the pain came back. Then Grandpa +thought of something else. + +“Why are all the ladders, and boards, and cans, and brushes piled +outside your house?” he asked Brighteyes, for he had noticed them as he +came in. + +“Oh! we are having the house painted,” said Brighteyes. + +“But where is the painter monkey?” asked Grandpa. “I didn’t see him.” + +“Oh! he forgot to bring some red paint to make the blinds green or blue +or some color like that,” answered the little guinea pig girl, “so he +went home to get it. He’ll be back soon.” + +“Suppose you come outside and show me how he paints the house,” +suggested Grandpa, thinking perhaps that might make Brighteyes forget +her pain. + +“Of course I will, Grandpa Croaker,” said the little creature. “I know +just how he paints, for I watched him just before you came, and when I +saw him put on the bright colors it made me forget my toothache. Come, +I’ll show you how he does it.” + +So Brighteyes took Grandpa’s paw, and led him outside where there were +ladders and scaffolds and pots of paint and lumps of putty, and spots of +bright colors all over, and lots of brushes, little and big, and more +putty and paint, and oh! I don’t know what all. + +“Now this is how the painter monkey does it,” said Brighteyes. “He takes +a brush, and he dips it in the paint pot, and then he lets some of the +loose paint fall off, and then he wiggles the brush up and down and +sideways and across the middle on the boards of the house, and—it’s +painted.” + +“I see,” said Grandpa, and then, before he could stop her, Brighteyes +took one of the painter monkey’s brushes, and dipped it into a pot of +the pink paint. And she leaned over too far, and the first thing you +know she fell right into that pink paint pot, clothes, toothache and +all! What do you think of that? + +“Oh! Oh! Oh!” she cried, as soon as she could get her breath. “This is +awful—terrible!” + +“It certainly is!” said Grandpa Croaker. “But never mind, Brighteyes. +I’ll help you out. Don’t cry.” So he fished her out with his cane, and +he took some rags, and some turpentine, and he cleaned off the pink +paint as best he could, and then he took Brighteyes into the house, and +the little guinea pig girl put on clean clothes, and then she looked as +good as ever, except that there were some spots of pink paint on her +nose. + +“Never mind,” said Grandpa, as he gave her a sugar cookie, and just then +Mrs. Pigg came back with the doctor’s medicine. + +“Why—why!” exclaimed Brighteyes as she kissed her mother, “my toothache +has all stopped!” and, surely enough it had. I guess it got scared +because of the pink paint and went away. + +Anyhow the tooth didn’t ache any more, and the next day Brighteyes went +to the dentist’s and had it pulled. And the painter monkey didn’t mind +about the paint that was spilled, and Mrs. Pigg didn’t mind about +Brighteyes’s dress being spoiled, and they all thought Grandpa Croaker +was as kind as he could be, and he didn’t mind because his cane was +colored pink, where he fished out the little guinea pig girl with it. So +everybody was happy. + +Now in case our cat doesn’t fall into the red paint pot and then go to +sleep on my typewriter paper and make it look blue, I’ll tell you next +about Papa No-Tail and Nannie Goat. + + + + +STORY XXII + +PAPA N + + +One morning, bright and early, Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, started +for the wallpaper factory where he worked at making patterns on the +paper by dipping his feet in the different colored inks and jumping up +and down. And when he got there he saw, standing outside the factory, +the man who made the engines go, and this man said: + +“There is no work to-day for you, Mr. No-Tail.” + +“Ah ha! What is the matter?” asked Bully’s papa. + +“That bad Pelican bird came again in the night and chewed up all the +ink,” said the engine man. “So you may have a vacation until we get some +more ink.” + +“This is very unexpected—very,” spoke Papa No-Tail. “But I will enjoy +myself. I’ll go take a nice long hop, and perhaps I will see something I +can bring home to Bully and Bawly.” So off he started, and he had no +more idea what was going to happen to him than you have what you’re +going to get for next Christmas. + +Papa No-Tail was hopping along, thinking what a fine day it was when, +all of a sudden, he came to a place in the woods where there were some +nice flowers. + +“Ha! I will take these home to my wife,” thought Mr. No-Tail, as he +picked the pretty blossoms. Then he hopped on some more, and he came to +a place where there were some nice round stones, as white as milk. + +“Ah! I will take these home for Bully and Bawly to play marbles with,” +said the frog papa. Then he hopped on a little farther and he came to a +place in the woods where was growing a nice big stick with a crooked +handle. + +“Ho! I will take that home to Grandpa Croaker for a cane that he can use +when he gets tired of carrying the one with the pink paint on it,” spoke +Mr. No-Tail, and he pulled up the cane-stick, and went on with that and +the flowers and the round white stones, as white as molasses—Oh, there I +go again! I mean milk, of course. + +Well, it was still quite early, and as he hopped along through the woods +Papa No-Tail heard the school bell ring to call the boy and girl animals +to their classes. + +“I hope Bully and Bawly are not late,” thought their father. “When one +goes to school one must be on time, and always try to have one’s +lessons.” Still he felt pretty sure that his two little boys were on +time, for they were usually very good. + +On hopped Mr. No-Tail, wishing he could see the bad Pelican bird, and +make him give up the wallpaper-printing ink, when all of a sudden, as +quickly as you can tie your shoe lace, or your hair ribbon, Papa No-Tail +heard a great crashing in the bushes, and then he heard a growling and +then presto-changeo! out popped Nannie Goat, and after her came running +a black, savage bear! Oh, he was a most unpleasant fellow, that bear +was, with a long, red tongue, and long, sharp, white teeth, and long +claws, bigger than a cat’s claws, and he had shaggy fur like an +automobile coat. + +“Oh! Oh! Oh! Stop! Stop! Stop! Don’t catch me! Don’t catch me! Don’t +catch me!” cried Nannie, the goat girl, running on and crashing through +the bushes. But the bear never minded. On he came, right after Nannie, +for he wanted to catch and eat her. You see he used to be in a cage in a +big animal park, but he got loose and he was now very hungry, for no one +had fed him in some time. + +Well, Papa No-Tail was so surprised that, for a moment, he didn’t know +what to do. He just sat still under a big cabbage leaf, and looked at +the bear chasing after Nannie. + +“Oh, will no one save me?” cried the poor little goat girl. “Will no one +save me from this savage bear?” + +“No; no one will save you,” answered the shaggy creature, as he cleaned +his white teeth with his red tongue for a brush. “I am going to eat you +up.” + +“No, you are not!” cried Papa No-Tail, boldly. + +“Ha! Who says I am not going to eat her?” asked the bear, surly-like. + +“I do!” went on Papa No-Tail, hopping a bit nearer. “You shall never eat +her as long as I am alive!” + +“And who are you, if I may be so bold as to ask,” went on the bear, +stopping so he could laugh. + +“I am the brave Mr. No-Tail, who works in the wallpaper factory, but I +can’t work to-day as the bad Pelican bird took the ink,” replied Bully’s +and Bawly’s papa. + +“Oh, fiddlesticks!” cried the bear, real impolite-like. “Now, just for +that I will eat you both!” He made a rush for Nannie, but with a scream +she gave a big jump, and then something terrible happened. For she +jumped right into a sand bank, which she didn’t notice, and there she +stuck fast by her horns, which jabbed right into the hard sand and dirt. +There she was held fast, and the bear, seeing her, called out: + +“Now I can get you without any trouble. You can’t get away from me, so +I’ll just eat this frog gentleman first.” + +Oh, but that bear was savage, and hungry, and several other kinds of +unpleasant things. He made a big jump for the frog, but what do you +think Bully’s papa did? Why he took the bunch of flowers, and he tickled +that bear so tickily-ickly under the chin, that the bear first sneezed, +and then he laughed and as Papa No-Tail kept on tickling him, that bear +just had to sit down and laugh and sneeze at the same time, and he +couldn’t chase even a snail. + +“Now for the next act!” bravely cried Mr. No-Tail, and with that he took +the stick he intended for Grandpa Croaker’s cane, and put it under the +bear’s legs, and he twisted the stick, Papa No-Tail did, and the first +thing that bear knew he had been tripped up and turned over just like a +pancake, and he fell on his nose and bumped it real hard. + +Then, before he could get up, Papa No-Tail pelted him with the round +stones as white as milk, and the bear thought it was snowing and +hailing, and he was as frightened as anything, and as soon as he could +get up, away he ran through the woods, crying big, salty bear tears. + +“Oh, I’m so glad you drove that bear away! You are very brave, Mr. +No-Tail,” said Nannie Goat. “But how am I to get loose in time to get to +school without being late?” For she was still fast by her horns in the +sand bank. + +“Never fear, leave it to me,” said Papa No-Tail. So Nannie never feared, +and Papa No-Tail tried to pull her horns out of the sand bank, but he +couldn’t, because the ground was too hard. So what did he do but go to +the pond, and get some water in his hat, and he threw the water on the +sand, and made it soft, like mud pies, and then Nannie could pull out +her own horns. + +After thanking Mr. No-Tail she ran on to school, and got there just as +the last bell rang, and wasn’t late. And the teacher and all the pupils +were very much surprised when Nannie told them what had happened. Bully +and Bawly were afraid the bear might come back and hurt their papa, but +nothing like that happened I’m glad to say. + +Now in case the tea kettle doesn’t sing a funny song and waken the white +rabbit with the pink eyes that’s in a cage out in our yard, I’ll tell +you to-morrow night about Mamma No-Tail and Nellie Chip-Chip. + + + + +STORY XXIII + +MRS. N + + +Nellie Chip-Chip, the little sparrow girl, flew along over the trees +after school was out, with a box of chocolate under her wing. And under +her other wing was a purse, with some money in it that rattled like +sleigh bells. + +“What are you going to do with that chocolate?” asked Bully No-Tail, the +frog boy, as he and his brother, who were hopping to a ball game, +happened to see Nellie. + +“Oh, I guess she’s going to eat it,” said Bawly. “If you want us to help +you, we will, won’t we, Bully?” he added. + +“Sure,” said Bully, hungry like. + +“Oh, indeed, that’s very kind of you boys,” replied Nellie, politely, +“but you see I’m not eating this chocolate. I am selling it for our +school. We want to get some nice pictures to put in the rooms, and so +I’m trying to help get the money to buy them by selling cakes of +chocolate.” + +“Ha! That’s a good idea,” said Bully. “Say, Nellie, if you go to our +house maybe our mamma will buy some chocolate.” + +“I’ll fly right over there,” declared the little sparrow girl, “for I +want very much to sell my chocolate, and, so far, very few persons have +bought any of me.” + +“I guess our mamma will,” said Bawly, and, then when Nellie had flown on +with her chocolate, Bawly winked both his eyes and spoke thusly: “Say, +Bully, if mamma buys the chocolate from Nellie I guess she’ll give us +some.” + +“I hope so,” replied his brother, and then they went on to the ball game +and had a good time. Well, as I was telling you, Nellie flew over to +Mrs. No-Tail’s house, and knocked at the door with her little bill. + +“Don’t you want to buy some chocolate so I can make money to get +pictures for our school?” the sparrow girl politely asked. + +“Indeed I do,” replied Mrs. No-Tail. “I just need some chocolate for a +cake I’m baking. And if you would like to come in, and help me make the +cake, and put the chocolate on, I’ll give you some, and you can take a +piece home to Dickie.” + +“Indeed, I’ll be very glad to help,” said Nellie, so she went in the +house, and Mrs. No-Tail paid her for some of the chocolate, and then +Nellie took off her hat, and put on an apron, and she helped make the +cake. + +Oh, it was a most delicious one! with about forty-’leven layers, and +chocolate between each one, and then on top! Oh, it just makes me hungry +even to typewrite about it! Why the chocolate on top of that cake was as +thick as a board, and then on top of the chocolate was sprinkled +cocoanut until you would have thought there had been a snow storm! Talk +about a delicious cake! Oh, dear me! Well, I just don’t dare write any +more about it, for it makes me so impatient. + +“Now,” said Mrs. No-Tail, after the baking was over, “we’ll just set the +cake on the table by the open window to cool, Nellie, and we’ll wash up +the dishes.” + +So they were working away, talking of different things, and Nellie was a +great help to Mrs. No-Tail. Every once in a while, however, Nellie would +look over to the cake, because it was so nice she just couldn’t keep her +eyes away from it. She was just wishing it was time for her to have some +to take home, but it wasn’t, quite yet. + +Well, all of a sudden, when Nellie looked over for about the +twenty-two-thirteenth time, she saw that all the chocolate was gone from +the top of the cake. All the chocolate and the cocoanut was missing. + +“Oh! Oh!” cried the little sparrow girl. + +“What’s the matter?” asked Mrs. No-Tail quickly. + +“Look!” exclaimed Nellie, pointing to the cake. + +“Well, of all things!” cried Mrs. No-Tail. “That chocolate must have +disappeared. It must have gone up like a balloon. I will have to buy +some more of you, and put that on.” Then she went over and looked at the +cake, and she wondered at the queer scratches in the top, just as if a +cat had clawed off the chocolate. But there were no cats around. + +So Mrs. No-Tail and Nellie put more chocolate and cocoanut on the cake, +and they went on washing up the dishes, and pretty soon, not so very +long, in a little while Nellie looked at the cake again. And, would you +believe me, the chocolate was all off once more. + +“This is very strange,” said Mrs. No-Tail. “That must be queer chocolate +to disappear that way. Perhaps a fairy is taking it.” + +“Maybe Bully and Bawly are doing it for a joke,” said Nellie. So she and +Mrs. No-Tail looked from the window but they could see no one, not even +a fairy, and, anyhow, Mrs. No-Tail knew the boys wouldn’t be so impolite +as to do such a thing. + +“It is very strange,” said the frog boys’ mamma. “But we will put the +chocolate and cocoanut on once more, and then we’ll watch to see who +takes it.” + +So they did, making the cake even better than before. Oh, with such +thick chocolate and cocoanut on! and then they hid down behind the +stove, and watched the window. + +Pretty soon a big, shaggy paw, with long, sharp claws on it, was put in +the open window, and the paw went right on top of the cake, and scraped +off some of the chocolate and cocoanut. + +“Ah! Yum-yum! That is most delicious!” exclaimed a grumbling, rumbling +voice, and the paw, all covered with the cake chocolate, just as a +lollypop stick is covered with candy, went out of the window, and the +paw was all cleaned off somehow, when it came back again. More chocolate +was then scraped off the cake by those sharp claws. + +“Oh, ho! This is simply scrumptious!” went on the voice, as the paw was +pulled back. Then a third time it came, and scraped off what was left of +the chocolate and cocoanut. + +“Oh, how perfectly delightful and proper this sweet stuff is!” cried the +voice. “I wish there was more!” + +Then a great, big, shaggy, ugly bear, the same one that once chased +Nannie Goat, stuck his head in the window. + +“Oh, did you scrape the chocolate off my cake?” asked Mrs. No-Tail. + +“I did,” the bear said, “have you any more?” + +“No, indeed,” she answered. “But you are a bold, bad creature, and if +you don’t get away from here I’ll have you arrested.” + +“I am not a bit afraid,” answered the bear impolitely, “and as there is +no more chocolate I’ll take the cake.” + +Well, he was just reaching for it with his sharp clawy-paws, and Mrs. +No-Tail and Nellie were very much frightened, fearing the beast would +get them. But just then a man’s voice cried out: + +“Ah, ha! You bad animal! So I’ve caught you, have I? And you are up to +your tricks as usual! Now you come with me!” And who should appear but +the man from the animal park where the bear once lived. And he had a +whip and a rope, and he tied the rope around the bear’s neck and whipped +him for being so bad, and took him back to his cage. And Mrs. No-Tail +and Nellie were very glad. And I guess you’d be also. Eh? + +There was some chocolate left, and some cocoanut, and soon the cake was +even better than before, and Nellie had sold all her chocolate to Mrs. +No-Tail, and she could buy lots of pictures for the school. And Nellie +took home a big piece of the cake for Dickie, her brother, and of course +some for herself. So it all came out right after all, and that bear was +very sorry for what he did. + +Now, in the story after this one, if the fish we’re going to have for +supper doesn’t swim away with my new soft hat and get it all wet, I’ll +tell you about Bully No-Tail and Alice Wibblewobble. + + + + +STORY XXIV + +BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE + + +“Bully,” said the frog boy’s mamma to him one Saturday morning, when +there wasn’t any school, “I wish you would go on an errand for me.” + +“Of course I will, mother,” he said. “Do you want me to go to the store +for some lemons, or some sugar?” + +“Neither one, Bully. I wish you would go to Mrs. Wibblewobble’s house +and tell the nice duck lady I can’t come over to-day to help her sew +carpet rags, and piece-out the bedquilt. I have to put away the winter +flannels so the moths won’t get in them, and then, too, it is so rainy +and foggy that we couldn’t see to sew carpet rags very well. Tell her +I’ll be over the first pleasant day.” + +“Very well,” answered Bully, “and may I stay a while and play with +Jimmie Wibblewobble?” + +“You may,” said his mother, and off Bully hopped all alone, for his +brother Bawly had gone fishing. + +It was a very unpleasant day for any one except ducks or frogs. For +sometimes it rained, and when it wasn’t rainy it was misty, and moisty, +and foggy. And it was wet all over. The water dripped down off the trees +and bushes, and even the ponds and little brooks were wetter than usual, +for the rain rained into them, and splished and splashed. + +But Bully didn’t mind, not in the least. Away he hopped in his rubber +suit, that water couldn’t hurt, and he felt very fine. Soon he was at +Mrs. Wibblewobble’s house, and he delivered the message his mother had +given him. + +“And now I’ll go play with Jimmie,” said Bully. “Where is he, and where +are Lulu and Alice, Mrs. Wibblewobble?” + +“Oh! the girls went over to see Grandfather Goosey Gander,” replied +their mamma. “As for Jimmie, you’ll find him out somewhere on the pond. +But be careful you don’t get lost, for the fog is very thick to-day.” + +“I should think it was,” replied Bully as he hopped away, “it’s almost +as thick as molasses.” Well, pretty soon he came to the edge of the +pond, and in he plumped, and began swimming about. + +“Jimmie! Hey, Jimmie! Where are you, Jimmie?” he called. + +“Over here, making a water wheel,” answered the boy duck, and though the +frog chap couldn’t see him, he could tell, by Jimmie’s voice, where he +was, and soon he had hopped to the right place. + +Well, Bully and Jimmie had a fine time, making the water wheel, that +went splash-splash around in the water. And when they became tired of +playing that, they played water-tag with the water-spiders, and then +they played hop-skip-and-jump, at which game Bully was very good. + +“Now let’s go up to the house,” proposed Jimmie, “and I’m sure mother +will give us some cornmeal sandwiches with jam and bread and butter on.” + +Off they went through the fog, and it was now so thick that they +couldn’t see their way, and by mistake they went to the barn instead of +the house. I don’t know what they would have done, only just then along +came Old Percival, the circus dog, and he could smell his way through +the misty fog up to the house. Maybe he could smell the sandwiches, with +jam and bread and butter on. I don’t know, but anyhow Mrs. Wibblewobble +gave him one when she made some for Bully and Jimmie. + +Well, now I’m coming to the Alice part of the story. As Jimmie and Bully +were eating their sandwiches on the back porch, not minding the rain in +the least, all at once Lulu Wibblewobble came waddling along. As soon as +she got to the steps she called out: + +“Oh, is Alice home yet?” + +“Alice home?” exclaimed Mrs. Wibblewobble. “Why, didn’t she come from +Grandfather Goosey Gander’s house with you?” + +“No, she started on ahead, some time ago,” said Lulu. “She said she +wanted to put on her new hair ribbon for dinner. She ought to have been +here some time ago. Are you sure she isn’t here?” + +“No, she isn’t,” answered Jimmie. “She must be lost in the fog!” + +“Oh, dear! That’s exactly what has happened!” cried the mamma duck. “Oh, +this dreadful fog! What shall I do?” + +“Don’t worry, Mrs. Wibblewobble,” spoke Bully. “Jimmie and I will go and +hunt her. We can find her in the fog.” + +“Oh, you may get lost yourselves!” said the duck lady. “It’s bad enough +as it is, but that would be dreadful. Oh, what shall I do?” + +“I’ll tell you,” said Lulu. “We’ll all hunt for her, and so that we will +not become lost in the fog, we’ll tie several strings to our house, and +then each of us will keep hold of one string, and when we go off in the +fog we can follow the string back again, and we won’t get lost.” + +“That’s a good idea!” cried Bully, and they all thought it was. So they +each tied a long string to the front porch rail, and, keeping hold of +the other end, started off in the fog, Mrs. Wibblewobble, Jimmie, Bully +and Lulu. Off into the fog they went, and the white mist was now thicker +than ever; thicker than molasses, I guess. + +Mrs. Wibblewobble looked one way, and Jimmie another, and Lulu another, +and Bully still another. And for a long time neither one of them could +find Alice. + +“I’m going to call out loud, and perhaps she’ll hear me,” said Bully. +“She probably wandered off on the wrong path coming from Grandfather +Goosey Gander’s house.” So he cried as loudly as he could: “Alice! +Alice! Where are you, Alice?” + +“Oh, here I am!” the duck girl suddenly cried, though Bully couldn’t see +her on account of the fog. “Oh, I’m so glad you came to find me, for +I’ve been lost a long time.” + +“Walk right over this way!” called Bully, “and I’ll take you home by the +string. Come over here!” + +“Yes, come over here!” called another voice, and Bully looked and what +should he see but a savage alligator, hiding in the fog, with his mouth +wide open. The alligator hoped Alice would, by mistake, walk right into +his mouth so he could eat her. And he kept calling right after Bully, +and poor Alice got so confused with the two of them shouting that she +didn’t know what to do. + +Bully was afraid the alligator would get her, so what did he do but take +up a big stone, and, hiding in the fog, he threw the rock into the +alligator’s mouth. + +“There! Chew on that!” called Bully, and the alligator was so angry that +he crawled right away, taking his scaly, double-jointed tail with him. + +Then Bully called again, and this time Alice found where he was in the +fog, and she waddled up to him, and she wasn’t lost any more, and Bully +took her home by following the string. Then the fog blew away and they +were all happy, and had some more jam sandwiches. + +Now, in case it doesn’t rain and wet my new umbrella so that the pussy +cat can go to school, and learn how to make a mouse trap, I’ll tell you +next about Bawly No-Tail and Lulu Wibblewobble. + + + + +STORY XXV + +BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along one day whistling a +little tune about a yellow-spotted doggie, who found a juicy bone, and +sold it to a ragman for a penny ice cream cone. After the little frog +boy had finished his song he hopped into a pond of water and swam about, +standing on his head and wiggling his toes in the air, just as when the +boys go in bathing. + +Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly bounced up out of the water +to catch his breath, which nearly ran away from him down to the +five-and-ten-cent-store—when Bawly bounced up, I say, who should he see +but Lulu Wibblewobble, the duck girl, swimming around on the pond. + +“Hello, Lulu!” called Bawly. + +“Hello!” answered Lulu. “Come on, Bawly, let’s see who can throw a stone +the farthest; you or I.” + +“Oh, pooh!” cried the frog boy. “I can, of course. You’re only a girl.” + +Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly and Lulu were out on the +shore of the pond and had thrown their stones, Lulu’s went ever so much +farther than did Bawly’s. Oh! she was a good thrower, Lulu was! + +“Well, anyhow, I can beat you jumping!” cried Bawly. “Now, let’s try +that game.” + +So they tried that, and, of course, Bawly won, being a very good jumper. +He jumped over two stones, three sticks, a little black ant and also a +big one, a hump of dirt, two flies and a grain of sand. And, as for +Lulu, she only jumped over a brown leaf, a bit of straw, part of a stone +and a little fuzzy bug. + +“Now we’re even,” said Bawly, who felt good-natured again. “Let’s go for +a walk in the woods and we’ll get some wild flowers and maybe something +will happen. Who knows?” + +“Who knows?” agreed Lulu. So off they started together, talking about +the weather and ice cream cones and Fourth of July and all things like +that. For it was Saturday, you see, and there was no school. + +Well, pretty soon, in a little while, not so very long, as Bawly was +hopping, and Lulu was wobbling along, they heard a noise in the bushes. +Now, of course, when you’re in the woods there is always likely to be a +noise in the bushes. Sometimes it’s made by a fairy, and sometimes by a +giant and sometimes by a squirrel or a rabbit, or a doggie, or a kittie, +and sometimes only by the wind blowing in the treetops. And you can +never tell what makes the noise until you look. So Bawly and Lulu looked +to see what made the noise in the bushes. + +“Maybe it’s a giant!” exclaimed Lulu. + +“Maybe it’s a fairy,” said Bawly, and they looked and looked and pretty +soon, in a jiffy, out came a man—just a plain, ordinary man. + +“Oh, me!” cried Bawly. + +“Oh, my!” exclaimed Lulu. + +Then they both started to run away, for they were afraid they might be +hurt. But the man saw them going off, and he called after them. + +“Oh, pray don’t be frightened, little ones. I wouldn’t hurt you for the +world. I was just looking for a frog and a duck, and here you are.” + +“Are—are you going to eat us?” asked Bawly, blinking his eyes. + +“No, indeed,” replied the man, kindly. + +“Are you going to carry us away in a bag?” asked Lulu, wiggling her +feet. + +“Oh, never, never, never!” cried the man, quickly. “I will put you in my +pockets if you will let me, and I will do a funny trick with you.” + +“A trick?” asked Bawly, for he was very fond of them. “What kind?” + +“A good trick,” replied the man. “You see, I am a magician in a +show—that is I do all sorts of funny tricks, such as making a rabbit +come out of a hat, or shutting a pig up in a box and changing it to a +bird, and making a boy or girl disappear. + +“I also do tricks with ducks and frogs, but the other day the pet frog +and duck which I have got sick, and I can’t do any more tricks with them +until they are better. But if you would come with me, I could do some +tricks with you in the show, and I wouldn’t hurt you a bit, and I’d give +you each ten cents, and you could have a nice time. Will you come with +me? I took a walk out in the woods specially to-day, hoping I could find +a new duck or frog to use in my tricks.” + +Well, Lulu and Bawly thought about it, and as the man looked very kind +they decided to go with him. So he put Lulu in one of his big pockets +and Bawly in the other, and off he started through the woods. + +And pretty soon he came to the place where he did the tricks. It was a +big building, and there was a whole crowd of people there waiting for +the magician—men and women and boys and girls. + +“Now, don’t be afraid, Bawly and Lulu,” said the man kindly, for he +could talk duck and frog language. “No one will hurt you.” + +So he put Bawly and Lulu down on a soft table, where the people couldn’t +see them, and then that man did the most surprising and extraordinary +tricks. He made fire come out of a pail of water, and he opened a box, +and there was nothing in it, and he opened it again, and there was a +rabbit in it. Then he took a man’s hat, and he said: + +“Now, there is nothing in his hat but in a moment I am going to make a +little frog come in it. Watch me closely.” + +Well, of course, the people hardly believed him, but what do you think +that man did? Why, he took the hat and turned around, and when nobody +was looking he slipped Bawly off from the table and put him inside +it—inside the hat, I mean, and then the magician said: + +“Presto-changeo! Froggie! Froggie! Come into the hat!” + +Then he put his hand in, and lifted out Bawly, who made a polite little +bow, and the frog wasn’t a bit afraid. And, my! How those people did +clap their hands and stamp their feet! + +“Now if some lady will lend me her handbag, I’ll make a duck come in +it,” said the magician. So a lady in the audience gave him her handbag, +and after the magician had taken out ten handkerchiefs, and a purse with +no money in it, and a looking-glass, and some feathers all done up in a +puff ball, and some peppermint candies, and two postage stamps and some +chewing gum and five keys, why he went back on the stage. And as quick +as a wink, when no one was looking, with his back to the people, he +slipped Lulu Wibblewobble into the empty handbag, and she kept very +quiet for she didn’t want to spoil the trick. + +And then the magician turned to the audience, and he said: + +“Behold! Behold!” and he lifted out the duck girl. Oh my! how those +people did clap; and the lady that owned the handbag was as surprised as +anything. Then the man did lots more tricks, and he called a boy, and +told him to take Lulu and Bawly back home, after he had given them each +ten cents. For his regular trick duck and frog were all well again, and +he could do magic with them. So that’s how Lulu and Bawly were in a +magical show, and they told all their friends about it and everyone was +so surprised that they said: “Oh! Oh! Oh!” more than forty-’leven times. + +And next, if our new kitten, whose name is Peter, doesn’t fall into a +basket of soap bubbles and wet his tail so he can’t go to the moving +picture show, I’ll tell you about Bully No-Tail and Kittie Kat. + + + + +STORY XXVI + +BULLY N + + +“Bully, what are you doing?” the frog boy’s mother called to him one +day, as she heard him making a funny noise. + +“Oh, mother, I am just counting to see how many marbles I have,” he +answered. + +“Well, would you mind going to the store for me?” asked Mrs. No-Tail. “I +was going to make a cake, but I find I have no cocoanut to put on top.” + +“Oh, indeed, I’ll go for you, mother, right away!” cried Bully, quickly, +for he was very fond of cocoanut cake. But I guess he would have gone to +the store anyhow, even if his mamma had only wanted vinegar, or lemons, +or a yeast cake. + +So off he started, whistling a little tune about a fuzzy-wuzzy pussy +cat, who drank a lot of milk and had a crinkly Sunday dress, made out of +yellow silk. + +“Well, I feel better after that!” exclaimed Bully, as he hopped along, +sailing high in the air, above the clouds. Oh, there I go again! I was +thinking of Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow. No, Bully hopped along on the +ground, and pretty soon he came to the store and bought the cocoanut for +the cake. + +He was hopping home, hoping his mamma would give him and his brother +Bawly some of the cake when it was baked, when, just as he came near a +pond of water he heard some one crying. Oh, such a sad, pitiful cry as +it was, and at first Bully thought it might be some bad wolf, or fox, or +owl, crying because it hadn’t any dinner, and didn’t see anything to +catch to eat for supper. + +“I must look out that they don’t catch me,” thought Bully, and he took +tight hold of the cocoanut, and peeked through the bushes. And what did +he see but poor Kittie Kat—you remember her, I dare say; she was a +sister to Joie and Tommie Kat—there was Kittie Kat, crying as if her +heart would break, and right in front of her was a savage fox, wiggling +his bushy tail to and fro, and snapping his cruel jaws and sharp teeth. + +“Now I’ve caught you!” cried the fox. “I’ve been waiting a good while, +but I have you now.” + +“Yes, I—I guess you have,” said poor Kittie, for the fox had hold of the +handle of a little basket that Kittie was carrying, and wouldn’t let go. +In the basket was a nice cornmeal pie that Kittie was taking to +Grandfather Goosey Gander, when the fox caught her. “Will you please let +me go?” begged poor Kittie Kat. + +“No,” replied the bad fox. “I’m going to eat you up—all up!” + +Well, Kittie cried harder than ever at that, but she still kept hold of +the basket with the cornmeal pie in it, and the fox also had hold of it. +And Bully was hiding behind the bushes where neither of them could see +him—hiding and waiting. + +“Oh, I must save Kittie from that fox!” he thought. “How can I do it?” + +So Bully thought and thought, and thought of a plan. Then he leaned +forward and whispered in Kittie’s ear, so low that the fox couldn’t hear +him: + +“Let go of the basket, Kittie,” he told her, “and then give a big jump +and run up a tree.” + +Well, Kittie was quite surprised to hear Bully whispering out of the +bushes to her, for she didn’t know that he was around, but she did as he +told her to. She suddenly let go of the basket handle, and the fox was +so surprised that he nearly fell over sideways. And before he could +straighten himself up Kittie Kat jumped back, and up a tree she +scrambled before you could shake a stick at her, even if you wanted to. +You see, she never thought of going up a tree until Bully told her to. + +“Here! You come back!” cried the fox, real surprised like. + +“Tell him you are not going to,” whispered Bully, and that’s what Kittie +called to the fox from up in the tree, for, you see, he couldn’t climb +up to her, and he still had hold of her basket. + +“If you don’t come down I’ll throw this basket of yours in the water!” +threatened the bad fox, gnashing his teeth. + +“Oh, I don’t want him to do that!” said Kittie. + +“Never mind, perhaps he won’t,” suggested Bully. “Wait and see.” + +“Are you coming down and let me eat you?” asked the fox of the little +kitten girl, for the savage animal did not yet know that Bully was +hiding there. “Are you coming down, I ask you?” + +“No, indeed!” exclaimed Kittie. + +“Then here goes the basket!” cried the fox, and, just to be mean he +threw the nice basket, containing the cornmeal pudding—I mean pie—into +the pond of water. + +“Oh! Oh! Oh dear!” cried Kittie Kat. “What will Grandfather Goosey +Gander do now?” + +“Never mind, I’ll get it for you, as I don’t mind water in the least,” +spoke Bully, bravely. + +So he started to hop out, to jump into the water to save the kittie +girl’s basket, for he knew the fox wouldn’t dare go in the pond after +him, as the fox doesn’t like to wet his feet and catch cold. + +Well, Bully was just about to hop into the pond, when he happened to +think of the package of cocoanut his mamma had sent him to get at the +store. + +“Oh, dear! I never can get that wet in the water or it will be spoiled!” +he thought. “What can I do? If I leave it on the shore here while I go +after Kittie’s basket the fox will eat it, and we’ll have no cake. I +guess I’m in trouble, all right, for I must get the basket.” + +Well, he didn’t know what to do, and the fox was just sneaking up to eat +him when Kittie Kat cried out: + +“Oh, be careful, Bully. Jump! Jump into the water so the fox can’t get +you!” + +“What about the cocoanut?” asked Bully. + +“Here, give it to me, and I’ll hold it,” said Kittie, and she reached +down with her sharp claws, and hooked them into the pink string around +the package of cocoanut and pulled it up on the tree branch where she +sat, and then the fox couldn’t get it. And oh! how disappointed he was +and how he did gnash his teeth. + +And then, before he could grab Bully and eat him up, the frog boy leaped +into the pond and swam out and got Kittie’s basket and the cornmeal pie +before it sank. And then Bully swam to a floating log, and crawled out +on it with the basket, which wasn’t harmed in the least, nor was the +pie, either. + +And the fox sat upon the shore of the pond, and first he looked at +Bully, and wished he could eat him, and then he looked at Kittie, and he +wished he could eat her, and then he looked at the cocoanut, which +Kittie held in her claws, and he couldn’t eat that, and he couldn’t eat +the cornmeal pie—in fact, he had nothing to eat. + +Then, all of a sudden, along came Percival, the kind old circus dog, and +he barked at that fox, and nipped his tail and the fox ran away, and +Kittie and Bully were then safe. Bully came off the log, and Kittie came +down out of the tree and they both went on home after thanking Percival +most kindly. + +Now, in case my little girl’s tricycle doesn’t roll down hill and bunk +into the peanut man and make him spill his ice cream, I’ll tell you next +about Bawly helping his teacher. + + + + +STORY XXVII + +HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER + + +It was quite warm in the schoolroom one day, and the teacher of the +animal children, who was a nice young lady robin, had all the windows +open. But even then it was still warm, and the pupils, including Bully +and Bawly No-Tail, the frog boys, and Lulu and Alice and Jimmie +Wibblewobble, the ducks, weren’t doing much studying. + +Every now and then they would look out of the window toward the green +fields, and the cool, pleasant woods, where the yellow and purple +violets were growing, and they wished they were out there instead of in +school. + +“My, it’s hot!” whispered Bully to Bawly, and of course it was wrong to +whisper in school, but perhaps he didn’t think. + +“Yes, I wish we could go swimming,” answered Bawly, and the teacher +heard the frog brothers talking together. + +“Oh, Bully and Bawly,” she said, as she turned around from the +blackboard, where she was drawing a picture of a house, so the children +could better learn how to spell it, “I am sorry to hear you whispering. +You will both have to stay in after school.” + +Well, of course Bully and Bawly didn’t like that, but when you do wrong +you have to suffer for it, and when the other animal boys and girls ran +out after school, to play marbles and baseball, and skip rope, and jump +hop-scotch and other games, the frog boys had to stay in. + +They sat in the quiet schoolroom, and the robin teacher did some writing +in her books. And Bawly looked out of the window over at the baseball +game. And Bully looked out of the window over toward the swimming pond. +And the teacher looked out of the window at the cool woods, where those +queer flowered Jack-in-the-pulpits grew, and she too, wished she was out +there instead of in the schoolroom. + +“Well, if you two boys are sorry you whispered, and promise that you +won’t do it again, you may go,” said the teacher after a while, when she +had looked out of the window once more. “You know it isn’t really wicked +to whisper in school, only it makes you forget to study, and sometimes +it makes other children forget to study, and that’s where the wrong part +comes in.” + +“I’m sorry, teacher,” said Bully. + +“You may go,” said the young robin lady with a smile. “How about you, +Bawly?” + +“I’m not!” he exclaimed, real cross-like, “and I’ll whisper again,” for +all the while Bawly had been thinking how mean the teacher was to keep +him in when he wanted to go out and play ball. + +The robin lady teacher looked very much surprised at the frog boy, but +she only said, “Very well, Bawly. Then you can’t go.” + +So Bully hurried out, and Bawly and the teacher stayed there. + +Bawly kept feeling worse and worse, and he began to wish that he had +said he was sorry. He looked at the teacher, and he saw that she was +gazing out of the window again, toward the woods, where there were +little white flowers, like stars, growing by the cool, green ferns. And +Bawly noticed how tired the teacher looked, and as he watched he was +sure he saw a tear in each of her bright eyes. And finally she turned to +him and said: + +“It is so nice out of doors, Bawly, that I can’t keep you here any +longer, no matter whether you are sorry or not. But I hope you’ll be +sorry to-morrow, and won’t whisper again. For it helps me when boys and +girls don’t whisper. Run out now, and have a good time. I wish I could +go, but I have some work to do,” and then with her wing she patted Bawly +on his little green head, and opened the door for him. + +Bawly felt rather queer as he hopped out, and he didn’t feel like +playing ball, after all. Instead he hopped off to the woods, and sat +down under a big Jack-in-the-pulpit to think. And he thought of how his +teacher couldn’t live in the nice green country as he did, for she had +to stay in a boarding-house in the city, to be near her school, and she +couldn’t see the flowers growing in the woods as often as could Bawly, +for she nearly always had to stay in after school to write in the +report-books. + +“I—I wish I hadn’t whispered,” Bawly said to himself. “I—I’m going to +help teacher after this. I’ll tell her I’m sorry, and—and I guess I’ll +bring her some flowers for her desk.” + +Every one wondered what made Bawly so quiet that evening at home. He +studied his lessons, and he didn’t want to go out and play ball with +Bully. + +“I hope he isn’t going to be sick,” said his mamma, anxious-like. + +“Oh! I guess maybe he’s got a touch of water-lily fever,” said Grandpa +Croaker. “A few days of swimming will make him all right again.” + +Bawly got up very early the next morning, and without telling any one +where he was going he hopped over to the woods, and gathered a lot of +flowers. + +Oh, such a quantity as he picked! There were purple violets, and yellow +ones, and white ones, and some wild, purple asters, and some blue +fringed gentian, and some lovely light-purple wild geraniums, and +several Jacks-in-the-pulpit, and many other kinds of flowers. And he +made them into a nice bouquet with some ferns on the outside. + +Then, just as he was hopping to school, what should happen but that a +great big alligator jumped out of the bushes at him. + +“Ha! What are you doing in my woods,” asked the alligator, crossly. + +“If—if you please, I’m getting some flowers for my teacher, because I +whispered,” said Bawly. + +“Oh, in that case it’s all right,” said the alligator, smacking his +jaws. “I like school teachers. Give her my regards,” and would you +believe it? the savage creature crawled off, taking his double-jointed +tail with him, and didn’t hurt Bawly a bit. The flowers made the +alligator feel kind and happy. + +Well, Bawly got to school all right, before any of the other children +did, and he put the flowers on teacher’s desk, and he wrote a little +note, saying: + +“Dear teacher, I’m sorry I whispered, but I’m going to help you to-day, +and not talk.” + +And Bawly didn’t. It was quite hard in school that day, but at last it +was over. And, just when the children were going home, the robin lady +teacher said: + +“Boys and girls, you have all helped me very much to-day by being good, +and I thank you. And something else helped me. It was these flowers that +Bawly brought me, for they remind me of the woods where I used to play +when I was a little girl,” and then she smelled of the flowers, and +Bawly saw something like two drops of water fall from the teacher’s eyes +right into one of the Jacks-in-the-pulpit. I wonder if it was water? + +And then school was over and all the children ran out to play and Bawly +thought he never had had so much fun in all his life as when he and +Bully and some of the others had a ball game, and Bawly knocked a fine +home run. + +Now, in case the cuckoo clock doesn’t fall down off the wall and spatter +the rice pudding all over the parlor carpet, I’ll tell you in the story +after this one about Bully and Sammie Littletail. + + + + +STORY XXVIII + +BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL + + +One day when the nice young lady robin school teacher, about whom I told +you last night, called the roll of her class, to see if all the animal +children were there, Samuel Littletail, the rabbit boy, didn’t answer. + +“Why, I wonder where Sammie can be?” asked the teacher. “Has anyone seen +him this morning?” + +They all shook their heads, and Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, answered: + +“If you please, teacher, perhaps his sister, Susie, knows.” + +“Oh, of course! Why didn’t I think to ask her?” said the teacher. So she +looked over on the girls’ side of the room, but, would you believe it? +Susie, the rabbit girl, wasn’t there either. + +“That is very odd,” said the teacher, “both Sammie and Susie out! I hope +they haven’t the epizootic, or the mumps, or carrot fever, or anything +like that. Well, we’ll go on with our lessons, and perhaps they will +come in later.” + +So the first thing the pupils did was to sing a little song, and though +I can’t make up very nice ones, I’ll do the best I can to give you an +idea of it. This is how it went, to the tune, “Tum-Tum-Tum, Tiddle +De-um!” + + Good morning! How are you? + We hope you’re quite well. + We’re feeling most jolly, + So hark to us spell. + + C-A and a T, with + A dot on the eye. + Makes cat, dog or rat, + Or a bird in the sky. + + Take two and two more. + What have you? ’Tis five! + What? Four? Oh, of course, + See the B in the hive. + + Now sing the last verse, + Ah, isn’t it pretty? + We’re glad that you like + Our dear little kittie. + +Well, after the children had sung that they all looked around to see if +Sammie or Susie had come in, but they hadn’t, and then the lessons +began, and everyone got a perfect mark. Still the rabbit children didn’t +come, and after school Bully No-Tail said: + +“I think I’ll stop at Sammie’s house and see what is the matter.” + +“I wish you would,” spoke the teacher, “and then you can tell us +to-morrow. I hope he is not ill.” + +But Sammie was worse than ill, as Bully very soon found out when he got +to the house. He found Mr. and Mrs. Littletail very much excited. Mrs. +Littletail was crying, and so was Susie, and as for Nurse Jane +Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat lady, she was washing up the dishes so fast +that she broke a cup and saucer and dropped a knife and spoon. And Uncle +Wiggily Longears was limping around on his crutch, striped red, white +and blue like a barber pole, and saying: “Oh dear! Oh dear me! Oh hum +suz dud.” + +“Why, whatever has happened?” asked Bully. “Is Sammie dead?” + +“Worse than that,” said Susie, wiping her eyes on her apron. + +“Much worse,” chimed in Uncle Wiggily. “Just think, Bully, when Sammie +was starting off for school this morning, he went off in the woods a +little way to see if he could find a wild carrot, when a big boy rushed +up, grabbed him, and put him in a bag before any of us could save him! +And now he’s gone! Completely gone!” + +“So that’s why he didn’t come to school to-day,” said Nurse Jane sadly. + +“And I didn’t feel like coming either,” spoke Susie, crying some more. +“I tried to find Sammie, but I couldn’t. Oh dear! Boo hoo!” + +“We all tried to find him,” said Mr. Littletail sadly. + +“But we can’t,” added Mrs. Littletail still more sadly. “Our Sammie is +gone! The bad boy has him!” + +“Oh, that is awful!” cried Bully. “But I’ll see if I can’t find him for +you.” + +So Bully hopped off through the woods, hoping he could find where the +boy lived who had taken Sammie away with him. + +“And if I find him I’ll help Sammie to get away,” thought Bully. So he +went on and on, but for a long time he couldn’t find Sammie. For, +listen, the boy who had caught the little rabbit had taken Sammie home, +and had made a cage for him. + +“I’m going to keep you forever,” said the boy, looking in through the +wire cage at Sammie. “I’ve always wanted a rabbit and now I have one.” +Well, poor Sammie asked the boy to let him go, but the boy didn’t +understand rabbit language, and maybe he wouldn’t have let the bunny go, +anyhow. + +Well, it was getting dark, and Sammie was very much frightened in his +cage, and he was wondering whether any of his friends would find him, +and help him escape. + +“I’ll call out loud, so they’ll know where to look for me,” he said, and +he grunted as loudly as he could and whistled through his twinkling +nose. + +Well, it happened that just then Bully was hopping up a little hill, and +he heard Sammie calling. + +“That’s Sammie!” exclaimed Bully. “Now, if I can only rescue him!” + +So the frog boy hopped on farther, and pretty soon he came to the yard +of the house where the boy lived. And Bully peeped in through a knothole +in the fence, and he saw Sammie in the cage. + +“I’m here, Sammie!” cried Bully through the hole. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll +get you out of there.” + +“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Sammie, clapping his paws. + +But, after he had said it, Bully saw that it wasn’t going to be very +easy to get Sammie out, for the cage was very strong. The boy was in the +house cutting up some cabbage for the rabbit, and the little frog knew +he would have to work very quickly if he was to rescue Sammie. + +So Bully hunted until he found a place where he could crawl under the +fence, and he went close up to the cage, and what did he do but hop +inside, thinking he could unlock the door for Sammie. For Bully was +little enough to hop through between the holes in the wire, but Sammie +was too big to get out that way. + +But Bully couldn’t open the door because the lock was too strong, and +the frog boy couldn’t break the wire. + +“Oh, if Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy were only here!” he exclaimed, “she could +get us out of this trap very soon. But she isn’t.” + +“Let’s both together try to break it,” proposed Sammie, but they +couldn’t do it. I don’t know what they would have done, and perhaps +Sammie would have had to stay there forever, but at that moment along +came the old alligator. He looked through the knothole in the fence, and +he saw Sammie and Bully in the cage. + +“Ah, here is where I get a good dinner!” thought the alligator, so with +one savage and swooping sweep of his big, scaly tail, he smashed down +the fence and broke the cage all to pieces, but he didn’t hurt Bully or +Sammie, very luckily, for they were in a far corner. + +“Now’s our chance!” cried the frog. “Run, Sammie, run!” And they both +scudded away as fast as they could before the alligator could catch +them, or even before the boy could run out to see what the noise was. +And when the alligator saw the boy the savage creature flurried and +scurried away, taking his scalery-ailery tail with him, and the boy was +very much surprised when he saw that the rabbit was gone. + +But Sammie and Bully got safely home, and the next day Sammie went to +school as usual, just as if nothing had happened, and every one said +Bully was very brave to help him. + +So that’s all for to-night, if you please, and in case the housecleaning +man gets all the ice cream up from under the sitting-room matting, and +makes a snowball of it for the poll parrot to play horse with, I’ll tell +you next about Bully and Bawly going to the circus. + + + + +STORY XXIX + +BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS + + +“Oh, mamma, may we go?” exclaimed Bawly No-Tail one day as he came home +from school, and hopped into the house with such a big hop, that he +hopped right up into the frog lady’s lap. + +“Go where?” asked Bawly’s mother, wondering if the alligator were after +her son. + +“Oh, do please let us go!” cried Bully, hopping in after his brother. +Bully tried to stand on his head, but his foot slipped and he nearly +fell into the ink bottle. “Please let us go, mother?” + +“Where? Where?” she asked again, as Bawly hopped out of her lap. + +“To the circus!” cried Bully. + +“It’s coming!” exclaimed Bawly. + +“Down in the vacant lots,” went on Bully. + +“Oh, you ought to see the posters! Lions and tigers and elephants, and +men jumping in the air, and horses and—and—” + +Bawly had to stop for breath then, and so he couldn’t say any more. +Neither could Bully. Oh, but they were excited, let me tell you. + +“May we go?” they both cried out again. + +“Well, I’ll see,” began their mother slowly. “I don’t know—” + +“Oh, I guess you’d better let them go,” spoke up Grandpa Croaker in his +deepest, rumbling voice. “I—I think I can spare the time to look after +them. I don’t really want to go, you know, as I was going to play a game +of checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears, but I guess I can take the boys +to the circus. Ahem!” + +“Oh, goody!” cried Bawly, jumping up and down. + +“Where are you going?” asked their papa, just then coming in from the +wallpaper factory. + +“To the circus,” said Bawly. “Grandpa Croaker will take us.” + +“Ha! Hum!” exclaimed Papa No-Tail. “I am very busy, but I guess I can +spare the time to take you. We won’t bother Grandpa.” + +“Oh, it’s no bother—none at all, I assure you,” quickly spoke the +grandpa frog, in a thundering, rumbling voice. “We can both take them.” + +“Well, I never heard of such a thing!” exclaimed Mamma No-Tail. “Any one +would think you two old men frogs wanted to go as much as the boys do. +But I guess it will be all right.” + +So Bully and Bawly and their papa and their grandpa went to the circus +next day. And what do you think? Just as they were buying their tickets +if they didn’t meet Uncle Wiggily Longears! And he had Sammie and Susie, +the rabbits, with him, and there was Aunt Lettie, the old lady goat, +with the three Wibblewobble children, and many other little friends of +Bully and Bawly. + +Well, that was a fine circus! There were lots of tents with flags on, +and outside were men selling pink lemonade and peanuts for the elephant, +and toy balloons, only those weren’t for the elephant, you know, and +there were men shouting, and lots of excitement, and there was a side +show, with pictures outside the tent of a man swallowing swords by the +dozen, and also knives and forks, and another picture of a lady wrapping +a fat snake around her neck, because she was cold, I guess, and then you +could hear the lions roaring and the elephants trumpeting, and the band +was playing, and the peanut wagons were whistling like teakettles, +and—and—Oh! why, if I write any more about that circus I’ll want to take +my typewriter, and put it away in a dark closet, and go to the show +myself! + +But anyhow it was very fine, and pretty soon Bully and Bawly and their +papa and grandpa were in the tent looking at the animals. They fed the +elephant peanuts until they had none for themselves, and they looked at +the camel with two humps, and at the one with only one hump, because I +s’pose he didn’t have money enough to buy two, and then they went in the +tent where the real show was. + +Well it went off very fine. The big parade was over, and the men were +doing acts on the trapeze, and the trained seals were playing ball with +their noses, and the clowns were cutting up funny capers. And all at +once a man, with a shiny hat on, came out in the middle of the ring, and +said: + +“Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to call your attention to our jumping +dog, Nero. He is the greatest jumping dog in the world, and he will jump +over an elephant’s back!” + +Well, the people clapped like anything after that, and a clown came out, +leading a dog. Everybody was all excited, especially when another clown +led out a big elephant. Then it was the turn of the dog to jump over the +elephant. Well, he tried it, but he didn’t go over. The clown petted +him, and gave him a sweet cracker, and the dog tried it again, but he +couldn’t do it. Then he tried once more and he fell right down under the +elephant, and the elephant lifted Nero up in his trunk, and set him +gently down on some straw. + +Then the clown took off his funny, pointed hat and said: + +“Ladies and gentlemen, I am very sorry, but my poor dog is sick and he +can’t jump to-day, and I have nothing else that can jump over the +elephant’s back.” + +Every one felt quite disappointed at that, but still they were sorry for +the poor dog. The clown led him away, and the other clown was leading +the elephant off, when Bully said to Bawly: + +“Don’t you think we could do that jump? We once did a big jump to get +away from the alligator, you know.” + +“Let’s try it,” said Bawly. “Then the people won’t be disappointed. Come +on.” So they slipped from their seats, when their papa and grandpa were +talking to Uncle Wiggily about the trained seals, and those two frog +boys just hopped right into the middle of the circus ring. At first a +monkey policeman was going to put them out, but they made motions that +they wanted to jump over the elephant, for they couldn’t speak policeman +talk, you know. + +“Ah ha! I see what they want,” said the kind clown. “Well, I don’t +believe they can do it, but let them try. It may amuse the people.” So +he made the elephant go back to his place, and every one became +interested in what Bully and Bawly were going to do. + +“Are you already?” asked Bully of his brother. + +“Yes,” answered Bawly. + +“Then take a long breath, and jump as hard as you can,” said Bully. So +they both took long breaths, crouched down on their hind legs, and then +both together, simultaneously and most extraordinarily, they jumped. My, +what a jump it was! Bigger than the time when they got away from the +alligator. Right over the elephant’s back they jumped, and they landed +on a pile of soft straw so they weren’t hurt a bit. My! You should have +heard the people cheer and clap! + +“Good!” cried the clown. “That was a great jump! Will you stay in the +circus with me? I will pay you as much as I pay my dog.” + +“Oh, no! They must go home,” said their papa, as Bully and Bawly went +back to their seats. “That is, after the circus is over,” said Mr. +No-Tail. + +So the frog boys saw the rest of the show, and afterward all their +friends told them how brave it was to do what they had done. + +And for a long time after that whenever any one mentioned what good +jumpers Bully and Bawly were, Sammie Littletail would say: + +“Ah, but you should have seen them in the circus one day.” + +And on the next page, if the lilac bush in our back yard doesn’t reach +in through the window, and take off my typewriter ribbon to wear to +Sunday school, I’ll tell you about Bully and Bawly playing Indian. + + + + +STORY XXX + +BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN + + +It happened, once upon a time, after the circus had gone away from the +place where Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, lived that a Wild West +show came along. + +And my goodness! There were cowboys and cowgirls, and buffaloes and +steers and men with lassos, and Mexicans and Cossacks, and Indians! Real +Indians, mind you, that used to be wild, and scalp people, which was +very impolite to do, but they didn’t know any better; the Indians didn’t +I mean. Then they got tame and didn’t scalp people any more. Yes, sir, +they were real Indians, and they had real feathers on them! + +Of course the feathers didn’t belong to the Indians, the same as a +chicken’s feathers, or a turkey’s feathers belong to them. That is, the +feathers didn’t grow on the Indians, even if they did seem to. No, the +Indians put them on for ornaments, just as ladies put plumes on their +hats with long hatpins. + +Well, of course, Bully and Bawly and the other boys all went to the Wild +West show, and when they got home about all they did for several days +was to play cowboys or Indians. Indians mostly, for they liked them the +best. And the boys gave regular warwhoop cries. + +“We’ll have a new game,” said Bully to Bawly one day. “We’ll dress up +like the Indians did, and we’ll go off in the woods, and we’ll see if we +can capture white people.” + +“Real?” asked Bawly. + +“No, only make-believe ones. And we’ll build a camp fire, and take our +lunch, and sleep in the woods.” + +“After dark?” asked Bawly. + +“Sure. Why not? Don’t Indians sleep in the woods after dark?” + +“Oh, but they have real guns and knives to kill the bears with,” +objected Bawly, “and our guns and knives will only be wooden.” + +“Well, maybe it will be better to only pretend it’s night in the woods,” +agreed Bully. “We can go in a dark place under the trees, and make +believe it’s night, and that will do just as well.” + +So they agreed to do that way, and for the next few days the frog boys +were busy making themselves up to look like Indians. Their mother let +them take some old blankets, and they got some red and green chalk to +put on their faces for war paint, and they found a lot of feathers over +at the homes of Charlie and Arabella Chick, and the three Wibblewobble +duck children. These feathers they put around their heads, and down +their backs, as the Indians in the Wild West show did. + +“Now I guess we’re ready to start off and hunt make-believe white +people,” said Bawly one Saturday morning when there wasn’t any school. + +“Have you the lunch? We mustn’t forget that,” spoke Bully. + +“Yes, I have it,” his brother replied. “Take your bow and arrow, and +I’ll carry the wooden gun.” + +Off they started as brave as an elephant when he has a bag of peanuts in +his trunk. They hurried to the woods, so none of their friends would see +them, for Bully and Bawly wanted to have it all a surprise. And pretty +soon they were under the trees where it was quite dark. Bawly gave a big +hop, and landed up front beside his brother. + +“You mustn’t walk here,” said Bully. “Indians always go in single file, +one behind the other. Get behind me.” + +“I—I’m afraid,” said Bawly. + +“Of what?” asked his brother. “Indians are never afraid.” + +“I—I’m afraid I might scare somebody,” said Bawly. “I—I look so fierce +you know. I just saw myself reflected back there in a pond of water that +was like a looking-glass and I’m enough to scare anybody.” + +“So much the better,” said his brother. “You can scare the make-believe +white people whom we are going to capture and scalp. Get in behind me.” + +“Wouldn’t it be just as well if I pretended to walk behind you, and +still stayed up front here, beside you?” asked Bawly, looking behind +him. + +“Oh, I guess so,” answered his brother. So the two frog boys, who looked +just like Indians, went on side by side though the woods. They looked +all around them for something to capture, but all that they saw was an +old lady hoptoad, going home from market. + +“Shall we capture her?” asked Bawly, getting his bow and arrow ready. + +“No,” replied his brother. “She might tell mamma, and, anyhow, we +wouldn’t want to hurt any of mamma’s friends. We’ll capture some of the +fellows.” But Bully and Bawly couldn’t seem to find any one, not even a +make-believe white person, and they were just going to sit down and eat +their lunch, anyhow, when they heard some one shouting: + +“Help! Help! Oh, some one please help me!” called a voice. + +“Some one’s in trouble!” cried Bully. “Let’s help them!” + +So he and his brother bravely hurried on through the woods, and soon +they came to a place where they could hear the voice more plainly. Then +they looked between the bushes, and what should they see but poor +Arabella Chick, and a big hand-organ monkey had hold of her, and the +monkey was slowly pulling all the feathers from Arabella’s tail. + +“Oh, don’t, please!” begged the little chicken girl. “Leave my feathers +alone.” + +“No, I shan’t!” answered the monkey. “I want the feathers to make a +feather duster, to dust off my master’s hand-organ,” and with that he +yanked out another handful. + +“Oh, will no one help me?” cried poor Arabella, trying to get away. +“I’ll lose all my feathers!” + +“We must help her,” said Bawly to Bully. + +“We surely must,” agreed Bully. “Get all ready, and we’ll shoot our +arrows at that monkey, and then we’ll go out with our make-believe guns, +and shoot bang-bang-pretend-bullets at him, and then we’ll holler like +the wild Indians, and the monkey will be so frightened that he’ll run +away.” + +Well, they did that. Zip-whizz! went two make-believe arrows at the +monkey. One hit him on the nose, and one on the leg, and the pain was +real, not make-believe. Then out from the bushes jumped Bully and Bawly, +firing their make-believe guns as fast as they could. + +Then they yelled like real Indians and when the monkey saw the red and +green and yellow and purple and pink and red feathers on the frog +Indians and saw their colored-chalk faces he was so frightened that he +wiggled his tail, blinked his eyes, clattered his teeth together, and, +dropping Arabella Chick, off he scrambled up a tree after a make-believe +cocoanut. + +“Now, you’re safe!” cried Bully to the chicken girl. + +“Yes,” said Bawly, “being Indians was some good after all, even if we +didn’t capture any make-believe white people to scalp.” + +So they sat down under the trees, and Arabella very kindly helped them +to eat the lunch, and she said she thought Indians were just fine, and +as brave as soldiers. + +So now we’ve reached the end of this story, and as you’re sleepy you’d +better go to bed, and in case the piano key doesn’t open the front door, +and go out to play hop-scotch on the sidewalk, I’ll tell you next about +the Frogs’ farewell hop. + + + + +STORY XXXI + +THE FROGS’ FAREWELL HOP + + +One night Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, came home from his work in +the wallpaper factory with a bundle of something under his left front +leg. + +“What have you there, papa?” asked Bawly, as he scratched his nose on a +rough stone; “is it ice cream cones for us?” + +“No,” said Mr. No-Tail, “it is not anything like that; but, anyhow, the +weather is almost warm enough for ice cream.” + +“Is it some new kind of wallpaper that you hopped on to-day after you +dipped your feet in red and green ink?” asked Bully. + +“No,” replied his papa. “I have here some wire to tack over the windows, +to keep out the flies and mosquitoes, for it is getting to be summer +now, and those insects will soon be flying and buzzing around.” + +So after supper Mr. No-Tail, and his two boys, Bully and Bawly, tacked +the wire mosquito netting on the windows, and when they were all done +Mr. No-Tail went down to the corner drug store and he bought a quart of +ice cream, the kind all striped like a sofa cushion, and he and his wife +and Bully and Bawly sat out on the porch eating it with spoons out of a +dish, just as real as anything. + +“Oh dear me! There’s a mosquito buzzing around!” suddenly exclaimed +Mamma No-Tail, as she ate the last of her cream. “They are on hand early +this year. I’m going in the house.” + +“I’ll go get my bean shooter, and see if I can kill that mosquito!” +exclaimed Bawly, who once went hunting after the buzzers, and shot quite +a number. But land sakes! it was so dark on the porch that he couldn’t +see the buzzing mosquitoes though he blew a number of beans about, and +one hit Uncle Wiggily Longears on the nose, just as the old gentleman +rabbit was hopping over to play checkers with Grandpa Croaker. But Uncle +Wiggily forgave Bawly, as it was an accident, and as there was a little +ice cream left, the old gentleman rabbit and Grandpa Croaker ate it up. + +Well, something happened that night when they had all gone to bed. Along +about 12 o’clock, when it was all still and quiet, and when the little +mice were just coming out to play hide and seek and look for some +crackers and cheese, Bawly No-Tail felt some one pulling him out of bed. + +“Here! Hold on! Don’t do that, Bully!” he cried. + +“What’s the matter?” asked his brother. “Are you dreaming or talking in +your sleep? I’m not doing anything.” + +“Aren’t you pulling me out of bed?” asked Bawly, and he had to grab hold +of the bedpost to prevent himself falling to the floor. + +“Why, no, I’m in my own bed,” answered Bully. “Oh, dear me! Oh, suz dud! +Some one’s pulling me, too!” And he let out such a yell that Mamma +No-Tail came running in with a light. And what do you think she saw? + +Why two, great, big buzzing mosquitoes flew out of the window through a +hole in the wire netting, and it was those mosquitoes who had been +trying to pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, so they could fly away with +them to eat them up. + +“Oh, my! How bold those mosquitoes are this year!” exclaimed the mamma +frog. “They actually bit a hole in the wire screen.” + +“They did, eh?” cried Papa No-Tail. “Well, I’ll fix that!” So he got a +hammer and some more wire, and he mended the hole which the mosquitoes +had made. Then Bully and Bawly went to sleep again. They were afraid the +mosquitoes would come in once more, but though the savage insects buzzed +around outside for quite a while, the screen was too strong for them +this time, and they didn’t get in the house. + +“If this keeps on,” said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped off to work next +morning, “we’ll have to go to a place where there are no mosquitoes.” + +Well, that night the same thing happened. Along about 1 o’clock Bully +felt some one pulling him out of bed, and he cried, and his mamma came +with a light, and there was another mosquito, twice as big as before, +with a long sharp bill, and long, dingly-dangly legs, and buzzy-uzzy +wings, just skeddadling out of the window. + +“There! They’ve bitten another hole in the screen!” cried Mrs. No-Tail. +“Oh, this is getting terrible!” + +“I’ll put double screens on to-morrow,” said Papa No-Tail, and he did. +But would you believe it? Those mosquitoes still came. The big ones +couldn’t make their way through the two nets, but lots of the little +ones came in. One would manage to get his head through the wire, and +then all his friends would push and pull on him until he was inside, +then another would wiggle in, and that’s how they did it. Then they went +and hid down cellar, until they grew big enough to bite. + +And, though these mosquitoes couldn’t pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, +for the pestiferous insects weren’t strong enough, they nipped the frog +boys all over, until their legs and arms and faces and noses and ears +smarted and burned terribly, and their mamma had to put witch hazel and +talcum powder on the bites. + +“I can see that we’ll soon have to get away from here,” said Papa +No-Tail, one morning, when the mosquitoes had been very bad and +troublesome in the night. “They come right through the screens,” he +said. “Now we’ll hop off to the mountains or seashore, where there are +no mosquitoes.” + +“Don’t you s’pose Bully and I could sit up some night and kill them with +our bean shooters?” said Bawly. + +“You may try,” said his papa. So the two frog boys tried it that night. +They sat up real late, and they shot at several mosquitoes that came in, +and they hit some. And then Bully and Bawly fell asleep, and the first +thing you know the mosquitoes buzzing outside heard them snoring, and +they bit a big hole right through the double screen this time, and were +just pulling Bully and Bawly out of bed, when the frog boys’ mamma heard +them crying, and came with the lamp, scaring the savage insects away. + +“There is no use talking!” said Papa No-Tail. “We will hop off in the +morning. We’ll say good-by to this place.” + +So the next morning the frogs packed up, and they sent word to all their +friends that they were going to take their farewell hop to the +mountains, where there were no more mosquitoes. + +Oh such a crowd as gathered to see them hop away! There was Sammie and +Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble, and Munchie and Dottie Trot, and Peetie and +Jackie Bow Wow, and Uncle Wiggily Longears and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy +and Buddy Pigg and all the other animal friends. + +Away hopped Papa No-Tail, and away hopped Mamma No-Tail, and then +Grandpa Croaker and Bully and Bawly hopped after them, calling good-bys +to all their friends. Every one waved his handkerchief and Susie +Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk cried a little bit, for they liked Bully +and Bawly very much, and didn’t like to see them hop away. + +And what do you think? Some of the mosquitoes were so mean that they +flew out of the woods and tried to bite the frogs as they were hopping +away. But Bully and Bawly had their bean shooters and they shot a number +of the creatures, so the rest soon flew off and hid in a hollow tree. + +“I’m coming to see you some time!” called Uncle Wiggily Longears to +Bully and Bawly. “Be good boys!” + +“Yes, we’ll be good!” promised Bully. + +“As good as we can,” added his brother Bawly, as he tickled Grandpa +Croaker with the bean shooter. + +Then the No-Tail family of frogs hopped on and on, until they came to a +nice place in the woods, where there was a little pond, covered with +duck weed, in which they could swim. + +“Here is where we will make our new home,” said Papa No-Tail. + +“Oh, how lovely it is,” said Mrs. No-Tail, as she sat down to rest under +a toadstool umbrella, for the sun was shining. + +“Ger-umph! Ger-umph!” said Grandpa Croaker, in his deep, bass voice. +“Very nice indeed.” + +“Fine!” cried Bully. + +“Dandy!” said Bawly. “Come on in for a swim,” and into the pond jumped +the two frog boys. And they lived happily there in the woods for ever +after. + +So now we have come to the end of this book. But, if you would like to +hear them, I have more stories to tell you. And I think I will make the +next book about some goat children. Nannie and Billie Wagtail were their +names, and the book will be called after them—“Nannie and Billie +Wagtail.” The goat children wagged their little, short tails, and did +the funniest things; eating pictures off tin cans, and nibbling +bill-board circus posters of elephants and lions and tigers. And there +was Uncle Butter, the goat gentleman, who pasted wallpaper, and Aunt +Lettie, the old lady goat, and—— + +But there, I will let you read the book yourself and find out all that +happened to Nannie and Billie Wagtail. And until you do read that, I +will just say good-bye, for a little while. + +THE END + + + + +The Broncho Rider Boys Series +By FRANK FOWLER + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid + +A series of stirring stories for boys, breathing the +adventurous spirit that lives in the wide plains and lofty +mountain ranges of the great West. These tales will delight +every lad who loves to read of pleasing adventure in the open; +yet at the same time the most careful parent need not hesitate +to place them in the hands of the boy. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ; or, +Upholding the Honor of the Stars and Stripes. + +When trouble breaks out between this country and Mexico, the +boys are eager to join the American troops under General +Funston. Their attempts to reach Vera Cruz are fraught with +danger, but after many difficulties, they manage to reach the +trouble zone, where their real adventures begin. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS AT KEYSTONE RANCH; or, Three Chums of +the Saddle and Lariat. + +In this story the reader makes the acquaintance of three +devoted chums. The book begins in rapid action, and there is +“something doing” up to the very time you lay it down. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS DOWN IN ARIZONA; or A Struggle for the +Great Copper Lode. + +The Broncho Rider Boys find themselves impelled to make a +brave fight against heavy odds, in order to retain possession +of a valuable mine that is claimed by some of their relatives. +They meet with numerous strange and thrilling perils and every +wide-awake boy will be pleased to learn how the boys finally +managed to outwit their enemies. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER; or, The Hidden +Treasure of the Zuni Medicine Man. + +Once more the tried and true comrades of camp and trail are in +the saddle. In the strangest possible way they are drawn into +a series of exciting happenings among the Zuni Indians. +Certainly no lad will lay this book down, save with regret. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ON THE WYOMING TRAIL; or, A Mystery of +the Prairie Stampede. + +The three prairie pards finally find a chance to visit the +Wyoming ranch belonging to Adrian, but managed for him by an +unscrupulous relative. Of course, they become entangled in a +maze of adventurous doings while in the Northern cattle +country. How the Broncho Rider Boys carried themselves through +this nerve-testing period makes intensely interesting reading. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS; or, The +Smugglers of the Rio Grande. + +In this volume, the Broncho Rider Boys get mixed up in the +Mexican troubles, and become acquainted with General Villa. In +their efforts to prevent smuggling across the border, they +naturally make many enemies, but finally succeed in their +mission. + + + + +The Boy Scouts Series +By HERBERT CARTER + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; or, Caught Between +the Hostile Armies. In this volume we follow the thrilling +adventures of the boys in the midst of the exciting struggle +abroad. + +THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Secret of +Alligator Swamp. Startling experiences awaited the comrades +when they visited the Southland. But their knowledge of +woodcraft enabled them to overcome all difficulties. + +THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA. A story of +Burgoyne’s defeat in 1777. + +THE BOY SCOUTS’ FIRST CAMP FIRE; or, Scouting with the +Silver Fox Patrol. This book brims over with woods lore and +the thrilling adventure that befell the Boy Scouts during +their vacation in the wilderness. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE BLUE RIDGE; or, Marooned Among the +Moonshiners. This story tells of the strange and mysterious +adventures that happened to the Patrol in their trip among the +moonshiners of North Carolina. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting through the Big +Game Country. The story recites the adventures of the members +of the Silver Fox Patrol with wild animals of the forest +trails and the desperate men who had sought a refuge in this +lonely country. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or, The New Test for the +Silver Fox Patrol. Thad and his chums have a wonderful +experience when they are employed by the State of Maine to act +as Fire Wardens. + +THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; or, The Search for the +Lost Tenderfoot. A serious calamity threatens the Silver Fox +Patrol. How apparent disaster is bravely met and overcome by +Thad and his friends, forms the main theme of the story. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret of the Hidden +Silver Mine. The boys’ tour takes them into the wildest +region of the great Rocky Mountains and here they meet with +many strange adventures. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or, Marooned Among the +Game Fish Poachers. Thad Brewster and his comrades find +themselves in the predicament that confronted old Robinson +Crusoe; only it is on the Great Lakes that they are wrecked +instead of the salty sea. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; or, The Silver Fox +Patrol Caught in a Flood. The boys of the Silver Fox Patrol, +after successfully braving a terrific flood, become entangled +in a mystery that carries them through many exciting +adventures. + + + + +Transcriber’s Notes + +1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. + +2. Typographic errors corrected in original: + p. 50 though to thought (“Bully thought of his bag”) + p. 62 "out out" to "out" ("life out of me") + p. 204 think to thing (“first thing you know”) + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. Garis + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + +***** This file should be named 18599-0.txt or 18599-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/5/9/18599/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/18599-0.zip b/18599-0.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dc341c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/18599-0.zip diff --git a/18599-8.txt b/18599-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0d34356 --- /dev/null +++ b/18599-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5455 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. Garis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bully and Bawly No-Tail + +Author: Howard R. Garis + +Illustrator: Louis Wisa + +Release Date: June 16, 2006 [EBook #18599] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +_BEDTIME STORIES_ + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL +(THE JUMPING FROGS) + +BY +HOWARD R. GARIS + +Author of "Sammie and Susie Littletail," +"Uncle Wiggily's Automobile," "Daddy Takes Us Camping," +"The Smith Boys," "The Island Boys," etc. + +_ILLUSTRATED BY LOUIS WISA_ + +A. L. BURT COMPANY +PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK + + + + +THE FAMOUS +BED TIME SERIES + +Five groups of books, intended for reading aloud to the little +folks each night. Each volume contains 8 colored illustrations, +31 stories, one for each day of the month. Handsomely bound in +cloth. Size 6-1/2 x 8-1/4. + +Price 60 cents per volume, postpaid + +HOWARD R. GARIS' +Bed Time Animal Stories + +No. 1. SAMMIE AND SUSIE LITTLETAIL +No. 2. JOHNNY AND BILLY BUSHYTAIL +No. 3. LULU, ALICE & JIMMIE WIBBLEWOBBLE +No. 5. JACKIE AND PEETIE BOW-WOW +No. 7. BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG +No. 9. JOIE, TOMMIE AND KITTIE KAT +No. 10 CHARLIE AND ARABELLA CHICK +No. 14 NEDDIE AND BECKIE STUBTAIL +No. 16 BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL +No. 20 NANNIE AND BILLIE WAGTAIL +No. 28 JOLLIE AND JILLIE LONGTAIL + +Uncle Wiggily Bed Time Stories + +No. 4 UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES +No. 6 UNCLE WIGGILY'S TRAVELS +No. 8 UNCLE WIGGILY'S FORTUNE +No. 11 UNCLE WIGGILY'S AUTOMOBILE +No. 19 UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE SEASHORE +No. 21 UNCLE WIGGILY'S AIRSHIP +No. 27 UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE COUNTRY + +For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of +price by the publishers + +A. L. BURT CO., 114-120 East 23d St., New York + + + + +Copyright, 1915, by +R. F. FENNO & COMPANY + + + + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL + + +The stories herein contained appeared originally in the Evening News, of +Newark, N. J., where (so many children and their parents were kind +enough to say) they gave pleasure to a number of little folks and +grown-ups also. Permission to issue the stories in book form was kindly +granted by the publisher and editor of the News, to whom the author +extends his thanks. + + + + +Contents + +STORY I BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING 9 +STORY II BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL 15 +STORY III BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY 21 +STORY IV BULLY'S AND BAWLY'S BIG JUMP 26 +STORY V GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL 34 +STORY VI PAPA NO-TAIL IN TROUBLE 40 +STORY VII BULLY NO-TAIL PLAYS MARBLES 46 +STORY VIII BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT 52 +STORY IX GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA 58 +STORY X BAWLY NO-TAIL AND JOLLIE LONGTAIL 65 +STORY XI BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE 71 +STORY XII BAWLY NO-TAIL GOES HUNTING 77 +STORY XIII PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT 83 +STORY XIV BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE 90 +STORY XV BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS 97 +STORY XVI BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES 104 +STORY XVII GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY 110 +STORY XVIII MRS. NO-TAIL AND MRS. LONGTAIL 117 +STORY XIX BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. 123 +STORY XX BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. 128 +STORY XXI GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG 135 +STORY XXII PAPA NO-TAIL AND NANNIE GOAT 141 +STORY XXIII MRS. NO-TAIL AND NELLIE CHIP-CHIP 148 +STORY XXIV BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE 154 +STORY XXV BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE 161 +STORY XXVI BULLY NO-TAIL AND KITTIE KAT 168 +STORY XXVII HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER 174 +STORY XXVIII BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL 180 +STORY XXIX BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS 186 +STORY XXX BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN 194 +STORY XXXI THE FROGS' FAREWELL HOP 200 + + + + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL + +STORY I + +BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING + + +Once upon a time, not so very many years ago, there were two little frog +boys who lived in a little pond near a nice big farm. It wasn't very far +from where Peetie and Jackie Bow-Wow, the puppy dogs, had their home, +and the frogs' house was right next door to the pen where Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble the ducks lived. + +There was Bully No-Tail, and his brother Bawly No-Tail, and the reason +Bawly had such a funny name was because when he was a little baby he +used to cry a good bit. And once he cried so much that he made a lot +more water in the pond than should have been there, and it ran over, +just like when you put too much milk in your glass, and made the ground +all wet. + +The last name of the frogs was "No-Tail," because, being frogs, you see, +they had no tails. + +But now Bawly was larger, and he didn't cry so much, I'm glad to say. +And with the frog boys lived their papa and mamma, and also a nice, big, +green and yellow spotted frog who was named Grandpa Croaker. Oh, he was +one of the nicest frogs I have ever known, and I have met quite a +number. + +One day when Bully and Bawly were hopping along on the ground, close to +the edge of the pond, Bully suddenly said: + +"Bawly, I think I can beat you in a swimming race." + +"I don't believe you can," spoke Bawly, as he thoughtfully scratched his +left front leg on a piece of hickory bark. + +"Well, we'll try," said Bully. "We'll see who can first swim to the +other side of the pond, and whoever does it will get a stick of +peppermint candy." + +"Where can we get the candy?" asked Bawly. "Have you got it? For if you +have I wish you'd give me a bite before we jump in the water, Bully." + +"No, I haven't it," replied his brother. "But I know Grandpa Croaker +will give it to us after the race. Come on, let's jump in." + +So the next minute into the pond jumped those two frog boys, and they +didn't take off their shoes or their stockings, nor even their coats or +waists, nor yet their neckties. For you see they wore the kind of +clothes which water couldn't hurt, as they were made of rubber, like a +raincoat. Their mamma had to make them that kind, because they went in +the water so often. + +Into the pond the frogs jumped, and they began swimming as fast as they +could. First Bully was a little distance ahead, and then Bawly would +kick out his front legs and his hind legs, and he would be in the lead. + +"I'm going to win! I'll get the peppermint candy!" Bawly called to his +brother, winking his two eyes right in the water, as easily as you can +put your doll to sleep, or play a game of marbles. + +"No. I'll beat!" declared Bully. "But if I get the candy I'll give you +some." + +So they swam on, faster and faster, making the water splash up all +around them like a steamboat going to a picnic. + +Well, the frogs were almost half way across the pond, when Lulu and +Alice Wibblewobble, the duck girls, came out of their pen. They had just +washed their faces and their yellow bills, and had put on their new hair +ribbons, so they looked very nice, and proper. + +"Oh, see Bully and Bawly having a swimming race!" exclaimed Lulu. "I +think Bully will win!" + +"I think Bawly will!" cried Alice. "See, he is ahead!" + +"No, Bully is ahead now," called Lulu, and surely enough so Bully was, +having made a sudden jump in the water. + +And then, all of a sudden, before you could take all the seeds out of an +apple or an orange, if you had one with seeds in, Bawly disappeared from +sight down under the water. He vanished just as the milk goes out of +baby's bottle when she drinks it all up. + +"Oh, look!" cried Lulu. "Bawly is going to swim under water!" + +"That's so he can win the race easier, I guess," spoke Alice. + +"What's that?" asked Bully, wiggling his two eyes. + +"Your brother has gone down under the water!" cried the two duck girls +together. + +"So he has!" exclaimed Bully, glancing around. And then, when he had +looked down, he cried out: "Oh, a great big fish has hold of Bawly's +toes, and he's going to eat him, I guess! I must save my brother!" + +Bully didn't think anything more about the race after that. No, indeed, +and some tomato ketchup, too! Down under water he dived, and he swam +close up to the fish who was pulling poor Bawly away to his den in among +a lot of stones. + +"Oh, let my brother go, if you please!" called Bully to the fish. + +"No, I'll not," was the answer, and then the big fish flopped his tail +like a fan and made such a wave that poor Bully was upset, turning a +somersault in the water. But that didn't scare him, and when he had +turned over right side up again he swam to the fish once more and said: + +"If you don't let my brother go I'll call a policeman!" + +"No policeman can catch me!" declared the fish, boldly, and in a saucy +manner. + +"Oh, do something to save me!" cried poor Bawly, trying to pull his toes +away from the fish's teeth, but he couldn't. + +"I'll save you!" shouted Bully, and then he took a stick, and tried to +put it in the fish's mouth to make him open his jaws and let loose of +Bawly. But the stick broke, and the fish was swimming away faster than +ever. Then Bully popped his head out of the water and cried to the two +duck girls: + +"Oh, run and tell Grandpa Croaker! Tell him to come and save Bawly!" + +Well, Alice and Lulu wibbled and wobbled as fast as they could go to the +frog house, and told Grandpa Croaker, and the old gentleman gave one +great big leap, and landed in the water right down close to where the +fish had Bawly by the toes. + +"Boom! Boom! Croak-croak-croaker-croak!" cried Grandpa in his deepest +bass voice. "You let Bawly go!" And, would you believe it, his voice +sounded like a cannon, or a big gun, and that fish was so frightened, +thinking he was going to be shot, that he opened his mouth and let Bawly +go. The frog boy's toes were scratched a little by the teeth of the +fish, but he could still swim, and he and his brother and Grandpa were +soon safe on shore. + +"Well, I guess we won't race any more to-day," said Bawly. "Thank you +very much for saving me, Grandpa." + +"Oh, that's all right," said Mr. Croaker kindly. "Here is a penny for +each of you," and he gave Bully and Bawly and Lulu and Alice each a +penny, and they bought peppermint candy, so Bully and Bawly had +something good to eat, even if they didn't finish the race, and the bad +fish had nothing. Now, in case I see a green rose in bloom on the pink +lilac bush, I'll tell you next about Bully making a water wheel. + + + + +STORY II + +BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL + + +Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was sitting out in the yard in front of his +house, with his knife and a lot of sticks. He was whittling the sticks, +and making almost as many chips and shavings as a carpenter, and as he +whittled away he whistled a funny little tune, about a yellow +monkey-doodle with a pink nose colored blue, who wore a slipper on one +foot, because he had no shoe. + +Pretty soon, along came Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, and he +perched on the fence in front of Bully, put his head on one side--not on +one side of the fence, you know, but on one side of his own little +feathered neck--and Dickie looked out of his bright little eyes at Bully, +and inquired: + +"What are you making?" + +"I am making a water-wheel," answered the frog boy. + +"What! making a wheel out of water?" asked the birdie in great surprise. +"I never heard of such a thing." + +"Oh, no indeed!" exclaimed Bully with a laugh. "I'm making a wheel out +of wood, so that it will go 'round and 'round in the water, and make a +nice splashing noise. You see it's something like the paddle-wheel of a +steamboat, or a mill wheel, that I'm making." + +"And where are you going to get the water to make it go 'round?" asked +Dickie. + +"Down by the pond," answered Bully. "I know a little place where the +water falls down over the rocks, and I'm going to fasten a wooden wheel +there, and it will whizz around very fast!" + +"Does the water hurt itself when it falls down over the rocks?" asked +Dickie Chip-Chip. "Once I fell down over a little stone, and I hurt +myself quite badly." + +"Oh, no, water can't hurt itself," spoke Bully, as he made a lot more +shavings. "There, the wheel is almost done. Don't you want to see it go +'round, Dickie?" + +The little sparrow boy said that he did, so he and the frog started off +together for the pond. Dickie hopping along on the ground, and Bully +flying through the air. + +What's that? I'm wrong? Oh, yes, excuse me. I see where I made the +mistake. Of course, Dickie flew through the air, and Bully hopped along +on the ground. Now we're all straight. + +Well, pretty soon they came to the pond and to the little place where +the water fell over the rocks and didn't hurt itself, and there Bully +fastened his water-wheel, which was nearly as large as he was, and quite +heavy. He fixed it so that the water would drop on the wooden paddles +that stuck out like the spokes of the baby carriage wheels, and in a +short while it was going around as fast as an automobile, splashing the +drops of water up in the sunlight, and making them look like the +diamonds which pretty ladies wear on their fingers. + +"That's a fine wheel!" cried Dickie. "I wonder if we could ride on it?" + +"I guess we could," spoke Bully. "It's like a merry-go-round, only it's +turned up the wrong way. I'll see if I can ride on it, and if it goes +all right with me you can try it." + +So Bully hopped on the moving water-wheel, and, surely enough, he had a +fine ride, only, of course, he got all splashed up, but he didn't care. + +"Do you mind getting your feathers wet?" he asked of Dickie as he hopped +off, "because if you don't mind the wet, you can ride." + +"Oh, I don't mind the wet a bit," said the sparrow boy. "In fact, I take +a bath every morning and I wet my feathers then. So I'll ride on the +wheel and get wet now." + +Well, he got on, and around the wheel went, splashing in the water, and +then Bully got on, and they both had a fine ride, just as if they were +in a rainstorm with the sun shining all the while. + +But listen. Something is going to happen, I think. Wait a minute--yes, +it's going to happen right now. What's that animal sneaking along +through the woods, closer and closer up to where Bully and Dickie are +playing? What is it, eh? A cat! I knew it. A bad cat, too! I could just +feel that something was going to happen. + +You see that cat was hungry, and she hoped to catch the sparrow and the +frog boy and eat them. Up she sneaked, walking as softly as a baby can +creep, and just then Dickie and Bully got off the wheel, and sat down on +the bank to eat a cookie, which Bully found in his water-proof pocket. + +"Now's my chance!" thought the cat. "I'll grab 'em both, and eat 'em!" +So she made a spring, but she didn't jump quite far enough and she +missed both Bully and Dickie. Dickie flew up into a tree, and so he was +safe, but Bully couldn't fly, though he hopped away. + +After him jumped the cat, and she cried: + +"I'll get you yet!" + +Bully hopped some more, but the cat raced toward him, and nearly had the +froggie. Then began quite a chase. The cat was very quick, and she kept +after Bully so closely that she was making him very tired. Pretty soon +his jumps weren't as long as they had been at first. And the cat was +keeping him away from the pond, too, for she knew if he jumped into that +he would get away, for cats don't like water, or rain. + +But finally Bully managed to head himself back toward the pond, and the +cat was still after him. Oh, how savage she looked with her sharp teeth, +and her glaring eyes! Poor Bully was much frightened. + +All of a sudden, as he hopped nearer and nearer to the pond, he thought +of a trick to play on that cat. He pretended that he could hardly hop +any more, and only took little steps. Nearer and nearer sneaked the cat, +lashing her tail. At last she thought she could give one big spring, and +land on Bully with her sharp claws. + +She did spring, but Dickie, up in the tree, saw her do it, and he called +to his friend Bully to look out. Then Bully gave a great big hop and +landed on the water-wheel, and the cat was so surprised that she jumped, +too, and before she knew it she had leaped on the wheel also. Around and +around it went, with Bully and the cat on it, and water splashed all +over, and the cat was so wet and miserable that she forgot all about +eating Bully. But Bully only liked the water, and didn't mind it a bit. + +Then the frog boy hopped off the wheel to the shore and hurried away, +with Dickie flying overhead, and the cat, who was now as wet as a +sponge, and very dizzy from the wheel going around so fast, managed to +jump ashore a little while afterward. But her fur was so wet and +plastered down that she couldn't chase after Bully any more, and he got +safely home; and the cat had to stay in the sun all day to dry out. But +it served her right, I think. + +Now in case the little boy next door doesn't take our baby carriage and +make an automobile of it, I'll tell you next about Bawly and Uncle +Wiggily. + + + + +STORY III + +BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the woods one +fine day, whistling a merry tune, and wondering if he would meet any of +his friends, with whom he might have a game of ball. He had a baseball +with him, and he was very fond of playing. I just wish you could have +seen him stand up on his hind legs and catch balls in his mouth. It was +as good as going to the best kind of a moving picture show. Perhaps some +day you may see Bawly. + +Well, as I said, he was hopping along, tossing the ball up into the air +and catching it, sometimes in his paw and sometimes in his mouth, when, +all of a sudden he heard a funny pounding noise, that seemed to be in +the bushes. + +"Gracious, I wonder what that can be!" exclaimed Bawly, looking around +for a good place to hide. + +He was just going to crawl under a hollow stump, for he thought perhaps +the noise might be made by a bad wolf, or a savage fox, sharpening his +teeth on a hard log, when Bawly heard some one say: + +"There, I've dropped my hammer! Oh, dear! Now I'll have to climb all the +way down and get it, I s'pose." + +"Well, that doesn't sound like a wolf or a fox," thought Bawly. "I guess +it's safe to go on." + +So he didn't hide under the stump, but hopped along, and in a little +while he came to a place in the woods where there were no trees, and, +bless you! if there wasn't the cutest little house you've ever seen! It +wasn't quite finished, and, in fact, up on the roof was Uncle Wiggily +Longears, the old gentleman rabbit, putting on the shingles to keep out +the rain if it came. + +"Oh, hello, Uncle Wiggily!" called Bawly, joyfully. + +"Hello," answered the rabbit carpenter. "You are just in time, Bawly. +Would you mind handing me my hammer? It slipped and fell to the ground." + +"Of course I'll throw it up to you," said Bawly, kindly. "But you had +better get behind the chimney, Uncle Wiggily, for I might hit you with +the hammer, though, of course, I wouldn't mean to. You see I am a very +good thrower from having played ball so much." + +"I see," answered Uncle Wiggily. "Well, I'll get behind the chimney." + +So Bawly picked up the hammer and he threw it carefully toward the roof, +but, would you believe me, he threw it so hard that it went right over +the house, chimney and all, and fell down on the other side. + +"My! You are too strong!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily laughing so that his +fur shook. "Try again, Bully, if you please." + +"Oh, I'm Bawly, not Bully," said the frog boy. + +"Excuse me, that was my mistake," spoke the old gentleman rabbit. "I'll +get it right next time, Peetie--I mean Bawly." + +Well, Bawly threw the hammer again, and this time it landed right on the +roof close to the chimney, and Uncle Wiggily picked it up and began +nailing on more shingles. + +"If you please," asked Bawly, when he had watched the rabbit carpenter +put in about forty-'leven nails, "who is this house for?" + +"It is for Sammie and Susie Littletail," answered Uncle Wiggily. "They +are going to have rabbit play-parties in it, and I hope you and Bully +will come sometimes." + +"We'll be glad to," spoke Bawly. Then Uncle Wiggily drove in another +nail, and the house was almost done. + +"How do you get up and down off the roof?" asked Bawly, who didn't see +any ladder. + +"Oh, I slide up and down a rope," answered Uncle Wiggily. "I have a +strong cord fastened to the chimney, and I crawl up it, just like a +monkey-doodle, and when I want to come down, I slide down. It's better +than a ladder, and I can climb a rope very well, for I used to be a +sailor on a ship. See, here is the rope." + +Well, he took hold of it, near where it was fastened to the chimney, to +show the frog boy how it was done, but, alas, and also alack-a-day! All +of a sudden that rope became untied, it slipped out of Uncle Wiggily's +paw and fell to the ground! Now, what do you think about that? + +"Oh, my! Now I have gone and done it!" exclaimed the elderly rabbit, as +he leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down. "Now I am in a +pickle!--if you will kindly excuse the expression. How am I ever going to +get down? Oh, dear me, suz dud and a piece of sticking-plaster likewise. +Oh, me! Oh, my!" + +"Can't you jump, Uncle Wiggily?" asked Bawly. + +"Oh, my, no! I might be killed. It's too far! I could never jump off the +roof of a house." + +"Perhaps you can climb down from one window shutter to the other, and so +get to the ground," suggested Bawly. + +"No," said Uncle Wiggily, looking over the edge of the house again. +"There are no window shutters on as yet. So I can't climb on 'em." + +Well, it did seem as if poor Uncle Wiggily would have to stay up there +on the roof for a long, long time, for there was no way of getting down. + +"If there was a load of hay here, you could jump on that, and you +wouldn't be hurt," said Bawly, scratching his nose. + +"But there is no hay here," said the rabbit carpenter, sadly. + +"Well, if there was a fireman here with a long ladder, then you could +get down," said Bawly, wiggling his toes. + +"But there is no fireman here," objected Uncle Wiggily. "Ah, I have it, +Bawly! You are a good jumper, perhaps you can jump up here to the roof +with the rope and I can fasten it to the chimney again and slide down as +I did before." + +"I'll try," said Bawly, and he did; but bless you! He couldn't jump as +high as the house, no matter how many times he tried it. And the dinner +bell rang and Uncle Wiggily was very hungry and very anxious to get off +the roof and eat something. + +"Oh, I know how to do it!" cried Bawly at length, when he had jumped +forty-sixteen times. "I'll tie a string to my baseball, and I'll throw +the ball up to you. Then you catch it, untie the string, which I'll keep +hold of on this end, and I'll tie the rope to the cord. Then you can +haul up the rope, fasten it to the chimney, and slide down." + +"Good!" cried Uncle Wiggily, clapping his front paws together in +delight. + +Well, if you'll believe me, Bawly did tie the string to his baseball and +with one big throw he threw it right up to Uncle Wiggily, who caught it +just as if he were on first base in a game. And then with the little +cord, which reached down to the ground, he pulled up the big rope, +knotted it around the chimney, and down he slid, just in time for +dinner, and he took Bawly home with him and gave him a penny. + +Now if it should happen that I don't lose my watch down the inkwell so I +can see when it's time for my pussy cat to have his warm soup, I'll tell +you in the story after this about Bully's and Bawly's big jump. + + + + +STORY IV + +BULLY'S AND BAWLY'S BIG JUMP + + +One day Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, looked in the pantry to see what +there was to eat for dinner and there wasn't a single thing. No, just +like Mother Hubbard's cupboard, the pantry was bare, though there was a +bone in it that was being saved for some time when Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow, the puppie-dog boys, might come on a visit. + +"Oh, some one will have to go to the store to get something for supper," +said Mrs. No-Tail. "Do you feel able to go, Grandpa Croaker?" + +"Well, I could go," said the old frog gentleman, in his deepest bass +voice, which sounded like the rumble of thunder over the hills and far +away, "but I promised I would go over and play a game of checkers with +Uncle Wiggily Longears. He has just finished the playhouse for Sammie +and Susie, and he wants to show me that. So I don't see how I can go to +the store very well." + +"If Bully and Bawly were here they'd go," said their mamma. "I wish +they'd come. Oh, here they are now," she went on, as she looked out of +the window and saw the two frog boys coming home from school. "Hurry!" +she called to them. "I want you to go to the store." + +"All right," they both answered, and they were so polite about it that +Mrs. No-Tail gave them each a penny, though, of course, they would have +gone without that, for they always liked to help their mamma. + +"I want some sugar, and molasses, and bread, and butter, and some corn +meal, and bacon and watercress salad," said the mother frog, and Bully +and Bawly each took a basket in which to carry the things. Then they +hopped on toward the store. + +"I'm going to buy marbles with my penny," said Bully. + +"And I'm going to buy a whistle with mine," said Bawly. + +Well, they got to the grocery, all right, and the cow lady who kept it +gave them the things their mamma wanted. Then they went to the toy store +and Bully got his marbles, and Bawly his whistle, which made a very loud +noise. + +Now I'm very sorry to be obliged to tell it, but something is going to +happen to Bully and Bawly very soon. In fact, I think it is going to +take place at once. Just excuse me a moment, will you, until I look out +of the window and see if the alligator is coming. Yes, there he is. He +just got off the trolley car. The conductor put him off because he had +the wrong transfer. + +So, all at once, as Bully and Bawly were hopping along through the +woods, this alligator that I was telling you about jumped out at them +from under a prickly briar bush. Right at them he jumped, and he was a +very savage alligator, for he had gotten loose out of the circus, where +he belonged, and he had been tramping around without anything to eat for +a long time, so he was very hungry. + +"Now, I see where I'm going to have a nice dinner," the alligator said +to himself, as he jumped out at Bully and Bawly. + +But those two frog boys were smart little fellows, and they were always +looking around for danger. So, as soon as the alligator made a jump at +them, they also leaped to one side, and the unpleasant creature didn't +get them. + +"Oh, you just wait! I'll have you in a minute!" the alligator cried, and +he opened his mouth so wide that it went all the way back to his ears, +and the top of his head nearly flew off. + +"We haven't time to wait," said Bully with a laugh, as he hopped on with +his basket of groceries. + +"No, we must get back home in time for supper," spoke Bawly. "So we'll +have to leave you," and on he hipped and skipped and hopped with his +basket. + +Those frog boys didn't really think that that alligator could reach +them, for he was so big and clumsy-looking that it didn't seem as if he +could run very fast. But he could, and the first thing Bully and Bawly +knew, that most unprepossessing creature, with a smile that went away +around to his ears, was close behind them and gnashing his teeth at +them. + +"Oh, hop, Bully, hop!" cried Bawly in great fright. + +"Sure, I'll hop!" answered his brother. "You hop, too!" + +Well, they both hopped as fast as they could, but on account of the +baskets of groceries which they had they couldn't hop as fast as usual. +The alligator saw this, and after them he crawled, and several times he +nearly had them by their tails. Oh, no, excuse me, if you please, frogs +don't have tails. I was thinking of tadpoles. + +"Oh, just wait until I catch you!" cried the alligator, snapping his +teeth together. + +But Bully and Bawly didn't wait. On they hopped, as fast as they could, +hoping to get away. And would you ever believe that an alligator could +be so mean as this one was? For he chased Bully and Bawly right up a +steep hill. You know it's hard to walk up hill, and harder still to hop, +so Bully and Bawly were soon tired. But do you s'pose that alligator +cared? Not a bit of it! + +Right after them he kept crawling, faster and faster. + +Bully and Bawly hopped as swiftly as they could, but the alligator kept +getting nearer and nearer to them, for he was big and strong, and didn't +mind the hill. They could hear his savage jaws gnashing together, and +they trembled so that Bully almost spilled the molasses out of his +basket and Bawly nearly dropped the granulated sugar. + +Well, finally the two frog boys were at the top of the hill, and they +were very thankful, thinking that they could now get away from the +alligator, when they suddenly saw that the hill came to an end, and fell +over the edge of a great precipice just like the Niagara waterfall, only +there wasn't any water there, of course. + +"Oh, we can't go any farther," cried Bully, coming to a stop. + +"No," said his brother, "we can't jump down that awful gully. But look, +Bully, there is another hill over there," and he pointed across the big, +open space. "If we could jump across from this hill to that hill, the +alligator couldn't get us." + +"Oh, but it's a terrible big jump," said Bully, and indeed it was; about +as wide as a big river. "But we've got to do it!" cried Bully, "for here +comes the terrible beast!" + +The alligator was almost upon them. He opened his mouth to grab them +with his teeth, when Bully, spreading out his legs, and taking a firm +hold of his grocery basket, gave a great, big jump. Through the air he +sailed, over the deep valley, and he landed safely on the other hill. +Then Bawly did the same, and with one most tremendous, extemporaneous +and extraordinary jump, he landed close beside his brother, and the +alligator couldn't get either of them because he couldn't jump across +the chasm. + +Oh, but he was an angry alligator though! He gnashed his teeth and +wiggled his tail and even cried big round tears. Nearly all alligators +cry little square tears, but even round ones didn't do a bit of good. +Then Bully threw a marble at the savage creature, and hit him on the +nose, and Bawly blew his whistle so loud, that the alligator thought a +policeman, or postman, was coming, and he turned around and ran away, +and the frog boys went on safely home with their baskets of groceries +and had a good supper. + +Now in case that alligator doesn't chase after me, and chew up my +typewriter to make mincemeat of it for the wax doll, I'll tell you in +the next story about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. + + + + +STORY V + +GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL + + +It happened, once upon a time when Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, went to +the pump to get some water for supper, that a little fish jumped out of +the pump spout and nearly bit her on the nose. + +"Ha! That is very odd," she said. "There must be fish in our well, and +in that case I think we had better have a new one." + +So that night, when Mr. No-Tail came home from the wallpaper factory, +where he stepped into ink and then hopped all over white paper to make +funny patterns on it--that night, I say, Mrs. No-Tail said to her +husband: + +"I think we will have to get a new well." Then she told him about the +fish from the pump nearly biting her, and Mr. No-Tail remarked: + +"Yes, I think we had better have a new place to get our water, for the +fish in the old well may drink it all up." + +"Well, well!" exclaimed Grandpa Croaker in such a deep bass voice that +he made the dishpan on the gas stove rattle as loudly as if Bully or +Bawly were drumming on it with a wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey. +"Let me dig the well," went on the old gentleman frog. "I just love to +shovel the dirt, and I can dig a well so deep that no fish will ever get +into it." + +"Very well," said Mr. No-Tail. "You may start in the morning, and Bully +and Bawly can help you, as it will be Saturday and there is no school." + +Well, the next morning Grandpa Croaker started in. He marked a nice +round circle on the ground in the back yard, because he wanted a round +well, and not a square one, you see; and then he began to dig. At first +there was nothing for Bully and Bawly to do, as when he was near the top +of the well their Grandpa could easily throw the dirt out himself. But +when he had dug down quite a distance it was harder work, to toss up the +dirt, so Grandpa Croaker told the boys to get a rope, and a hook and +some pails. + +The hook was fastened to one end of the rope, and then a pail was put on +the hook. Then the pail was lowered into the well, down to where Grandpa +Croaker was working. He filled the pail with dirt, and Bully and Bawly +hauled it up and emptied it. + +"Oh, this is lots of fun!" exclaimed Bully, as he and his brother pulled +on the rope. "It's as much fun as playing baseball." + +"I think so, too," agreed Bawly. Then Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, +came along, and so did Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. They +wanted to help pull up the dirt, so Bully and Bawly let them after +Sammie had given the frog brothers a nice marble, and Peetie and Jackie +each a stick of chewing gum. + +Grandpa Croaker kept on digging the well, and the frog boys and their +friends pulled up the dirt, and pretty soon the hole in the ground was +so deep and dark that, by looking up straight, from down at the bottom +of it, the old gentleman frog could see the stars, and part of the moon, +in the sky, even if it was daylight. + +Then he dug some more, and, all of a sudden, his shovel went down into +some water, and then Grandpa Croaker knew that the well was almost +finished. He dug out a little more earth, in came more water, wetting +his feet, and then the frog well-digger cried: + +"I've struck water! I've struck water!" + +"Hurrah!" shouted Bawly. + +"Hurray! Hurray!" exclaimed Bully, and they were so happy that they +danced up and down. Then Sammie Little-Tail and Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow grew so excited and delighted that they ran off to tell all their +friends about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. That left Bully and Bawly +all alone up at the edge of the big hole in the ground, at the bottom of +which was their grandpa. + +"Let's have another little dance!" suggested Bully. + +"No," replied Bawly, "let's jump down the well and have a drink of the +new water that hasn't any fishes in it." + +So, without thinking what they were doing, down they leaped into the +well, almost failing on Grandpa Croaker's bald head, and carrying down +with them the rope, by which they had been pulling up the pails of dirt. +Into the water they popped, and each one took a big drink. + +"Well, now you've done it!" cried Grandpa Croaker, as he leaned on his +shovel and looked at his two grandsons. + +"Why, what is the matter?" asked Bully, splashing some water on Bawly's +nose. + +"Yes. All we did was to jump down here," added Bawly. "What's wrong?" + +"Why that leaves no one above on the ground to help me get up," said the +old gentleman frog. "I was depending on you to haul me up by the rope, +and here you jump down, and pull the rope with you. It's as bad as when +Uncle Wiggily was on the roof, only he was up and couldn't get down, and +we're down and can't get up." + +"Oh, I think I can jump to the top of the well and take the rope with +me. If I can't take this rope I'll get another and pull you both up," +said Bully. So he hopped and he hopped, but he couldn't hop to the top +of the well. Every time he tried it, he fell back into the water, +ker-slash! + +"Let me try," said his brother. But it was just the same with Bawly. +Back he sploshed-splashed into the well-water, getting all wet. + +"Now we'll never get out of here," said Grandpa Croaker sadly. "I wish +you boys would think a little more, and not do things so quickly." + +"We will--next time," promised Bawly as he gave another big jump, but he +came nowhere near the top of the well. + +Then it began to look as if they would have to stay down there forever, +for no one came to pull them out. + +"Let's call for help," suggested Bully. So he and Bawly called as loud +as they could, and so did Grandpa Croaker. But the well was so deep, and +their voices sounded so loud and rumbling, coming out of the hole in the +ground, that every one thought it was thunder. And the animal people +feared it would rain, so they all ran home, and no one thought of +grandpa and the two frog boys in the deep well. + +But at last along came Alice Wibblewobble, and, being a duck, she didn't +mind a thunder storm. So she didn't run away, and she heard Grandpa +Croaker and Bully and Bawly calling for help at the bottom of the well. +She asked what was the trouble, and Bully told her what had happened. + +"Oh, you silly boys, to jump down a well!" exclaimed Alice. "But never +fear, I'll help you up." So they never feared, and Alice got a rope and +lowered it down to them, and then, with the help of her brother Jimmie +and her sister Lulu, she pulled all three frogs up from the well, and +they lived happy for ever after, and drank the water that had no fishes +in it. + +Now if the faucet in the kitchen sink doesn't turn upside down, and +squirt the water on the ceiling and into the cat's eye, I'll tell you +next about Papa No-Tail in trouble. + + + + +STORY VI + +PAPA N + + +Papa No-tail, the frog gentleman, was working away in the wallpaper +factory one day, when something quite strange happened to him, and if +you all sit right nice and quiet, as my dear old grandmother used to +say, I'll tell you all about it, from the beginning to the end, and I'll +even tell you the middle part, which some people leave out, when they +tell stories. + +Papa No-Tail would dip his four feet, which were something like hands, +in the different colored inks at the factory. There was red ink, and +blue ink, and white ink, and black ink, and sky-purple-green ink, and +also that newest shade, skilligimink color, which Sammie Littletail once +dyed his Easter eggs. After he had his feet nicely covered with the ink, +Papa No-Tail would hop all over pieces of white paper to make funny +patterns on them. Then they would be ready to paper a room, and make it +look pretty. + +"I think that is very well done," said the old gentleman frog to himself +as he looked at one roll of paper on which he had made a picture of a +mouse chasing a big lion. "Now I think I will make a pattern of a doggie +standing on his left ear." And he did so, and very fine it was, too. + +"Now, while I'm waiting for the ink to dry," said Mr. No-Tail, "I'll lie +down and take a nap." So he went fast, fast asleep on a long piece of +the wall paper that was stretched out on the floor, and this was the +beginning of his trouble. + +For, all at once, a puff of wind--not a cream puff, you understand, but a +wind puff--came in the window, and rolled up the wallpaper in a tight +little roll, and the worst of it was that Papa No-Tail was asleep +inside. Yes, fast, fast asleep, and he never knew that he was wrapped +up, just like a stick of chewing gum; only you mustn't ever chew gum in +school, you know. + +Well, time went on, and the clock ticked, and Papa No-Tail still slept. +Then a man looked in the window of the wallpaper factory and, seeing no +one there, he thought he would take a roll of paper home with him, to +paste on his little boy's bedroom. + +"The next time I come past here, perhaps some one will be in the +office," the man said, "and then I can pay them for the paper," for he +wanted to be very honest, you see. "I'll get Uncle Butter, the goat, to +paste the paper on the wall for me," said the man. Then he reached +inside the room, and what do you think? Why he picked up the very piece +of wallpaper that was wrapped around Papa Chip-Chip--Oh, no, excuse me! I +mean Papa No-Tail. Yes, the man picked up that roll, with Bully's and +Bawly's papa inside, and away he went with it, and the old gentleman +frog was still sound asleep. + +Now this is about the middle of his trouble, just as I said I'd tell +you, but we haven't gotten to the end yet, though we will in a little +while. + +Home that man went, as fast as he could go, and on his way he stopped at +Uncle Butter's office. + +"I have a little wallpapering I want done at my house," the man said to +the old gentleman goat, "and I wish you'd come right along with me and +do it. I have the paper here." + +"To be sure I will," said Uncle Butter. So he got his pail of paste, and +gave Billie and Nannie Goat a little bit on some brown paper, just like +jam, and they liked it very much. The goat paper-hanger took his shears, +and his brushes, and his stepladders, tying them on his horns, and away +he went with the man. + +Pretty soon they came to the house where the man lived, and his little +boy was there, and very delighted he was when he heard that he was to +have some new paper on his room. + +"May I watch you put it on?" he asked Uncle Butter. + +"Yes," answered the old gentleman goat, "if you don't step in the paste, +and spoil the carpet." + +The little boy promised that he wouldn't, and Uncle Butter went to work. +First he got his sticky stuff all ready, and then he made a little table +on which to lay out and paste the paper. + +"Now, we'll cut the roll into strips and fasten it on the wall good and +tight, so that it won't fall off in the middle of the night and scare +you," said Uncle Butter. Then he reached for the roll of paper, and, +mind you, Papa No-Tail was still asleep inside of it. But all at once, +just as the paper-hanger goat was about to pick up the roll, Mr. No-Tail +awakened and was quite surprised to discover where he was. + +"My, I never would have believed it," he said, and he wiggled his legs +and arms and made a great rustling sound inside the roll of paper like a +fly in a sugar bag. + +"Hello! What's that?" cried Uncle Butter, jumping back so quickly that +he upset his paste-pot. + +"What's the matter?" asked the little boy in glad surprise. + +"Why, there's something inside that paper!" cried the goat. "See, it's +moving! There must be a fairy inside!" + +Surely enough, the paper was rolling and twisting around on the floor in +a most remarkable manner, for Papa No-Tail inside was wriggling and +twisting, and trying his best to get out. But the paper was wound around +him too tightly, and he couldn't get loose. + +"Oh, do you think it's a fairy?" asked the little boy eagerly, for he +loved the dear creatures, and wanted to see one. + +"Let me out! Oh, please let me out!" suddenly cried Papa No-Tail just +then. + +"Of course it's a fairy, my boy!" exclaimed Uncle Butter. "Didn't you +hear it call? Oh, I'm going right away from here! I've pasted all kinds +of paper, but never before have I handled fairy paper, and I'm afraid to +begin now." + +He started to run out of the room but his foot slipped in the paste, and +down he fell, and his little table fell on top of him, and the +stepladder was twisted in his horns. And Papa No-Tail was trying harder +than ever to get loose, and the roll of wallpaper rolled right toward +Uncle Butter. + +"Don't catch me! Please, don't catch me!" the goat called to the fairy +he supposed was inside. "I never did anything to you!" + +Faster and faster rolled the paper, for Mr. No-Tail was wiggling quite +hard now, and he was crying to be let out. Then, all of a sudden, the +paper with the frog in, rolled close to the little boy. The boy was +brave, and he loved fairies, so he opened the roll, and out hopped Mr. +No-Tail, being very glad indeed to get loose, for it was quite warm +inside there. + +"Oh my! Was that you in the paper?" asked Uncle Butter, solemnly, +sitting in the middle of the floor, on a lot of paste. + +"It was," said Papa No-Tail, as he helped the goat to get up. + +"Well, I never heard tell of such a thing in all my life! Never!" +exclaimed the goat, when the frog gentleman told him all about it. Then +Uncle Butter pasted the paper on the wall, and Papa No-Tail hopped home, +and that's the end of the story, just as I promised it would be. + +Now in case the pussy cat doesn't wash the puppy dog's face with the +cork from the ink bottle and make his nose black, I'll tell you on the +next page about Bully playing marbles. + + + + +STORY VII + +BULLY N + + +It happened one day that, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was walking +along with his bag of marbles going clank-clank in his pocket, he met +Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels. + +"Hello, Bully!" called the two brothers. "Do you want to have a game of +marbles?" + +"Of course I do," answered Bully. "I just bought some new ones. 'First +shot agates!'" + +"First shot!" yelled Billie, right after Bully. + +"First shot!" also cried Johnnie, almost at the same time. + +"Well, I guess we're about even," spoke Bully, as he opened his marble +bag to look inside. "Now, how are we going to tell who will shoot +first?" + +"I'll tell you," proposed Billie. "We'll each throw a marble up into the +air, and the one whose comes down first will shoot first." + +Well, the other two animal boys thought that was fair, so they tossed +their marble shooters up into the air. Billie only sent his up a little +way, for then he knew it would come down first, but Johnnie and Bully +didn't think of this, and they threw their shooters up as high as they +could. And, of course, their marbles were so much longer coming down to +the ground again. + +"Oh, ho! Here's mine!" cried Billie. "I'm to shoot first." + +"And here's mine," added Johnnie, a little later, as his marble came +down. + +"Yes, but where's mine?" asked Bully, and they all listened carefully to +tell when Bully's shooter would fall down. But the funny part of it was +that it didn't come. + +"Say, did you throw it up to the sky?" asked Billie surprised like. + +"Because, if you did, it won't come down until Fourth of July," added +Johnnie. + +"No, I didn't throw it as high as that," replied the frog boy. "But +perhaps Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, is flying around up there, +and he may have taken it in his bill for a joke." + +So they looked up toward the clouds as far as they could, but no little +sparrow boy did they see. + +"Well, we'll have a game of marbles, anyhow," said Bully at length. "I +have another shooter." + +So he and Billie and Johnnie made a ring in the dirt, and put some +marbles in the centre. + +Then they began to play, and Billie shot first, then Johnnie, and last +of all Bully. And all the while the frog boy was wondering what had +happened to his first marble. Now, a very queer thing had happened to +it, and you'll soon hear all about it. + +Billie and Johnnie had each missed hitting any marbles, and when it came +Bully's turn he took careful aim, with his second-best shooter, a red +and blue one. + +"Whack-bang!" That's the way Bully's shooter hit the marbles in the +ring, scattering them all over, and rolling several outside. + +"Say, are you going to knock 'em all out?" asked Billie. + +"That's right! Leave some for us," begged Johnnie. + +"Wait until I have one more trial," went on Bully, for you see he had +two shots on account of being lucky with his first one and knocking some +marbles from the ring. + +Then he went to look for his second-best shooter, for it had rolled +away, but he couldn't find it. It had completely, teetotally, +mysteriously and extraordinarily disappeared. + +"I'm sure it rolled over here," said Bully as he poked around in the +grass near a big bush. "Please help me look for it, fellows." + +So Billie and Johnnie helped Bully look, but they couldn't find the +second shooter that the frog boy had lost. + +"You two go on playing and I'll hunt for the marble," said Bully after a +while, so he searched along in the grass, and, as he did so, he dropped +a nice glass agate out of his bag. He stooped to pick it up, but before +he could get his toes on it something that looked like a big chicken's +bill darted out of the prickly briar bush and gobbled up the marble. + +"Oh!" cried Bully in fright, jumping back, "I wonder if that was a +snake?" + +"No, I'm not a snake," was the answer. "I'm a bird," and then out from +behind the bush came a great, big Pelican bird. + +"Did--did you take my marble?" asked Bully timidly. + +"I did!" cried the Pelican bird, snapping his bill together just like a +big pair of scissors. "I ate the first one after it fell to the ground +near me, and I ate the second one that you shot over here. They're +good--marbles are! I like 'em. Give me some more!" + +The bird snapped his beak again, and Bully jumped back. As he did so the +marbles in his pocket rattled, and the Pelican heard them. + +"Ha! You have more!" he cried: "Hand 'em over. I'll eat 'em all up. I +just love marbles!" + +"No, you can't have mine!" exclaimed Bully, backing away. "I want to +play some more games with Billie and Johnnie with these," and he looked +to see where his two friends were. They were quite some distance off, +shooting marbles as hard as they could. + +Then, all of a sudden, that Pelican bird made a swoop for poor Bully, +and before the frog boy could get out of the way the bird had gobbled +him up in his big bill. There Bully was, not exactly swallowed by the +bird, you understand, but held a prisoner in the big pouch, or skin +laundry-bag that hung down below the bird's lower beak. + +"Oh, let me out of here!" cried Bully, hopping about inside the big bag +on the bird's big bill. "Let me out! Let me out!" + +"No, I'll not," said the big bird, speaking through his nose because his +mouth was shut. "I'll keep you there until you give me all your marbles, +or until I decide whether or not I'll eat you for my supper." + +Well, poor Bully was very much frightened, and I guess you'd be, too. He +tried to get out but he couldn't, and the bird began walking off to his +nest, taking the frog boy with him. Then Bully thought of his bag of +marbles, and, inside the big bill, he rattled them as loudly as he +could. + +"Billie and Johnnie Bushytail may hear me, and help me," he thought. + +And, surely enough the squirrel boys did. They heard the rattle of +Bully's marbles inside the Pelican's beak, and they saw the big bird, +and they guessed at once where Bully was. Then they ran up to the +Pelican, and began hitting him with their marbles, which they threw at +him as hard as they could. In the eyes and on his ears and on his +wiggily toes and on his big beak they hit him with marbles, until that +Pelican bird was glad enough to open his bill and let Bully go, marbles +and all. Then the bird flew away to its nest, and Bully and his friends +could play their game once more. + +The Pelican didn't come back to bother them, but he had Bully's two +shooters, that he had swallowed. So Johnnie, the squirrel, lent the boy +frog another shooter, and it was all right. And, in case the rain +doesn't come down the chimney and put the fire out, so I can't cook some +pink eggs with chocolate on for my birthday, I'll tell you in the +following story about Bawly and the soldier hat. + + + + +STORY VIII + +BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT + + +Susie Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk were having a play party in the +woods. They had their lunch in little birch-bark baskets, and they used +a nice, big, flat stump for a table. They took an old napkin for a +tablecloth, and they had pieces of carrots boiled in molasses and +chocolate, and cabbage with pink frosting on, and nuts all covered with +candy, and some sugared popcorn, and all nice things like that, to eat. + +"Oh, isn't this lovely!" exclaimed Susie. "Please pass me the fried +lolly-pops, Jennie, aren't they lovely?" + +"Yes, they're perfectly grand!" spoke Jennie as she passed over some +bits of turnip, which they made believe were fried lolly-pops. "I'll +have some sour ginger snaps, Susie." + +So Susie passed the plate full of acorns, which were make-believe sour +ginger snaps, you know, and the little animal girls were having a very +fine time, indeed. Oh, my, yes, and a bottle of horseradish also! + +Now, don't worry, if you please. I know I did promise to tell about +Bawly and the soldier hat, and I'm going to do it. But Susie's and +Jennie's play party has something to do with the hat, so I had to start +off with them. + +While they were playing in the woods, having a fine time, Bawly No-Tail, +the frog boy, was at home in his house, making a big soldier hat out of +paper. I suppose you children have often made them, and also have played +at having a parade with wooden swords and guns. If you haven't done so, +please get your papa to make you a soldier hat. + +Well, finally Bawly's hat was finished, and he put a feather in it, just +as Yankee Doodle did, only Bawly didn't look like macaroni. + +"Now, I'll go out and see if I can find the boys and we'll pretend +there's a war, and a battle, and shooting and all that," went on the +frog chap, who loved to do exciting things. So Bawly hopped out, and +Grandpa Croaker, who was asleep in the rocking chair didn't hear him go. +Anyhow, I don't believe the old gentleman frog would have cared, for +Bawly's papa was at work in the wallpaper factory and his mamma had gone +to the five and ten cent store to buy a new dishpan that didn't have a +hole in it. As for the other frog boy, Bawly's brother Bully, he had +gone after an ice cream cone, I think, or maybe a chocolate candy. + +On Bawly hopped, but he didn't meet any of his friends. He had on his +big, paper soldier hat, with the feather sticking out of the top, and +Bawly also had a wooden gun, painted black, to make it look real, and he +had a sword made out of a stick, all silvered over with paint to make it +look like steel. + +Oh, Bawly was a very fine soldier boy! And as he marched along he +whistled a little tune that went like this: + + "Soldier boy, soldier boy, + Brave and true, + I'm sure every one is + Frightened at you. + Salute the flag and + Fire the gun, + Now wave your sword + and Foes will run. + Your feathered cap + gives Lots of joy, + Oh! you're a darling + Soldier boy!" + +Well, Bawly felt finer than ever after that, and though he still didn't +meet any of his friends, with whom he might play, he was hoping he might +see a savage fox or wolf, that he might do battle with the unpleasant +creature. But perhaps you had better wait and see what happens. + +All this while, as Bawly was marching along through the woods with his +soldier cap on, Susie and Jennie were playing party at the old stump. +They had just eaten the last of the sweet-sour cookies, and drank the +last thimbleful of the orange-lemonade when, all at once, what should +happen but that a great big alligator crawled out of the bushes and made +a jump for them! Dear me! Would you ever expect such a thing? + +"Oh, look at that!" cried Susie as she saw the alligator. + +"Yes. Let's run home!" shouted Jennie in fright. + +But before either of them could stir a step the savage alligator, who +had escaped from the circus again, grabbed them, one in each claw, and +then, holding them so that they couldn't get away, he sat up on the end +of his big tail, and looked first at Susie and then at Jennie. + +"Oh, please let us go!" cried Susie, with tears in her eyes. + +"Oh, yes, do; and I'll give you this half of a cookie I have left," +spoke Jennie kindly. + +"I don't want your cookie, I want you," sang the alligator, as if he +were reciting a song. "I'm going to eat you both!" + +Then he held them still tighter in his claws, and fairly glared at them +from out of his big eyes. + +"I'm going to eat you all up!" he growled, "but the trouble is I don't +know which one to eat first. I guess I'll eat you," and he made a motion +toward Susie. She screamed, and then the alligator changed his mind. +"No, I guess I'll eat you," and he opened his mouth for Jennie. Then he +changed his mind again, and he didn't know what to do. But, of course, +this made Jennie and Susie feel very nervous and also a big word called +apprehensive, which is the same thing. + +"Oh, help! Help! Will no one help us?" cried Susie at last. + +"No, I guess no one will," spoke the alligator, real mean and saucy +like. + +But he was mistaken. At that moment, hopping through the woods was Bawly +No-Tail, wearing his paper soldier hat. He heard Susie call, and up he +marched, like the brave soldier frog boy that he was. Through the holes +in the bushes he could see the big alligator, and he saw Susie and +Jennie held fast in his claws. + +"Oh, I can never fight that savage creature all alone," thought Bawly. +"I must make him believe that a whole army of soldiers is coming at +him." + +So Bawly hid behind a tree, where the alligator couldn't find him, and +the frog boy beat on a hollow log with a stick as if it were a drum. +Then he blew out his cheeks, whistling, and made a noise like a fife. +Then he aimed his wooden gun and cried: "Bang! Bang! Bung! Bung!" just +as if the wooden gun had powder in it. Next Bawly waved his cap with the +feather in it, and the alligator heard all this, and he saw the waving +soldier cap, and he, surely enough, thought a whole big army was coming +after him. + +"I forgot something," the alligator suddenly cried, as he let go of +Susie and Jennie. "I have to go to the dentist's to get a tooth filled," +and away that alligator scrambled through the woods as fast as he could +go, taking his tail with him. So that's how Bawly saved Susie and +Jennie, and very thankful they were to him, and if they had had any +cookies left they would have given him two or sixteen, I guess. + +Now if our gas stove doesn't go out and dance in the middle of the back +yard and scare the cook, so she can't bake a rice-pudding pie-cake, I'll +tell you next about Grandpa Croaker and the umbrella. + + + + +STORY IX + +GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA + + +One day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was coming home from school he +thought of a very hard word he had had to spell in class that afternoon. +It began with a "C," and the next letter was "A" and the next one was +"T"--CAT--and what do you think? Why Bully said it spelled "Kitten," and +just for that he had to write the word on his slate forty-'leven times, +so he'd remember it next day. + +"I guess I won't forget it again in a hurry," thought Bully as he hopped +along with his books in a strap over his shoulder. "C-a-t spells--" And +just then he heard a funny noise in the bushes, and he stopped short, as +Grandfather Goosey Gander's clock did, when Jimmy Wibblewobble poured +molasses in it. Bully looked all around to see what the noise was. "For +it might be that alligator, or the Pelican bird," he whispered to +himself. + +Just then he heard a jolly laugh, and his brother Bawly hopped out from +under a cabbage leaf. + +"Did I scare you, Bully?" asked Bawly, as he scratched his right ear +with his left foot. + +"A little," said Bully, turning a somersault to get over being +frightened. + +"Well, I didn't mean to, and I won't do it again. But now that you are +out of school, come on, let's go have a game of ball. It'll be lots of +fun," went on Bawly. + +So the two brothers hopped off, and found Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, +the squirrels, and Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, and some other +animal friends, and they had a fine game, and Bawly made a home run. + +Now, about this same time, Grandpa Croaker, the nice old gentleman frog, +was hopping along through the cool, shady woods, and he was wondering +what Mrs. No-Tail would have good for supper. + +"I hope she has scrambled watercress with sugar on top," thought +Grandpa, and just then he felt a drop of rain on his back. The sun had +suddenly gone under a cloud, and the water was coming down as fast as it +could, for April showers bring May flowers, you know. Grandpa Croaker +looked up, and, as he did so a drop of rain fell right in his eye! But +bless you! He didn't mind that a bit. He just hopped out where he could +get all wet, for he had on his rubber clothes, and he felt as happy as +your dollie does when she has on her new dress and goes for a ride in +the park. Frogs love water. + +The rain came down harder and harder and the water was running about, +all over in the woods, playing tag, and jumping rope, and everything +like that, when, all at once, Grandpa Croaker heard a little voice +crying: + +"Oh, dear! I'll never get home in all this rain without wetting my new +dress and bonnet! Oh, what shall I do?" + +"Ha, I wonder if that can be a fairy?" said Grandpa. + +"No, I'm not a fairy," went on the voice. "I'm Nellie Chip-Chip, the +sparrow girl, and I haven't any umbrella." + +"Oh, ho!" exclaimed Grandpa Croaker as he saw Nellie huddled up under a +big leaf, "why do you come out without an umbrella when it may rain at +any moment? Why do you do it?" + +"Oh, I came out to-day to gather some nice wild flowers for my teacher," +said Nellie. "See, I found some lovely white ones, like stars," and she +held them out so Grandpa could smell them. But he couldn't without +hopping over closer to where the little sparrow girl was. + +"I was so interested in the flowers that I forgot all about bringing an +umbrella," went on Nellie, and then she began to cry, for she had on a +new blue hat and dress, and didn't want them to get spoiled by the rain +that was splashing all over. + +"Oh, don't cry!" begged Grandpa. + +"But I can't get home without an umbrella," wailed Nellie. + +"Oh, I can soon fix that," said the old gentleman goat--I mean frog. +"See, over there is a nice big toadstool. That will make the finest +umbrella in the world. I'll break it off and bring it to you, and then +you can fly home, holding it over your head, in your wing, and then your +hat and dress won't get wet." + +Nellie thanked Grandpa Croaker very kindly and thought what a fine frog +gentleman he was. Off he hopped through the rain, never minding it the +least bit, and just as he got to the toadstool what do you s'pose he +saw? Why, a big, ugly snake was twined around it, just as a grapevine +twines around the clothes-post. + +"Hello, there!" cried Grandpa. "You don't need that toadstool at all, +Mr. Snake, for water won't hurt you. I want it for Nellie Chip-Chip, so +kindly unwind yourself from it." + +"Indeed, I will not," spoke the snake, saucily, hissing like a steam +radiator on a hot day. + +"I demand that you immediately get off that toadstool!" cried Grandpa +Croaker in his hoarsest voice, so that it sounded like distant thunder. +He wanted to scare the snake. + +"I certainly will not get off!" said the snake, firmly, "and what's more +I'm going to catch you, too!" And with that he reached out like +lightning and grabbed Grandpa, and wound himself around him and the +toadstool also, and there the poor gentleman frog was, tight fast! + +"Oh! Oh! You're squeezing the life out of me!" cried Grandpa +Croaker. + +"That's what I intend to do," spoke the snake, savagely. + +"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What shall I do?" asked Nellie. "Shall I bite his +tail, Mr. Frog?" + +"No, stay there. Don't come near him, or he'll grab you," called Grandpa +Croaker in a choking voice. "Besides you'll get all wet, for it's still +raining. I'll get away somehow." But no matter how hard he struggled +Grandpa couldn't get away from the snake, who was pressing him tighter +and tighter against the toadstool. + +Poor Grandpa thought he was surely going to be killed, and Nellie was +crying, but she didn't dare go near the snake, and the snake was +laughing and snickering as loud as he could. Oh, he was very impolite! +Then, all of a sudden, along hopped Bully and Bawly, the frog boys. The +ball game had been stopped on account of the rain, you know. + +"Oh, look!" cried Bully. "We must save Grandpa from that snake!" + +"That's what we must!" shouted Bawly. "Here, we'll make him unwind +himself from Grandpa and the toadstool and then hit him with our +baseball bats." + +So those brave frog boys went quite close to the snake, and that wiggily +creature thought he could catch them, and so put out his head to do it. +Then Bully and Bawly hopped around the toadstool in a circle, and the +snake, keeping his beady, black eyes on them, followed them with his +head, around and around, still hoping to catch them, until he finally +unwound himself, just like a corkscrew out of a bottle. + +Then Bully and Bawly hit him with their baseball bats, and the snake ran +away, taking his tail with him, and Grandpa Croaker was free. Then, +taking a long breath, for good measure, the old gentleman frog broke off +the toadstool and gave it to Nellie Chip-Chip for an umbrella, and the +sparrow girl could go home in the rain without getting wet. And Grandpa +thanked Bully and Bawly and hopped on home with them. So that's the end +of this story. + +But in case the little dog next door doesn't take our doormat and eat it +for supper with his bread and butter I'll tell you in the story after +this one about Bawly and Jollie Longtail. + + + + +STORY X + +BAWLY N + + +For a few days after Grandpa Croaker, the old frog gentleman, had been +wound around the toadstool by the snake, as I told you in the story +before this one, he was so sore and stiff from the squeezing he had +received, that he had to sit in an easy chair, and eat hot mush with +sugar on. And, in order that he would not be lonesome, Bawly and Bully +No-Tail, the frog boys, sat near him, and read him funny things from +their school books, or the paper, and Grandpa Croaker was very thankful +to them. + +The frog boys wanted very much to go away and play ball with their +friends, for, it being the Easter vacation, there was no school, but, +instead, they remained at home nearly all the while, so Grandpa wouldn't +feel lonesome. + +But at last one day the old gentleman frog said: + +"Now, boys, I'm sure you must be very tired of staying with me so much. +You need a little vacation. I am almost well now, so I'll hop over and +see Uncle Wiggily Longears. Then you may go and play ball, and here is a +penny for each of you." + +Well, of course Bully and Bawly thanked their Grandpa, though they +really hadn't expected anything like that, and off they hopped to the +store to spend the money. For they had saved all the pennies for a long +time, and they were now allowed to buy something. + +Bully bought a picture post card to send to Aunt Lettie, the nice old +lady goat, and Bawly bought a bean shooter. That is a long piece of tin, +with a hole through it like a pipe, and you put in a bean at one end, +blow on the other end, and out pops the bean like a cork out of a soda +water bottle. + +"What are you going to do with that bean shooter?" asked Bully of his +brother. + +"Oh, I'm going to carry it instead of a gun," said Bawly, "and if I see +that bad alligator, or snake, again I'll shoot 'em with beans." + +"Beans, won't hurt 'em much," spoke Bully. + +"No, but maybe the beans will tickle 'em so they'll laugh and run away," +replied his brother. Then they hopped on through the woods, and pretty +soon they met Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. + +"Let's have a ball game," suggested Peetie, as he wiggled his left ear. + +"Oh, yes!" cried Jackie, as he dug a hole in the ground to see if he +could find a juicy bone, but he couldn't I'm sorry to say. + +Well, they started the ball game, and Bawly was so fond of his bean +shooter that he kept it with him all the while, and several times, when +the balls were high in the air, he tried to hit them by blowing beans at +them. But he couldn't, though the beans popped out very nicely. + +But finally the other players didn't like Bawly to do that, for the +beans came down all around them, and tickled them so that they had to +laugh, and they couldn't play ball. + +Then Bawly said he'd lay his shooter down in the grass, but before he +could do so his brother Bully knocked such a high flying ball that you +could hardly see it. + +"Oh, grab it, Bawly! Grab it!" cried Peetie and Jackie, dancing about on +the ends of their tails, for Bawly was supposed to chase after the +balls. Away he went with his bean shooter, almost as fast as an +automobile. + +Farther and farther went the ball, and Bawly was chasing after it. All +of a sudden he found himself in the back yard of a house where the ball +had bounced over the fence, and of course, being a good ball player, +Bawly kept right on after it. But he never expected to find himself in +the yard, and he certainly never expected to see what he did see. + +For there was a great, big, ugly, cruel boy, and he had something in his +hand. At first Bawly couldn't tell what it was, and then, to his +surprise, he saw that the boy had caught Jollie Longtail, the nice +little mousie boy, about whom I once told you. + +"Ah ha! Now I have you!" cried the boy to the mouse. "You went in the +feed box in my father's barn, and I have caught you." + +"Oh, but I only took the least bit of corn," said Jollie Longtail. But +the boy didn't understand the mouse language, though Bawly did. + +"I'm going to tie your tail in a knot, hang you over the clothes line +and then throw stones at you!" went on the cruel boy. "That will teach +you to keep away from our place. We don't like mice." + +Well, poor Jollie Longtail shivered and shook, and tried to get away +from that boy, but he couldn't, and then the boy began tying a knot in +the mousie's tail, so he could fasten Jollie to the clothes line in the +yard. + +"Oh, this is terrible!" cried Bawly, and he forgot all about the ball +that was lying in the grass close beside him. "How sorry I am for poor +Jollie," thought Bawly. + +"There's one knot!" cried the boy as he made it. "Now for another!" + +Poor Jollie squirmed and wiggled, but he couldn't get away. + +"Now for the last knot, and then I'll tie you on the clothes line," +spoke the boy, twisting Jollie's tail very hard. + +"Oh, if he ever gets tied on the clothes line that will be the last of +him!" thought Bawly. "I wonder how I can save him?" + +Bawly thought, and thought, and thought, and finally he thought of his +bean shooter, and the beans he still had with him. + +"That's the very thing!" he whispered. Then he hid down in the grass, +where the boy couldn't see him, and just as that boy was about to tie +Jollie to the line, Bawly put a bean in the shooter, put the shooter in +his mouth, puffed out his cheeks and "bango!" a bean hit the boy on the +nose! + +"Ha!" cried the boy. "Who did that?" He looked all around and he +thought, maybe, it was a hailstone, but there weren't any storm clouds +in the sky. Then the boy once more started to tie Jollie to the line. + +"Bungo!" went a bean on his left ear, hitting him quite hard. + +"Stop that!" the boy cried, winking his eyes very fast. + +"Cracko!" went a bean on his right ear, for Bawly was blowing them very +fast now. + +"Oh, wait until I get hold of you, whoever you are!" shouted the boy, +looking all around, but he could see no one, for Bawly was hiding in the +grass. + +"Smacko!" went a bean on the boy's nose again, and then he danced up and +down, and was so excited that he dropped poor Jollie in the soft grass, +and away the mousie scampered to where he saw Bawly hiding. + +Then Bawly kindly loosened the knots in the mousie's tail, picked up the +ball, and away they both scampered back to the game, and told their +friends what had happened. And maybe Jollie wasn't thankful to Bawly! +Well, I just guess he was! And that boy was so kerslastrated, about not +being able to find out who blew the beans at him, that he stood right up +on his head and wiggled his feet in the air, and then ran into the +house. + +Now, if it should happen that our pussy cat doesn't go roller skating +and fall down and hurt its little nose so he can't lap up his milk, I'll +tell you next about Bully and the water bottle. + + + + +STORY XI + +BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE + + +Well, just as I expected, my little cat did go roller skating, and +skated over a banana skin, and fell down and rubbed some of the fur off +his ear. But anyhow I'll tell you a story just the same, and it's going +to be about what happened to Bully No-Tail, the frog, when he had a +water bottle. + +Do you know what a water bottle is? Now don't be too sure. You might +think it was a bottle made out of water, but instead it's a bottle that +holds water. Any kind of a bottle will do, and you can even take a milk +bottle and put water in it if the milkman lets you. + +Well, one day, when Bully didn't know what to do to have some fun, and +when Bawly, his brother, had gone off to play ball, Bully thought about +making a water bottle, as Johnnie Bushytail had told him how to do it. + +Bully took a bottle that once had held ink, and he cleaned it all out. +Then he got a cork, and, taking one of his mamma's long hatpins, he +made, with the sharp point, a number of holes through the cork, just as +if it were a sieve, or a coffee strainer. Then Bully filled the bottle +with water, put in the cork, and there he had a sprinkling-water-bottle, +just as nice as you could buy in a store. + +"Now I'll have some fun!" exclaimed Bully, as he jiggled the bottle up +and down quite fast, with the cork end held down. The water squirted out +from it just like from the watering can, when your mamma waters the +flowers. + +"I guess I'll go water the garden first," thought Bully. So he hopped +over to where there were some seeds planted and the little green sprouts +were just peeping up from the ground. Bully sprinkled water on the dry +earth and made it soft so the flowers could come through more easily. + +"Oh, this is great!" cried the frog boy, as he held the water bottle +high in the air and let some drops sprinkle down all around on his own +head and clothes. + +But please don't any of you try that part of the trick unless you have +on your bathing suit, for your mamma might not like it. As for Bully, it +didn't matter how wet he got, for frogs just like water, and they have +on clothes that water doesn't harm. + +So Bully watered all the flowers, and then he sprinkled the dust on the +sidewalk and got a broom, and swept it nice and clean. + +"Ha! That's a good boy!" said Grandpa Croaker, in his deepest voice, as +he hopped out of the yard to go over and play checkers with Uncle +Wiggily Longears. "A very good boy, indeed. Here is a penny for you," +and he gave Bully a bright, new one. + +"I'm going to buy some marbles, as I lost all mine," said Bully, as he +thanked his Grandpa very kindly and hopped off to the store. + +But before Bully had hopped very far he happened to think that his water +bottle was empty, so he stopped at a nice cold spring that he knew of, +beside the road, and filled it--that is, he filled his water bottle, you +know, not the spring. + +"For," said Bully to himself, "I might happen to meet a bad dog, and if +he came at me to bite me I could squirt water in his eyes, almost as +well as if I had a water pistol, and the dog would howl and run away." + +Well, the frog boy hopped along, and pretty soon he came to a store +where the marbles were. He bought a penny's worth of brown and blue +ones, and then the monkey-doodle, who kept the store, gave him a piece +of candy. + +"Now I'll find some of the boys, and have a game of marbles," thought +Bully, as he took three big hops and two little ones. Then he hopped +into the woods to look for his friends. + +Well, Bully hadn't gone on very far before, just as he was hopping past +a big stump, he heard a voice calling: + +"Now I have you!" + +Well, you should have seen that frog boy jump, for he thought it was a +savage wolf or fox about to grab him. But, instead he saw Johnnie +Bushytail, the squirrel, and right in front of Johnnie was a great big +horned owl, with large and staring eyes. + +"Now I have you!" cried the owl again, and this time Bully knew the bad +bird was speaking to poor Johnnie Bushytail and not to him. And at that +the owl put out one claw, and, before the squirrel could run away the +savage creature had grabbed him. "Didn't I tell you I had you?" the bird +asked, sarcastic like. + +"Yes, I guess I did," answered Johnnie, trembling so that his tail +looked like a dusting brush. "But please let me go, Mr. Owl. I never did +anything to you." + +"Didn't you climb up a tree just now?" asked the owl, real saucy like. + +"Yes. I guess I did," answered Johnnie. "I'm always climbing trees, you +know. But that doesn't hurt you; does it?" + +"Yes, it does, for you knocked down a piece of bark, and it hit me on +the beak. And for that I'm going to take you home and cook you for +dinner," the owl hooted. + +"Oh, please, please don't!" begged poor Johnnie, but the owl said he +would, just the same, and he began to get ready to fly off to his nest +with the squirrel. + +"Ha, I must stop that, if it's possible," thought Bully, the frog, who +was still hiding behind the stump. "I mustn't let the owl carry Johnnie +away. But how can I stop him?" Bully peeked around the edge of the stump +and saw the owl squeezing poor Johnnie tighter and tighter in his claws. + +"Ah, I have it!" cried Bully. "My water bottle and my marbles!" And with +that he hopped softly up on top of the stump, and leaning over the edge +he saw below him the owl holding Johnnie. Then Bully took the water +bottle, turned it upside down, and he sprinkled the water out as hard as +he could on that savage owl's back. Down it fell in a regular shower. + +"My goodness me!" cried the owl. "It's raining and I have no umbrella! +I'll get all wet!" + +Then Bully squirted out more water, shaking it from the bottle as hard +as he could, and he rattled his bag of marbles until they sounded like +thunder and hailstones, and the owl looked up, but couldn't see Bully on +the stump for the water was in his eyes. Then, being very much afraid of +rain and thunder storms, that bad owl bird suddenly flew away, leaving +Johnnie Bushytail on the ground, scared but safe. + +"Ha! That's the time the water bottle did a good trick!" cried Bully, as +he went to see if Johnnie was hurt. But the squirrel wasn't, very much, +and he could soon scramble home, after thanking Bully very kindly. + +And that owl was so wet that he caught cold and had the epizootic for a +week, and it served him right. Now in case the baby's rattle box doesn't +bounce into the pudding dish and scare the chocolate cake, I'll tell you +next about Bawly going hunting. + + + + +STORY XII + +BAWLY N + + +"Oh, Grandpa, will you please tell us a story?" begged Bully and Bawly +No-Tail one evening after supper, when they sat beside the old gentleman +frog, who was reading a newspaper. "Do tell us a story about a giant." + +"Ha! Hum!" exclaimed Grandpa Croaker. "I'm afraid I don't know any giant +stories, but I'll tell you one about how I once went hunting and was +nearly caught myself." + +"Oh, that will be fine!" cried the two frog boys, so their Grandpa took +one of them up on each knee, and in his deepest, bass, rumbling, +stumbling, bumbling voice he told them the story. + +It was a very good story, and some day perhaps I may tell it to you. It +was about how, when Grandpa was a young frog, he started out to hunt +blackberries, and got caught in a briar bush and couldn't get loose for +ever so long, and the mosquitoes bit him very hard, all over. + +"And after that I never went hunting blackberries without taking a +mosquito netting along," said the old frog gentleman, as he finished his +story. + +"My but that _was_ an adventure!" cried Bully. + +"That's what!" agreed his brother. "You were very brave, Grandpa, to go +off hunting blackberries all alone." + +"Yes, I was considered quite brave and handsome when I was young," +admitted the old gentleman frog, in his bass voice. "But now, boys, run +off to bed, and I'll finish reading the paper." + +The next morning when Bully got up he saw Bawly at the side of the bed, +putting some beans in a bag, and taking his bean shooter out from the +bureau drawer where he kept it. + +"What are you going to do, Bawly?" asked Bully. + +"I'm going hunting, as Grandpa did," said his brother. + +"But blackberries aren't ripe yet. They're not ripe until June or July," +objected Bully. + +"I know it, but I'm going to hunt mosquitoes, not blackberries. I'm +going to kill all I can with my bean shooter, and then there won't be so +many to bite the dear little babies this summer. Don't you want to come +along?" asked Bawly. + +"I would if I had a bean shooter," answered Bully. "Perhaps I'll go some +other time. To-day I promised Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow I'd come over +and play ball with them." + +So Bully went to play ball, with the puppy dogs, and Bawly went hunting, +after his mamma had said that he might, and had told him to be careful. + +"I'll put up a little lunch for you," she said, "so you won't get hungry +hunting mosquitoes in the woods." + +Off Bawly hopped, with his lunch in a little basket on one leg and +carrying his bean shooter, and plenty of beans. He knew a deep, dark, +dismal stretch of woodland where there were so many mosquitoes that they +wouldn't have been afraid to bite even an elephant, if one had happened +along. You see there were so many of the mosquitoes that they were bold +and savage, like bears or lions. + +"But just wait until I get at them with my bean shooter," said Bawly +bravely. "Then they'll be so frightened that they'll fly away, and never +come back to bother people any more." + +On and on he hopped and pretty soon he could hear a funny buzzing noise. + +"Those are the mosquitoes," said the frog boy. "I am almost at the deep, +dark, dismal woods. Now I must be brave, as my Grandpa was when he +hunted blackberries; and, so that I may be very strong, to kill all the +mosquitoes, I'll eat part of my lunch now." + +So Bawly sat down under a toadstool, for it was very hot, and he ate +part of his lunch. He could hear the mosquitoes buzzing louder and +louder, and he knew there must be many of them; thousands and thousands. + +"Well, here I go!" exclaimed the frog boy at length, as he wrapped up in +a paper what was left of his lunch, and got his bean shooter all ready. +"Now for the battle. Charge! Forward, March! Bang-bang! Bung-bung!" and +he made a noise like a fife and drum going up hill. + +"Well, I wonder what that can be coming into our woods?" asked one +mosquito of another as he stopped buzzing his wings a moment. + +"It looks like a frog boy," was the reply of a lady mosquito. + +"It is," spoke a third mosquito, sharpening his biting bill on a stone. +"Let's sting him so he'll never come here again." + +"Yes, let's do it!" they all agreed. + +So they all got ready with their stingers, and Bawly hopped nearer and +nearer. They were just going to pounce on him and bite him to pieces +when he suddenly shot a lot of beans at them, hitting quite a number of +mosquitoes and killing a few. + +"My! What's this? What's this?" cried the mosquitoes that weren't +killed. "What is happening?" and they were very much surprised, not to +say startled. + +"This must be a war!" said some others. "This frog boy is fighting us!" + +"That's just what I'm doing!" cried Bawly bravely. "I'm punishing you +for what you did to Grandfather Croaker! Bang-bang! Bung-bung! Shoot! +Fire! Aim! Forward, March!" and with that he shot some more beans at the +mosquitoes, killing hundreds of them so they could never more bite +little babies or boys and girls, to say nothing of papas and mammas and +aunts and uncles. + +Oh, how brave Bawly was with his bean shooter! He made those mosquitoes +dance around like humming birds, and they were very much frightened. +Then Bawly took a rest and ate some more of his lunch, laying his bean +shooter down on top of a stump. + +"Now the battle will go on again!" he cried, when he had eaten the last +crumb and felt very strong. But, would you believe me, while he was +eating, those mosquitoes had sneaked up and taken away his bean shooter. + +"Oh, this is terrible!" cried Bawly, as he saw that his tin shooter was +gone. "Now I can't fight them any more." + +Then the mosquitoes knew that the frog boy didn't have his bean-gun with +him, for they had hid it, and they stung him, so much that maybe, they +would have stung him to death if it hadn't happened that Dickie and +Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrows, flew along just then. Into the swarm of +mosquitoes the birds flew, and they caught hundreds of them in their +bills and killed them, and the rest were so frightened that they flew +away, and in that manner Bawly was saved. + +So that's how he went hunting all alone, and when he got home his +Grandpa Croaker and all the folks thought him very brave. Now, in case I +see a red poodle dog, with yellow legs, standing on his nose while he +wags his tail at the pussy cat, I'll tell you next about Papa No-Tail +and the giant. + + + + +STORY XIII + +PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT + + +Did you ever hear the story of the giant with two heads, who +chased a whale, and caught him by the tail, and tickled the terrible +monster with a big, crooked hickory fence rail? + +Well, I'm not going to tell you a story about that giant, but about +another, who had only one head, though it was a very large one, and this +giant nearly scared Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, into a conniption +fit, which is almost as bad as the epizootic. + +It happened one day that there wasn't any work for Mr. No-Tail to do at +the wallpaper factory, where he dipped his feet in ink and hopped around +to make funny black, and red, and green, and purple splotches, so they +would turn out to be wallpaper patterns. The reason there was no work +was because the Pelican bird drank up all the ink in his big bill, so +they couldn't print any paper. + +"I have a holiday," said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped about, "and I am +going to have a good time." + +"What are you going to do?" asked Grandpa Croaker as he started off +across the pond to play checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears. + +"I think I will take Bully and Bawly and go for a swim, and then we'll +take a hop through the woods and perhaps we may find an adventure," +answered Mr. No-Tail. + +So he went up to the house, where Bully and Bawly, the two boy frogs, +were just getting ready to go out roller skating, and Mr. No-Tail asked +them if they didn't want to come with him instead. + +"Indeed we do!" cried Bully, as he winked both eyes at his brother, for +he knew that when his papa took them out hopping, he used often to stop +in a store and buy them peanuts or candy. + +Well, pretty soon, not so very long, in a little while, Papa No-Tail and +the two boys got to the edge of the pond, and into the water they hopped +to have a swim. My! I just wish you could have seen them. Papa No-Tail +swam in ever so many different ways, and Bully and Bawly did as well as +they could. And, would you believe me? just as Bully was getting out of +the water, up on the bank, ready to go hopping off with Bawly and his +papa through the woods, a big fish nearly grabbed the little frog boy by +his left hind leg. + +"Oh my!" he cried, and his papa hopped over quickly to where Bully was, +and threw a stick at the bad fish to scare him away. + +"Ha! hum!" exclaimed Mr. No-Tail, "that was nearly an adventure, Bully, +but I don't like that kind. Come on into the woods, boys, and we'll see +what else we can find." + +So into the woods they went, where there were tall trees, and little +trees, and bushes, and old stumps where owls lived. And the green leaves +were just coming out nicely on the branches, and there were a few early +May flowers peeping up from under the leaves and moss, just as baby +peeps up at you, out from under the bedclothes in the morning when the +sun awakens her. + +"Oh, isn't it just lovely here in the woods!" cried Bully. + +"It is certainly very fine," agreed Bawly, and he looked up in the +treetops, where Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels, were +frisking about, and then down on the ground, where Sammie and Susie +Littletail, the rabbits, were sitting beside an old stump, in which +there were no bad owls to scare them. + +"Now I think we'll sit down here and eat our lunch," said Papa No-Tail +after a while, as they came to a nice little open place in the woods, +where there was a large flat stump, which they could use as a table. So +they opened the baskets of lunch that Mamma No-Tail had put up for them, +and they were eating their watercress sandwiches, and talking of what +they would do next, when, all of a sudden, they heard a most startling, +tremendous and extraordinary noise in the bushes. + +It was just as if an elephant were tramping along, and at first Papa +No-Tail thought it might be one of those big beasts, or perhaps an +alligator. + +"Keep quiet, boys," he whispered, "and perhaps he won't see us." So they +kept very quiet, and hid down behind the stump. + +But the noise came nearer and nearer, and it sounded louder and louder, +and, before you could spell "cat" or "rat," out from under a big, tall +tree stepped a big, tall giant. Oh, he was a fearful looking fellow! His +head was as big as a washtub full of clothes on a Monday morning, and +his legs were so long that I guess he could have hopped, skipped and +jumped across the street in about three steps. + +"Oh, look!" whispered Bully. + +"Oh, isn't he terrible!" said Bawly, softly. + +"Hush!" cautioned their papa. "Please keep quiet and maybe he won't see +us." + +So they kept as quiet as they could, hoping the giant would pass by, but +instead he came right over to the stump, and the first any one knew he +had sat down on the top of it. I tell you it's a good thing Bully and +Bawly and their papa had hopped off or they would have been crushed +flat. But they weren't, I'm glad to say, for they were hiding down +behind the stump, and they didn't dare hop away for fear the giant would +see, or hear them. + +The big man sat on the stump, and he looked all about, and he saw some +bread and watercress crumbs where Bully and Bawly and their papa had +been eating their lunch. + +"My!" exclaimed the giant. "Some one has been having dinner here. Oh, +how hungry I am! I wish I had some dinner. I believe I could eat the +hind legs of a dozen frogs if I had them!" + +Well, you should have seen poor Bully and Bawly tremble when they heard +that. + +"This must be a terrible giant," said Mr. No-Tail. "Now I tell you what +I am going to do. Bully, I will hide you and Bawly in this hollow stump, +and then I'll hop out where the giant can see me. He'll chase after me, +but I'll hop away as fast as I can, and perhaps I can get to some water +and hide before he catches me. Then he'll be so far away from the stump +that it will be safe for you boys to come out." + +Well, Bully and Bawly didn't want their papa to do that, fearing he +would be hurt, but he said it was best, so they hid inside the stump, +and out Mr. No-Tail hopped to where the giant could see him. Papa +No-Tail expected the big man would chase after him, but instead the +giant never moved and only looked at the frog and then he laughed and +said: + +"Hello, Mr. Frog! Let's see you hop!" And then, what do you think that +giant did? Why he took off his head, which wasn't real, being hollow and +made of paper, like a false face, so that his own head went inside of +it. And there he was only a nice, ordinary man after all. + +"What! Aren't you a giant?" cried Papa No-Tail, who was so surprised +that he hadn't hopped a single hop. + +"No," said the man; "I am only a clown giant in a circus, but I ran away +to-day so I could see the flowers in the woods. I was tired of being in +the circus so much and doing funny tricks." + +"But--but--what makes you so tall?" asked Mr. No-Tail. + +"Oh, those are wooden stilts on my legs," said the giant. "They make me +as tall as a clothes post, these stilts do." + +And, surely enough, they did, being like wooden legs, and the man wasn't +a real giant at all, but very nice, like Mr. No-Tail, only different: +and he left off his big hollow paper head, and Bully and Bawly came out +of the stump, and the circus clown-giant, just like those you have seen, +told the frog boys lots of funny stories. Then they gave him some of +their lunch and showed him where flowers grew. Afterward the +make-believe giant went back to the circus, much happier than he had +been at first. + +So that's all now, if you please, but if the rose bush in our back yard +doesn't come into the house and scratch the frosting off the chocolate +cake I'll tell you next about Bawly and the church steeple. + + + + +STORY XIV + +BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE + + +After Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, and their papa, reached home +from the woods, where they met the make-believe giant, as I told you in +the story before this one, they talked about it for ever so long, and +agreed that it was quite an adventure. + +"I wish I'd have another adventure to-morrow," said Bawly, as he went to +bed that night. + +"Perhaps you may," said his papa. "Only I can't be with you to-morrow, +as I have to go to work in my wallpaper factory. We made the Pelican +bird give back the ink, so the printing presses can run again." + +Well, the next day the frog boys' mamma said to them: + +"Bully and Bawly, I wish you would go to the store for me. I want a +dozen lemons and some sugar, for I am going to make lemonade, in case +company comes to-night." + +"All right, we'll go," said Bully very politely. "I'll get the sugar and +Bawly can get the lemons." + +So they went to the store and got the things, and when they were hopping +out, the storekeeper, who was a very kind elephant gentleman, gave them +each a handful of peanuts, which they put in the pockets of their +clothes, that water couldn't hurt. + +Well, when Bully and Bawly were almost home, they came to a place where +there were two paths. One went through the woods and the other across +the pond. + +"I'll tell you what let's do," suggested Bully. "You go by the woodland +path, Bawly, and I'll go by way of the pond and we'll see who will get +home first." + +"All right," said Bawly, so on he hopped through the woods, going as +fast as he could, for he wanted to beat. And Bully swam as fast as he +could in the water, carrying the sugar, for it was in a rubber bag, so +it wouldn't get wet. But now I'm going to tell you what happened to +Bawly. + +He was hopping along, carrying the lemons, when all at once he heard +some one calling to him: + +"Hello, little frog, are you a good jumper?" + +Bawly looked all around, and there right by a great, big stone he saw a +savage, ugly fox. At first Bawly was going to throw a lemon at the bad +animal, to scare him away, and then he happened to think that the lemons +were soft and wouldn't hurt the fox very much. + +"Don't be afraid," said the fox, "I won't bite you. I wouldn't hurt you +for the world, little frog," and then the fox came slowly from behind +the stone, and Bawly saw that both the sly creature's front feet were +lame from the rheumatism, like Uncle Wiggily's, so the fox couldn't run +at all. Bawly knew he could easily hop away from him, as the sly animal +couldn't go any faster than a snail. + +"Oh, I guess the reason you won't hurt me, is because you can't catch +me," said Bawly, slow and careful-like. + +"Oh, I wouldn't hurt you, anyhow," went on the fox, trying not to show +how hungry he was, for really, you know, he wanted to eat Bawly, but he +knew he couldn't catch him, with his sore feet, so he was trying to +think of another way to get hold of him. "I just love frogs," said the +fox. + +"I guess you do," thought Bawly. "You like them too much. I'll keep well +away from you." + +"But what I want to know," continued the fox, "is whether you are a good +jumper, Bawly." + +"Yes, I am--pretty good," said the frog boy. + +"Could you jump over this stone?" asked the fox, slyly, pointing to a +little one. + +"Easily," said Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +"Could you jump over that stump?" asked the fox, pointing to a big one. + +"Easily," answered Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +"Ha! Here is a hard one," said the fox. "Could you jump over my head?" + +"Easily," replied Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +"Well, you certainly are a good jumper," spoke the fox, wagging his +bushy tail with a puzzled air. "I know something you can't do, though." + +"What is it?" inquired Bawly. + +"You can't jump over the church steeple." + +"I believe I can!" exclaimed Bawly, before he thought. You see he didn't +like the fox to think he couldn't do it, for Bawly was proud, and that's +not exactly right, and it got him into trouble, as you shall soon see. + +You know that fox was very sly, and the reason he wanted Bawly to try to +jump over the church steeple was so the frog boy would fall down from a +great height and be hurt, and then the fox could eat him without any +trouble, sore feet or none. I tell you it's best to look out when a fox +asks you to do anything. + +"Yes, I can jump over the church steeple," declared Bawly, and he hopped +ahead until he came to the church, the fox limping slowly along, and +thinking what a fine meal he'd have when poor Bawly fell, for the fox +knew what a terrible jump it was, and how anyone who made it would be +hurt, but the frog boy didn't. + +Bawly tucked the bag of lemons under his leg, and he took a long breath, +and he gave a jump, but he didn't go very far up in the air as his foot +slipped. + +"Ha! I knew you couldn't do it!" sneered the fox. + +"Watch me!" cried Bawly, and this time he gave a most tremendous and +extraordinary jump, and right up to the church steeple he went, but he +didn't go over it, and it's a good thing, too, or he'd have been all +broken to pieces when he landed on the ground again. But instead he hit +right on top of the church steeple and stayed there, where there was a +nice, round, golden ball to sit on. + +"Jump down! Jump down!" cried the fox, for he wanted to eat Bawly. + +"No, I'm going to stay here," answered the frog boy, for now he saw how +far it was to the ground, and he knew he'd be killed if he leaped off +the steeple. + +Well, the fox tried to get him to jump down, but Bawly wouldn't. And +then the frog boy began to wonder how he'd ever get home, for the +steeple was very high. + +Then what do you think Bawly did? Why, he took a lemon and threw it at +the church bell, hoping to ring it so the janitor would come and help +him down. But the lemon was too soft to ring the bell loudly enough for +any to hear. + +Then Bawly thought of his peanuts, and he threw a handful of them at the +church bell in the steeple, making it ring like an alarm clock, and the +janitor, who was sweeping out the church for Sunday, heard the bell, and +he looked up and saw the frog on the steeple. Then the janitor, being a +kind man, got a ladder and helped Bawly down, and the fox, very much +disappointed, limped away, and didn't eat the frog boy after all. + +"But you must never try to jump over a steeple again," said Bawly's +mamma when he told her about it, after he got home with the lemons, and +found Bully there ahead of him with the sugar. + +So Bawly promised that he wouldn't, and he never did. And now, if the +postman brings me a pink letter with a green stamp on from the playful +elephant in the circus, I'll tell you next about Bully and the basket of +chips. + + + + +STORY XV + +BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS + + +One nice warm day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along +through the woods, he felt so very happy that he whistled a little tune +on a whistle he made from a willow stick. And the tune he whistled went +like this, when you sing it: + + "I am a little froggie boy, + Without a bit of tail. + In fact I'm like a guinea pig, + Who eats out of a pail. + + "I swim, I hop, I flip, I flop, + I also sing a tune, + And some day I am going to try + To hop up to the moon. + + "Because you see the man up there + Must very lonesome be, + Without a little froggie boy, + Like Bawly or like me." + +"Oh, ho! I wouldn't try that if I were you," suddenly exclaimed a voice. + +"Try what?" asked Bully, before he thought. + +"Try to jump up to the moon," went on the voice. "Don't you remember +what happened to your brother Bawly when he tried to jump over the +church steeple? Don't do it, I beg of you." + +"Oh, I wasn't really going to jump to the moon," went on Bully. "I only +put that in the song to make it sound nice. But who are you, if you +please?" for the frog boy looked all around and he couldn't see any one. + +"Here I am, over here," the voice said, and then out from behind a clump +of tall, waving cat-tail plants, that grew in a pond of water, there +stepped a long-legged bird, with a long, sharp bill like a pencil or a +penholder. + +"Oh ho! So it's you, is it?" asked Bully, making ready to hop away, for +as soon as he saw that long-legged and sharp-billed bird, he knew right +away that he was in danger. For the bird was a heron, which is something +like a stork that lives on chimneys in a country called Holland. And the +heron bird eats frogs and mice and little animals like that. + +"Yes, it is I," said the heron. "Won't you please sing that song on your +whistle again, Bully? I am very fond of music." And, as he said that, +the heron slyly took another step nearer to the frog boy, intending to +grab him up in his sharp beak. + +"I--I don't believe I have time to sing another verse," answered Bully. +"And anyhow, there aren't any more verses. So I'll be going," and he +hopped along, and hid under a stone where the big, big savage bird +couldn't get him. + +Oh, my! how angry the heron was when he saw that he couldn't fool Bully. +He stamped his long legs on the ground and said all sorts of mean +things, just because Bully didn't want to be eaten up. + +"Now I wonder how I'm going to get away from here without that bird +biting me?" thought poor Bully, after a while. + +Well, it did seem a hard thing to do, for the heron was there waiting +for Bully to come out, when he would jab his bill right through the frog +boy. Then Bully thought and thought, which you must always do when you +are in trouble, or have hard examples at school, and finally Bully +thought of a plan. + +"I'll hop along and go from one stone to another," he said to himself, +"and by hiding under the different rocks the heron can't get me." + +So he tried that plan, hopping very quickly, and he got along all right, +for every time the heron tried to stick the frog boy with his sharp +bill, the bird would pick at a stone, under which Bully was hidden, and +that would make him more angry than ever. I mean it would make the heron +angry, not Bully. + +Well, the frog boy was almost home, and he knew that pretty soon the +heron would have to turn back and run away, for the bird wouldn't dare +go right up to Bully's house. Then, all of a sudden, Bully saw a poor +old mouse lady going along through the woods, with a basket of chips on +her arm. She had picked them up where some men were cutting wood, and +the mouse lady intended to put the chips in her kitchen stove, and boil +the teakettle with them. + +She walked along, when, all of a sudden, she stumbled on an acorn, and +fell down, basket and all, and she hurt her paw on a thorn, so she +couldn't carry the basket any more. + +"Oh, that's too bad!" exclaimed Bully. "I must help the poor mouse +lady." So, forgetting all about the savage, long-billed bird, waiting to +grab him, out from under a stone hopped Bully, and he picked up the +basket of chips for the poor mouse lady. + +"Oh, thank you kindly, little frog boy," she said, and then the heron +made a rush for Bully and the mouse lady and tried to stick them both +with his sharp beak. + +"Oh, quick! Quick! Hop in here with me!" exclaimed the mouse lady, as +she pointed to a hole in a hollow stump, and into it she and Bully went, +basket of chips and all, just in time to escape the bad heron bird. + +"Oh, I'll get you yet! I'll get you yet!" screeched the bird, hopping +along, first on one leg and then on the other, and dancing about in +front of the stump. "I'll eat you both, that's what I will!" Then he +tried to reach in with his bill and pull the frog boy and the mouse lady +out of the hollow stump, but he couldn't, and then he stood on one leg +and hid the other one up under his feathers to keep it warm. + +"I'll wait here until you come out, if I have to wait all night," said +the bird. "Then I'll get you." + +"I guess he will, too," said Bully, peeping out of a crack. "We are safe +here, but how am I going to get home, and how are you going to get home, +Mrs. Mouse?" + +"I will show you," she answered. "We'll play a trick on that heron. See, +I have some green paint, that I was going to put on my kitchen cupboard. +Now we'll take some of it, and we'll paint a few of the chips green, and +they'll look something like a frog. Then we'll throw them out to the +heron, one at a time, and he'll be so hungry that he'll grab them +without looking at them. When he eats enough green chips he'll have +indigestion, and be so heavy, like a stone, that he can't chase after us +when we go out." + +"Good!" cried Bully. So they painted some chips green, just the color of +Bully, and they tossed one out of the stump toward the bird. + +"Now I have you!" cried the heron, and, thinking it was the frog boy, he +grabbed up that green chip as quick as anything. And, before he knew +what it was, he had swallowed it, and then Mrs. Mouse and Bully threw +out more green chips, and the bad bird didn't know they were only wood, +but he thought they were a whole lot of green frogs hopping out, and he +gobbled them up, one after another, as fast as he could. + +And, in a little while, the sharp chips stuck out all over inside of +him, like potatoes in a sack, and the heron had indigestion, and was so +heavy that he couldn't run. Then Bully and Mrs. Mouse came out of the +stump, and went away, leaving the bad bird there, unable to move, and as +angry as a fox without a tail. Bully helped Mrs. Mouse carry the rest of +the chips home, and then he hopped home himself. + +Now that's the end of this story, but I know another, and if the little +boy across the street doesn't throw his baseball at my pussy cat and +make her tail so big I can't get her inside the house, I'll tell you +about Bawly and his whistles. + + + + +STORY XVI + +BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES + + +Did you ever make a willow whistle--that is, out of a piece of wood off a +willow tree? + +No? Well, it's lots of fun, and when I was a boy I used to make lots of +them. Big ones and little ones, and the kind that would almost make as +much noise as some factory whistles. If you can't make one yourself, ask +your big brother, or your papa, or some man, to make you one. + +Maybe your big sister can, for some girls, like Lulu Wibblewobble, the +duck, can use a knife almost as good as a boy. + +Well, if I'm going to tell you about Bawly No-Tail, the frog, and his +whistles I guess I'd better start, hadn't I? and not talk so much about +big brothers and sisters. + +One afternoon Bawly was hopping along in the woods. It was a nice, warm +day, and the wind was blowing in the treetops, and the flowers were +blooming down in the moss, and Bawly was very happy. + +He came to a willow tree, and he said to himself: + +"I guess I'll make a whistle." So he cut off a little branch, about +eight inches long, and with his knife he cut one end slanting, just like +the part of a whistle that goes in your mouth. Then he made a hole for +the wind to come out of. + +Then he pounded the bark on the stick gently with his knife handle, and +pretty soon the bark slipped off, just as mamma takes off her gloves +after she's been down to the five-and-ten-cent store. Then Bully cut +away some of the white wood, slipped on the bark again, and he had a +whistle. + +"My! That's fine!" he cried, as he blew a loud blast on it. "I think +I'll make another." + +So he made a second one, and then he went on through the woods, blowing +first one whistle and then the other, like the steam piano in the circus +parade. + +"Hello!" suddenly cried a voice in the woods, "who is making all that +noise?" + +"I am," answered Bawly. "Who are you?" + +"I am Sammie Littletail," was the reply, and out popped the rabbit boy +from under a bush. "Oh, what fine whistles!" he cried when he saw those +Bawly had made. "I wish I had one." + +"You may have, Sammie," answered Bawly kindly, and he gave his little +rabbit friend the biggest and loudest whistle. Then the two boy animals +went on through the woods, and pretty soon they came to a place where +there was a pond of water. + +"Excuse me for a minute," said Bawly. "I think I'll have a little swim. +Will you join me, Sammie?" he asked, politely. + +"No," answered the rabbit, "I'm not a good swimmer, but I'll wait here +on the bank for you." + +"Then you may hold my whistle as well as your own," said Bawly, "for I +might lose it under water." Then into the pond Bawly hopped, and was +soon swimming about like a fish. + +But something is going to happen, just as I expected it would, and I'll +tell you all about it, as I promised. + +All of a sudden, as Bawly was swimming about, that bad old skillery, +scalery alligator, who had escaped from a circus, reared his ugly head +up from the pond, where he had been sleeping, and grabbed poor Bawly in +his claws. + +"Oh, let me go!" cried the boy frog. "Please let me go!" + +"No, I'll not!" answered the alligator savagely. "I had you and your +brother once before, and you got away, but you shan't get loose this +time. I'm going to take you to my deep, dark, dismal den, and then we'll +have supper together." + +Well, Bawly begged and pleaded, but it was of no use. That alligator +simply would not let him go, but held him tightly in his claws, and made +ugly faces at him, just like the masks on Hallowe'en night. + +All this while Sammie Littletail sat on the bank of the pond, too +frightened, at the sight of the alligator, to hop away. He was afraid +the savage creature might, at any moment, spring out and grab him also, +and the rabbit boy just sat there, not knowing what to do. + +"I wish I could save Bawly," thought Sammie, "but how can I? I can't +fight a big alligator, and if I throw stones at him it will only make +him more angry. Oh, if only there was a fireman or a policeman in the +woods, I'd tell him, and he'd hit the alligator, and make him go away. +But there isn't a policeman or a fireman here!" + +Then the alligator started to swim away with poor Bawly, to take him off +to his deep, dark, dismal den, when, all of a sudden, Sammie happened to +think of the two willow whistles he had--his own and Bawly's. + +"I wonder if I could scare the alligator with them, and make him let +Bawly go?" Sammie thought. Then he made up a plan. He crept softly to +one side, and he hid behind a stump. Then he took the two whistles and +he put them into his mouth. + +Next, the rabbit boy gathered up a whole lot of little stones in a pile. +And the next thing he did was to build a little fire out of dry sticks. +Then he hunted up an old tin can that had once held baked beans, but +which now didn't have anything in it. + +"Oh, I'll make that alligator wish he'd never caught Bawly!" exclaimed +Sammie, working very quickly, for the savage reptile was fast swimming +away with the frog boy. + +Sammie put the stones in the tin can, together with some water, and he +set the can on the fire to boil, and he knew the stones would get hot, +too, as well as the water. And, surely enough, soon the water in the can +was bubbling and the stones were very hot. + +Then Sammie took a long breath and he blew on those whistles, both at +the same time as hard as ever he could. Then he took some wet moss and +wrapped it around the hot can, so it wouldn't burn his paws, and he +tossed everything--hot water, hot stones, hot can and all--over into the +pond, close to where the alligator was. Then Sammie blew on the whistles +some more. "Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!" + +"Splash!" Into the water went the hot stones, hissing like snakes. + +"Buzz! Bubble! Fizz!" went the hot water all over the alligator. + +"Toot! Toot!" went the whistles which Sammie was blowing. + +"Skizz! Skizz!" went the hot fire-ashes that also fell into the pond. + +"Oh, it's a fire engine after me! It's a terrible fire engine after me! +It's spouting hot water and sparks on me!" cried the alligator, real +frightened like, and then he was so scared that he let go of Bawly, and +sank away down to the bottom of the pond to get out of the way of the +hot stones and the hot water and the hot sparks, and where he couldn't +hear the screechy whistles which he thought came from fire engines. And +Bawly swam safely to shore, and he thanked Sammie Littletail very kindly +for saving his life, and they went on a little farther and had a nice +game of tag together until supper time. + +So that's how the whistles that Bawly made did him a good service, and +next, if it stops raining long enough so the moon can come out without +getting wet, and go to the moving pictures, I'll tell you about Grandpa +Croaker and Uncle Wiggily Longears. + + + + +STORY XVII + +GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY + + +After the trick which Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, played on the +alligator, making him believe a fire engine was after him, it was some +time before Bully or Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, went near that pond +again, where the savage creature with the long tail lived, after he had +escaped from the circus. + +"Because it isn't safe to go near that water," said Bawly. + +"No, indeed," agreed his brother. "Some day we'll get a pump and pump +all the water out of the pond, and that will make the alligator go +away." + +Well, it was about a week after this that Grandpa Croaker, the old +gentleman frog, put on his best dress. Oh, dear me! Just listen to that, +would you! I mean he put on his best suit and started out, taking his +gold-headed cane with him. + +"Where are you going?" asked Mrs. No-Tail. + +"Oh! I think I'll go over and play a game of checkers with Uncle Wiggily +Longears," replied the old gentleman frog. "The last game we played he +won, but I think I can win this time." + +"Well, whatever you do, Grandpa," spoke Bully, "please don't go past the +pond where the bad alligator is." + +"No, indeed, for he might bite you," said Bawly, and their Grandpa +promised that he would be careful. + +Well, he went along through the woods, Grandpa Croaker did, and pretty +soon, after a while, not so very long, he came to where Uncle Wiggily +lived, with Sammie and Susie Littletail, and their papa and mamma and +Miss Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat nurse. But to-day only Uncle Wiggily +was home alone, for every one else had gone to the circus. + +So the old gentleman goat--I mean frog--and the old gentleman rabbit sat +down and played a game of checkers. And after they had played one game +they played another, and another still, for Uncle Wiggily won the first +game, and Grandpa Croaker won the second, and they wanted to see who +would win the third. + +Well, they were playing away, moving the red and black round checkers +back and forth on the red and black checker board, and they were talking +about the weather, and whether there'd be any more rain, and all things +like that, when, all of a sudden Uncle Wiggily heard a noise at the +window. + +"Hello! What's that?" he cried, looking up. + +"It sounded like some one breaking the glass," answered Grandpa Croaker. +"I hope it wasn't Bawly and Bully playing ball." + +Then he looked up, and he saw the same thing that Uncle Wiggily saw, and +the funny part of it was that Uncle Wiggily saw the same thing Grandpa +Croaker saw. And what do you think this was? + +Why it was that savage skillery, scalery alligator chap who had poked +his ugly nose right in through the window, breaking the glass! + +"Ha! What do you want here?" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he made his ears +wave back and forth like palm leaf fans, and twinkled his nose like two +stars on a frosty night. + +"Yes, get right away from here, if you please!" said Grandpa Croaker in +his deepest, hoarsest, rumbling, grumbling, thunder-voice. "Get away, we +want to play checkers." + +But he couldn't scare the alligator that way, and the first thing he and +Uncle Wiggily knew, that savage creature poked his nose still farther +into the room. + +"Oh, ho!" the alligator cried. "Checkers; eh? Now, do you know I am very +fond of checkers?" And with that, what did he do but put out his long +tongue, and with one sweep he licked up the red checkers and the black +checkers and the red and black squared checker board at one swallow, and +down his throat it went, like a sled going down hill. + +"Ah, ha!" exclaimed the alligator. "Those were very fine checkers. I +think I won that game!" he said, smiling a very big smile. + +"Yes, I guess you did," said Uncle Wiggily, sadly, as he looked for his +cornstalk crutch. When he had it he was just going to hop away, and +Grandpa Croaker was going with him, for they were afraid to stay there +any more, when the alligator suddenly cried: + +"Where are you going?" + +"Away," said Uncle Wiggily. + +"Far, far away," said Grandpa Croaker, for it made him sad to think of +all the nice red and black checkers, and the board also, being eaten up. + +"Oh, no! I think you are going to stay right here," snapped the +alligator. "You'll stay here, and as soon as I feel hungry again I'll +eat you." + +And with that the savage creature with the double-jointed tail put out +his claws, and in one claw he grabbed Uncle Wiggily and in the other he +caught Grandpa Croaker, and there he had them both. + +Now, it so happened that a little while before this, Bully and Bawly +No-Tail, the frog boys, had started out for a walk in the woods. + +"Dear me," said Bully, after a while, "do you know I am afraid that +something has happened to Grandpa Croaker." + +"What makes you think so?" asked his brother. + +"Because I think he went past the pond where the alligator was, and that +the bad creature got him." + +"Oh, I hope not," replied Bawly. "But let's walk along and see." So they +walked past the pond, and they saw that it was all calm and peaceful, +and they knew the alligator wasn't in it. + +So they kept on to Uncle Wiggily's house, thinking they would walk home +with Grandpa Croaker, and when they came to where the old gentleman +rabbit lived, they saw the alligator standing on his tail outside with +his head in through the window. + +"I knew it!" cried Bully. "I knew that alligator would be up to some +tricks! Perhaps he has already eaten Grandpa Croaker and Uncle Wiggily." + +Just then they heard both the old animal gentlemen squealing inside the +house, for the alligator was squeezing them. + +"They're alive! They're still alive!" cried Bawly. "We must save them!" + +"How?" asked Bully. + +"Let's build a fire under the alligator's tail," suggested Bawly. "He +can't see us, for his head is inside the room." + +So what did those two brave frog boys do but make a fire of leaves under +the alligator's long tail. And he was so surprised at feeling the heat, +that he turned suddenly around, dropped Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa +Croaker on the table cloth, and then, pulling his head out of the +window, he turned it over toward the fire, and he cried great big +alligator tears on the flames and put them out. Oh, what a lot of big +tears he cried. + +Then he tried to catch Bully and Bawly, but the frog boys hopped away, +and the alligator ran after them. Just then the man from the circus +came, with a long rope and caught the savage beast and put him back in +the cage and made him go to sleep, after he put some vaseline on his +burns. + +So that's how Bully and Bawly saved Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa Croaker, +by building a fire under the alligator's long tail. + +And in case some one sends me a nice ring for my finger, or thumb, with +a big orange in it instead of a diamond, I'll tell you next about Mrs. +No-Tail and Mrs. Longtail. + + + + +STORY XVIII + +MRS. N + + +"Now, boys," said Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, to Bully and Bawly one +day, as she put on her best bonnet and shawl and started out, "I hope +you will be good while I am away." + +"Where are you going, mamma?" asked Bully. + +"I am going over to call on Mrs. Longtail, the mouse," replied Mrs. +No-Tail. "She is the mother of the mice children, Jollie and Jillie +Longtail, you know, and she has been ill with mouse-trap fever. So I am +taking her some custard pie, and a bit of toasted cheese." + +"Oh, of course we'll be good," promised Bawly. "But if you don't come +home in time for supper, mamma, what shall we eat?" + +"I have made up a cold supper for you and your papa and Grandpa +Croaker," said Mrs. No-tail. "You will find it in the oven of the stove. +You may eat at 5 o'clock, but I think I'll be back before then." + +Poor Mrs. No-Tail didn't know what was going to happen to her, nor how +near she was to never coming home at all again. But there, wait, if you +please, I'll tell you all about it. + +Away hopped Mrs. No-Tail through the woods, carrying the custard pie and +the toasted cheese for Mrs. Longtail in a little basket. And when she +got there, I mean to the mouse house, she found the mouse lady home all +alone, for Jollie and Jillie and Squeaky-Eaky, the little cousin mouse, +had gone to a surprise party, given by Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrow +girl. + +"Oh, I'm so glad to see you," said Mrs. Longtail. "Come right in, if you +please, Mrs. No-Tail. I'll make you a cup of tea." + +"Oh, are you able to be about?" asked Bully's mamma. + +"Yes," replied Jollie's mamma. "I am much better, thank you. I am so +glad you brought me a custard pie. But now sit right down by the window, +where you can smell the flowers in the garden, and I'll make tea." + +Well in a little while, about forty-'leven seconds, Mrs. Longtail had +the tea made, and she and Mrs. No-Tail sat in the dining-room eating +it--I mean sipping it--for it was quite hot. And they were talking about +spring housecleaning, and about moths getting in the closets, and eating +up the blankets and the piano, and about whether there would be many +mosquitoes this year, after Bawly had killed such numbers of them with +his bean shooter. They talked of many other things, and finally Mrs. +Longtail said: + +"Let me get you another cup of tea, Mrs. No-Tail." + +So the lady mouse went out in the kitchen to get the tea off the stove, +and when she got there, what do you think she saw? Why, a great, big, +ugly, savage cat had, somehow or other, gotten into the room and there +he sat in front of the fire, washing his face, which was very dirty. + +"Oh, ho!" exclaimed the cat, blinking his yellow eyes, "I was wondering +whether anybody was at home here." + +"Yes, I am at home!" exclaimed the mouse lady, "and I want you to get +right out of my house, Mr. Cat." + +"Well," replied the cat, licking his whiskers with his red tongue, "I'm +not going! That's all there is to it. I am glad I found you at home, but +you are not going to be at home long." + +"Why not?" asked Mrs. Longtail, suspicious like. + +"Because," answered that bad cat, "I am going to eat you up, and I think +I'll start right in!" + +"Oh, don't!" begged Mrs. Longtail, as she tried to run back into the +dining-room, where Mrs. No-Tail was sitting. But the savage cat was too +quick for her, and in an instant he had her in his paws, and was glaring +at her with his yellowish-green eyes. + +"I don't know whether to eat you head first or tail first," said the +cat, as he looked at the poor mouse lady. "I must make up my mind before +I begin." + +Now while he was making up his mind Mrs. No-Tail sat in the other room, +wondering what kept Mrs. Longtail such a long time away, getting the +second cup of tea. + +"Perhaps I had better go and see what's keeping her," Mrs. No-Tail +thought. "She may have burned herself on the hot stove, or teapot." So +she went toward the kitchen, and there she saw a dreadful sight, for +there was that bad cat, holding poor Mrs. Longtail in his claws and +opening his mouth to eat her. + +"Oh, let me go! Please let me go!" the mouse lady begged. + +"No, I'll not," answered the cat, and once more he licked his whiskers +with his red tongue. + +"Oh, I must do something to that cat!" thought Mrs. No-Tail. "I must +make him let Mrs. Longtail go." + +So she thought and thought, and finally the frog lady saw a sprinkling +can hanging on a nail in the dining-room, where Mrs. Longtail kept it to +water the flowers with. + +"I think that will do," said Mrs. No-Tail. So she very quietly and +carefully took it off the nail, and then she went softly out of the +front door, and around to the side of the house to the rain-water +barrel, where she filled the watering can. Then she came back with it +into the house. + +"Now," she thought, "if I can only get up behind the cat and pour the +water on him, he'll think it's raining, and as cats don't like rain he +may run away, and let Mrs. Longtail go." + +So Mrs. No-Tail tip-toed out into the kitchen as quietly as she could, +for she didn't want the cat to see her. But the savage animal, who had +made his tail as big as a skyrocket, was getting ready to eat Mrs. +Longtail, and he was going to begin head first. So he didn't notice Mrs. +No-Tail. + +Up she went behind him, on her tippiest tiptoes, and she held the +watering can above his head. Then she tilted it up, and suddenly out +came the water--drip! drip! drip! splash! splash! + +Upon the cat's furry back it fell, and my, you should have seen how +surprised that cat was! + +"Why, it's raining in the house," he cried. "The roof must leak. The +water is coming in! Get a plumber! Get a plumber!" + +Then he gave a big jump, and bumped his head on the mantelpiece, and +this so startled him that he dropped Mrs. Longtail, and she scampered +off down in a deep, dark hole and hid safely away. Then the cat saw Mrs. +No-Tail pouring water from the can, and he knew he had been fooled. + +"Oh, I'll get you!" he cried, and he jumped at her, but the frog lady +threw the sprinkling can at the cat, and it went right over his head +like a bonnet, and frightened him so that he jumped out of the window +and ran away. And he didn't come back for a week or more. So that's how +Mrs. No-Tail saved Mrs. Longtail. + +Now in case the baker man doesn't take the front door bell away to put +it on the rag doll's carriage, I'll tell you next about Bawly and +Arabella Chick. + + + + +STORY XIX + +BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, had been kept in after school one day for +whispering. It was something he very seldom did in class, and I'm quite +surprised that he did it this time. + +You see, he was very anxious to play in a ball game, and when teacher +went to the blackboard to draw a picture of a cat, so the pupils could +spell the word better, Bawly leaned over and asked Sammie Littletail, +the rabbit boy, in a whisper: + +"Say, Sammie, will you have a game of ball after school?" + +Sammie shook his head "yes," but he didn't talk. And the lady mouse +teacher heard Bawly whispering, and she made him stay in. But he was +sorry for it, and promised not to do it again, and so he wasn't kept in +very late. + +Well, after a while the nice mouse teacher said Bawly could go, and soon +he was on his way home, and he was wondering if he would meet Sammie or +any of his friends, but he didn't, as they had hurried down to the +vacant lots, where the circus tents were being put up for a show. + +"Oh, my, how lonesome it is!" exclaimed Bawly. "I wish I had some one to +play with. I wonder where all the boys are?" + +"I don't know where they are," suddenly answered a voice, "but if you +like, Bawly, I will play house with you. I have my doll, and we can have +lots of fun." + +Bawly looked around, to make sure it wasn't a wolf or a bad owl trying +to fool him, and there he saw Arabella Chick, the little chicken girl, +standing by a big pie-plant. It wasn't a plant that pies grow on, you +understand, but the kind of plant that mamma makes pies from. + +"Don't you want to play house?" asked Arabella, kindly, of Bawly. + +"No--no thank you, I--I guess not," answered Bawly, bashfully standing +first on one leg, and then on the other. "I--er--that is--well, you know, +only girls play house," the frog boy said, for, though he liked Arabella +very much, he was afraid that if he played house with her some of his +friends might come along and laugh at him. + +"Some boys play house," answered the little chicken girl. "But no +matter. Perhaps you would like to come to the store with me." + +"What are you going to get?" asked Bawly, curious like. + +"Some kernels of corn for supper," answered Arabella, "and I also have a +penny to spend for myself. I am going to get some watercress candy, +and--" + +"Oh, I'll gladly come to the store with you," cried Bawly, real excited +like. "I'll go right along. I don't care very much about playing ball +with the boys. I'd rather go with you." + +"I'll give you some of my candy if you come," went on Arabella, who +didn't like to go alone. + +"I thought--that is, I hoped you would," spoke Bawly, shyly-like. Well, +the frog boy and the chicken girl went on to the store, and Arabella got +the corn, and also a penny's worth of nice candy flavored with +watercress, which is almost as good as spearmint gum. + +The two friends were walking along toward home, each one taking a bite +of candy now and then, and Bawly was carrying the basket of corn. He was +taking a nice bite off the stick of candy that Arabella held out to him, +and he was thinking how kind she was, when, all of a sudden the frog boy +stumbled and fell, and before he knew it the basket of corn slipped from +his paw, and into a pond of water it fell--ker-splash! + +"Oh dear!" cried Arabella. + +"Oh dear!" also cried Bawly. "Now I have gone and done it; haven't I?" + +"But--but I guess you didn't mean to," spoke Arabella, kindly. + +"No," replied Bawly, "I certainly did not. But perhaps I can get the +corn up for you. I'll reach down and try." + +So he stretched out on the bank of the pond, and reached his front leg +down into the water as far as it would go, but he couldn't touch the +corn, for it was scattered out of the basket, all over the floor, or +bottom, of the pond. + +"That will never do!" cried Bawly. "I guess I'll have to dive down for +that corn." + +"Dive down!" exclaimed Arabella. "Oh, if you dive down under water +you'll get all wet. Wait, and perhaps the water will all run out of the +pond and we can then get the corn." + +"Oh I don't mind the wet," replied the frog boy. "My clothes are made +purposely for that. I'm so sorry I spilled the corn." So into the water +Bawly popped, clothes and all, just as when you fall out of a boat, and +down to the bottom he went. But when he tried to pick up the corn he had +trouble. For the kernels were all wet and slippery and Bawly couldn't +very well hold his paw full of corn, and swim at the same time. So he +had to let go of the corn, and up he popped. + +"Oh!" cried Arabella, when she saw he didn't have any corn. "I'm so +sorry! What shall we do? We need the corn for supper." + +"I'll try again," promised Bawly, and he did, again and again, but still +he couldn't get any of the corn up from under the water. And he felt +badly, and so did Arabella, and even eating what they had left of the +candy didn't make them feel any better. + +"I tell you what it is!" cried Bawly, after he had tried forty-'leven +times to dive down after the corn, "what I need is something like an ash +sieve. Then I could scoop up the corn and water, and the water would run +out, and leave the corn there." + +"But you haven't any sieve," said Arabella, "and so you can never get +the corn, and we won't have any supper, and---- Oh, dear! Boo-hoo! +Hoo-boo!" + +"Oh, please don't cry," begged Bawly, who felt badly enough himself. +"Here, wait, I'll see if I can't drink all the water out of the pond, +and that will leave the ground dry so we can get the corn." + +Well, he tried, but, bless you, he couldn't begin to drink all the water +in the pond. And he didn't know what to do, until, all of a sudden, he +saw, coming along the road, Aunt Lettie, the nice old lady goat. And +what do you think she had? Why, a coffee strainer, that she had bought +at the five-and-ten-cent store. As soon as Bawly saw that strainer he +asked Aunt Lettie if he could take it. + +She said he could, and pretty soon down he dived under the water again, +and with the coffee strainer it was very easy to scoop up the corn from +the bottom of the pond, and soon Bawly got it all back again, and the +water hadn't hurt it a bit, only making it more tender and juicy for +cooking. + +And just as Bawly got up the last of the corn in the coffee strainer, +down swooped a big owl, and he tried to grab Bawly and Arabella and the +corn and sieve and Aunt Lettie, all at the same time. But the old lady +goat drove him away with her sharp horns, and then Bawly and Arabella +thanked her very kindly and went home, the frog boy carrying the corn he +had gotten up from the pond, and taking care not to spill it again. And +so every one was happy but the owl. + +Now in case the fish man doesn't paint the glass of the parlor windows +sky-blue pink, so I can't see Uncle Wiggily Longears when he rings the +door bell, I'll tell you next about Bully and Dottie Trot. + + + + +STORY XX + +BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. + + +One day Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the +woods, and he felt so very fine, and it was such a nice day, that, when +he came to a place where some flowers grew up near an old stump, nodding +their pretty heads in the wind, the frog boy sang a little song. + + "I love to skip and jump and hop, + I love to hear firecrackers pop, + I love to play + The whole long day, + I love to spin my humming top." + +That's what Bully sang, and if there had been a second, or a third, or a +forty-'leventh verse he would have sung that too, as he felt so good. +Well, after he had sung the one verse he hopped on some more, and pretty +soon he came to the place where the mouse lady lived, whose basket of +chips Bully had once picked up, when she hurt her foot on a thorn. I +guess you remember about that story. + +"Ah, how to you do, Bully?" asked the mouse lady, as the frog boy hopped +along. + +"Thank you, I am very well," he answered politely. "I hope you are +feeling pretty good." + +"Well," she made answer, "I might feel better. I have a little touch of +cat-and-mouse-trap fever, but I think if I stay in my hole and take +plenty of toasted cheese, I'll be better. But here is a nice sugar +cookie for you," and with that the nice mouse lady went to the cupboard, +got a cookie, and gave it to the frog boy. + +Bully ate it without getting a single crumb on the floor, which was very +good of him, and then, saving a piece of the cookie for his brother +Bawly, he hopped on, after bidding the mouse lady good-by and hoping +that she would soon be better. + +Along and along hopped Bully, and all of a sudden the big giant jumped +out of the bushes--Oh, excuse me, if you please! there is no giant in +this story. The giant went back to the circus, but I'll tell you a story +about him as soon as I may. As Bully was hopping along, all of a sudden +out from behind a bush there jumped a savage, ugly wolf, and he had +gotten out of his circus cage again, and was looking around for +something to eat. + +"Ah, ha! At last I have found something!" cried the wolf, as he made a +spring for Bully, and he caught the frog boy under his paws and held him +down to the earth, just like a cat catches a mouse. + +"Oh, let me go! Please let me go! You are squeezing the breath out of +me!" cried poor Bully. + +"Indeed I will not let you go!" replied the wolf, real unpleasant-like. +"I have been looking for something to eat all day and now that I've +found it I'm not going to let you go. No, indeed, and some horseradish +in a bottle besides." + +"Are you really going to eat me?" asked Bully, sorrowfully. + +"I certainly am," replied the wolf. "You just watch me. Oh, no, I +forgot. You can't see me eat you, but you can feel me, which is much the +same thing." + +Then the wolf sharpened his teeth on a sharpening stone, and he got +ready to eat up the frog boy. Now Bully didn't want to be eaten, and I +don't blame him a bit; do you? He wanted to go play ball, and have a lot +of fun with his friends, and he was thinking what a queer world this is, +where you can be happy and singing a song, and eating a sugar cookie one +minute, and the next minute be caught by a wolf. But that's the way it +generally is. + +Then, as Bully thought of how good the sugar cookie was he asked the +wolf: + +"Will you let me go for a piece of cookie, Mr. Wolf?" + +"Let me see the cookie," spoke the savage creature. + +So Bully reached in his pocket, and took out the piece of cookie that he +was saving for Bawly. He knew Bawly would only be too glad to have the +wolf take it, if he let his brother Bully go. + +But, would you ever believe it? That unpleasant and most extraordinary +wolf animal snatched the cookie from Bully's paw, ate it up with one +mouthful, and only smiled. + +"Well, now, are you going to let me go?" asked Bully. + +"No," said the wolf. "That cookie only made me more hungry. I guess I'll +eat you now, and then go look for your brother and eat him, too." + +"Oh, will no one save me?" cried Bully in despair, and just then he +heard a rustling in the bushes. He looked up and there he saw Dottie +Trot, the little pony girl. She waved her hoof at Bully, and then the +frog boy knew she would save him if she could. So he thought of a plan, +while Dottie, with her new red hair ribbon tied in a pink bow, hid in +the bushes, where the wolf couldn't see her, and waited. + +"Well, if you are going to eat me, Mr. Wolf," said Bully, most politely, +after a while, "will you grant me one favor before you do so?" + +"What is it?" asked the wolf, still sharpening his teeth. + +"Let me take one last hop before I die?" asked Bully. + +"Very well," answered the wolf. "One hop and only one, remember. And +don't think you can get away, for I can run faster than you can hop." + +Bully knew that, but he was thinking of Dottie Trot. So the wolf took +his paws off Bully, and the frog boy got ready to take a last big hop. +He looked over through the bushes, and saw the pony girl, and then he +gave a great, big, most tremendous and extraordinarily strenuous jump, +and landed right on Dottie's back! + +"Here we go!" cried the pony girl. "Here is where I save Bully No-Tail! +Good-by bad Mr. Wolf." And away she trotted as fast as the wind. + +"Here, come back with my supper! Come back with my supper!" cried the +disappointed wolf, and off he ran after Dottie, who had Bully safely on +her back. + +Faster and faster ran the wolf, but faster and faster ran Dottie, and no +wolf could ever catch her, no matter how fast he ran. And Dottie +galloped and trotted and cantered, and went on and on, and on, and the +wolf came after her, but he kept on being left farther and farther +behind, and at last Dottie was out of the woods, and she and Bully were +safe, for the wolf didn't dare go any nearer, for fear the circus men +would catch him. + +"Oh, thank you so much, Dottie, for saving me," said Bully. "I'll give +you this other piece of cookie I was saving for Bawly. He won't mind." + +So he gave it to Dottie, and she liked it very much indeed, and that +wolf was so angry and disappointed about not having any supper that he +bit his claw nails almost off, and went back into the woods, and +growled, and growled, and growled all night, worse than a buzzing +mosquito. + +But Bully and Dottie didn't care a bit and they went on home and they +met Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, who bought them an ice +cream soda flavored with carrots. + +Now in case my little bunny rabbit doesn't bite a hole in the back steps +so the milkman drops a bottle down it when he comes in the morning, I'll +tell you in the following story about Grandpa Croaker and Brighteyes +Pigg. + + + + +STORY XXI + +GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG + + +One nice warm day, right after he had eaten a breakfast of watercress +oatmeal, with sweet-flag-root-sugar and milk on it, Grandpa Croaker, the +nice old gentleman frog, started out for a hop around the woods near the +pond. And he took with him his cane with the crook on the handle, +hanging it over his paw. + +"Where are you going, Grandpa?" asked Bully No-Tail, as he and his +brother Bawly started for school. + +"Oh, I hardly know," said the old frog gentleman in his hoarsest, +deepest, thundering, croaking voice. "Perhaps I may meet with a fairy or +a big giant, or even the alligator bird." + +"The alligator isn't a bird, Grandpa," spoke Bawly. + +"Oh no, to be sure," agreed the old gentleman rabbit--I mean frog--"no +more it is. I was thinking of the Pelican. Well, anyhow I am going out +for a walk, and if you didn't have to go to school you could come with +me. But I'll take you next time, and we may go to the Wild West show +together." + +"Oh fine!" cried Bully, as he hopped away with his school books under +his front leg. + +"Oh fine and dandy!" exclaimed Bawly, as he looked in his spelling book +to see how to spell "cow." + +Well, the frog boys hopped on to school, and Grandpa Croaker hopped off +to the woods. He went on and on, and he was wondering what sort of an +adventure he would have, when he heard a little noise up in the trees. +He looked up through his glasses, and he saw Jennie Chipmunk there. + +She was a little late for school, but she was hurrying all she could. +She called "good morning" to Grandpa Croaker, and he tossed her up a +sugar cookie that he happened to have in his pocket. Wasn't he the nice +old Grandpa, though? Well, I just guess he was! + +So he went on a little farther, and pretty soon he came to the place +where Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg lived. Only Buddy wasn't at home, being +at school. But Brighteyes, the little guinea pig girl, was there in the +house, and she was suffering from the toothache, I'm sorry to say. + +Oh! the poor little guinea pig girl was in great pain, and that's why +she couldn't go to school. Her face was all tied up in a towel with a +bag of hot salt on it, but even that didn't seem to do any good. + +"Oh, I'm so sorry for you, Brighteyes!" exclaimed Grandpa. "Have you had +Dr. Possum? Where is your mamma?" + +"Mamma has gone to the doctor's now to get me something to stop the +pain," answered Brighteyes, "and to-morrow I am going to have the tooth +pulled. We tried mustard and cloves and all things like that but nothing +would stop the pain." + +"Perhaps if I tell you a little story it will make you forget it until +mamma comes with the doctor's medicine," suggested Grandpa, and then and +there he told Brighteyes a funny story about a little white rabbit that +lived in a garden and had carrots to eat, and it ate so many that its +white hair turned red and it looked too cute for anything, and then it +went to the circus. + +Well, the story made Brighteyes forget the pain for a time, but the +story couldn't last forever, and soon the pain came back. Then Grandpa +thought of something else. + +"Why are all the ladders, and boards, and cans, and brushes piled +outside your house?" he asked Brighteyes, for he had noticed them as he +came in. + +"Oh! we are having the house painted," said Brighteyes. + +"But where is the painter monkey?" asked Grandpa. "I didn't see him." + +"Oh! he forgot to bring some red paint to make the blinds green or blue +or some color like that," answered the little guinea pig girl, "so he +went home to get it. He'll be back soon." + +"Suppose you come outside and show me how he paints the house," +suggested Grandpa, thinking perhaps that might make Brighteyes forget +her pain. + +"Of course I will, Grandpa Croaker," said the little creature. "I know +just how he paints, for I watched him just before you came, and when I +saw him put on the bright colors it made me forget my toothache. Come, +I'll show you how he does it." + +So Brighteyes took Grandpa's paw, and led him outside where there were +ladders and scaffolds and pots of paint and lumps of putty, and spots of +bright colors all over, and lots of brushes, little and big, and more +putty and paint, and oh! I don't know what all. + +"Now this is how the painter monkey does it," said Brighteyes. "He takes +a brush, and he dips it in the paint pot, and then he lets some of the +loose paint fall off, and then he wiggles the brush up and down and +sideways and across the middle on the boards of the house, and--it's +painted." + +"I see," said Grandpa, and then, before he could stop her, Brighteyes +took one of the painter monkey's brushes, and dipped it into a pot of +the pink paint. And she leaned over too far, and the first thing you +know she fell right into that pink paint pot, clothes, toothache and +all! What do you think of that? + +"Oh! Oh! Oh!" she cried, as soon as she could get her breath. "This is +awful--terrible!" + +"It certainly is!" said Grandpa Croaker. "But never mind, Brighteyes. +I'll help you out. Don't cry." So he fished her out with his cane, and +he took some rags, and some turpentine, and he cleaned off the pink +paint as best he could, and then he took Brighteyes into the house, and +the little guinea pig girl put on clean clothes, and then she looked as +good as ever, except that there were some spots of pink paint on her +nose. + +"Never mind," said Grandpa, as he gave her a sugar cookie, and just then +Mrs. Pigg came back with the doctor's medicine. + +"Why--why!" exclaimed Brighteyes as she kissed her mother, "my toothache +has all stopped!" and, surely enough it had. I guess it got scared +because of the pink paint and went away. + +Anyhow the tooth didn't ache any more, and the next day Brighteyes went +to the dentist's and had it pulled. And the painter monkey didn't mind +about the paint that was spilled, and Mrs. Pigg didn't mind about +Brighteyes's dress being spoiled, and they all thought Grandpa Croaker +was as kind as he could be, and he didn't mind because his cane was +colored pink, where he fished out the little guinea pig girl with it. So +everybody was happy. + +Now in case our cat doesn't fall into the red paint pot and then go to +sleep on my typewriter paper and make it look blue, I'll tell you next +about Papa No-Tail and Nannie Goat. + + + + +STORY XXII + +PAPA N + + +One morning, bright and early, Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, started +for the wallpaper factory where he worked at making patterns on the +paper by dipping his feet in the different colored inks and jumping up +and down. And when he got there he saw, standing outside the factory, +the man who made the engines go, and this man said: + +"There is no work to-day for you, Mr. No-Tail." + +"Ah ha! What is the matter?" asked Bully's papa. + +"That bad Pelican bird came again in the night and chewed up all the +ink," said the engine man. "So you may have a vacation until we get some +more ink." + +"This is very unexpected--very," spoke Papa No-Tail. "But I will enjoy +myself. I'll go take a nice long hop, and perhaps I will see something I +can bring home to Bully and Bawly." So off he started, and he had no +more idea what was going to happen to him than you have what you're +going to get for next Christmas. + +Papa No-Tail was hopping along, thinking what a fine day it was when, +all of a sudden, he came to a place in the woods where there were some +nice flowers. + +"Ha! I will take these home to my wife," thought Mr. No-Tail, as he +picked the pretty blossoms. Then he hopped on some more, and he came to +a place where there were some nice round stones, as white as milk. + +"Ah! I will take these home for Bully and Bawly to play marbles with," +said the frog papa. Then he hopped on a little farther and he came to a +place in the woods where was growing a nice big stick with a crooked +handle. + +"Ho! I will take that home to Grandpa Croaker for a cane that he can use +when he gets tired of carrying the one with the pink paint on it," spoke +Mr. No-Tail, and he pulled up the cane-stick, and went on with that and +the flowers and the round white stones, as white as molasses--Oh, there I +go again! I mean milk, of course. + +Well, it was still quite early, and as he hopped along through the woods +Papa No-Tail heard the school bell ring to call the boy and girl animals +to their classes. + +"I hope Bully and Bawly are not late," thought their father. "When one +goes to school one must be on time, and always try to have one's +lessons." Still he felt pretty sure that his two little boys were on +time, for they were usually very good. + +On hopped Mr. No-Tail, wishing he could see the bad Pelican bird, and +make him give up the wallpaper-printing ink, when all of a sudden, as +quickly as you can tie your shoe lace, or your hair ribbon, Papa No-Tail +heard a great crashing in the bushes, and then he heard a growling and +then presto-changeo! out popped Nannie Goat, and after her came running +a black, savage bear! Oh, he was a most unpleasant fellow, that bear +was, with a long, red tongue, and long, sharp, white teeth, and long +claws, bigger than a cat's claws, and he had shaggy fur like an +automobile coat. + +"Oh! Oh! Oh! Stop! Stop! Stop! Don't catch me! Don't catch me! Don't +catch me!" cried Nannie, the goat girl, running on and crashing through +the bushes. But the bear never minded. On he came, right after Nannie, +for he wanted to catch and eat her. You see he used to be in a cage in a +big animal park, but he got loose and he was now very hungry, for no one +had fed him in some time. + +Well, Papa No-Tail was so surprised that, for a moment, he didn't know +what to do. He just sat still under a big cabbage leaf, and looked at +the bear chasing after Nannie. + +"Oh, will no one save me?" cried the poor little goat girl. "Will no one +save me from this savage bear?" + +"No; no one will save you," answered the shaggy creature, as he cleaned +his white teeth with his red tongue for a brush. "I am going to eat you +up." + +"No, you are not!" cried Papa No-Tail, boldly. + +"Ha! Who says I am not going to eat her?" asked the bear, surly-like. + +"I do!" went on Papa No-Tail, hopping a bit nearer. "You shall never eat +her as long as I am alive!" + +"And who are you, if I may be so bold as to ask," went on the bear, +stopping so he could laugh. + +"I am the brave Mr. No-Tail, who works in the wallpaper factory, but I +can't work to-day as the bad Pelican bird took the ink," replied Bully's +and Bawly's papa. + +"Oh, fiddlesticks!" cried the bear, real impolite-like. "Now, just for +that I will eat you both!" He made a rush for Nannie, but with a scream +she gave a big jump, and then something terrible happened. For she +jumped right into a sand bank, which she didn't notice, and there she +stuck fast by her horns, which jabbed right into the hard sand and dirt. +There she was held fast, and the bear, seeing her, called out: + +"Now I can get you without any trouble. You can't get away from me, so +I'll just eat this frog gentleman first." + +Oh, but that bear was savage, and hungry, and several other kinds of +unpleasant things. He made a big jump for the frog, but what do you +think Bully's papa did? Why he took the bunch of flowers, and he tickled +that bear so tickily-ickly under the chin, that the bear first sneezed, +and then he laughed and as Papa No-Tail kept on tickling him, that bear +just had to sit down and laugh and sneeze at the same time, and he +couldn't chase even a snail. + +"Now for the next act!" bravely cried Mr. No-Tail, and with that he took +the stick he intended for Grandpa Croaker's cane, and put it under the +bear's legs, and he twisted the stick, Papa No-Tail did, and the first +thing that bear knew he had been tripped up and turned over just like a +pancake, and he fell on his nose and bumped it real hard. + +Then, before he could get up, Papa No-Tail pelted him with the round +stones as white as milk, and the bear thought it was snowing and +hailing, and he was as frightened as anything, and as soon as he could +get up, away he ran through the woods, crying big, salty bear tears. + +"Oh, I'm so glad you drove that bear away! You are very brave, Mr. +No-Tail," said Nannie Goat. "But how am I to get loose in time to get to +school without being late?" For she was still fast by her horns in the +sand bank. + +"Never fear, leave it to me," said Papa No-Tail. So Nannie never feared, +and Papa No-Tail tried to pull her horns out of the sand bank, but he +couldn't, because the ground was too hard. So what did he do but go to +the pond, and get some water in his hat, and he threw the water on the +sand, and made it soft, like mud pies, and then Nannie could pull out +her own horns. + +After thanking Mr. No-Tail she ran on to school, and got there just as +the last bell rang, and wasn't late. And the teacher and all the pupils +were very much surprised when Nannie told them what had happened. Bully +and Bawly were afraid the bear might come back and hurt their papa, but +nothing like that happened I'm glad to say. + +Now in case the tea kettle doesn't sing a funny song and waken the white +rabbit with the pink eyes that's in a cage out in our yard, I'll tell +you to-morrow night about Mamma No-Tail and Nellie Chip-Chip. + + + + +STORY XXIII + +MRS. N + + +Nellie Chip-Chip, the little sparrow girl, flew along over the trees +after school was out, with a box of chocolate under her wing. And under +her other wing was a purse, with some money in it that rattled like +sleigh bells. + +"What are you going to do with that chocolate?" asked Bully No-Tail, the +frog boy, as he and his brother, who were hopping to a ball game, +happened to see Nellie. + +"Oh, I guess she's going to eat it," said Bawly. "If you want us to help +you, we will, won't we, Bully?" he added. + +"Sure," said Bully, hungry like. + +"Oh, indeed, that's very kind of you boys," replied Nellie, politely, +"but you see I'm not eating this chocolate. I am selling it for our +school. We want to get some nice pictures to put in the rooms, and so +I'm trying to help get the money to buy them by selling cakes of +chocolate." + +"Ha! That's a good idea," said Bully. "Say, Nellie, if you go to our +house maybe our mamma will buy some chocolate." + +"I'll fly right over there," declared the little sparrow girl, "for I +want very much to sell my chocolate, and, so far, very few persons have +bought any of me." + +"I guess our mamma will," said Bawly, and, then when Nellie had flown on +with her chocolate, Bawly winked both his eyes and spoke thusly: "Say, +Bully, if mamma buys the chocolate from Nellie I guess she'll give us +some." + +"I hope so," replied his brother, and then they went on to the ball game +and had a good time. Well, as I was telling you, Nellie flew over to +Mrs. No-Tail's house, and knocked at the door with her little bill. + +"Don't you want to buy some chocolate so I can make money to get +pictures for our school?" the sparrow girl politely asked. + +"Indeed I do," replied Mrs. No-Tail. "I just need some chocolate for a +cake I'm baking. And if you would like to come in, and help me make the +cake, and put the chocolate on, I'll give you some, and you can take a +piece home to Dickie." + +"Indeed, I'll be very glad to help," said Nellie, so she went in the +house, and Mrs. No-Tail paid her for some of the chocolate, and then +Nellie took off her hat, and put on an apron, and she helped make the +cake. + +Oh, it was a most delicious one! with about forty-'leven layers, and +chocolate between each one, and then on top! Oh, it just makes me hungry +even to typewrite about it! Why the chocolate on top of that cake was as +thick as a board, and then on top of the chocolate was sprinkled +cocoanut until you would have thought there had been a snow storm! Talk +about a delicious cake! Oh, dear me! Well, I just don't dare write any +more about it, for it makes me so impatient. + +"Now," said Mrs. No-Tail, after the baking was over, "we'll just set the +cake on the table by the open window to cool, Nellie, and we'll wash up +the dishes." + +So they were working away, talking of different things, and Nellie was a +great help to Mrs. No-Tail. Every once in a while, however, Nellie would +look over to the cake, because it was so nice she just couldn't keep her +eyes away from it. She was just wishing it was time for her to have some +to take home, but it wasn't, quite yet. + +Well, all of a sudden, when Nellie looked over for about the +twenty-two-thirteenth time, she saw that all the chocolate was gone from +the top of the cake. All the chocolate and the cocoanut was missing. + +"Oh! Oh!" cried the little sparrow girl. + +"What's the matter?" asked Mrs. No-Tail quickly. + +"Look!" exclaimed Nellie, pointing to the cake. + +"Well, of all things!" cried Mrs. No-Tail. "That chocolate must have +disappeared. It must have gone up like a balloon. I will have to buy +some more of you, and put that on." Then she went over and looked at the +cake, and she wondered at the queer scratches in the top, just as if a +cat had clawed off the chocolate. But there were no cats around. + +So Mrs. No-Tail and Nellie put more chocolate and cocoanut on the cake, +and they went on washing up the dishes, and pretty soon, not so very +long, in a little while Nellie looked at the cake again. And, would you +believe me, the chocolate was all off once more. + +"This is very strange," said Mrs. No-Tail. "That must be queer chocolate +to disappear that way. Perhaps a fairy is taking it." + +"Maybe Bully and Bawly are doing it for a joke," said Nellie. So she and +Mrs. No-Tail looked from the window but they could see no one, not even +a fairy, and, anyhow, Mrs. No-Tail knew the boys wouldn't be so impolite +as to do such a thing. + +"It is very strange," said the frog boys' mamma. "But we will put the +chocolate and cocoanut on once more, and then we'll watch to see who +takes it." + +So they did, making the cake even better than before. Oh, with such +thick chocolate and cocoanut on! and then they hid down behind the +stove, and watched the window. + +Pretty soon a big, shaggy paw, with long, sharp claws on it, was put in +the open window, and the paw went right on top of the cake, and scraped +off some of the chocolate and cocoanut. + +"Ah! Yum-yum! That is most delicious!" exclaimed a grumbling, rumbling +voice, and the paw, all covered with the cake chocolate, just as a +lollypop stick is covered with candy, went out of the window, and the +paw was all cleaned off somehow, when it came back again. More chocolate +was then scraped off the cake by those sharp claws. + +"Oh, ho! This is simply scrumptious!" went on the voice, as the paw was +pulled back. Then a third time it came, and scraped off what was left of +the chocolate and cocoanut. + +"Oh, how perfectly delightful and proper this sweet stuff is!" cried the +voice. "I wish there was more!" + +Then a great, big, shaggy, ugly bear, the same one that once chased +Nannie Goat, stuck his head in the window. + +"Oh, did you scrape the chocolate off my cake?" asked Mrs. No-Tail. + +"I did," the bear said, "have you any more?" + +"No, indeed," she answered. "But you are a bold, bad creature, and if +you don't get away from here I'll have you arrested." + +"I am not a bit afraid," answered the bear impolitely, "and as there is +no more chocolate I'll take the cake." + +Well, he was just reaching for it with his sharp clawy-paws, and Mrs. +No-Tail and Nellie were very much frightened, fearing the beast would +get them. But just then a man's voice cried out: + +"Ah, ha! You bad animal! So I've caught you, have I? And you are up to +your tricks as usual! Now you come with me!" And who should appear but +the man from the animal park where the bear once lived. And he had a +whip and a rope, and he tied the rope around the bear's neck and whipped +him for being so bad, and took him back to his cage. And Mrs. No-Tail +and Nellie were very glad. And I guess you'd be also. Eh? + +There was some chocolate left, and some cocoanut, and soon the cake was +even better than before, and Nellie had sold all her chocolate to Mrs. +No-Tail, and she could buy lots of pictures for the school. And Nellie +took home a big piece of the cake for Dickie, her brother, and of course +some for herself. So it all came out right after all, and that bear was +very sorry for what he did. + +Now, in the story after this one, if the fish we're going to have for +supper doesn't swim away with my new soft hat and get it all wet, I'll +tell you about Bully No-Tail and Alice Wibblewobble. + + + + +STORY XXIV + +BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE + + +"Bully," said the frog boy's mamma to him one Saturday morning, when +there wasn't any school, "I wish you would go on an errand for me." + +"Of course I will, mother," he said. "Do you want me to go to the store +for some lemons, or some sugar?" + +"Neither one, Bully. I wish you would go to Mrs. Wibblewobble's house +and tell the nice duck lady I can't come over to-day to help her sew +carpet rags, and piece-out the bedquilt. I have to put away the winter +flannels so the moths won't get in them, and then, too, it is so rainy +and foggy that we couldn't see to sew carpet rags very well. Tell her +I'll be over the first pleasant day." + +"Very well," answered Bully, "and may I stay a while and play with +Jimmie Wibblewobble?" + +"You may," said his mother, and off Bully hopped all alone, for his +brother Bawly had gone fishing. + +It was a very unpleasant day for any one except ducks or frogs. For +sometimes it rained, and when it wasn't rainy it was misty, and moisty, +and foggy. And it was wet all over. The water dripped down off the trees +and bushes, and even the ponds and little brooks were wetter than usual, +for the rain rained into them, and splished and splashed. + +But Bully didn't mind, not in the least. Away he hopped in his rubber +suit, that water couldn't hurt, and he felt very fine. Soon he was at +Mrs. Wibblewobble's house, and he delivered the message his mother had +given him. + +"And now I'll go play with Jimmie," said Bully. "Where is he, and where +are Lulu and Alice, Mrs. Wibblewobble?" + +"Oh! the girls went over to see Grandfather Goosey Gander," replied +their mamma. "As for Jimmie, you'll find him out somewhere on the pond. +But be careful you don't get lost, for the fog is very thick to-day." + +"I should think it was," replied Bully as he hopped away, "it's almost +as thick as molasses." Well, pretty soon he came to the edge of the +pond, and in he plumped, and began swimming about. + +"Jimmie! Hey, Jimmie! Where are you, Jimmie?" he called. + +"Over here, making a water wheel," answered the boy duck, and though the +frog chap couldn't see him, he could tell, by Jimmie's voice, where he +was, and soon he had hopped to the right place. + +Well, Bully and Jimmie had a fine time, making the water wheel, that +went splash-splash around in the water. And when they became tired of +playing that, they played water-tag with the water-spiders, and then +they played hop-skip-and-jump, at which game Bully was very good. + +"Now let's go up to the house," proposed Jimmie, "and I'm sure mother +will give us some cornmeal sandwiches with jam and bread and butter on." + +Off they went through the fog, and it was now so thick that they +couldn't see their way, and by mistake they went to the barn instead of +the house. I don't know what they would have done, only just then along +came Old Percival, the circus dog, and he could smell his way through +the misty fog up to the house. Maybe he could smell the sandwiches, with +jam and bread and butter on. I don't know, but anyhow Mrs. Wibblewobble +gave him one when she made some for Bully and Jimmie. + +Well, now I'm coming to the Alice part of the story. As Jimmie and Bully +were eating their sandwiches on the back porch, not minding the rain in +the least, all at once Lulu Wibblewobble came waddling along. As soon as +she got to the steps she called out: + +"Oh, is Alice home yet?" + +"Alice home?" exclaimed Mrs. Wibblewobble. "Why, didn't she come from +Grandfather Goosey Gander's house with you?" + +"No, she started on ahead, some time ago," said Lulu. "She said she +wanted to put on her new hair ribbon for dinner. She ought to have been +here some time ago. Are you sure she isn't here?" + +"No, she isn't," answered Jimmie. "She must be lost in the fog!" + +"Oh, dear! That's exactly what has happened!" cried the mamma duck. "Oh, +this dreadful fog! What shall I do?" + +"Don't worry, Mrs. Wibblewobble," spoke Bully. "Jimmie and I will go and +hunt her. We can find her in the fog." + +"Oh, you may get lost yourselves!" said the duck lady. "It's bad enough +as it is, but that would be dreadful. Oh, what shall I do?" + +"I'll tell you," said Lulu. "We'll all hunt for her, and so that we will +not become lost in the fog, we'll tie several strings to our house, and +then each of us will keep hold of one string, and when we go off in the +fog we can follow the string back again, and we won't get lost." + +"That's a good idea!" cried Bully, and they all thought it was. So they +each tied a long string to the front porch rail, and, keeping hold of +the other end, started off in the fog, Mrs. Wibblewobble, Jimmie, Bully +and Lulu. Off into the fog they went, and the white mist was now thicker +than ever; thicker than molasses, I guess. + +Mrs. Wibblewobble looked one way, and Jimmie another, and Lulu another, +and Bully still another. And for a long time neither one of them could +find Alice. + +"I'm going to call out loud, and perhaps she'll hear me," said Bully. +"She probably wandered off on the wrong path coming from Grandfather +Goosey Gander's house." So he cried as loudly as he could: "Alice! +Alice! Where are you, Alice?" + +"Oh, here I am!" the duck girl suddenly cried, though Bully couldn't see +her on account of the fog. "Oh, I'm so glad you came to find me, for +I've been lost a long time." + +"Walk right over this way!" called Bully, "and I'll take you home by the +string. Come over here!" + +"Yes, come over here!" called another voice, and Bully looked and what +should he see but a savage alligator, hiding in the fog, with his mouth +wide open. The alligator hoped Alice would, by mistake, walk right into +his mouth so he could eat her. And he kept calling right after Bully, +and poor Alice got so confused with the two of them shouting that she +didn't know what to do. + +Bully was afraid the alligator would get her, so what did he do but take +up a big stone, and, hiding in the fog, he threw the rock into the +alligator's mouth. + +"There! Chew on that!" called Bully, and the alligator was so angry that +he crawled right away, taking his scaly, double-jointed tail with him. + +Then Bully called again, and this time Alice found where he was in the +fog, and she waddled up to him, and she wasn't lost any more, and Bully +took her home by following the string. Then the fog blew away and they +were all happy, and had some more jam sandwiches. + +Now, in case it doesn't rain and wet my new umbrella so that the pussy +cat can go to school, and learn how to make a mouse trap, I'll tell you +next about Bawly No-Tail and Lulu Wibblewobble. + + + + +STORY XXV + +BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along one day whistling a +little tune about a yellow-spotted doggie, who found a juicy bone, and +sold it to a ragman for a penny ice cream cone. After the little frog +boy had finished his song he hopped into a pond of water and swam about, +standing on his head and wiggling his toes in the air, just as when the +boys go in bathing. + +Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly bounced up out of the water +to catch his breath, which nearly ran away from him down to the +five-and-ten-cent-store--when Bawly bounced up, I say, who should he see +but Lulu Wibblewobble, the duck girl, swimming around on the pond. + +"Hello, Lulu!" called Bawly. + +"Hello!" answered Lulu. "Come on, Bawly, let's see who can throw a stone +the farthest; you or I." + +"Oh, pooh!" cried the frog boy. "I can, of course. You're only a girl." + +Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly and Lulu were out on the +shore of the pond and had thrown their stones, Lulu's went ever so much +farther than did Bawly's. Oh! she was a good thrower, Lulu was! + +"Well, anyhow, I can beat you jumping!" cried Bawly. "Now, let's try +that game." + +So they tried that, and, of course, Bawly won, being a very good jumper. +He jumped over two stones, three sticks, a little black ant and also a +big one, a hump of dirt, two flies and a grain of sand. And, as for +Lulu, she only jumped over a brown leaf, a bit of straw, part of a stone +and a little fuzzy bug. + +"Now we're even," said Bawly, who felt good-natured again. "Let's go for +a walk in the woods and we'll get some wild flowers and maybe something +will happen. Who knows?" + +"Who knows?" agreed Lulu. So off they started together, talking about +the weather and ice cream cones and Fourth of July and all things like +that. For it was Saturday, you see, and there was no school. + +Well, pretty soon, in a little while, not so very long, as Bawly was +hopping, and Lulu was wobbling along, they heard a noise in the bushes. +Now, of course, when you're in the woods there is always likely to be a +noise in the bushes. Sometimes it's made by a fairy, and sometimes by a +giant and sometimes by a squirrel or a rabbit, or a doggie, or a kittie, +and sometimes only by the wind blowing in the treetops. And you can +never tell what makes the noise until you look. So Bawly and Lulu looked +to see what made the noise in the bushes. + +"Maybe it's a giant!" exclaimed Lulu. + +"Maybe it's a fairy," said Bawly, and they looked and looked and pretty +soon, in a jiffy, out came a man--just a plain, ordinary man. + +"Oh, me!" cried Bawly. + +"Oh, my!" exclaimed Lulu. + +Then they both started to run away, for they were afraid they might be +hurt. But the man saw them going off, and he called after them. + +"Oh, pray don't be frightened, little ones. I wouldn't hurt you for the +world. I was just looking for a frog and a duck, and here you are." + +"Are--are you going to eat us?" asked Bawly, blinking his eyes. + +"No, indeed," replied the man, kindly. + +"Are you going to carry us away in a bag?" asked Lulu, wiggling her +feet. + +"Oh, never, never, never!" cried the man, quickly. "I will put you in my +pockets if you will let me, and I will do a funny trick with you." + +"A trick?" asked Bawly, for he was very fond of them. "What kind?" + +"A good trick," replied the man. "You see, I am a magician in a +show--that is I do all sorts of funny tricks, such as making a rabbit +come out of a hat, or shutting a pig up in a box and changing it to a +bird, and making a boy or girl disappear. + +"I also do tricks with ducks and frogs, but the other day the pet frog +and duck which I have got sick, and I can't do any more tricks with them +until they are better. But if you would come with me, I could do some +tricks with you in the show, and I wouldn't hurt you a bit, and I'd give +you each ten cents, and you could have a nice time. Will you come with +me? I took a walk out in the woods specially to-day, hoping I could find +a new duck or frog to use in my tricks." + +Well, Lulu and Bawly thought about it, and as the man looked very kind +they decided to go with him. So he put Lulu in one of his big pockets +and Bawly in the other, and off he started through the woods. + +And pretty soon he came to the place where he did the tricks. It was a +big building, and there was a whole crowd of people there waiting for +the magician--men and women and boys and girls. + +"Now, don't be afraid, Bawly and Lulu," said the man kindly, for he +could talk duck and frog language. "No one will hurt you." + +So he put Bawly and Lulu down on a soft table, where the people couldn't +see them, and then that man did the most surprising and extraordinary +tricks. He made fire come out of a pail of water, and he opened a box, +and there was nothing in it, and he opened it again, and there was a +rabbit in it. Then he took a man's hat, and he said: + +"Now, there is nothing in his hat but in a moment I am going to make a +little frog come in it. Watch me closely." + +Well, of course, the people hardly believed him, but what do you think +that man did? Why, he took the hat and turned around, and when nobody +was looking he slipped Bawly off from the table and put him inside +it--inside the hat, I mean, and then the magician said: + +"Presto-changeo! Froggie! Froggie! Come into the hat!" + +Then he put his hand in, and lifted out Bawly, who made a polite little +bow, and the frog wasn't a bit afraid. And, my! How those people did +clap their hands and stamp their feet! + +"Now if some lady will lend me her handbag, I'll make a duck come in +it," said the magician. So a lady in the audience gave him her handbag, +and after the magician had taken out ten handkerchiefs, and a purse with +no money in it, and a looking-glass, and some feathers all done up in a +puff ball, and some peppermint candies, and two postage stamps and some +chewing gum and five keys, why he went back on the stage. And as quick +as a wink, when no one was looking, with his back to the people, he +slipped Lulu Wibblewobble into the empty handbag, and she kept very +quiet for she didn't want to spoil the trick. + +And then the magician turned to the audience, and he said: + +"Behold! Behold!" and he lifted out the duck girl. Oh my! how those +people did clap; and the lady that owned the handbag was as surprised as +anything. Then the man did lots more tricks, and he called a boy, and +told him to take Lulu and Bawly back home, after he had given them each +ten cents. For his regular trick duck and frog were all well again, and +he could do magic with them. So that's how Lulu and Bawly were in a +magical show, and they told all their friends about it and everyone was +so surprised that they said: "Oh! Oh! Oh!" more than forty-'leven times. + +And next, if our new kitten, whose name is Peter, doesn't fall into a +basket of soap bubbles and wet his tail so he can't go to the moving +picture show, I'll tell you about Bully No-Tail and Kittie Kat. + + + + +STORY XXVI + +BULLY N + + +"Bully, what are you doing?" the frog boy's mother called to him one +day, as she heard him making a funny noise. + +"Oh, mother, I am just counting to see how many marbles I have," he +answered. + +"Well, would you mind going to the store for me?" asked Mrs. No-Tail. "I +was going to make a cake, but I find I have no cocoanut to put on top." + +"Oh, indeed, I'll go for you, mother, right away!" cried Bully, quickly, +for he was very fond of cocoanut cake. But I guess he would have gone to +the store anyhow, even if his mamma had only wanted vinegar, or lemons, +or a yeast cake. + +So off he started, whistling a little tune about a fuzzy-wuzzy pussy +cat, who drank a lot of milk and had a crinkly Sunday dress, made out of +yellow silk. + +"Well, I feel better after that!" exclaimed Bully, as he hopped along, +sailing high in the air, above the clouds. Oh, there I go again! I was +thinking of Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow. No, Bully hopped along on the +ground, and pretty soon he came to the store and bought the cocoanut for +the cake. + +He was hopping home, hoping his mamma would give him and his brother +Bawly some of the cake when it was baked, when, just as he came near a +pond of water he heard some one crying. Oh, such a sad, pitiful cry as +it was, and at first Bully thought it might be some bad wolf, or fox, or +owl, crying because it hadn't any dinner, and didn't see anything to +catch to eat for supper. + +"I must look out that they don't catch me," thought Bully, and he took +tight hold of the cocoanut, and peeked through the bushes. And what did +he see but poor Kittie Kat--you remember her, I dare say; she was a +sister to Joie and Tommie Kat--there was Kittie Kat, crying as if her +heart would break, and right in front of her was a savage fox, wiggling +his bushy tail to and fro, and snapping his cruel jaws and sharp teeth. + +"Now I've caught you!" cried the fox. "I've been waiting a good while, +but I have you now." + +"Yes, I--I guess you have," said poor Kittie, for the fox had hold of the +handle of a little basket that Kittie was carrying, and wouldn't let go. +In the basket was a nice cornmeal pie that Kittie was taking to +Grandfather Goosey Gander, when the fox caught her. "Will you please let +me go?" begged poor Kittie Kat. + +"No," replied the bad fox. "I'm going to eat you up--all up!" + +Well, Kittie cried harder than ever at that, but she still kept hold of +the basket with the cornmeal pie in it, and the fox also had hold of it. +And Bully was hiding behind the bushes where neither of them could see +him--hiding and waiting. + +"Oh, I must save Kittie from that fox!" he thought. "How can I do it?" + +So Bully thought and thought, and thought of a plan. Then he leaned +forward and whispered in Kittie's ear, so low that the fox couldn't hear +him: + +"Let go of the basket, Kittie," he told her, "and then give a big jump +and run up a tree." + +Well, Kittie was quite surprised to hear Bully whispering out of the +bushes to her, for she didn't know that he was around, but she did as he +told her to. She suddenly let go of the basket handle, and the fox was +so surprised that he nearly fell over sideways. And before he could +straighten himself up Kittie Kat jumped back, and up a tree she +scrambled before you could shake a stick at her, even if you wanted to. +You see, she never thought of going up a tree until Bully told her to. + +"Here! You come back!" cried the fox, real surprised like. + +"Tell him you are not going to," whispered Bully, and that's what Kittie +called to the fox from up in the tree, for, you see, he couldn't climb +up to her, and he still had hold of her basket. + +"If you don't come down I'll throw this basket of yours in the water!" +threatened the bad fox, gnashing his teeth. + +"Oh, I don't want him to do that!" said Kittie. + +"Never mind, perhaps he won't," suggested Bully. "Wait and see." + +"Are you coming down and let me eat you?" asked the fox of the little +kitten girl, for the savage animal did not yet know that Bully was +hiding there. "Are you coming down, I ask you?" + +"No, indeed!" exclaimed Kittie. + +"Then here goes the basket!" cried the fox, and, just to be mean he +threw the nice basket, containing the cornmeal pudding--I mean pie--into +the pond of water. + +"Oh! Oh! Oh dear!" cried Kittie Kat. "What will Grandfather Goosey +Gander do now?" + +"Never mind, I'll get it for you, as I don't mind water in the least," +spoke Bully, bravely. + +So he started to hop out, to jump into the water to save the kittie +girl's basket, for he knew the fox wouldn't dare go in the pond after +him, as the fox doesn't like to wet his feet and catch cold. + +Well, Bully was just about to hop into the pond, when he happened to +think of the package of cocoanut his mamma had sent him to get at the +store. + +"Oh, dear! I never can get that wet in the water or it will be spoiled!" +he thought. "What can I do? If I leave it on the shore here while I go +after Kittie's basket the fox will eat it, and we'll have no cake. I +guess I'm in trouble, all right, for I must get the basket." + +Well, he didn't know what to do, and the fox was just sneaking up to eat +him when Kittie Kat cried out: + +"Oh, be careful, Bully. Jump! Jump into the water so the fox can't get +you!" + +"What about the cocoanut?" asked Bully. + +"Here, give it to me, and I'll hold it," said Kittie, and she reached +down with her sharp claws, and hooked them into the pink string around +the package of cocoanut and pulled it up on the tree branch where she +sat, and then the fox couldn't get it. And oh! how disappointed he was +and how he did gnash his teeth. + +And then, before he could grab Bully and eat him up, the frog boy leaped +into the pond and swam out and got Kittie's basket and the cornmeal pie +before it sank. And then Bully swam to a floating log, and crawled out +on it with the basket, which wasn't harmed in the least, nor was the +pie, either. + +And the fox sat upon the shore of the pond, and first he looked at +Bully, and wished he could eat him, and then he looked at Kittie, and he +wished he could eat her, and then he looked at the cocoanut, which +Kittie held in her claws, and he couldn't eat that, and he couldn't eat +the cornmeal pie--in fact, he had nothing to eat. + +Then, all of a sudden, along came Percival, the kind old circus dog, and +he barked at that fox, and nipped his tail and the fox ran away, and +Kittie and Bully were then safe. Bully came off the log, and Kittie came +down out of the tree and they both went on home after thanking Percival +most kindly. + +Now, in case my little girl's tricycle doesn't roll down hill and bunk +into the peanut man and make him spill his ice cream, I'll tell you next +about Bawly helping his teacher. + + + + +STORY XXVII + +HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER + + +It was quite warm in the schoolroom one day, and the teacher of the +animal children, who was a nice young lady robin, had all the windows +open. But even then it was still warm, and the pupils, including Bully +and Bawly No-Tail, the frog boys, and Lulu and Alice and Jimmie +Wibblewobble, the ducks, weren't doing much studying. + +Every now and then they would look out of the window toward the green +fields, and the cool, pleasant woods, where the yellow and purple +violets were growing, and they wished they were out there instead of in +school. + +"My, it's hot!" whispered Bully to Bawly, and of course it was wrong to +whisper in school, but perhaps he didn't think. + +"Yes, I wish we could go swimming," answered Bawly, and the teacher +heard the frog brothers talking together. + +"Oh, Bully and Bawly," she said, as she turned around from the +blackboard, where she was drawing a picture of a house, so the children +could better learn how to spell it, "I am sorry to hear you whispering. +You will both have to stay in after school." + +Well, of course Bully and Bawly didn't like that, but when you do wrong +you have to suffer for it, and when the other animal boys and girls ran +out after school, to play marbles and baseball, and skip rope, and jump +hop-scotch and other games, the frog boys had to stay in. + +They sat in the quiet schoolroom, and the robin teacher did some writing +in her books. And Bawly looked out of the window over at the baseball +game. And Bully looked out of the window over toward the swimming pond. +And the teacher looked out of the window at the cool woods, where those +queer flowered Jack-in-the-pulpits grew, and she too, wished she was out +there instead of in the schoolroom. + +"Well, if you two boys are sorry you whispered, and promise that you +won't do it again, you may go," said the teacher after a while, when she +had looked out of the window once more. "You know it isn't really wicked +to whisper in school, only it makes you forget to study, and sometimes +it makes other children forget to study, and that's where the wrong part +comes in." + +"I'm sorry, teacher," said Bully. + +"You may go," said the young robin lady with a smile. "How about you, +Bawly?" + +"I'm not!" he exclaimed, real cross-like, "and I'll whisper again," for +all the while Bawly had been thinking how mean the teacher was to keep +him in when he wanted to go out and play ball. + +The robin lady teacher looked very much surprised at the frog boy, but +she only said, "Very well, Bawly. Then you can't go." + +So Bully hurried out, and Bawly and the teacher stayed there. + +Bawly kept feeling worse and worse, and he began to wish that he had +said he was sorry. He looked at the teacher, and he saw that she was +gazing out of the window again, toward the woods, where there were +little white flowers, like stars, growing by the cool, green ferns. And +Bawly noticed how tired the teacher looked, and as he watched he was +sure he saw a tear in each of her bright eyes. And finally she turned to +him and said: + +"It is so nice out of doors, Bawly, that I can't keep you here any +longer, no matter whether you are sorry or not. But I hope you'll be +sorry to-morrow, and won't whisper again. For it helps me when boys and +girls don't whisper. Run out now, and have a good time. I wish I could +go, but I have some work to do," and then with her wing she patted Bawly +on his little green head, and opened the door for him. + +Bawly felt rather queer as he hopped out, and he didn't feel like +playing ball, after all. Instead he hopped off to the woods, and sat +down under a big Jack-in-the-pulpit to think. And he thought of how his +teacher couldn't live in the nice green country as he did, for she had +to stay in a boarding-house in the city, to be near her school, and she +couldn't see the flowers growing in the woods as often as could Bawly, +for she nearly always had to stay in after school to write in the +report-books. + +"I--I wish I hadn't whispered," Bawly said to himself. "I--I'm going to +help teacher after this. I'll tell her I'm sorry, and--and I guess I'll +bring her some flowers for her desk." + +Every one wondered what made Bawly so quiet that evening at home. He +studied his lessons, and he didn't want to go out and play ball with +Bully. + +"I hope he isn't going to be sick," said his mamma, anxious-like. + +"Oh! I guess maybe he's got a touch of water-lily fever," said Grandpa +Croaker. "A few days of swimming will make him all right again." + +Bawly got up very early the next morning, and without telling any one +where he was going he hopped over to the woods, and gathered a lot of +flowers. + +Oh, such a quantity as he picked! There were purple violets, and yellow +ones, and white ones, and some wild, purple asters, and some blue +fringed gentian, and some lovely light-purple wild geraniums, and +several Jacks-in-the-pulpit, and many other kinds of flowers. And he +made them into a nice bouquet with some ferns on the outside. + +Then, just as he was hopping to school, what should happen but that a +great big alligator jumped out of the bushes at him. + +"Ha! What are you doing in my woods," asked the alligator, crossly. + +"If--if you please, I'm getting some flowers for my teacher, because I +whispered," said Bawly. + +"Oh, in that case it's all right," said the alligator, smacking his +jaws. "I like school teachers. Give her my regards," and would you +believe it? the savage creature crawled off, taking his double-jointed +tail with him, and didn't hurt Bawly a bit. The flowers made the +alligator feel kind and happy. + +Well, Bawly got to school all right, before any of the other children +did, and he put the flowers on teacher's desk, and he wrote a little +note, saying: + +"Dear teacher, I'm sorry I whispered, but I'm going to help you to-day, +and not talk." + +And Bawly didn't. It was quite hard in school that day, but at last it +was over. And, just when the children were going home, the robin lady +teacher said: + +"Boys and girls, you have all helped me very much to-day by being good, +and I thank you. And something else helped me. It was these flowers that +Bawly brought me, for they remind me of the woods where I used to play +when I was a little girl," and then she smelled of the flowers, and +Bawly saw something like two drops of water fall from the teacher's eyes +right into one of the Jacks-in-the-pulpit. I wonder if it was water? + +And then school was over and all the children ran out to play and Bawly +thought he never had had so much fun in all his life as when he and +Bully and some of the others had a ball game, and Bawly knocked a fine +home run. + +Now, in case the cuckoo clock doesn't fall down off the wall and spatter +the rice pudding all over the parlor carpet, I'll tell you in the story +after this one about Bully and Sammie Littletail. + + + + +STORY XXVIII + +BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL + + +One day when the nice young lady robin school teacher, about whom I told +you last night, called the roll of her class, to see if all the animal +children were there, Samuel Littletail, the rabbit boy, didn't answer. + +"Why, I wonder where Sammie can be?" asked the teacher. "Has anyone seen +him this morning?" + +They all shook their heads, and Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, answered: + +"If you please, teacher, perhaps his sister, Susie, knows." + +"Oh, of course! Why didn't I think to ask her?" said the teacher. So she +looked over on the girls' side of the room, but, would you believe it? +Susie, the rabbit girl, wasn't there either. + +"That is very odd," said the teacher, "both Sammie and Susie out! I hope +they haven't the epizootic, or the mumps, or carrot fever, or anything +like that. Well, we'll go on with our lessons, and perhaps they will +come in later." + +So the first thing the pupils did was to sing a little song, and though +I can't make up very nice ones, I'll do the best I can to give you an +idea of it. This is how it went, to the tune, "Tum-Tum-Tum, Tiddle +De-um!" + + Good morning! How are you? + We hope you're quite well. + We're feeling most jolly, + So hark to us spell. + + C-A and a T, with + A dot on the eye. + Makes cat, dog or rat, + Or a bird in the sky. + + Take two and two more. + What have you? 'Tis five! + What? Four? Oh, of course, + See the B in the hive. + + Now sing the last verse, + Ah, isn't it pretty? + We're glad that you like + Our dear little kittie. + +Well, after the children had sung that they all looked around to see if +Sammie or Susie had come in, but they hadn't, and then the lessons +began, and everyone got a perfect mark. Still the rabbit children didn't +come, and after school Bully No-Tail said: + +"I think I'll stop at Sammie's house and see what is the matter." + +"I wish you would," spoke the teacher, "and then you can tell us +to-morrow. I hope he is not ill." + +But Sammie was worse than ill, as Bully very soon found out when he got +to the house. He found Mr. and Mrs. Littletail very much excited. Mrs. +Littletail was crying, and so was Susie, and as for Nurse Jane +Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat lady, she was washing up the dishes so fast +that she broke a cup and saucer and dropped a knife and spoon. And Uncle +Wiggily Longears was limping around on his crutch, striped red, white +and blue like a barber pole, and saying: "Oh dear! Oh dear me! Oh hum +suz dud." + +"Why, whatever has happened?" asked Bully. "Is Sammie dead?" + +"Worse than that," said Susie, wiping her eyes on her apron. + +"Much worse," chimed in Uncle Wiggily. "Just think, Bully, when Sammie +was starting off for school this morning, he went off in the woods a +little way to see if he could find a wild carrot, when a big boy rushed +up, grabbed him, and put him in a bag before any of us could save him! +And now he's gone! Completely gone!" + +"So that's why he didn't come to school to-day," said Nurse Jane sadly. + +"And I didn't feel like coming either," spoke Susie, crying some more. +"I tried to find Sammie, but I couldn't. Oh dear! Boo hoo!" + +"We all tried to find him," said Mr. Littletail sadly. + +"But we can't," added Mrs. Littletail still more sadly. "Our Sammie is +gone! The bad boy has him!" + +"Oh, that is awful!" cried Bully. "But I'll see if I can't find him for +you." + +So Bully hopped off through the woods, hoping he could find where the +boy lived who had taken Sammie away with him. + +"And if I find him I'll help Sammie to get away," thought Bully. So he +went on and on, but for a long time he couldn't find Sammie. For, +listen, the boy who had caught the little rabbit had taken Sammie home, +and had made a cage for him. + +"I'm going to keep you forever," said the boy, looking in through the +wire cage at Sammie. "I've always wanted a rabbit and now I have one." +Well, poor Sammie asked the boy to let him go, but the boy didn't +understand rabbit language, and maybe he wouldn't have let the bunny go, +anyhow. + +Well, it was getting dark, and Sammie was very much frightened in his +cage, and he was wondering whether any of his friends would find him, +and help him escape. + +"I'll call out loud, so they'll know where to look for me," he said, and +he grunted as loudly as he could and whistled through his twinkling +nose. + +Well, it happened that just then Bully was hopping up a little hill, and +he heard Sammie calling. + +"That's Sammie!" exclaimed Bully. "Now, if I can only rescue him!" + +So the frog boy hopped on farther, and pretty soon he came to the yard +of the house where the boy lived. And Bully peeped in through a knothole +in the fence, and he saw Sammie in the cage. + +"I'm here, Sammie!" cried Bully through the hole. "Don't be afraid, I'll +get you out of there." + +"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Sammie, clapping his paws. + +But, after he had said it, Bully saw that it wasn't going to be very +easy to get Sammie out, for the cage was very strong. The boy was in the +house cutting up some cabbage for the rabbit, and the little frog knew +he would have to work very quickly if he was to rescue Sammie. + +So Bully hunted until he found a place where he could crawl under the +fence, and he went close up to the cage, and what did he do but hop +inside, thinking he could unlock the door for Sammie. For Bully was +little enough to hop through between the holes in the wire, but Sammie +was too big to get out that way. + +But Bully couldn't open the door because the lock was too strong, and +the frog boy couldn't break the wire. + +"Oh, if Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy were only here!" he exclaimed, "she could +get us out of this trap very soon. But she isn't." + +"Let's both together try to break it," proposed Sammie, but they +couldn't do it. I don't know what they would have done, and perhaps +Sammie would have had to stay there forever, but at that moment along +came the old alligator. He looked through the knothole in the fence, and +he saw Sammie and Bully in the cage. + +"Ah, here is where I get a good dinner!" thought the alligator, so with +one savage and swooping sweep of his big, scaly tail, he smashed down +the fence and broke the cage all to pieces, but he didn't hurt Bully or +Sammie, very luckily, for they were in a far corner. + +"Now's our chance!" cried the frog. "Run, Sammie, run!" And they both +scudded away as fast as they could before the alligator could catch +them, or even before the boy could run out to see what the noise was. +And when the alligator saw the boy the savage creature flurried and +scurried away, taking his scalery-ailery tail with him, and the boy was +very much surprised when he saw that the rabbit was gone. + +But Sammie and Bully got safely home, and the next day Sammie went to +school as usual, just as if nothing had happened, and every one said +Bully was very brave to help him. + +So that's all for to-night, if you please, and in case the housecleaning +man gets all the ice cream up from under the sitting-room matting, and +makes a snowball of it for the poll parrot to play horse with, I'll tell +you next about Bully and Bawly going to the circus. + + + + +STORY XXIX + +BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS + + +"Oh, mamma, may we go?" exclaimed Bawly No-Tail one day as he came home +from school, and hopped into the house with such a big hop, that he +hopped right up into the frog lady's lap. + +"Go where?" asked Bawly's mother, wondering if the alligator were after +her son. + +"Oh, do please let us go!" cried Bully, hopping in after his brother. +Bully tried to stand on his head, but his foot slipped and he nearly +fell into the ink bottle. "Please let us go, mother?" + +"Where? Where?" she asked again, as Bawly hopped out of her lap. + +"To the circus!" cried Bully. + +"It's coming!" exclaimed Bawly. + +"Down in the vacant lots," went on Bully. + +"Oh, you ought to see the posters! Lions and tigers and elephants, and +men jumping in the air, and horses and--and--" + +Bawly had to stop for breath then, and so he couldn't say any more. +Neither could Bully. Oh, but they were excited, let me tell you. + +"May we go?" they both cried out again. + +"Well, I'll see," began their mother slowly. "I don't know--" + +"Oh, I guess you'd better let them go," spoke up Grandpa Croaker in his +deepest, rumbling voice. "I--I think I can spare the time to look after +them. I don't really want to go, you know, as I was going to play a game +of checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears, but I guess I can take the boys +to the circus. Ahem!" + +"Oh, goody!" cried Bawly, jumping up and down. + +"Where are you going?" asked their papa, just then coming in from the +wallpaper factory. + +"To the circus," said Bawly. "Grandpa Croaker will take us." + +"Ha! Hum!" exclaimed Papa No-Tail. "I am very busy, but I guess I can +spare the time to take you. We won't bother Grandpa." + +"Oh, it's no bother--none at all, I assure you," quickly spoke the +grandpa frog, in a thundering, rumbling voice. "We can both take them." + +"Well, I never heard of such a thing!" exclaimed Mamma No-Tail. "Any one +would think you two old men frogs wanted to go as much as the boys do. +But I guess it will be all right." + +So Bully and Bawly and their papa and their grandpa went to the circus +next day. And what do you think? Just as they were buying their tickets +if they didn't meet Uncle Wiggily Longears! And he had Sammie and Susie, +the rabbits, with him, and there was Aunt Lettie, the old lady goat, +with the three Wibblewobble children, and many other little friends of +Bully and Bawly. + +Well, that was a fine circus! There were lots of tents with flags on, +and outside were men selling pink lemonade and peanuts for the elephant, +and toy balloons, only those weren't for the elephant, you know, and +there were men shouting, and lots of excitement, and there was a side +show, with pictures outside the tent of a man swallowing swords by the +dozen, and also knives and forks, and another picture of a lady wrapping +a fat snake around her neck, because she was cold, I guess, and then you +could hear the lions roaring and the elephants trumpeting, and the band +was playing, and the peanut wagons were whistling like teakettles, +and--and--Oh! why, if I write any more about that circus I'll want to take +my typewriter, and put it away in a dark closet, and go to the show +myself! + +But anyhow it was very fine, and pretty soon Bully and Bawly and their +papa and grandpa were in the tent looking at the animals. They fed the +elephant peanuts until they had none for themselves, and they looked at +the camel with two humps, and at the one with only one hump, because I +s'pose he didn't have money enough to buy two, and then they went in the +tent where the real show was. + +Well it went off very fine. The big parade was over, and the men were +doing acts on the trapeze, and the trained seals were playing ball with +their noses, and the clowns were cutting up funny capers. And all at +once a man, with a shiny hat on, came out in the middle of the ring, and +said: + +"Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to call your attention to our jumping +dog, Nero. He is the greatest jumping dog in the world, and he will jump +over an elephant's back!" + +Well, the people clapped like anything after that, and a clown came out, +leading a dog. Everybody was all excited, especially when another clown +led out a big elephant. Then it was the turn of the dog to jump over the +elephant. Well, he tried it, but he didn't go over. The clown petted +him, and gave him a sweet cracker, and the dog tried it again, but he +couldn't do it. Then he tried once more and he fell right down under the +elephant, and the elephant lifted Nero up in his trunk, and set him +gently down on some straw. + +Then the clown took off his funny, pointed hat and said: + +"Ladies and gentlemen, I am very sorry, but my poor dog is sick and he +can't jump to-day, and I have nothing else that can jump over the +elephant's back." + +Every one felt quite disappointed at that, but still they were sorry for +the poor dog. The clown led him away, and the other clown was leading +the elephant off, when Bully said to Bawly: + +"Don't you think we could do that jump? We once did a big jump to get +away from the alligator, you know." + +"Let's try it," said Bawly. "Then the people won't be disappointed. Come +on." So they slipped from their seats, when their papa and grandpa were +talking to Uncle Wiggily about the trained seals, and those two frog +boys just hopped right into the middle of the circus ring. At first a +monkey policeman was going to put them out, but they made motions that +they wanted to jump over the elephant, for they couldn't speak policeman +talk, you know. + +"Ah ha! I see what they want," said the kind clown. "Well, I don't +believe they can do it, but let them try. It may amuse the people." So +he made the elephant go back to his place, and every one became +interested in what Bully and Bawly were going to do. + +"Are you already?" asked Bully of his brother. + +"Yes," answered Bawly. + +"Then take a long breath, and jump as hard as you can," said Bully. So +they both took long breaths, crouched down on their hind legs, and then +both together, simultaneously and most extraordinarily, they jumped. My, +what a jump it was! Bigger than the time when they got away from the +alligator. Right over the elephant's back they jumped, and they landed +on a pile of soft straw so they weren't hurt a bit. My! You should have +heard the people cheer and clap! + +"Good!" cried the clown. "That was a great jump! Will you stay in the +circus with me? I will pay you as much as I pay my dog." + +"Oh, no! They must go home," said their papa, as Bully and Bawly went +back to their seats. "That is, after the circus is over," said Mr. +No-Tail. + +So the frog boys saw the rest of the show, and afterward all their +friends told them how brave it was to do what they had done. + +And for a long time after that whenever any one mentioned what good +jumpers Bully and Bawly were, Sammie Littletail would say: + +"Ah, but you should have seen them in the circus one day." + +And on the next page, if the lilac bush in our back yard doesn't reach +in through the window, and take off my typewriter ribbon to wear to +Sunday school, I'll tell you about Bully and Bawly playing Indian. + + + + +STORY XXX + +BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN + + +It happened, once upon a time, after the circus had gone away from the +place where Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, lived that a Wild West +show came along. + +And my goodness! There were cowboys and cowgirls, and buffaloes and +steers and men with lassos, and Mexicans and Cossacks, and Indians! Real +Indians, mind you, that used to be wild, and scalp people, which was +very impolite to do, but they didn't know any better; the Indians didn't +I mean. Then they got tame and didn't scalp people any more. Yes, sir, +they were real Indians, and they had real feathers on them! + +Of course the feathers didn't belong to the Indians, the same as a +chicken's feathers, or a turkey's feathers belong to them. That is, the +feathers didn't grow on the Indians, even if they did seem to. No, the +Indians put them on for ornaments, just as ladies put plumes on their +hats with long hatpins. + +Well, of course, Bully and Bawly and the other boys all went to the Wild +West show, and when they got home about all they did for several days +was to play cowboys or Indians. Indians mostly, for they liked them the +best. And the boys gave regular warwhoop cries. + +"We'll have a new game," said Bully to Bawly one day. "We'll dress up +like the Indians did, and we'll go off in the woods, and we'll see if we +can capture white people." + +"Real?" asked Bawly. + +"No, only make-believe ones. And we'll build a camp fire, and take our +lunch, and sleep in the woods." + +"After dark?" asked Bawly. + +"Sure. Why not? Don't Indians sleep in the woods after dark?" + +"Oh, but they have real guns and knives to kill the bears with," +objected Bawly, "and our guns and knives will only be wooden." + +"Well, maybe it will be better to only pretend it's night in the woods," +agreed Bully. "We can go in a dark place under the trees, and make +believe it's night, and that will do just as well." + +So they agreed to do that way, and for the next few days the frog boys +were busy making themselves up to look like Indians. Their mother let +them take some old blankets, and they got some red and green chalk to +put on their faces for war paint, and they found a lot of feathers over +at the homes of Charlie and Arabella Chick, and the three Wibblewobble +duck children. These feathers they put around their heads, and down +their backs, as the Indians in the Wild West show did. + +"Now I guess we're ready to start off and hunt make-believe white +people," said Bawly one Saturday morning when there wasn't any school. + +"Have you the lunch? We mustn't forget that," spoke Bully. + +"Yes, I have it," his brother replied. "Take your bow and arrow, and +I'll carry the wooden gun." + +Off they started as brave as an elephant when he has a bag of peanuts in +his trunk. They hurried to the woods, so none of their friends would see +them, for Bully and Bawly wanted to have it all a surprise. And pretty +soon they were under the trees where it was quite dark. Bawly gave a big +hop, and landed up front beside his brother. + +"You mustn't walk here," said Bully. "Indians always go in single file, +one behind the other. Get behind me." + +"I--I'm afraid," said Bawly. + +"Of what?" asked his brother. "Indians are never afraid." + +"I--I'm afraid I might scare somebody," said Bawly. "I--I look so fierce +you know. I just saw myself reflected back there in a pond of water that +was like a looking-glass and I'm enough to scare anybody." + +"So much the better," said his brother. "You can scare the make-believe +white people whom we are going to capture and scalp. Get in behind me." + +"Wouldn't it be just as well if I pretended to walk behind you, and +still stayed up front here, beside you?" asked Bawly, looking behind +him. + +"Oh, I guess so," answered his brother. So the two frog boys, who looked +just like Indians, went on side by side though the woods. They looked +all around them for something to capture, but all that they saw was an +old lady hoptoad, going home from market. + +"Shall we capture her?" asked Bawly, getting his bow and arrow ready. + +"No," replied his brother. "She might tell mamma, and, anyhow, we +wouldn't want to hurt any of mamma's friends. We'll capture some of the +fellows." But Bully and Bawly couldn't seem to find any one, not even a +make-believe white person, and they were just going to sit down and eat +their lunch, anyhow, when they heard some one shouting: + +"Help! Help! Oh, some one please help me!" called a voice. + +"Some one's in trouble!" cried Bully. "Let's help them!" + +So he and his brother bravely hurried on through the woods, and soon +they came to a place where they could hear the voice more plainly. Then +they looked between the bushes, and what should they see but poor +Arabella Chick, and a big hand-organ monkey had hold of her, and the +monkey was slowly pulling all the feathers from Arabella's tail. + +"Oh, don't, please!" begged the little chicken girl. "Leave my feathers +alone." + +"No, I shan't!" answered the monkey. "I want the feathers to make a +feather duster, to dust off my master's hand-organ," and with that he +yanked out another handful. + +"Oh, will no one help me?" cried poor Arabella, trying to get away. +"I'll lose all my feathers!" + +"We must help her," said Bawly to Bully. + +"We surely must," agreed Bully. "Get all ready, and we'll shoot our +arrows at that monkey, and then we'll go out with our make-believe guns, +and shoot bang-bang-pretend-bullets at him, and then we'll holler like +the wild Indians, and the monkey will be so frightened that he'll run +away." + +Well, they did that. Zip-whizz! went two make-believe arrows at the +monkey. One hit him on the nose, and one on the leg, and the pain was +real, not make-believe. Then out from the bushes jumped Bully and Bawly, +firing their make-believe guns as fast as they could. + +Then they yelled like real Indians and when the monkey saw the red and +green and yellow and purple and pink and red feathers on the frog +Indians and saw their colored-chalk faces he was so frightened that he +wiggled his tail, blinked his eyes, clattered his teeth together, and, +dropping Arabella Chick, off he scrambled up a tree after a make-believe +cocoanut. + +"Now, you're safe!" cried Bully to the chicken girl. + +"Yes," said Bawly, "being Indians was some good after all, even if we +didn't capture any make-believe white people to scalp." + +So they sat down under the trees, and Arabella very kindly helped them +to eat the lunch, and she said she thought Indians were just fine, and +as brave as soldiers. + +So now we've reached the end of this story, and as you're sleepy you'd +better go to bed, and in case the piano key doesn't open the front door, +and go out to play hop-scotch on the sidewalk, I'll tell you next about +the Frogs' farewell hop. + + + + +STORY XXXI + +THE FROGS' FAREWELL HOP + + +One night Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, came home from his work in +the wallpaper factory with a bundle of something under his left front +leg. + +"What have you there, papa?" asked Bawly, as he scratched his nose on a +rough stone; "is it ice cream cones for us?" + +"No," said Mr. No-Tail, "it is not anything like that; but, anyhow, the +weather is almost warm enough for ice cream." + +"Is it some new kind of wallpaper that you hopped on to-day after you +dipped your feet in red and green ink?" asked Bully. + +"No," replied his papa. "I have here some wire to tack over the windows, +to keep out the flies and mosquitoes, for it is getting to be summer +now, and those insects will soon be flying and buzzing around." + +So after supper Mr. No-Tail, and his two boys, Bully and Bawly, tacked +the wire mosquito netting on the windows, and when they were all done +Mr. No-Tail went down to the corner drug store and he bought a quart of +ice cream, the kind all striped like a sofa cushion, and he and his wife +and Bully and Bawly sat out on the porch eating it with spoons out of a +dish, just as real as anything. + +"Oh dear me! There's a mosquito buzzing around!" suddenly exclaimed +Mamma No-Tail, as she ate the last of her cream. "They are on hand early +this year. I'm going in the house." + +"I'll go get my bean shooter, and see if I can kill that mosquito!" +exclaimed Bawly, who once went hunting after the buzzers, and shot quite +a number. But land sakes! it was so dark on the porch that he couldn't +see the buzzing mosquitoes though he blew a number of beans about, and +one hit Uncle Wiggily Longears on the nose, just as the old gentleman +rabbit was hopping over to play checkers with Grandpa Croaker. But Uncle +Wiggily forgave Bawly, as it was an accident, and as there was a little +ice cream left, the old gentleman rabbit and Grandpa Croaker ate it up. + +Well, something happened that night when they had all gone to bed. Along +about 12 o'clock, when it was all still and quiet, and when the little +mice were just coming out to play hide and seek and look for some +crackers and cheese, Bawly No-Tail felt some one pulling him out of bed. + +"Here! Hold on! Don't do that, Bully!" he cried. + +"What's the matter?" asked his brother. "Are you dreaming or talking in +your sleep? I'm not doing anything." + +"Aren't you pulling me out of bed?" asked Bawly, and he had to grab hold +of the bedpost to prevent himself falling to the floor. + +"Why, no, I'm in my own bed," answered Bully. "Oh, dear me! Oh, suz dud! +Some one's pulling me, too!" And he let out such a yell that Mamma +No-Tail came running in with a light. And what do you think she saw? + +Why two, great, big buzzing mosquitoes flew out of the window through a +hole in the wire netting, and it was those mosquitoes who had been +trying to pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, so they could fly away with +them to eat them up. + +"Oh, my! How bold those mosquitoes are this year!" exclaimed the mamma +frog. "They actually bit a hole in the wire screen." + +"They did, eh?" cried Papa No-Tail. "Well, I'll fix that!" So he got a +hammer and some more wire, and he mended the hole which the mosquitoes +had made. Then Bully and Bawly went to sleep again. They were afraid the +mosquitoes would come in once more, but though the savage insects buzzed +around outside for quite a while, the screen was too strong for them +this time, and they didn't get in the house. + +"If this keeps on," said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped off to work next +morning, "we'll have to go to a place where there are no mosquitoes." + +Well, that night the same thing happened. Along about 1 o'clock Bully +felt some one pulling him out of bed, and he cried, and his mamma came +with a light, and there was another mosquito, twice as big as before, +with a long sharp bill, and long, dingly-dangly legs, and buzzy-uzzy +wings, just skeddadling out of the window. + +"There! They've bitten another hole in the screen!" cried Mrs. No-Tail. +"Oh, this is getting terrible!" + +"I'll put double screens on to-morrow," said Papa No-Tail, and he did. +But would you believe it? Those mosquitoes still came. The big ones +couldn't make their way through the two nets, but lots of the little +ones came in. One would manage to get his head through the wire, and +then all his friends would push and pull on him until he was inside, +then another would wiggle in, and that's how they did it. Then they went +and hid down cellar, until they grew big enough to bite. + +And, though these mosquitoes couldn't pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, +for the pestiferous insects weren't strong enough, they nipped the frog +boys all over, until their legs and arms and faces and noses and ears +smarted and burned terribly, and their mamma had to put witch hazel and +talcum powder on the bites. + +"I can see that we'll soon have to get away from here," said Papa +No-Tail, one morning, when the mosquitoes had been very bad and +troublesome in the night. "They come right through the screens," he +said. "Now we'll hop off to the mountains or seashore, where there are +no mosquitoes." + +"Don't you s'pose Bully and I could sit up some night and kill them with +our bean shooters?" said Bawly. + +"You may try," said his papa. So the two frog boys tried it that night. +They sat up real late, and they shot at several mosquitoes that came in, +and they hit some. And then Bully and Bawly fell asleep, and the first +thing you know the mosquitoes buzzing outside heard them snoring, and +they bit a big hole right through the double screen this time, and were +just pulling Bully and Bawly out of bed, when the frog boys' mamma heard +them crying, and came with the lamp, scaring the savage insects away. + +"There is no use talking!" said Papa No-Tail. "We will hop off in the +morning. We'll say good-by to this place." + +So the next morning the frogs packed up, and they sent word to all their +friends that they were going to take their farewell hop to the +mountains, where there were no more mosquitoes. + +Oh such a crowd as gathered to see them hop away! There was Sammie and +Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble, and Munchie and Dottie Trot, and Peetie and +Jackie Bow Wow, and Uncle Wiggily Longears and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy +and Buddy Pigg and all the other animal friends. + +Away hopped Papa No-Tail, and away hopped Mamma No-Tail, and then +Grandpa Croaker and Bully and Bawly hopped after them, calling good-bys +to all their friends. Every one waved his handkerchief and Susie +Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk cried a little bit, for they liked Bully +and Bawly very much, and didn't like to see them hop away. + +And what do you think? Some of the mosquitoes were so mean that they +flew out of the woods and tried to bite the frogs as they were hopping +away. But Bully and Bawly had their bean shooters and they shot a number +of the creatures, so the rest soon flew off and hid in a hollow tree. + +"I'm coming to see you some time!" called Uncle Wiggily Longears to +Bully and Bawly. "Be good boys!" + +"Yes, we'll be good!" promised Bully. + +"As good as we can," added his brother Bawly, as he tickled Grandpa +Croaker with the bean shooter. + +Then the No-Tail family of frogs hopped on and on, until they came to a +nice place in the woods, where there was a little pond, covered with +duck weed, in which they could swim. + +"Here is where we will make our new home," said Papa No-Tail. + +"Oh, how lovely it is," said Mrs. No-Tail, as she sat down to rest under +a toadstool umbrella, for the sun was shining. + +"Ger-umph! Ger-umph!" said Grandpa Croaker, in his deep, bass voice. +"Very nice indeed." + +"Fine!" cried Bully. + +"Dandy!" said Bawly. "Come on in for a swim," and into the pond jumped +the two frog boys. And they lived happily there in the woods for ever +after. + +So now we have come to the end of this book. But, if you would like to +hear them, I have more stories to tell you. And I think I will make the +next book about some goat children. Nannie and Billie Wagtail were their +names, and the book will be called after them--"Nannie and Billie +Wagtail." The goat children wagged their little, short tails, and did +the funniest things; eating pictures off tin cans, and nibbling +bill-board circus posters of elephants and lions and tigers. And there +was Uncle Butter, the goat gentleman, who pasted wallpaper, and Aunt +Lettie, the old lady goat, and---- + +But there, I will let you read the book yourself and find out all that +happened to Nannie and Billie Wagtail. And until you do read that, I +will just say good-bye, for a little while. + +THE END + + + + +The Broncho Rider Boys Series +By FRANK FOWLER + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid + +A series of stirring stories for boys, breathing the +adventurous spirit that lives in the wide plains and lofty +mountain ranges of the great West. These tales will delight +every lad who loves to read of pleasing adventure in the open; +yet at the same time the most careful parent need not hesitate +to place them in the hands of the boy. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ; or, +Upholding the Honor of the Stars and Stripes. + +When trouble breaks out between this country and Mexico, the +boys are eager to join the American troops under General +Funston. Their attempts to reach Vera Cruz are fraught with +danger, but after many difficulties, they manage to reach the +trouble zone, where their real adventures begin. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS AT KEYSTONE RANCH; or, Three Chums of +the Saddle and Lariat. + +In this story the reader makes the acquaintance of three +devoted chums. The book begins in rapid action, and there is +"something doing" up to the very time you lay it down. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS DOWN IN ARIZONA; or A Struggle for the +Great Copper Lode. + +The Broncho Rider Boys find themselves impelled to make a +brave fight against heavy odds, in order to retain possession +of a valuable mine that is claimed by some of their relatives. +They meet with numerous strange and thrilling perils and every +wide-awake boy will be pleased to learn how the boys finally +managed to outwit their enemies. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER; or, The Hidden +Treasure of the Zuni Medicine Man. + +Once more the tried and true comrades of camp and trail are in +the saddle. In the strangest possible way they are drawn into +a series of exciting happenings among the Zuni Indians. +Certainly no lad will lay this book down, save with regret. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ON THE WYOMING TRAIL; or, A Mystery of +the Prairie Stampede. + +The three prairie pards finally find a chance to visit the +Wyoming ranch belonging to Adrian, but managed for him by an +unscrupulous relative. Of course, they become entangled in a +maze of adventurous doings while in the Northern cattle +country. How the Broncho Rider Boys carried themselves through +this nerve-testing period makes intensely interesting reading. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS; or, The +Smugglers of the Rio Grande. + +In this volume, the Broncho Rider Boys get mixed up in the +Mexican troubles, and become acquainted with General Villa. In +their efforts to prevent smuggling across the border, they +naturally make many enemies, but finally succeed in their +mission. + + + + +The Boy Scouts Series +By HERBERT CARTER + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; or, Caught Between +the Hostile Armies. In this volume we follow the thrilling +adventures of the boys in the midst of the exciting struggle +abroad. + +THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Secret of +Alligator Swamp. Startling experiences awaited the comrades +when they visited the Southland. But their knowledge of +woodcraft enabled them to overcome all difficulties. + +THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA. A story of +Burgoyne's defeat in 1777. + +THE BOY SCOUTS' FIRST CAMP FIRE; or, Scouting with the +Silver Fox Patrol. This book brims over with woods lore and +the thrilling adventure that befell the Boy Scouts during +their vacation in the wilderness. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE BLUE RIDGE; or, Marooned Among the +Moonshiners. This story tells of the strange and mysterious +adventures that happened to the Patrol in their trip among the +moonshiners of North Carolina. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting through the Big +Game Country. The story recites the adventures of the members +of the Silver Fox Patrol with wild animals of the forest +trails and the desperate men who had sought a refuge in this +lonely country. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or, The New Test for the +Silver Fox Patrol. Thad and his chums have a wonderful +experience when they are employed by the State of Maine to act +as Fire Wardens. + +THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; or, The Search for the +Lost Tenderfoot. A serious calamity threatens the Silver Fox +Patrol. How apparent disaster is bravely met and overcome by +Thad and his friends, forms the main theme of the story. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret of the Hidden +Silver Mine. The boys' tour takes them into the wildest +region of the great Rocky Mountains and here they meet with +many strange adventures. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or, Marooned Among the +Game Fish Poachers. Thad Brewster and his comrades find +themselves in the predicament that confronted old Robinson +Crusoe; only it is on the Great Lakes that they are wrecked +instead of the salty sea. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; or, The Silver Fox +Patrol Caught in a Flood. The boys of the Silver Fox Patrol, +after successfully braving a terrific flood, become entangled +in a mystery that carries them through many exciting +adventures. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes + +1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. + +2. Typographic errors corrected in original: +p. 50 though to thought ("Bully thought of his bag") + p. 62 "out out" to "out" ("life out of me") +p. 204 think to thing ("first thing you know") + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. Garis + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + +***** This file should be named 18599-8.txt or 18599-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/5/9/18599/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/18599-8.zip b/18599-8.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1cfad4b --- /dev/null +++ b/18599-8.zip diff --git a/18599-h.zip b/18599-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9d98cc2 --- /dev/null +++ b/18599-h.zip diff --git a/18599-h/18599-h.htm b/18599-h/18599-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..14788d5 --- /dev/null +++ b/18599-h/18599-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5595 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. Garis. + </title> + <link rel='coverpage' href='images/cover.jpg' /> + <style type="text/css"> + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + h1 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 180%;} + h2 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 120%;} + h3 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 100%;} + table {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align: center;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} + hr.full {width:100%; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + hr.major {width:75%; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + hr.minor {width:30%; margin-top:0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; + padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; + font-size: 90% } + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps} + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + .caption {font-size: 80%;} + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. Garis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bully and Bawly No-Tail + +Author: Howard R. Garis + +Illustrator: Louis Wisa + +Release Date: June 16, 2006 [EBook #18599] + [Most recently updated: June 12, 2020] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-001' id='illus-001'></a> +<img src='images/illus-cov.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class='major'/> + +<table width='470' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr> + <td align='center'> + <span style='font-size: 100%;'><br /><i>BEDTIME STORIES</i></span><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 180%;'>Bully and Bawly No-Tail</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 120%;'>(THE JUMPING FROGS)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'>BY</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 100%;'>HOWARD R. GARIS</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'>Author of <span class='smcap'>“Sammie and Susie Littletail,”</span></span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'><span class='smcap'>“Uncle Wiggily’s Automobile,” “Daddy Takes Us Camp-</span></span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'><span class='smcap'>ing,” “The Smith Boys,” “The Island</span></span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'><span class='smcap'>Boys,” etc.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 100%;'><i>ILLUSTRATED BY LOUIS WISA</i></span><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 120%;'>A. L. BURT COMPANY</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'>PUBLISHERS - - NEW YORK</span><br /><br /> + </td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr class='major'/> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-002' id='illus-002'></a> +<img src='images/illus-fpc.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class='full'/> + +<table width='470' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> +<col style='width:100%;' /> +<tr><td> +<table width='90%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='0'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + +<p style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:120%'>THE FAMOUS</span><br/> +<span style='font-size:150%'>BED TIME SERIES</span></p> + +<p>Five groups of books, intended for reading aloud to the little folks +each night. Each volume contains 8 colored illustrations, 31 stories, +one for each day of the month. Handsomely bound in cloth. Size 6-1/2 x +8-1/4.</p> + +<p style='text-align:center'><b>Price 60 cents per volume, postpaid</b></p> + +<p style='text-align:center'><b>HOWARD R. GARIS’</b><br/> +<b>Bed Time Animal Stories</b></p> +<p>No. 1. SAMMIE AND SUSIE LITTLETAIL<br /> +No. 2. JOHNNY AND BILLY BUSHYTAIL<br /> +No. 3. LULU, ALICE & JIMMIE WIBBLEWOBBLE<br /> +No. 5. JACKIE AND PEETIE BOW-WOW<br /> +No. 7. BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG<br /> +No. 9. JOIE, TOMMIE AND KITTIE KAT<br /> +No. 10 CHARLIE AND ARABELLA CHICK<br /> +No. 14 NEDDIE AND BECKIE STUBTAIL<br /> +No. 16 BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL<br /> +No. 20 NANNIE AND BILLIE WAGTAIL<br /> +No. 28 JOLLIE AND JILLIE LONGTAIL +</p> +<br/> +<p style='text-align:center'><b>Uncle Wiggily Bed Time Stories</b></p> + +<p>No. 4 UNCLE WIGGILY’S ADVENTURES<br /> +No. 6 UNCLE WIGGILY’S TRAVELS<br /> +No. 8 UNCLE WIGGILY’S FORTUNE<br /> +No. 11 UNCLE WIGGILY’S AUTOMOBILE<br /> +No. 19 UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE SEASHORE<br /> +No. 21 UNCLE WIGGILY’S AIRSHIP<br /> +No. 27 UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE COUNTRY +</p> +<p style='text-align:center'>For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the +publishers</p> +<p style='text-align:center'> +<b>A. L. BURT CO., 114-120 East 23d St., New York</b></p> + </td></tr> + </table> + </td></tr> +</table> + +<p style='text-align:center;font-size:80%'>Copyright, 1915, by<br/>R. F. FENNO & COMPANY</p> +<hr class='minor' /> +<p style='text-align:center;font-size:80%'>BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> + +<p style='margin-left:20%; margin-right:20%; text-align: left;'>The stories herein contained appeared originally in the Evening News, of +Newark, N. J., where (so many children and their parents were kind +enough to say) they gave pleasure to a number of little folks and +grown-ups also. Permission to issue the stories in book form was kindly +granted by the publisher and editor of the News, to whom the author +extends his thanks.</p> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<h2><a name='Contents' id='Contents'></a>Contents</h2> +<div class='smcap'> +<table border='0' width='550' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='Contents'> +<col style='width:25%;' /> +<col style='width:65%;' /> +<col style='width:10%;' /> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY I</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_I'>9</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY II</td><td align='left'>BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_II'>15</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY III</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_III'>21</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY IV</td><td align='left'>BULLY’S AND BAWLY’S BIG JUMP</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_IV'>26</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY V</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_V'>34</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY VI</td><td align='left'>PAPA NO-TAIL IN TROUBLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_VI'>40</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY VII</td><td align='left'>BULLY NO-TAIL PLAYS MARBLES</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_VII'>46</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY VIII</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_VIII'>52</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY IX</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_IX'>58</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY X</td><td align='left'>BAWLY NO-TAIL AND JOLLIE LONGTAIL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_X'>65</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XI</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XI'>71</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XII</td><td align='left'>BAWLY NO-TAIL GOES HUNTING</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XII'>77</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XIII</td><td align='left'>PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XIII'>83</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XIV</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XIV'>90</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XV</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XV'>97</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XVI</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XVI'>104</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XVII</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XVII'>110</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XVIII</td><td align='left'>MRS. NO-TAIL AND MRS. LONGTAIL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XVIII'>117</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XIX</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XIX'>123</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XX</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XX'>128</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXI</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXI'>135</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXII</td><td align='left'>PAPA NO-TAIL AND NANNIE GOAT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXII'>141</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXIII</td><td align='left'>MRS. NO-TAIL AND NELLIE CHIP-CHIP</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXIII'>148</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXIV</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXIV'>154</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXV</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXV'>161</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXVI</td><td align='left'>BULLY NO-TAIL AND KITTIE KAT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXVI'>168</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXVII</td><td align='left'>HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXVII'>174</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXVIII</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXVIII'>180</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXIX</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXIX'>186</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXX</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXX'>194</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXXI</td><td align='left'>THE FROGS’ FAREWELL HOP</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXXI'>200</a></td></tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<h1>BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL</h1> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_I' id='STORY_I'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_9' id='Page_9'>[Pg 9]</a></span> +<h2>STORY I</h2><h3>BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Once upon a time, not so very many years ago, there were two little frog +boys who lived in a little pond near a nice big farm. It wasn’t very far +from where Peetie and Jackie Bow-Wow, the puppy dogs, had their home, +and the frogs’ house was right next door to the pen where Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble the ducks lived.</p> + +<p>There was Bully No-Tail, and his brother Bawly No-Tail, and the reason +Bawly had such a funny name was because when he was a little baby he +used to cry a good bit. And once he cried so much that he made a lot +more water in the pond than should have been there, and it ran over, +just like when you put too much milk in your glass, and made the ground +all wet.</p> + +<p>The last name of the frogs was “No-Tail,” because, being frogs, you see, +they had no tails.</p> + +<p>But now Bawly was larger, and he didn’t cry<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_10' id='Page_10'>[Pg 10]</a></span> so much, I’m glad to say. +And with the frog boys lived their papa and mamma, and also a nice, big, +green and yellow spotted frog who was named Grandpa Croaker. Oh, he was +one of the nicest frogs I have ever known, and I have met quite a +number.</p> + +<p>One day when Bully and Bawly were hopping along on the ground, close to +the edge of the pond, Bully suddenly said:</p> + +<p>“Bawly, I think I can beat you in a swimming race.”</p> + +<p>“I don’t believe you can,” spoke Bawly, as he thoughtfully scratched his +left front leg on a piece of hickory bark.</p> + +<p>“Well, we’ll try,” said Bully. “We’ll see who can first swim to the +other side of the pond, and whoever does it will get a stick of +peppermint candy.”</p> + +<p>“Where can we get the candy?” asked Bawly. “Have you got it? For if you +have I wish you’d give me a bite before we jump in the water, Bully.”</p> + +<p>“No, I haven’t it,” replied his brother. “But I know Grandpa Croaker +will give it to us after the race. Come on, let’s jump in.”</p> + +<p>So the next minute into the pond jumped those two frog boys, and they +didn’t take off their shoes or their stockings, nor even their coats or<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_11' id='Page_11'>[Pg 11]</a></span> +waists, nor yet their neckties. For you see they wore the kind of +clothes which water couldn’t hurt, as they were made of rubber, like a +raincoat. Their mamma had to make them that kind, because they went in +the water so often.</p> + +<p>Into the pond the frogs jumped, and they began swimming as fast as they +could. First Bully was a little distance ahead, and then Bawly would +kick out his front legs and his hind legs, and he would be in the lead.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to win! I’ll get the peppermint candy!” Bawly called to his +brother, winking his two eyes right in the water, as easily as you can +put your doll to sleep, or play a game of marbles.</p> + +<p>“No. I’ll beat!” declared Bully. “But if I get the candy I’ll give you +some.”</p> + +<p>So they swam on, faster and faster, making the water splash up all +around them like a steamboat going to a picnic.</p> + +<p>Well, the frogs were almost half way across the pond, when Lulu and +Alice Wibblewobble, the duck girls, came out of their pen. They had just +washed their faces and their yellow bills, and had put on their new hair +ribbons, so they looked very nice, and proper.</p> + +<p>“Oh, see Bully and Bawly having a swimming race!” exclaimed Lulu. “I +think Bully will win!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_12' id='Page_12'>[Pg 12]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I think Bawly will!” cried Alice. “See, he is ahead!”</p> + +<p>“No, Bully is ahead now,” called Lulu, and surely enough so Bully was, +having made a sudden jump in the water.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, before you could take all the seeds out of an +apple or an orange, if you had one with seeds in, Bawly disappeared from +sight down under the water. He vanished just as the milk goes out of +baby’s bottle when she drinks it all up.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” cried Lulu. “Bawly is going to swim under water!”</p> + +<p>“That’s so he can win the race easier, I guess,” spoke Alice.</p> + +<p>“What’s that?” asked Bully, wiggling his two eyes.</p> + +<p>“Your brother has gone down under the water!” cried the two duck girls +together.</p> + +<p>“So he has!” exclaimed Bully, glancing around. And then, when he had +looked down, he cried out: “Oh, a great big fish has hold of Bawly’s +toes, and he’s going to eat him, I guess! I must save my brother!”</p> + +<p>Bully didn’t think anything more about the race after that. No, indeed, +and some tomato ketchup, too! Down under water he dived, and he swam +close up to the fish who was pulling poor<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_13' id='Page_13'>[Pg 13]</a></span> Bawly away to his den in +among a lot of stones.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let my brother go, if you please!” called Bully to the fish.</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not,” was the answer, and then the big fish flopped his tail +like a fan and made such a wave that poor Bully was upset, turning a +somersault in the water. But that didn’t scare him, and when he had +turned over right side up again he swam to the fish once more and said:</p> + +<p>“If you don’t let my brother go I’ll call a policeman!”</p> + +<p>“No policeman can catch me!” declared the fish, boldly, and in a saucy +manner.</p> + +<p>“Oh, do something to save me!” cried poor Bawly, trying to pull his toes +away from the fish’s teeth, but he couldn’t.</p> + +<p>“I’ll save you!” shouted Bully, and then he took a stick, and tried to +put it in the fish’s mouth to make him open his jaws and let loose of +Bawly. But the stick broke, and the fish was swimming away faster than +ever. Then Bully popped his head out of the water and cried to the two +duck girls:</p> + +<p>“Oh, run and tell Grandpa Croaker! Tell him to come and save Bawly!”</p> + +<p>Well, Alice and Lulu wibbled and wobbled as fast as they could go to the +frog house, and told Grandpa Croaker, and the old gentleman gave<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_14' id='Page_14'>[Pg 14]</a></span> one +great big leap, and landed in the water right down close to where the +fish had Bawly by the toes.</p> + +<p>“Boom! Boom! Croak-croak-croaker-croak!” cried Grandpa in his deepest +bass voice. “You let Bawly go!” And, would you believe it, his voice +sounded like a cannon, or a big gun, and that fish was so frightened, +thinking he was going to be shot, that he opened his mouth and let Bawly +go. The frog boy’s toes were scratched a little by the teeth of the +fish, but he could still swim, and he and his brother and Grandpa were +soon safe on shore.</p> + +<p>“Well, I guess we won’t race any more to-day,” said Bawly. “Thank you +very much for saving me, Grandpa.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s all right,” said Mr. Croaker kindly. “Here is a penny for +each of you,” and he gave Bully and Bawly and Lulu and Alice each a +penny, and they bought peppermint candy, so Bully and Bawly had +something good to eat, even if they didn’t finish the race, and the bad +fish had nothing. Now, in case I see a green rose in bloom on the pink +lilac bush, I’ll tell you next about Bully making a water wheel.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_II' id='STORY_II'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_15' id='Page_15'>[Pg 15]</a></span> +<h2>STORY II</h2><h3>BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was sitting out in the yard in front of his +house, with his knife and a lot of sticks. He was whittling the sticks, +and making almost as many chips and shavings as a carpenter, and as he +whittled away he whistled a funny little tune, about a yellow +monkey-doodle with a pink nose colored blue, who wore a slipper on one +foot, because he had no shoe.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon, along came Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, and he +perched on the fence in front of Bully, put his head on one side—not on +one side of the fence, you know, but on one side of his own little +feathered neck—and Dickie looked out of his bright little eyes at +Bully, and inquired:</p> + +<p>“What are you making?”</p> + +<p>“I am making a water-wheel,” answered the frog boy.</p> + +<p>“What! making a wheel out of water?” asked the birdie in great surprise. +“I never heard of such a thing.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_16' id='Page_16'>[Pg 16]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, no indeed!” exclaimed Bully with a laugh. “I’m making a wheel out +of wood, so that it will go ‘round and ‘round in the water, and make a +nice splashing noise. You see it’s something like the paddle-wheel of a +steamboat, or a mill wheel, that I’m making.”</p> + +<p>“And where are you going to get the water to make it go ‘round?” asked +Dickie.</p> + +<p>“Down by the pond,” answered Bully. “I know a little place where the +water falls down over the rocks, and I’m going to fasten a wooden wheel +there, and it will whizz around very fast!”</p> + +<p>“Does the water hurt itself when it falls down over the rocks?” asked +Dickie Chip-Chip. “Once I fell down over a little stone, and I hurt +myself quite badly.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no, water can’t hurt itself,” spoke Bully, as he made a lot more +shavings. “There, the wheel is almost done. Don’t you want to see it go +‘round, Dickie?”</p> + +<p>The little sparrow boy said that he did, so he and the frog started off +together for the pond. Dickie hopping along on the ground, and Bully +flying through the air.</p> + +<p>What’s that? I’m wrong? Oh, yes, excuse me. I see where I made the +mistake. Of course, Dickie flew through the air, and Bully hopped along +on the ground. Now we’re all straight.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_17' id='Page_17'>[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon they came to the pond and to the little place where +the water fell over the rocks and didn’t hurt itself, and there Bully +fastened his water-wheel, which was nearly as large as he was, and quite +heavy. He fixed it so that the water would drop on the wooden paddles +that stuck out like the spokes of the baby carriage wheels, and in a +short while it was going around as fast as an automobile, splashing the +drops of water up in the sunlight, and making them look like the +diamonds which pretty ladies wear on their fingers.</p> + +<p>“That’s a fine wheel!” cried Dickie. “I wonder if we could ride on it?”</p> + +<p>“I guess we could,” spoke Bully. “It’s like a merry-go-round, only it’s +turned up the wrong way. I’ll see if I can ride on it, and if it goes +all right with me you can try it.”</p> + +<p>So Bully hopped on the moving water-wheel, and, surely enough, he had a +fine ride, only, of course, he got all splashed up, but he didn’t care.</p> + +<p>“Do you mind getting your feathers wet?” he asked of Dickie as he hopped +off, “because if you don’t mind the wet, you can ride.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I don’t mind the wet a bit,” said the sparrow boy. “In fact, I take +a bath every morning and I wet my feathers then. So I’ll ride on the +wheel and get wet now.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_18' id='Page_18'>[Pg 18]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, he got on, and around the wheel went, splashing in the water, and +then Bully got on, and they both had a fine ride, just as if they were +in a rainstorm with the sun shining all the while.</p> + +<p>But listen. Something is going to happen, I think. Wait a minute—yes, +it’s going to happen right now. What’s that animal sneaking along +through the woods, closer and closer up to where Bully and Dickie are +playing? What is it, eh? A cat! I knew it. A bad cat, too! I could just +feel that something was going to happen.</p> + +<p>You see that cat was hungry, and she hoped to catch the sparrow and the +frog boy and eat them. Up she sneaked, walking as softly as a baby can +creep, and just then Dickie and Bully got off the wheel, and sat down on +the bank to eat a cookie, which Bully found in his water-proof pocket.</p> + +<p>“Now’s my chance!” thought the cat. “I’ll grab ’em both, and eat ’em!” +So she made a spring, but she didn’t jump quite far enough and she +missed both Bully and Dickie. Dickie flew up into a tree, and so he was +safe, but Bully couldn’t fly, though he hopped away.</p> + +<p>After him jumped the cat, and she cried:</p> + +<p>“I’ll get you yet!”</p> + +<p>Bully hopped some more, but the cat raced toward him, and nearly had the +froggie. Then began quite a chase. The cat was very quick,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_19' id='Page_19'>[Pg 19]</a></span> and she kept +after Bully so closely that she was making him very tired. Pretty soon +his jumps weren’t as long as they had been at first. And the cat was +keeping him away from the pond, too, for she knew if he jumped into that +he would get away, for cats don’t like water, or rain.</p> + +<p>But finally Bully managed to head himself back toward the pond, and the +cat was still after him. Oh, how savage she looked with her sharp teeth, +and her glaring eyes! Poor Bully was much frightened.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, as he hopped nearer and nearer to the pond, he thought +of a trick to play on that cat. He pretended that he could hardly hop +any more, and only took little steps. Nearer and nearer sneaked the cat, +lashing her tail. At last she thought she could give one big spring, and +land on Bully with her sharp claws.</p> + +<p>She did spring, but Dickie, up in the tree, saw her do it, and he called +to his friend Bully to look out. Then Bully gave a great big hop and +landed on the water-wheel, and the cat was so surprised that she jumped, +too, and before she knew it she had leaped on the wheel also. Around and +around it went, with Bully and the cat on it, and water splashed all +over, and the cat was so wet and miserable that she forgot all<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_20' id='Page_20'>[Pg 20]</a></span> about +eating Bully. But Bully only liked the water, and didn’t mind it a bit.</p> + +<p>Then the frog boy hopped off the wheel to the shore and hurried away, +with Dickie flying overhead, and the cat, who was now as wet as a +sponge, and very dizzy from the wheel going around so fast, managed to +jump ashore a little while afterward. But her fur was so wet and +plastered down that she couldn’t chase after Bully any more, and he got +safely home; and the cat had to stay in the sun all day to dry out. But +it served her right, I think.</p> + +<p>Now in case the little boy next door doesn’t take our baby carriage and +make an automobile of it, I’ll tell you next about Bawly and Uncle +Wiggily.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_III' id='STORY_III'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_21' id='Page_21'>[Pg 21]</a></span> +<h2>STORY III</h2><h3>BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the woods one +fine day, whistling a merry tune, and wondering if he would meet any of +his friends, with whom he might have a game of ball. He had a baseball +with him, and he was very fond of playing. I just wish you could have +seen him stand up on his hind legs and catch balls in his mouth. It was +as good as going to the best kind of a moving picture show. Perhaps some +day you may see Bawly.</p> + +<p>Well, as I said, he was hopping along, tossing the ball up into the air +and catching it, sometimes in his paw and sometimes in his mouth, when, +all of a sudden he heard a funny pounding noise, that seemed to be in +the bushes.</p> + +<p>“Gracious, I wonder what that can be!” exclaimed Bawly, looking around +for a good place to hide.</p> + +<p>He was just going to crawl under a hollow stump, for he thought perhaps +the noise might be made by a bad wolf, or a savage fox, sharpening<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_22' id='Page_22'>[Pg 22]</a></span> his +teeth on a hard log, when Bawly heard some one say:</p> + +<p>“There, I’ve dropped my hammer! Oh, dear! Now I’ll have to climb all the +way down and get it, I s’pose.”</p> + +<p>“Well, that doesn’t sound like a wolf or a fox,” thought Bawly. “I guess +it’s safe to go on.”</p> + +<p>So he didn’t hide under the stump, but hopped along, and in a little +while he came to a place in the woods where there were no trees, and, +bless you! if there wasn’t the cutest little house you’ve ever seen! It +wasn’t quite finished, and, in fact, up on the roof was Uncle Wiggily +Longears, the old gentleman rabbit, putting on the shingles to keep out +the rain if it came.</p> + +<p>“Oh, hello, Uncle Wiggily!” called Bawly, joyfully.</p> + +<p>“Hello,” answered the rabbit carpenter. “You are just in time, Bawly. +Would you mind handing me my hammer? It slipped and fell to the ground.”</p> + +<p>“Of course I’ll throw it up to you,” said Bawly, kindly. “But you had +better get behind the chimney, Uncle Wiggily, for I might hit you with +the hammer, though, of course, I wouldn’t mean to. You see I am a very +good thrower from having played ball so much.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_23' id='Page_23'>[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I see,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “Well, I’ll get behind the chimney.”</p> + +<p>So Bawly picked up the hammer and he threw it carefully toward the roof, +but, would you believe me, he threw it so hard that it went right over +the house, chimney and all, and fell down on the other side.</p> + +<p>“My! You are too strong!” exclaimed Uncle Wiggily laughing so that his +fur shook. “Try again, Bully, if you please.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m Bawly, not Bully,” said the frog boy.</p> + +<p>“Excuse me, that was my mistake,” spoke the old gentleman rabbit. “I’ll +get it right next time, Peetie—I mean Bawly.”</p> + +<p>Well, Bawly threw the hammer again, and this time it landed right on the +roof close to the chimney, and Uncle Wiggily picked it up and began +nailing on more shingles.</p> + +<p>“If you please,” asked Bawly, when he had watched the rabbit carpenter +put in about forty-’leven nails, “who is this house for?”</p> + +<p>“It is for Sammie and Susie Littletail,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “They +are going to have rabbit play-parties in it, and I hope you and Bully +will come sometimes.”</p> + +<p>“We’ll be glad to,” spoke Bawly. Then Uncle<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_24' id='Page_24'>[Pg 24]</a></span> Wiggily drove in another +nail, and the house was almost done.</p> + +<p>“How do you get up and down off the roof?” asked Bawly, who didn’t see +any ladder.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I slide up and down a rope,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “I have a +strong cord fastened to the chimney, and I crawl up it, just like a +monkey-doodle, and when I want to come down, I slide down. It’s better +than a ladder, and I can climb a rope very well, for I used to be a +sailor on a ship. See, here is the rope.”</p> + +<p>Well, he took hold of it, near where it was fastened to the chimney, to +show the frog boy how it was done, but, alas, and also alack-a-day! All +of a sudden that rope became untied, it slipped out of Uncle Wiggily’s +paw and fell to the ground! Now, what do you think about that?</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! Now I have gone and done it!” exclaimed the elderly rabbit, as +he leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down. “Now I am in a +pickle!—if you will kindly excuse the expression. How am I ever going +to get down? Oh, dear me, suz dud and a piece of sticking-plaster +likewise. Oh, me! Oh, my!”</p> + +<p>“Can’t you jump, Uncle Wiggily?” asked Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my, no! I might be killed. It’s too far! I could never jump off the +roof of a house.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_25' id='Page_25'>[Pg 25]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Perhaps you can climb down from one window shutter to the other, and so +get to the ground,” suggested Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No,” said Uncle Wiggily, looking over the edge of the house again. +“There are no window shutters on as yet. So I can’t climb on ’em.”</p> + +<p>Well, it did seem as if poor Uncle Wiggily would have to stay up there +on the roof for a long, long time, for there was no way of getting down.</p> + +<p>“If there was a load of hay here, you could jump on that, and you +wouldn’t be hurt,” said Bawly, scratching his nose.</p> + +<p>“But there is no hay here,” said the rabbit carpenter, sadly.</p> + +<p>“Well, if there was a fireman here with a long ladder, then you could +get down,” said Bawly, wiggling his toes.</p> + +<p>“But there is no fireman here,” objected Uncle Wiggily. “Ah, I have it, +Bawly! You are a good jumper, perhaps you can jump up here to the roof +with the rope and I can fasten it to the chimney again and slide down as +I did before.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll try,” said Bawly, and he did; but bless you! He couldn’t jump as +high as the house, no matter how many times he tried it. And the dinner +bell rang and Uncle Wiggily was very hungry and very anxious to get off +the roof and eat something.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know how to do it!” cried Bawly at length, when he had jumped +forty-sixteen times. “I’ll tie a string to my baseball, and I’ll throw +the ball up to you. Then you catch it, untie the string, which I’ll keep +hold of on this end, and I’ll tie the rope to the cord. Then you can +haul up the rope, fasten it to the chimney, and slide down.”</p> + +<p>“Good!” cried Uncle Wiggily, clapping his front paws together in +delight.</p> + +<p>Well, if you’ll believe me, Bawly did tie the string to his baseball and +with one big throw he threw it right up to Uncle Wiggily, who caught it +just as if he were on first base in a game. And then with the little +cord, which reached down to the ground, he pulled up the big rope, +knotted it around the chimney, and down he slid, just in time for +dinner, and he took Bawly home with him and gave him a penny.</p> + +<p>Now if it should happen that I don’t lose my watch down the inkwell so I +can see when it’s time for my pussy cat to have his warm soup, I’ll tell +you in the story after this about Bully’s and Bawly’s big jump.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-003' id='illus-003'></a> +<img src='images/illus-026.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_IV' id='STORY_IV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_26' id='Page_26'>[Pg 26]</a></span> +<h2>STORY IV</h2><h3>BULLY’S AND BAWLY’S BIG JUMP</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_27' id='Page_27'>[Pg 27]</a></span>One +day Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, looked in the pantry to see what +there was to eat for dinner and there wasn’t a single thing. No, just +like Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, the pantry was bare, though there was a +bone in it that was being saved for some time when Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow, the puppie-dog boys, might come on a visit.</p> + +<p>“Oh, some one will have to go to the store to get something for supper,” +said Mrs. No-Tail. “Do you feel able to go, Grandpa Croaker?”</p> + +<p>“Well, I could go,” said the old frog gentleman, in his deepest bass +voice, which sounded like the rumble of thunder over the hills and far +away, “but I promised I would go over and play a game of checkers with +Uncle Wiggily Longears. He has just finished the playhouse for Sammie +and Susie, and he wants to show me that. So I don’t see how I can go to +the store very well.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_28' id='Page_28'>[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>“If Bully and Bawly were here they’d go,” said their mamma. “I wish +they’d come. Oh, here they are now,” she went on, as she looked out of +the window and saw the two frog boys coming home from school. “Hurry!” +she called to them. “I want you to go to the store.”</p> + +<p>“All right,” they both answered, and they were so polite about it that +Mrs. No-Tail gave them each a penny, though, of course, they would have +gone without that, for they always liked to help their mamma.</p> + +<p>“I want some sugar, and molasses, and bread, and butter, and some corn +meal, and bacon and watercress salad,” said the mother frog, and Bully +and Bawly each took a basket in which to carry the things. Then they +hopped on toward the store.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to buy marbles with my penny,” said Bully.</p> + +<p>“And I’m going to buy a whistle with mine,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>Well, they got to the grocery, all right, and the cow lady who kept it +gave them the things their mamma wanted. Then they went to the toy store +and Bully got his marbles, and Bawly his whistle, which made a very loud +noise.</p> + +<p>Now I’m very sorry to be obliged to tell it, but something is going to +happen to Bully and Bawly<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_29' id='Page_29'>[Pg 29]</a></span> very soon. In fact, I think it is going to +take place at once. Just excuse me a moment, will you, until I look out +of the window and see if the alligator is coming. Yes, there he is. He +just got off the trolley car. The conductor put him off because he had +the wrong transfer.</p> + +<p>So, all at once, as Bully and Bawly were hopping along through the +woods, this alligator that I was telling you about jumped out at them +from under a prickly briar bush. Right at them he jumped, and he was a +very savage alligator, for he had gotten loose out of the circus, where +he belonged, and he had been tramping around without anything to eat for +a long time, so he was very hungry.</p> + +<p>“Now, I see where I’m going to have a nice dinner,” the alligator said +to himself, as he jumped out at Bully and Bawly.</p> + +<p>But those two frog boys were smart little fellows, and they were always +looking around for danger. So, as soon as the alligator made a jump at +them, they also leaped to one side, and the unpleasant creature didn’t +get them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you just wait! I’ll have you in a minute!” the alligator cried, and +he opened his mouth so wide that it went all the way back to his ears, +and the top of his head nearly flew off.</p> + +<p>“We haven’t time to wait,” said Bully with a<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_30' id='Page_30'>[Pg 30]</a></span> laugh, as he hopped on +with his basket of groceries.</p> + +<p>“No, we must get back home in time for supper,” spoke Bawly. “So we’ll +have to leave you,” and on he hipped and skipped and hopped with his +basket.</p> + +<p>Those frog boys didn’t really think that that alligator could reach +them, for he was so big and clumsy-looking that it didn’t seem as if he +could run very fast. But he could, and the first thing Bully and Bawly +knew, that most unprepossessing creature, with a smile that went away +around to his ears, was close behind them and gnashing his teeth at +them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, hop, Bully, hop!” cried Bawly in great fright.</p> + +<p>“Sure, I’ll hop!” answered his brother. “You hop, too!”</p> + +<p>Well, they both hopped as fast as they could, but on account of the +baskets of groceries which they had they couldn’t hop as fast as usual. +The alligator saw this, and after them he crawled, and several times he +nearly had them by their tails. Oh, no, excuse me, if you please, frogs +don’t have tails. I was thinking of tadpoles.</p> + +<p>“Oh, just wait until I catch you!” cried the alligator, snapping his +teeth together.</p> + +<p>But Bully and Bawly didn’t wait. On they<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_31' id='Page_31'>[Pg 31]</a></span> hopped, as fast as they could, +hoping to get away. And would you ever believe that an alligator could +be so mean as this one was? For he chased Bully and Bawly right up a +steep hill. You know it’s hard to walk up hill, and harder still to hop, +so Bully and Bawly were soon tired. But do you s’pose that alligator +cared? Not a bit of it!</p> + +<p>Right after them he kept crawling, faster and faster.</p> + +<p>Bully and Bawly hopped as swiftly as they could, but the alligator kept +getting nearer and nearer to them, for he was big and strong, and didn’t +mind the hill. They could hear his savage jaws gnashing together, and +they trembled so that Bully almost spilled the molasses out of his +basket and Bawly nearly dropped the granulated sugar.</p> + +<p>Well, finally the two frog boys were at the top of the hill, and they +were very thankful, thinking that they could now get away from the +alligator, when they suddenly saw that the hill came to an end, and fell +over the edge of a great precipice just like the Niagara waterfall, only +there wasn’t any water there, of course.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we can’t go any farther,” cried Bully, coming to a stop.</p> + +<p>“No,” said his brother, “we can’t jump down<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_32' id='Page_32'>[Pg 32]</a></span> that awful gully. But look, +Bully, there is another hill over there,” and he pointed across the big, +open space. “If we could jump across from this hill to that hill, the +alligator couldn’t get us.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but it’s a terrible big jump,” said Bully, and indeed it was; about +as wide as a big river. “But we’ve got to do it!” cried Bully, “for here +comes the terrible beast!”</p> + +<p>The alligator was almost upon them. He opened his mouth to grab them +with his teeth, when Bully, spreading out his legs, and taking a firm +hold of his grocery basket, gave a great, big jump. Through the air he +sailed, over the deep valley, and he landed safely on the other hill. +Then Bawly did the same, and with one most tremendous, extemporaneous +and extraordinary jump, he landed close beside his brother, and the +alligator couldn’t get either of them because he couldn’t jump across +the chasm.</p> + +<p>Oh, but he was an angry alligator though! He gnashed his teeth and +wiggled his tail and even cried big round tears. Nearly all alligators +cry little square tears, but even round ones didn’t do a bit of good. +Then Bully threw a marble at the savage creature, and hit him on the +nose, and Bawly blew his whistle so loud, that the alligator thought a +policeman, or postman, was coming, and he turned around and ran away, +and the frog<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_33' id='Page_33'>[Pg 33]</a></span> boys went on safely home with their baskets of groceries +and had a good supper.</p> + +<p>Now in case that alligator doesn’t chase after me, and chew up my +typewriter to make mincemeat of it for the wax doll, I’ll tell you in +the next story about Grandpa Croaker digging a well.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_V' id='STORY_V'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_34' id='Page_34'>[Pg 34]</a></span> +<h2>STORY V</h2><h3>GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL</h3> +</div> + +<p>It happened, once upon a time when Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, went to +the pump to get some water for supper, that a little fish jumped out of +the pump spout and nearly bit her on the nose.</p> + +<p>“Ha! That is very odd,” she said. “There must be fish in our well, and +in that case I think we had better have a new one.”</p> + +<p>So that night, when Mr. No-Tail came home from the wallpaper factory, +where he stepped into ink and then hopped all over white paper to make +funny patterns on it—that night, I say, Mrs. No-Tail said to her +husband:</p> + +<p>“I think we will have to get a new well.” Then she told him about the +fish from the pump nearly biting her, and Mr. No-Tail remarked:</p> + +<p>“Yes, I think we had better have a new place to get our water, for the +fish in the old well may drink it all up.”</p> + +<p>“Well, well!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker in such a deep bass voice that +he made the dishpan<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_35' id='Page_35'>[Pg 35]</a></span> on the gas stove rattle as loudly as if Bully or +Bawly were drumming on it with a wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey. +“Let me dig the well,” went on the old gentleman frog. “I just love to +shovel the dirt, and I can dig a well so deep that no fish will ever get +into it.”</p> + +<p>“Very well,” said Mr. No-Tail. “You may start in the morning, and Bully +and Bawly can help you, as it will be Saturday and there is no school.”</p> + +<p>Well, the next morning Grandpa Croaker started in. He marked a nice +round circle on the ground in the back yard, because he wanted a round +well, and not a square one, you see; and then he began to dig. At first +there was nothing for Bully and Bawly to do, as when he was near the top +of the well their Grandpa could easily throw the dirt out himself. But +when he had dug down quite a distance it was harder work, to toss up the +dirt, so Grandpa Croaker told the boys to get a rope, and a hook and +some pails.</p> + +<p>The hook was fastened to one end of the rope, and then a pail was put on +the hook. Then the pail was lowered into the well, down to where Grandpa +Croaker was working. He filled the pail with dirt, and Bully and Bawly +hauled it up and emptied it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is lots of fun!” exclaimed Bully, as<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_36' id='Page_36'>[Pg 36]</a></span> he and his brother +pulled on the rope. “It’s as much fun as playing baseball.”</p> + +<p>“I think so, too,” agreed Bawly. Then Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, +came along, and so did Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. They +wanted to help pull up the dirt, so Bully and Bawly let them after +Sammie had given the frog brothers a nice marble, and Peetie and Jackie +each a stick of chewing gum.</p> + +<p>Grandpa Croaker kept on digging the well, and the frog boys and their +friends pulled up the dirt, and pretty soon the hole in the ground was +so deep and dark that, by looking up straight, from down at the bottom +of it, the old gentleman frog could see the stars, and part of the moon, +in the sky, even if it was daylight.</p> + +<p>Then he dug some more, and, all of a sudden, his shovel went down into +some water, and then Grandpa Croaker knew that the well was almost +finished. He dug out a little more earth, in came more water, wetting +his feet, and then the frog well-digger cried:</p> + +<p>“I’ve struck water! I’ve struck water!”</p> + +<p>“Hurrah!” shouted Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Hurray! Hurray!” exclaimed Bully, and they were so happy that they +danced up and down. Then Sammie Little-Tail and Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow grew so excited and delighted<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_37' id='Page_37'>[Pg 37]</a></span> that they ran off to tell all their +friends about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. That left Bully and Bawly +all alone up at the edge of the big hole in the ground, at the bottom of +which was their grandpa.</p> + +<p>“Let’s have another little dance!” suggested Bully.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied Bawly, “let’s jump down the well and have a drink of the +new water that hasn’t any fishes in it.”</p> + +<p>So, without thinking what they were doing, down they leaped into the +well, almost failing on Grandpa Croaker’s bald head, and carrying down +with them the rope, by which they had been pulling up the pails of dirt. +Into the water they popped, and each one took a big drink.</p> + +<p>“Well, now you’ve done it!” cried Grandpa Croaker, as he leaned on his +shovel and looked at his two grandsons.</p> + +<p>“Why, what is the matter?” asked Bully, splashing some water on Bawly’s +nose.</p> + +<p>“Yes. All we did was to jump down here,” added Bawly. “What’s wrong?”</p> + +<p>“Why that leaves no one above on the ground to help me get up,” said the +old gentleman frog. “I was depending on you to haul me up by the rope, +and here you jump down, and pull the rope with you. It’s as bad as when +Uncle Wiggily<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_38' id='Page_38'>[Pg 38]</a></span> was on the roof, only he was up and couldn’t get down, +and we’re down and can’t get up.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I think I can jump to the top of the well and take the rope with +me. If I can’t take this rope I’ll get another and pull you both up,” +said Bully. So he hopped and he hopped, but he couldn’t hop to the top +of the well. Every time he tried it, he fell back into the water, +ker-slash!</p> + +<p>“Let me try,” said his brother. But it was just the same with Bawly. +Back he sploshed-splashed into the well-water, getting all wet.</p> + +<p>“Now we’ll never get out of here,” said Grandpa Croaker sadly. “I wish +you boys would think a little more, and not do things so quickly.”</p> + +<p>“We will—next time,” promised Bawly as he gave another big jump, but he +came nowhere near the top of the well.</p> + +<p>Then it began to look as if they would have to stay down there forever, +for no one came to pull them out.</p> + +<p>“Let’s call for help,” suggested Bully. So he and Bawly called as loud +as they could, and so did Grandpa Croaker. But the well was so deep, and +their voices sounded so loud and rumbling, coming out of the hole in the +ground, that every one thought it was thunder. And the animal people +feared it would rain, so they all ran home, and no<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_39' id='Page_39'>[Pg 39]</a></span> one thought of +grandpa and the two frog boys in the deep well.</p> + +<p>But at last along came Alice Wibblewobble, and, being a duck, she didn’t +mind a thunder storm. So she didn’t run away, and she heard Grandpa +Croaker and Bully and Bawly calling for help at the bottom of the well. +She asked what was the trouble, and Bully told her what had happened.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you silly boys, to jump down a well!” exclaimed Alice. “But never +fear, I’ll help you up.” So they never feared, and Alice got a rope and +lowered it down to them, and then, with the help of her brother Jimmie +and her sister Lulu, she pulled all three frogs up from the well, and +they lived happy for ever after, and drank the water that had no fishes +in it.</p> + +<p>Now if the faucet in the kitchen sink doesn’t turn upside down, and +squirt the water on the ceiling and into the cat’s eye, I’ll tell you +next about Papa No-Tail in trouble.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_VI' id='STORY_VI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_40' id='Page_40'>[Pg 40]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VI</h2><h3>PAPA NO-TAIL IN TROUBLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>Papa No-tail, the frog gentleman, was working away in the wallpaper +factory one day, when something quite strange happened to him, and if +you all sit right nice and quiet, as my dear old grandmother used to +say, I’ll tell you all about it, from the beginning to the end, and I’ll +even tell you the middle part, which some people leave out, when they +tell stories.</p> + +<p>Papa No-Tail would dip his four feet, which were something like hands, +in the different colored inks at the factory. There was red ink, and +blue ink, and white ink, and black ink, and sky-purple-green ink, and +also that newest shade, skilligimink color, which Sammie Littletail once +dyed his Easter eggs. After he had his feet nicely covered with the ink, +Papa No-Tail would hop all over pieces of white paper to make funny +patterns on them. Then they would be ready to paper a room, and make it +look pretty.</p> + +<p>“I think that is very well done,” said the old<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_41' id='Page_41'>[Pg 41]</a></span> gentleman frog to +himself as he looked at one roll of paper on which he had made a picture +of a mouse chasing a big lion. “Now I think I will make a pattern of a +doggie standing on his left ear.” And he did so, and very fine it was, +too.</p> + +<p>“Now, while I’m waiting for the ink to dry,” said Mr. No-Tail, “I’ll lie +down and take a nap.” So he went fast, fast asleep on a long piece of +the wall paper that was stretched out on the floor, and this was the +beginning of his trouble.</p> + +<p>For, all at once, a puff of wind—not a cream puff, you understand, but +a wind puff—came in the window, and rolled up the wallpaper in a tight +little roll, and the worst of it was that Papa No-Tail was asleep +inside. Yes, fast, fast asleep, and he never knew that he was wrapped +up, just like a stick of chewing gum; only you mustn’t ever chew gum in +school, you know.</p> + +<p>Well, time went on, and the clock ticked, and Papa No-Tail still slept. +Then a man looked in the window of the wallpaper factory and, seeing no +one there, he thought he would take a roll of paper home with him, to +paste on his little boy’s bedroom.</p> + +<p>“The next time I come past here, perhaps some one will be in the +office,” the man said, “and then I can pay them for the paper,” for he +wanted to be very honest, you see. “I’ll get<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_42' id='Page_42'>[Pg 42]</a></span> Uncle Butter, the goat, to +paste the paper on the wall for me,” said the man. Then he reached +inside the room, and what do you think? Why he picked up the very piece +of wallpaper that was wrapped around Papa Chip-Chip—Oh, no, excuse me! +I mean Papa No-Tail. Yes, the man picked up that roll, with Bully’s and +Bawly’s papa inside, and away he went with it, and the old gentleman +frog was still sound asleep.</p> + +<p>Now this is about the middle of his trouble, just as I said I’d tell +you, but we haven’t gotten to the end yet, though we will in a little +while.</p> + +<p>Home that man went, as fast as he could go, and on his way he stopped at +Uncle Butter’s office.</p> + +<p>“I have a little wallpapering I want done at my house,” the man said to +the old gentleman goat, “and I wish you’d come right along with me and +do it. I have the paper here.”</p> + +<p>“To be sure I will,” said Uncle Butter. So he got his pail of paste, and +gave Billie and Nannie Goat a little bit on some brown paper, just like +jam, and they liked it very much. The goat paper-hanger took his shears, +and his brushes, and his stepladders, tying them on his horns, and away +he went with the man.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they came to the house where the man lived, and his little +boy was there, and very<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_43' id='Page_43'>[Pg 43]</a></span> delighted he was when he heard that he was to +have some new paper on his room.</p> + +<p>“May I watch you put it on?” he asked Uncle Butter.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” answered the old gentleman goat, “if you don’t step in the paste, +and spoil the carpet.”</p> + +<p>The little boy promised that he wouldn’t, and Uncle Butter went to work. +First he got his sticky stuff all ready, and then he made a little table +on which to lay out and paste the paper.</p> + +<p>“Now, we’ll cut the roll into strips and fasten it on the wall good and +tight, so that it won’t fall off in the middle of the night and scare +you,” said Uncle Butter. Then he reached for the roll of paper, and, +mind you, Papa No-Tail was still asleep inside of it. But all at once, +just as the paper-hanger goat was about to pick up the roll, Mr. No-Tail +awakened and was quite surprised to discover where he was.</p> + +<p>“My, I never would have believed it,” he said, and he wiggled his legs +and arms and made a great rustling sound inside the roll of paper like a +fly in a sugar bag.</p> + +<p>“Hello! What’s that?” cried Uncle Butter, jumping back so quickly that +he upset his paste-pot.</p> + +<p>“What’s the matter?” asked the little boy in glad surprise.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_44' id='Page_44'>[Pg 44]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Why, there’s something inside that paper!” cried the goat. “See, it’s +moving! There must be a fairy inside!”</p> + +<p>Surely enough, the paper was rolling and twisting around on the floor in +a most remarkable manner, for Papa No-Tail inside was wriggling and +twisting, and trying his best to get out. But the paper was wound around +him too tightly, and he couldn’t get loose.</p> + +<p>“Oh, do you think it’s a fairy?” asked the little boy eagerly, for he +loved the dear creatures, and wanted to see one.</p> + +<p>“Let me out! Oh, please let me out!” suddenly cried Papa No-Tail just +then.</p> + +<p>“Of course it’s a fairy, my boy!” exclaimed Uncle Butter. “Didn’t you +hear it call? Oh, I’m going right away from here! I’ve pasted all kinds +of paper, but never before have I handled fairy paper, and I’m afraid to +begin now.”</p> + +<p>He started to run out of the room but his foot slipped in the paste, and +down he fell, and his little table fell on top of him, and the +stepladder was twisted in his horns. And Papa No-Tail was trying harder +than ever to get loose, and the roll of wallpaper rolled right toward +Uncle Butter.</p> + +<p>“Don’t catch me! Please, don’t catch me!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_45' id='Page_45'>[Pg 45]</a></span> the goat called to the fairy +he supposed was inside. “I never did anything to you!”</p> + +<p>Faster and faster rolled the paper, for Mr. No-Tail was wiggling quite +hard now, and he was crying to be let out. Then, all of a sudden, the +paper with the frog in, rolled close to the little boy. The boy was +brave, and he loved fairies, so he opened the roll, and out hopped Mr. +No-Tail, being very glad indeed to get loose, for it was quite warm +inside there.</p> + +<p>“Oh my! Was that you in the paper?” asked Uncle Butter, solemnly, +sitting in the middle of the floor, on a lot of paste.</p> + +<p>“It was,” said Papa No-Tail, as he helped the goat to get up.</p> + +<p>“Well, I never heard tell of such a thing in all my life! Never!” +exclaimed the goat, when the frog gentleman told him all about it. Then +Uncle Butter pasted the paper on the wall, and Papa No-Tail hopped home, +and that’s the end of the story, just as I promised it would be.</p> + +<p>Now in case the pussy cat doesn’t wash the puppy dog’s face with the +cork from the ink bottle and make his nose black, I’ll tell you on the +next page about Bully playing marbles.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_VII' id='STORY_VII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_46' id='Page_46'>[Pg 46]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VII</h2><h3>BULLY NO-TAIL PLAYS MARBLES</h3> +</div> + +<p>It happened one day that, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was walking +along with his bag of marbles going clank-clank in his pocket, he met +Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels.</p> + +<p>“Hello, Bully!” called the two brothers. “Do you want to have a game of +marbles?”</p> + +<p>“Of course I do,” answered Bully. “I just bought some new ones. ‘First +shot agates!’”</p> + +<p>“First shot!” yelled Billie, right after Bully.</p> + +<p>“First shot!” also cried Johnnie, almost at the same time.</p> + +<p>“Well, I guess we’re about even,” spoke Bully, as he opened his marble +bag to look inside. “Now, how are we going to tell who will shoot +first?”</p> + +<p>“I’ll tell you,” proposed Billie. “We’ll each throw a marble up into the +air, and the one whose comes down first will shoot first.”</p> + +<p>Well, the other two animal boys thought that was fair, so they tossed +their marble shooters up into the air. Billie only sent his up a little +way,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_47' id='Page_47'>[Pg 47]</a></span> for then he knew it would come down first, but Johnnie and Bully +didn’t think of this, and they threw their shooters up as high as they +could. And, of course, their marbles were so much longer coming down to +the ground again.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho! Here’s mine!” cried Billie. “I’m to shoot first.”</p> + +<p>“And here’s mine,” added Johnnie, a little later, as his marble came +down.</p> + +<p>“Yes, but where’s mine?” asked Bully, and they all listened carefully to +tell when Bully’s shooter would fall down. But the funny part of it was +that it didn’t come.</p> + +<p>“Say, did you throw it up to the sky?” asked Billie surprised like.</p> + +<p>“Because, if you did, it won’t come down until Fourth of July,” added +Johnnie.</p> + +<p>“No, I didn’t throw it as high as that,” replied the frog boy. “But +perhaps Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, is flying around up there, +and he may have taken it in his bill for a joke.”</p> + +<p>So they looked up toward the clouds as far as they could, but no little +sparrow boy did they see.</p> + +<p>“Well, we’ll have a game of marbles, anyhow,” said Bully at length. “I +have another shooter.”</p> + +<p>So he and Billie and Johnnie made a ring in the dirt, and put some +marbles in the centre.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_48' id='Page_48'>[Pg 48]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then they began to play, and Billie shot first, then Johnnie, and last +of all Bully. And all the while the frog boy was wondering what had +happened to his first marble. Now, a very queer thing had happened to +it, and you’ll soon hear all about it.</p> + +<p>Billie and Johnnie had each missed hitting any marbles, and when it came +Bully’s turn he took careful aim, with his second-best shooter, a red +and blue one.</p> + +<p>“Whack-bang!” That’s the way Bully’s shooter hit the marbles in the +ring, scattering them all over, and rolling several outside.</p> + +<p>“Say, are you going to knock ’em all out?” asked Billie.</p> + +<p>“That’s right! Leave some for us,” begged Johnnie.</p> + +<p>“Wait until I have one more trial,” went on Bully, for you see he had +two shots on account of being lucky with his first one and knocking some +marbles from the ring.</p> + +<p>Then he went to look for his second-best shooter, for it had rolled +away, but he couldn’t find it. It had completely, teetotally, +mysteriously and extraordinarily disappeared.</p> + +<p>“I’m sure it rolled over here,” said Bully as he poked around in the +grass near a big bush. “Please help me look for it, fellows.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_49' id='Page_49'>[Pg 49]</a></span></p> + +<p>So Billie and Johnnie helped Bully look, but they couldn’t find the +second shooter that the frog boy had lost.</p> + +<p>“You two go on playing and I’ll hunt for the marble,” said Bully after a +while, so he searched along in the grass, and, as he did so, he dropped +a nice glass agate out of his bag. He stooped to pick it up, but before +he could get his toes on it something that looked like a big chicken’s +bill darted out of the prickly briar bush and gobbled up the marble.</p> + +<p>“Oh!” cried Bully in fright, jumping back, “I wonder if that was a +snake?”</p> + +<p>“No, I’m not a snake,” was the answer. “I’m a bird,” and then out from +behind the bush came a great, big Pelican bird.</p> + +<p>“Did—did you take my marble?” asked Bully timidly.</p> + +<p>“I did!” cried the Pelican bird, snapping his bill together just like a +big pair of scissors. “I ate the first one after it fell to the ground +near me, and I ate the second one that you shot over here. They’re +good—marbles are! I like ’em. Give me some more!”</p> + +<p>The bird snapped his beak again, and Bully jumped back. As he did so the +marbles in his pocket rattled, and the Pelican heard them.</p> + +<p>“Ha! You have more!” he cried: “Hand<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_50' id='Page_50'>[Pg 50]</a></span> ’em over. I’ll eat ’em all up. I +just love marbles!”</p> + +<p>“No, you can’t have mine!” exclaimed Bully, backing away. “I want to +play some more games with Billie and Johnnie with these,” and he looked +to see where his two friends were. They were quite some distance off, +shooting marbles as hard as they could.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, that Pelican bird made a swoop for poor Bully, +and before the frog boy could get out of the way the bird had gobbled +him up in his big bill. There Bully was, not exactly swallowed by the +bird, you understand, but held a prisoner in the big pouch, or skin +laundry-bag that hung down below the bird’s lower beak.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me out of here!” cried Bully, hopping about inside the big bag +on the bird’s big bill. “Let me out! Let me out!”</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not,” said the big bird, speaking through his nose because his +mouth was shut. “I’ll keep you there until you give me all your marbles, +or until I decide whether or not I’ll eat you for my supper.”</p> + +<p>Well, poor Bully was very much frightened, and I guess you’d be, too. He +tried to get out but he couldn’t, and the bird began walking off to his +nest, taking the frog boy with him. Then Bully thought of his bag of +marbles, and, inside<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_51' id='Page_51'>[Pg 51]</a></span> the big bill, he rattled them as loudly as he +could.</p> + +<p>“Billie and Johnnie Bushytail may hear me, and help me,” he thought.</p> + +<p>And, surely enough the squirrel boys did. They heard the rattle of +Bully’s marbles inside the Pelican’s beak, and they saw the big bird, +and they guessed at once where Bully was. Then they ran up to the +Pelican, and began hitting him with their marbles, which they threw at +him as hard as they could. In the eyes and on his ears and on his +wiggily toes and on his big beak they hit him with marbles, until that +Pelican bird was glad enough to open his bill and let Bully go, marbles +and all. Then the bird flew away to its nest, and Bully and his friends +could play their game once more.</p> + +<p>The Pelican didn’t come back to bother them, but he had Bully’s two +shooters, that he had swallowed. So Johnnie, the squirrel, lent the boy +frog another shooter, and it was all right. And, in case the rain +doesn’t come down the chimney and put the fire out, so I can’t cook some +pink eggs with chocolate on for my birthday, I’ll tell you in the +following story about Bawly and the soldier hat.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_VIII' id='STORY_VIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_52' id='Page_52'>[Pg 52]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VIII</h2><h3>BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT</h3> +</div> + +<p>Susie Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk were having a play party in the +woods. They had their lunch in little birch-bark baskets, and they used +a nice, big, flat stump for a table. They took an old napkin for a +tablecloth, and they had pieces of carrots boiled in molasses and +chocolate, and cabbage with pink frosting on, and nuts all covered with +candy, and some sugared popcorn, and all nice things like that, to eat.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t this lovely!” exclaimed Susie. “Please pass me the fried +lolly-pops, Jennie, aren’t they lovely?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, they’re perfectly grand!” spoke Jennie as she passed over some +bits of turnip, which they made believe were fried lolly-pops. “I’ll +have some sour ginger snaps, Susie.”</p> + +<p>So Susie passed the plate full of acorns, which were make-believe sour +ginger snaps, you know, and the little animal girls were having a very +fine time, indeed. Oh, my, yes, and a bottle of horseradish also!<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_53' id='Page_53'>[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now, don’t worry, if you please. I know I did promise to tell about +Bawly and the soldier hat, and I’m going to do it. But Susie’s and +Jennie’s play party has something to do with the hat, so I had to start +off with them.</p> + +<p>While they were playing in the woods, having a fine time, Bawly No-Tail, +the frog boy, was at home in his house, making a big soldier hat out of +paper. I suppose you children have often made them, and also have played +at having a parade with wooden swords and guns. If you haven’t done so, +please get your papa to make you a soldier hat.</p> + +<p>Well, finally Bawly’s hat was finished, and he put a feather in it, just +as Yankee Doodle did, only Bawly didn’t look like macaroni.</p> + +<p>“Now, I’ll go out and see if I can find the boys and we’ll pretend +there’s a war, and a battle, and shooting and all that,” went on the +frog chap, who loved to do exciting things. So Bawly hopped out, and +Grandpa Croaker, who was asleep in the rocking chair didn’t hear him go. +Anyhow, I don’t believe the old gentleman frog would have cared, for +Bawly’s papa was at work in the wallpaper factory and his mamma had gone +to the five and ten cent store to buy a new dishpan that didn’t have a +hole in it. As for the other frog boy, Bawly’s brother Bully, he had<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_54' id='Page_54'>[Pg 54]</a></span> +gone after an ice cream cone, I think, or maybe a chocolate candy.</p> + +<p>On Bawly hopped, but he didn’t meet any of his friends. He had on his +big, paper soldier hat, with the feather sticking out of the top, and +Bawly also had a wooden gun, painted black, to make it look real, and he +had a sword made out of a stick, all silvered over with paint to make it +look like steel.</p> + +<p>Oh, Bawly was a very fine soldier boy! And as he marched along he +whistled a little tune that went like this:</p> + +<p style='margin-left: 4em;'> +“Soldier boy, soldier boy,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Brave and true,</span><br /> +I’m sure every one is<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Frightened at you.</span><br /> +Salute the flag and<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Fire the gun,</span><br /> +Now wave your sword and<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Foes will run.</span><br /> +Your feathered cap gives<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Lots of joy,</span><br /> +Oh! you’re a darling<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Soldier boy!”</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Well, Bawly felt finer than ever after that, and though he still didn’t +meet any of his friends,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_55' id='Page_55'>[Pg 55]</a></span> with whom he might play, he was hoping he +might see a savage fox or wolf, that he might do battle with the +unpleasant creature. But perhaps you had better wait and see what +happens.</p> + +<p>All this while, as Bawly was marching along through the woods with his +soldier cap on, Susie and Jennie were playing party at the old stump. +They had just eaten the last of the sweet-sour cookies, and drank the +last thimbleful of the orange-lemonade when, all at once, what should +happen but that a great big alligator crawled out of the bushes and made +a jump for them! Dear me! Would you ever expect such a thing?</p> + +<p>“Oh, look at that!” cried Susie as she saw the alligator.</p> + +<p>“Yes. Let’s run home!” shouted Jennie in fright.</p> + +<p>But before either of them could stir a step the savage alligator, who +had escaped from the circus again, grabbed them, one in each claw, and +then, holding them so that they couldn’t get away, he sat up on the end +of his big tail, and looked first at Susie and then at Jennie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, please let us go!” cried Susie, with tears in her eyes.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, do; and I’ll give you this half of a cookie I have left,” +spoke Jennie kindly.</p> + +<p>“I don’t want your cookie, I want you,” sang<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_56' id='Page_56'>[Pg 56]</a></span> the alligator, as if he +were reciting a song. “I’m going to eat you both!”</p> + +<p>Then he held them still tighter in his claws, and fairly glared at them +from out of his big eyes.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to eat you all up!” he growled, “but the trouble is I don’t +know which one to eat first. I guess I’ll eat you,” and he made a motion +toward Susie. She screamed, and then the alligator changed his mind. +“No, I guess I’ll eat you,” and he opened his mouth for Jennie. Then he +changed his mind again, and he didn’t know what to do. But, of course, +this made Jennie and Susie feel very nervous and also a big word called +apprehensive, which is the same thing.</p> + +<p>“Oh, help! Help! Will no one help us?” cried Susie at last.</p> + +<p>“No, I guess no one will,” spoke the alligator, real mean and saucy +like.</p> + +<p>But he was mistaken. At that moment, hopping through the woods was Bawly +No-Tail, wearing his paper soldier hat. He heard Susie call, and up he +marched, like the brave soldier frog boy that he was. Through the holes +in the bushes he could see the big alligator, and he saw Susie and +Jennie held fast in his claws.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I can never fight that savage creature<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_57' id='Page_57'>[Pg 57]</a></span> all alone,” thought Bawly. +“I must make him believe that a whole army of soldiers is coming at +him.”</p> + +<p>So Bawly hid behind a tree, where the alligator couldn’t find him, and +the frog boy beat on a hollow log with a stick as if it were a drum. +Then he blew out his cheeks, whistling, and made a noise like a fife. +Then he aimed his wooden gun and cried: “Bang! Bang! Bung! Bung!” just +as if the wooden gun had powder in it. Next Bawly waved his cap with the +feather in it, and the alligator heard all this, and he saw the waving +soldier cap, and he, surely enough, thought a whole big army was coming +after him.</p> + +<p>“I forgot something,” the alligator suddenly cried, as he let go of +Susie and Jennie. “I have to go to the dentist’s to get a tooth filled,” +and away that alligator scrambled through the woods as fast as he could +go, taking his tail with him. So that’s how Bawly saved Susie and +Jennie, and very thankful they were to him, and if they had had any +cookies left they would have given him two or sixteen, I guess.</p> + +<p>Now if our gas stove doesn’t go out and dance in the middle of the back +yard and scare the cook, so she can’t bake a rice-pudding pie-cake, I’ll +tell you next about Grandpa Croaker and the umbrella.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_IX' id='STORY_IX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_58' id='Page_58'>[Pg 58]</a></span> +<h2>STORY IX</h2><h3>GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA</h3> +</div> + +<p>One day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was coming home from school he +thought of a very hard word he had had to spell in class that afternoon. +It began with a “C,” and the next letter was “A” and the next one was +“T”—CAT—and what do you think? Why Bully said it spelled “Kitten,” and +just for that he had to write the word on his slate forty-’leven times, +so he’d remember it next day.</p> + +<p>“I guess I won’t forget it again in a hurry,” thought Bully as he hopped +along with his books in a strap over his shoulder. “C-a-t spells—” And +just then he heard a funny noise in the bushes, and he stopped short, as +Grandfather Goosey Gander’s clock did, when Jimmy Wibblewobble poured +molasses in it. Bully looked all around to see what the noise was. “For +it might be that alligator, or the Pelican bird,” he whispered to +himself.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-004' id='illus-004'></a> +<img src='images/illus-058.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_59' id='Page_59'>[Pg 59]</a></span>Just +then he heard a jolly laugh, and his brother Bawly hopped out from +under a cabbage leaf.</p> + +<p>“Did I scare you, Bully?” asked Bawly, as he scratched his right ear +with his left foot.</p> + +<p>“A little,” said Bully, turning a somersault to get over being +frightened.</p> + +<p>“Well, I didn’t mean to, and I won’t do it again. But now that you are +out of school, come on, let’s go have a game of ball. It’ll be lots of +fun,” went on Bawly.</p> + +<p>So the two brothers hopped off, and found Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, +the squirrels, and Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, and some other +animal friends, and they had a fine game, and Bawly made a home run.</p> + +<p>Now, about this same time, Grandpa Croaker, the nice old gentleman frog, +was hopping along through the cool, shady woods, and he was wondering +what Mrs. No-Tail would have good for supper.</p> + +<p>“I hope she has scrambled watercress with sugar on top,” thought +Grandpa, and just then he felt a drop of rain on his back. The sun had +suddenly gone under a cloud, and the water was coming down as fast as it +could, for April showers bring May flowers, you know. Grandpa Croaker +looked up, and, as he did so a drop of rain fell right in his eye! But +bless you! He<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_60' id='Page_60'>[Pg 60]</a></span> didn’t mind that a bit. He just hopped out where he could +get all wet, for he had on his rubber clothes, and he felt as happy as +your dollie does when she has on her new dress and goes for a ride in +the park. Frogs love water.</p> + +<p>The rain came down harder and harder and the water was running about, +all over in the woods, playing tag, and jumping rope, and everything +like that, when, all at once, Grandpa Croaker heard a little voice +crying:</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I’ll never get home in all this rain without wetting my new +dress and bonnet! Oh, what shall I do?”</p> + +<p>“Ha, I wonder if that can be a fairy?” said Grandpa.</p> + +<p>“No, I’m not a fairy,” went on the voice. “I’m Nellie Chip-Chip, the +sparrow girl, and I haven’t any umbrella.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker as he saw Nellie huddled up under a +big leaf, “why do you come out without an umbrella when it may rain at +any moment? Why do you do it?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I came out to-day to gather some nice wild flowers for my teacher,” +said Nellie. “See, I found some lovely white ones, like stars,” and she +held them out so Grandpa could smell them. But he couldn’t without +hopping over closer to where the little sparrow girl was.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_61' id='Page_61'>[Pg 61]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I was so interested in the flowers that I forgot all about bringing an +umbrella,” went on Nellie, and then she began to cry, for she had on a +new blue hat and dress, and didn’t want them to get spoiled by the rain +that was splashing all over.</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t cry!” begged Grandpa.</p> + +<p>“But I can’t get home without an umbrella,” wailed Nellie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I can soon fix that,” said the old gentleman goat—I mean frog. +“See, over there is a nice big toadstool. That will make the finest +umbrella in the world. I’ll break it off and bring it to you, and then +you can fly home, holding it over your head, in your wing, and then your +hat and dress won’t get wet.”</p> + +<p>Nellie thanked Grandpa Croaker very kindly and thought what a fine frog +gentleman he was. Off he hopped through the rain, never minding it the +least bit, and just as he got to the toadstool what do you s’pose he +saw? Why, a big, ugly snake was twined around it, just as a grapevine +twines around the clothes-post.</p> + +<p>“Hello, there!” cried Grandpa. “You don’t need that toadstool at all, +Mr. Snake, for water won’t hurt you. I want it for Nellie Chip-Chip, so +kindly unwind yourself from it.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_62' id='Page_62'>[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Indeed, I will not,” spoke the snake, saucily, hissing like a steam +radiator on a hot day.</p> + +<p>“I demand that you immediately get off that toadstool!” cried Grandpa +Croaker in his hoarsest voice, so that it sounded like distant thunder. +He wanted to scare the snake.</p> + +<p>“I certainly will not get off!” said the snake, firmly, “and what’s more +I’m going to catch you, too!” And with that he reached out like +lightning and grabbed Grandpa, and wound himself around him and the +toadstool also, and there the poor gentleman frog was, tight fast!</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! You’re squeezing the life out of me!” cried Grandpa +Croaker.</p> + +<p>“That’s what I intend to do,” spoke the snake, savagely.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What shall I do?” asked Nellie. “Shall I bite his +tail, Mr. Frog?”</p> + +<p>“No, stay there. Don’t come near him, or he’ll grab you,” called Grandpa +Croaker in a choking voice. “Besides you’ll get all wet, for it’s still +raining. I’ll get away somehow.” But no matter how hard he struggled +Grandpa couldn’t get away from the snake, who was pressing him tighter +and tighter against the toadstool.</p> + +<p>Poor Grandpa thought he was surely going to be killed, and Nellie was +crying, but she didn’t dare go near the snake, and the snake was +laughing<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_63' id='Page_63'>[Pg 63]</a></span> and snickering as loud as he could. Oh, he was very impolite! +Then, all of a sudden, along hopped Bully and Bawly, the frog boys. The +ball game had been stopped on account of the rain, you know.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” cried Bully. “We must save Grandpa from that snake!”</p> + +<p>“That’s what we must!” shouted Bawly. “Here, we’ll make him unwind +himself from Grandpa and the toadstool and then hit him with our +baseball bats.”</p> + +<p>So those brave frog boys went quite close to the snake, and that wiggily +creature thought he could catch them, and so put out his head to do it. +Then Bully and Bawly hopped around the toadstool in a circle, and the +snake, keeping his beady, black eyes on them, followed them with his +head, around and around, still hoping to catch them, until he finally +unwound himself, just like a corkscrew out of a bottle.</p> + +<p>Then Bully and Bawly hit him with their baseball bats, and the snake ran +away, taking his tail with him, and Grandpa Croaker was free. Then, +taking a long breath, for good measure, the old gentleman frog broke off +the toadstool and gave it to Nellie Chip-Chip for an umbrella, and the +sparrow girl could go home in the rain without getting wet. And Grandpa +thanked Bully and<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_64' id='Page_64'>[Pg 64]</a></span> Bawly and hopped on home with them. So that’s the end +of this story.</p> + +<p>But in case the little dog next door doesn’t take our doormat and eat it +for supper with his bread and butter I’ll tell you in the story after +this one about Bawly and Jollie Longtail.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_X' id='STORY_X'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_65' id='Page_65'>[Pg 65]</a></span> +<h2>STORY X</h2><h3>BAWLY NO-TAIL AND JOLLIE LONGTAIL</h3> +</div> + +<p>For a few days after Grandpa Croaker, the old frog gentleman, had been +wound around the toadstool by the snake, as I told you in the story +before this one, he was so sore and stiff from the squeezing he had +received, that he had to sit in an easy chair, and eat hot mush with +sugar on. And, in order that he would not be lonesome, Bawly and Bully +No-Tail, the frog boys, sat near him, and read him funny things from +their school books, or the paper, and Grandpa Croaker was very thankful +to them.</p> + +<p>The frog boys wanted very much to go away and play ball with their +friends, for, it being the Easter vacation, there was no school, but, +instead, they remained at home nearly all the while, so Grandpa wouldn’t +feel lonesome.</p> + +<p>But at last one day the old gentleman frog said:</p> + +<p>“Now, boys, I’m sure you must be very tired of staying with me so much. +You need a little<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_66' id='Page_66'>[Pg 66]</a></span> vacation. I am almost well now, so I’ll hop over and +see Uncle Wiggily Longears. Then you may go and play ball, and here is a +penny for each of you.”</p> + +<p>Well, of course Bully and Bawly thanked their Grandpa, though they +really hadn’t expected anything like that, and off they hopped to the +store to spend the money. For they had saved all the pennies for a long +time, and they were now allowed to buy something.</p> + +<p>Bully bought a picture post card to send to Aunt Lettie, the nice old +lady goat, and Bawly bought a bean shooter. That is a long piece of tin, +with a hole through it like a pipe, and you put in a bean at one end, +blow on the other end, and out pops the bean like a cork out of a soda +water bottle.</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do with that bean shooter?” asked Bully of his +brother.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m going to carry it instead of a gun,” said Bawly, “and if I see +that bad alligator, or snake, again I’ll shoot ’em with beans.”</p> + +<p>“Beans, won’t hurt ’em much,” spoke Bully.</p> + +<p>“No, but maybe the beans will tickle ’em so they’ll laugh and run away,” +replied his brother. Then they hopped on through the woods, and pretty +soon they met Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_67' id='Page_67'>[Pg 67]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Let’s have a ball game,” suggested Peetie, as he wiggled his left ear.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes!” cried Jackie, as he dug a hole in the ground to see if he +could find a juicy bone, but he couldn’t I’m sorry to say.</p> + +<p>Well, they started the ball game, and Bawly was so fond of his bean +shooter that he kept it with him all the while, and several times, when +the balls were high in the air, he tried to hit them by blowing beans at +them. But he couldn’t, though the beans popped out very nicely.</p> + +<p>But finally the other players didn’t like Bawly to do that, for the +beans came down all around them, and tickled them so that they had to +laugh, and they couldn’t play ball.</p> + +<p>Then Bawly said he’d lay his shooter down in the grass, but before he +could do so his brother Bully knocked such a high flying ball that you +could hardly see it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, grab it, Bawly! Grab it!” cried Peetie and Jackie, dancing about on +the ends of their tails, for Bawly was supposed to chase after the +balls. Away he went with his bean shooter, almost as fast as an +automobile.</p> + +<p>Farther and farther went the ball, and Bawly was chasing after it. All +of a sudden he found himself in the back yard of a house where the ball +had bounced over the fence, and of course, being<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_68' id='Page_68'>[Pg 68]</a></span> a good ball player, +Bawly kept right on after it. But he never expected to find himself in +the yard, and he certainly never expected to see what he did see.</p> + +<p>For there was a great, big, ugly, cruel boy, and he had something in his +hand. At first Bawly couldn’t tell what it was, and then, to his +surprise, he saw that the boy had caught Jollie Longtail, the nice +little mousie boy, about whom I once told you.</p> + +<p>“Ah ha! Now I have you!” cried the boy to the mouse. “You went in the +feed box in my father’s barn, and I have caught you.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but I only took the least bit of corn,” said Jollie Longtail. But +the boy didn’t understand the mouse language, though Bawly did.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to tie your tail in a knot, hang you over the clothes line +and then throw stones at you!” went on the cruel boy. “That will teach +you to keep away from our place. We don’t like mice.”</p> + +<p>Well, poor Jollie Longtail shivered and shook, and tried to get away +from that boy, but he couldn’t, and then the boy began tying a knot in +the mousie’s tail, so he could fasten Jollie to the clothes line in the +yard.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is terrible!” cried Bawly, and he forgot all about the ball +that was lying in the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_69' id='Page_69'>[Pg 69]</a></span> grass close beside him. “How sorry I am for poor +Jollie,” thought Bawly.</p> + +<p>“There’s one knot!” cried the boy as he made it. “Now for another!”</p> + +<p>Poor Jollie squirmed and wiggled, but he couldn’t get away.</p> + +<p>“Now for the last knot, and then I’ll tie you on the clothes line,” +spoke the boy, twisting Jollie’s tail very hard.</p> + +<p>“Oh, if he ever gets tied on the clothes line that will be the last of +him!” thought Bawly. “I wonder how I can save him?”</p> + +<p>Bawly thought, and thought, and thought, and finally he thought of his +bean shooter, and the beans he still had with him.</p> + +<p>“That’s the very thing!” he whispered. Then he hid down in the grass, +where the boy couldn’t see him, and just as that boy was about to tie +Jollie to the line, Bawly put a bean in the shooter, put the shooter in +his mouth, puffed out his cheeks and “bango!” a bean hit the boy on the +nose!</p> + +<p>“Ha!” cried the boy. “Who did that?” He looked all around and he +thought, maybe, it was a hailstone, but there weren’t any storm clouds +in the sky. Then the boy once more started to tie Jollie to the line.</p> + +<p>“Bungo!” went a bean on his left ear, hitting him quite hard.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_70' id='Page_70'>[Pg 70]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Stop that!” the boy cried, winking his eyes very fast.</p> + +<p>“Cracko!” went a bean on his right ear, for Bawly was blowing them very +fast now.</p> + +<p>“Oh, wait until I get hold of you, whoever you are!” shouted the boy, +looking all around, but he could see no one, for Bawly was hiding in the +grass.</p> + +<p>“Smacko!” went a bean on the boy’s nose again, and then he danced up and +down, and was so excited that he dropped poor Jollie in the soft grass, +and away the mousie scampered to where he saw Bawly hiding.</p> + +<p>Then Bawly kindly loosened the knots in the mousie’s tail, picked up the +ball, and away they both scampered back to the game, and told their +friends what had happened. And maybe Jollie wasn’t thankful to Bawly! +Well, I just guess he was! And that boy was so kerslastrated, about not +being able to find out who blew the beans at him, that he stood right up +on his head and wiggled his feet in the air, and then ran into the +house.</p> + +<p>Now, if it should happen that our pussy cat doesn’t go roller skating +and fall down and hurt its little nose so he can’t lap up his milk, I’ll +tell you next about Bully and the water bottle.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XI' id='STORY_XI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_71' id='Page_71'>[Pg 71]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XI</h2><h3>BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>Well, just as I expected, my little cat did go roller skating, and +skated over a banana skin, and fell down and rubbed some of the fur off +his ear. But anyhow I’ll tell you a story just the same, and it’s going +to be about what happened to Bully No-Tail, the frog, when he had a +water bottle.</p> + +<p>Do you know what a water bottle is? Now don’t be too sure. You might +think it was a bottle made out of water, but instead it’s a bottle that +holds water. Any kind of a bottle will do, and you can even take a milk +bottle and put water in it if the milkman lets you.</p> + +<p>Well, one day, when Bully didn’t know what to do to have some fun, and +when Bawly, his brother, had gone off to play ball, Bully thought about +making a water bottle, as Johnnie Bushytail had told him how to do it.</p> + +<p>Bully took a bottle that once had held ink, and he cleaned it all out. +Then he got a cork, and, taking one of his mamma’s long hatpins, he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_72' id='Page_72'>[Pg 72]</a></span> +made, with the sharp point, a number of holes through the cork, just as +if it were a sieve, or a coffee strainer. Then Bully filled the bottle +with water, put in the cork, and there he had a sprinkling-water-bottle, +just as nice as you could buy in a store.</p> + +<p>“Now I’ll have some fun!” exclaimed Bully, as he jiggled the bottle up +and down quite fast, with the cork end held down. The water squirted out +from it just like from the watering can, when your mamma waters the +flowers.</p> + +<p>“I guess I’ll go water the garden first,” thought Bully. So he hopped +over to where there were some seeds planted and the little green sprouts +were just peeping up from the ground. Bully sprinkled water on the dry +earth and made it soft so the flowers could come through more easily.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is great!” cried the frog boy, as he held the water bottle +high in the air and let some drops sprinkle down all around on his own +head and clothes.</p> + +<p>But please don’t any of you try that part of the trick unless you have +on your bathing suit, for your mamma might not like it. As for Bully, it +didn’t matter how wet he got, for frogs just like water, and they have +on clothes that water doesn’t harm.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_73' id='Page_73'>[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<p>So Bully watered all the flowers, and then he sprinkled the dust on the +sidewalk and got a broom, and swept it nice and clean.</p> + +<p>“Ha! That’s a good boy!” said Grandpa Croaker, in his deepest voice, as +he hopped out of the yard to go over and play checkers with Uncle +Wiggily Longears. “A very good boy, indeed. Here is a penny for you,” and +he gave Bully a bright, new one.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to buy some marbles, as I lost all mine,” said Bully, as he +thanked his Grandpa very kindly and hopped off to the store.</p> + +<p>But before Bully had hopped very far he happened to think that his water +bottle was empty, so he stopped at a nice cold spring that he knew of, +beside the road, and filled it—that is, he filled his water bottle, you +know, not the spring.</p> + +<p>“For,” said Bully to himself, “I might happen to meet a bad dog, and if +he came at me to bite me I could squirt water in his eyes, almost as +well as if I had a water pistol, and the dog would howl and run away.”</p> + +<p>Well, the frog boy hopped along, and pretty soon he came to a store +where the marbles were. He bought a penny’s worth of brown and blue +ones, and then the monkey-doodle, who kept the store, gave him a piece +of candy.</p> + +<p>“Now I’ll find some of the boys, and have a<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_74' id='Page_74'>[Pg 74]</a></span> game of marbles,” thought +Bully, as he took three big hops and two little ones. Then he hopped +into the woods to look for his friends.</p> + +<p>Well, Bully hadn’t gone on very far before, just as he was hopping past +a big stump, he heard a voice calling:</p> + +<p>“Now I have you!”</p> + +<p>Well, you should have seen that frog boy jump, for he thought it was a +savage wolf or fox about to grab him. But, instead he saw Johnnie +Bushytail, the squirrel, and right in front of Johnnie was a great big +horned owl, with large and staring eyes.</p> + +<p>“Now I have you!” cried the owl again, and this time Bully knew the bad +bird was speaking to poor Johnnie Bushytail and not to him. And at that +the owl put out one claw, and, before the squirrel could run away the +savage creature had grabbed him. “Didn’t I tell you I had you?” the bird +asked, sarcastic like.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I guess I did,” answered Johnnie, trembling so that his tail +looked like a dusting brush. “But please let me go, Mr. Owl. I never did +anything to you.”</p> + +<p>“Didn’t you climb up a tree just now?” asked the owl, real saucy like.</p> + +<p>“Yes. I guess I did,” answered Johnnie.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_75' id='Page_75'>[Pg 75]</a></span> “I’m always climbing trees, you +know. But that doesn’t hurt you; does it?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, it does, for you knocked down a piece of bark, and it hit me on +the beak. And for that I’m going to take you home and cook you for +dinner,” the owl hooted.</p> + +<p>“Oh, please, please don’t!” begged poor Johnnie, but the owl said he +would, just the same, and he began to get ready to fly off to his nest +with the squirrel.</p> + +<p>“Ha, I must stop that, if it’s possible,” thought Bully, the frog, who +was still hiding behind the stump. “I mustn’t let the owl carry Johnnie +away. But how can I stop him?” Bully peeked around the edge of the stump +and saw the owl squeezing poor Johnnie tighter and tighter in his claws.</p> + +<p>“Ah, I have it!” cried Bully. “My water bottle and my marbles!” And with +that he hopped softly up on top of the stump, and leaning over the edge +he saw below him the owl holding Johnnie. Then Bully took the water +bottle, turned it upside down, and he sprinkled the water out as hard as +he could on that savage owl’s back. Down it fell in a regular shower.</p> + +<p>“My goodness me!” cried the owl. “It’s raining and I have no umbrella! +I’ll get all wet!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_76' id='Page_76'>[Pg 76]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then Bully squirted out more water, shaking it from the bottle as hard +as he could, and he rattled his bag of marbles until they sounded like +thunder and hailstones, and the owl looked up, but couldn’t see Bully on +the stump for the water was in his eyes. Then, being very much afraid of +rain and thunder storms, that bad owl bird suddenly flew away, leaving +Johnnie Bushytail on the ground, scared but safe.</p> + +<p>“Ha! That’s the time the water bottle did a good trick!” cried Bully, as +he went to see if Johnnie was hurt. But the squirrel wasn’t, very much, +and he could soon scramble home, after thanking Bully very kindly.</p> + +<p>And that owl was so wet that he caught cold and had the epizootic for a +week, and it served him right. Now in case the baby’s rattle box doesn’t +bounce into the pudding dish and scare the chocolate cake, I’ll tell you +next about Bawly going hunting.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XII' id='STORY_XII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_77' id='Page_77'>[Pg 77]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XII</h2><h3>BAWLY NO-TAIL GOES HUNTING</h3> +</div> + +<p>“Oh, Grandpa, will you please tell us a story?” begged Bully and Bawly +No-Tail one evening after supper, when they sat beside the old gentleman +frog, who was reading a newspaper. “Do tell us a story about a giant.”</p> + +<p>“Ha! Hum!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker. “I’m afraid I don’t know any giant +stories, but I’ll tell you one about how I once went hunting and was +nearly caught myself.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that will be fine!” cried the two frog boys, so their Grandpa took +one of them up on each knee, and in his deepest, bass, rumbling, +stumbling, bumbling voice he told them the story.</p> + +<p>It was a very good story, and some day perhaps I may tell it to you. It +was about how, when Grandpa was a young frog, he started out to hunt +blackberries, and got caught in a briar bush and couldn’t get loose for +ever so long, and the mosquitoes bit him very hard, all over.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_78' id='Page_78'>[Pg 78]</a></span></p> + +<p>“And after that I never went hunting blackberries without taking a +mosquito netting along,” said the old frog gentleman, as he finished his +story.</p> + +<p>“My but that <i>was</i> an adventure!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“That’s what!” agreed his brother. “You were very brave, Grandpa, to go +off hunting blackberries all alone.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I was considered quite brave and handsome when I was young,” +admitted the old gentleman frog, in his bass voice. “But now, boys, run +off to bed, and I’ll finish reading the paper.”</p> + +<p>The next morning when Bully got up he saw Bawly at the side of the bed, +putting some beans in a bag, and taking his bean shooter out from the +bureau drawer where he kept it.</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do, Bawly?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“I’m going hunting, as Grandpa did,” said his brother.</p> + +<p>“But blackberries aren’t ripe yet. They’re not ripe until June or July,” +objected Bully.</p> + +<p>“I know it, but I’m going to hunt mosquitoes, not blackberries. I’m +going to kill all I can with my bean shooter, and then there won’t be so +many to bite the dear little babies this summer. Don’t you want to come +along?” asked Bawly.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_79' id='Page_79'>[Pg 79]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I would if I had a bean shooter,” answered Bully. “Perhaps I’ll go some +other time. To-day I promised Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow I’d come over +and play ball with them.”</p> + +<p>So Bully went to play ball, with the puppy dogs, and Bawly went hunting, +after his mamma had said that he might, and had told him to be careful.</p> + +<p>“I’ll put up a little lunch for you,” she said, “so you won’t get hungry +hunting mosquitoes in the woods.”</p> + +<p>Off Bawly hopped, with his lunch in a little basket on one leg and +carrying his bean shooter, and plenty of beans. He knew a deep, dark, +dismal stretch of woodland where there were so many mosquitoes that they +wouldn’t have been afraid to bite even an elephant, if one had happened +along. You see there were so many of the mosquitoes that they were bold +and savage, like bears or lions.</p> + +<p>“But just wait until I get at them with my bean shooter,” said Bawly +bravely. “Then they’ll be so frightened that they’ll fly away, and never +come back to bother people any more.”</p> + +<p>On and on he hopped and pretty soon he could hear a funny buzzing noise.</p> + +<p>“Those are the mosquitoes,” said the frog boy. “I am almost at the deep, +dark, dismal woods.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_80' id='Page_80'>[Pg 80]</a></span> Now I must be brave, as my Grandpa was when he +hunted blackberries; and, so that I may be very strong, to kill all the +mosquitoes, I’ll eat part of my lunch now.”</p> + +<p>So Bawly sat down under a toadstool, for it was very hot, and he ate +part of his lunch. He could hear the mosquitoes buzzing louder and +louder, and he knew there must be many of them; thousands and thousands.</p> + +<p>“Well, here I go!” exclaimed the frog boy at length, as he wrapped up in +a paper what was left of his lunch, and got his bean shooter all ready. +“Now for the battle. Charge! Forward, March! Bang-bang! Bung-bung!” and +he made a noise like a fife and drum going up hill.</p> + +<p>“Well, I wonder what that can be coming into our woods?” asked one +mosquito of another as he stopped buzzing his wings a moment.</p> + +<p>“It looks like a frog boy,” was the reply of a lady mosquito.</p> + +<p>“It is,” spoke a third mosquito, sharpening his biting bill on a stone. +“Let’s sting him so he’ll never come here again.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, let’s do it!” they all agreed.</p> + +<p>So they all got ready with their stingers, and Bawly hopped nearer and +nearer. They were just going to pounce on him and bite him to<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_81' id='Page_81'>[Pg 81]</a></span> pieces +when he suddenly shot a lot of beans at them, hitting quite a number of +mosquitoes and killing a few.</p> + +<p>“My! What’s this? What’s this?” cried the mosquitoes that weren’t +killed. “What is happening?” and they were very much surprised, not to +say startled.</p> + +<p>“This must be a war!” said some others. “This frog boy is fighting us!”</p> + +<p>“That’s just what I’m doing!” cried Bawly bravely. “I’m punishing you +for what you did to Grandfather Croaker! Bang-bang! Bung-bung! Shoot! +Fire! Aim! Forward, March!” and with that he shot some more beans at the +mosquitoes, killing hundreds of them so they could never more bite +little babies or boys and girls, to say nothing of papas and mammas and +aunts and uncles.</p> + +<p>Oh, how brave Bawly was with his bean shooter! He made those mosquitoes +dance around like humming birds, and they were very much frightened. +Then Bawly took a rest and ate some more of his lunch, laying his bean +shooter down on top of a stump.</p> + +<p>“Now the battle will go on again!” he cried, when he had eaten the last +crumb and felt very strong. But, would you believe me, while he was +eating, those mosquitoes had sneaked up and taken away his bean shooter.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is terrible!” cried Bawly, as he saw that his tin shooter was +gone. “Now I can’t fight them any more.”</p> + +<p>Then the mosquitoes knew that the frog boy didn’t have his bean-gun with +him, for they had hid it, and they stung him, so much that maybe, they +would have stung him to death if it hadn’t happened that Dickie and +Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrows, flew along just then. Into the swarm of +mosquitoes the birds flew, and they caught hundreds of them in their +bills and killed them, and the rest were so frightened that they flew +away, and in that manner Bawly was saved.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_82' id='Page_82'>[Pg 82]</a></span>So + that’s how he went hunting all alone, and when he got home his +Grandpa Croaker and all the folks thought him very brave. Now, in case I +see a red poodle dog, with yellow legs, standing on his nose while he +wags his tail at the pussy cat, I’ll tell you next about Papa No-Tail +and the giant.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-005' id='illus-005'></a> +<img src='images/illus-092.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XIII' id='STORY_XIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_83' id='Page_83'>[Pg 83]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIII</h2><h3>PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT</h3> +</div> + +<p>Did you ever hear the story of the giant with two heads, who chased a +whale, and caught him by the tail, and tickled the terrible monster with +a big, crooked hickory fence rail?</p> + +<p>Well, I’m not going to tell you a story about that giant, but about +another, who had only one head, though it was a very large one, and this +giant nearly scared Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, into a conniption +fit, which is almost as bad as the epizootic.</p> + +<p>It happened one day that there wasn’t any work for Mr. No-Tail to do at +the wallpaper factory, where he dipped his feet in ink and hopped around +to make funny black, and red, and green, and purple splotches, so they +would turn out to be wallpaper patterns. The reason there was no work +was because the Pelican bird drank up all the ink in his big bill, so +they couldn’t print any paper.</p> + +<p>“I have a holiday,” said Papa No-Tail, as he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_84' id='Page_84'>[Pg 84]</a></span> hopped about, “and I am +going to have a good time.”</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do?” asked Grandpa Croaker as he started off +across the pond to play checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears.</p> + +<p>“I think I will take Bully and Bawly and go for a swim, and then we’ll +take a hop through the woods and perhaps we may find an adventure,” +answered Mr. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>So he went up to the house, where Bully and Bawly, the two boy frogs, +were just getting ready to go out roller skating, and Mr. No-Tail asked +them if they didn’t want to come with him instead.</p> + +<p>“Indeed we do!” cried Bully, as he winked both eyes at his brother, for +he knew that when his papa took them out hopping, he used often to stop +in a store and buy them peanuts or candy.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, not so very long, in a little while, Papa No-Tail and +the two boys got to the edge of the pond, and into the water they hopped +to have a swim. My! I just wish you could have seen them. Papa No-Tail +swam in ever so many different ways, and Bully and Bawly did as well as +they could. And, would you believe me? just as Bully was getting out of +the water, up on the bank, ready to go hopping<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_85' id='Page_85'>[Pg 85]</a></span> off with Bawly and his +papa through the woods, a big fish nearly grabbed the little frog boy by +his left hind leg.</p> + +<p>“Oh my!” he cried, and his papa hopped over quickly to where Bully was, +and threw a stick at the bad fish to scare him away.</p> + +<p>“Ha! hum!” exclaimed Mr. No-Tail, “that was nearly an adventure, Bully, +but I don’t like that kind. Come on into the woods, boys, and we’ll see +what else we can find.”</p> + +<p>So into the woods they went, where there were tall trees, and little +trees, and bushes, and old stumps where owls lived. And the green leaves +were just coming out nicely on the branches, and there were a few early +May flowers peeping up from under the leaves and moss, just as baby +peeps up at you, out from under the bedclothes in the morning when the +sun awakens her.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t it just lovely here in the woods!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“It is certainly very fine,” agreed Bawly, and he looked up in the +treetops, where Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels, were +frisking about, and then down on the ground, where Sammie and Susie +Littletail, the rabbits, were sitting beside an old stump, in which +there were no bad owls to scare them.</p> + +<p>“Now I think we’ll sit down here and eat our<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_86' id='Page_86'>[Pg 86]</a></span> lunch,” said Papa No-Tail +after a while, as they came to a nice little open place in the woods, +where there was a large flat stump, which they could use as a table. So +they opened the baskets of lunch that Mamma No-Tail had put up for them, +and they were eating their watercress sandwiches, and talking of what +they would do next, when, all of a sudden, they heard a most startling, +tremendous and extraordinary noise in the bushes.</p> + +<p>It was just as if an elephant were tramping along, and at first Papa +No-Tail thought it might be one of those big beasts, or perhaps an +alligator.</p> + +<p>“Keep quiet, boys,” he whispered, “and perhaps he won’t see us.” So they +kept very quiet, and hid down behind the stump.</p> + +<p>But the noise came nearer and nearer, and it sounded louder and louder, +and, before you could spell “cat” or “rat,” out from under a big, tall +tree stepped a big, tall giant. Oh, he was a fearful looking fellow! His +head was as big as a washtub full of clothes on a Monday morning, and +his legs were so long that I guess he could have hopped, skipped and +jumped across the street in about three steps.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” whispered Bully.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t he terrible!” said Bawly, softly.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_87' id='Page_87'>[Pg 87]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Hush!” cautioned their papa. “Please keep quiet and maybe he won’t see +us.”</p> + +<p>So they kept as quiet as they could, hoping the giant would pass by, but +instead he came right over to the stump, and the first any one knew he +had sat down on the top of it. I tell you it’s a good thing Bully and +Bawly and their papa had hopped off or they would have been crushed +flat. But they weren’t, I’m glad to say, for they were hiding down +behind the stump, and they didn’t dare hop away for fear the giant would +see, or hear them.</p> + +<p>The big man sat on the stump, and he looked all about, and he saw some +bread and watercress crumbs where Bully and Bawly and their papa had +been eating their lunch.</p> + +<p>“My!” exclaimed the giant. “Some one has been having dinner here. Oh, +how hungry I am! I wish I had some dinner. I believe I could eat the +hind legs of a dozen frogs if I had them!”</p> + +<p>Well, you should have seen poor Bully and Bawly tremble when they heard +that.</p> + +<p>“This must be a terrible giant,” said Mr. No-Tail. “Now I tell you what +I am going to do. Bully, I will hide you and Bawly in this hollow stump, +and then I’ll hop out where the giant can see me. He’ll chase after me, +but I’ll hop away as fast as I can, and perhaps I can get to some<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_88' id='Page_88'>[Pg 88]</a></span> water +and hide before he catches me. Then he’ll be so far away from the stump +that it will be safe for you boys to come out.”</p> + +<p>Well, Bully and Bawly didn’t want their papa to do that, fearing he +would be hurt, but he said it was best, so they hid inside the stump, +and out Mr. No-Tail hopped to where the giant could see him. Papa +No-Tail expected the big man would chase after him, but instead the +giant never moved and only looked at the frog and then he laughed and +said:</p> + +<p>“Hello, Mr. Frog! Let’s see you hop!” And then, what do you think that +giant did? Why he took off his head, which wasn’t real, being hollow and +made of paper, like a false face, so that his own head went inside of +it. And there he was only a nice, ordinary man after all.</p> + +<p>“What! Aren’t you a giant?” cried Papa No-Tail, who was so surprised +that he hadn’t hopped a single hop.</p> + +<p>“No,” said the man; “I am only a clown giant in a circus, but I ran away +to-day so I could see the flowers in the woods. I was tired of being in +the circus so much and doing funny tricks.”</p> + +<p>“But—but—what makes you so tall?” asked Mr. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, those are wooden stilts on my legs,” said<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_89' id='Page_89'>[Pg 89]</a></span> the giant. “They make me +as tall as a clothes post, these stilts do.”</p> + +<p>And, surely enough, they did, being like wooden legs, and the man wasn’t +a real giant at all, but very nice, like Mr. No-Tail, only different: +and he left off his big hollow paper head, and Bully and Bawly came out +of the stump, and the circus clown-giant, just like those you have seen, +told the frog boys lots of funny stories. Then they gave him some of +their lunch and showed him where flowers grew. Afterward the +make-believe giant went back to the circus, much happier than he had +been at first.</p> + +<p>So that’s all now, if you please, but if the rose bush in our back yard +doesn’t come into the house and scratch the frosting off the chocolate +cake I’ll tell you next about Bawly and the church steeple.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XIV' id='STORY_XIV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_90' id='Page_90'>[Pg 90]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIV</h2><h3>BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>After Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, and their papa, reached home +from the woods, where they met the make-believe giant, as I told you in +the story before this one, they talked about it for ever so long, and +agreed that it was quite an adventure.</p> + +<p>“I wish I’d have another adventure to-morrow,” said Bawly, as he went to +bed that night.</p> + +<p>“Perhaps you may,” said his papa. “Only I can’t be with you to-morrow, +as I have to go to work in my wallpaper factory. We made the Pelican +bird give back the ink, so the printing presses can run again.”</p> + +<p>Well, the next day the frog boys’ mamma said to them:</p> + +<p>“Bully and Bawly, I wish you would go to the store for me. I want a +dozen lemons and some sugar, for I am going to make lemonade, in case +company comes to-night.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_91' id='Page_91'>[Pg 91]</a></span></p> + +<p>“All right, we’ll go,” said Bully very politely. “I’ll get the sugar and +Bawly can get the lemons.”</p> + +<p>So they went to the store and got the things, and when they were hopping +out, the storekeeper, who was a very kind elephant gentleman, gave them +each a handful of peanuts, which they put in the pockets of their +clothes, that water couldn’t hurt.</p> + +<p>Well, when Bully and Bawly were almost home, they came to a place where +there were two paths. One went through the woods and the other across +the pond.</p> + +<p>“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” suggested Bully. “You go by the woodland +path, Bawly, and I’ll go by way of the pond and we’ll see who will get +home first.”</p> + +<p>“All right,” said Bawly, so on he hopped through the woods, going as +fast as he could, for he wanted to beat. And Bully swam as fast as he +could in the water, carrying the sugar, for it was in a rubber bag, so +it wouldn’t get wet. But now I’m going to tell you what happened to +Bawly.</p> + +<p>He was hopping along, carrying the lemons, when all at once he heard +some one calling to him:</p> + +<p>“Hello, little frog, are you a good jumper?”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_92' id='Page_92'>[Pg 92]</a></span></p> + +<p>Bawly looked all around, and there right by a great, big stone he saw a +savage, ugly fox. At first Bawly was going to throw a lemon at the bad +animal, to scare him away, and then he happened to think that the lemons +were soft and wouldn’t hurt the fox very much.</p> + +<p>“Don’t be afraid,” said the fox, “I won’t bite you. I wouldn’t hurt you +for the world, little frog,” and then the fox came slowly from behind +the stone, and Bawly saw that both the sly creature’s front feet were +lame from the rheumatism, like Uncle Wiggily’s, so the fox couldn’t run +at all. Bawly knew he could easily hop away from him, as the sly animal +couldn’t go any faster than a snail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess the reason you won’t hurt me, is because you can’t catch +me,” said Bawly, slow and careful-like.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I wouldn’t hurt you, anyhow,” went on the fox, trying not to show +how hungry he was, for really, you know, he wanted to eat Bawly, but he +knew he couldn’t catch him, with his sore feet, so he was trying to +think of another way to get hold of him. “I just love frogs,” said the +fox.</p> + +<p>“I guess you do,” thought Bawly. “You like them too much. I’ll keep well +away from you.”</p> + +<p>“But what I want to know,” continued the fox, “is whether you are a good +jumper, Bawly.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_93' id='Page_93'>[Pg 93]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Yes, I am—pretty good,” said the frog boy.</p> + +<p>“Could you jump over this stone?” asked the fox, slyly, pointing to a +little one.</p> + +<p>“Easily,” said Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all.</p> + +<p>“Could you jump over that stump?” asked the fox, pointing to a big one.</p> + +<p>“Easily,” answered Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all.</p> + +<p>“Ha! Here is a hard one,” said the fox. “Could you jump over my head?”</p> + +<p>“Easily,” replied Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all.</p> + +<p>“Well, you certainly are a good jumper,” spoke the fox, wagging his +bushy tail with a puzzled air. “I know something you can’t do, though.”</p> + +<p>“What is it?” inquired Bawly.</p> + +<p>“You can’t jump over the church steeple.”</p> + +<p>“I believe I can!” exclaimed Bawly, before he thought. You see he didn’t +like the fox to think he couldn’t do it, for Bawly was proud, and that’s +not exactly right, and it got him into trouble, as you shall soon see.</p> + +<p>You know that fox was very sly, and the reason he wanted Bawly to try to +jump over the church steeple was so the frog boy would fall down from a +great height and be hurt, and then<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_94' id='Page_94'>[Pg 94]</a></span> the fox could eat him without any +trouble, sore feet or none. I tell you it’s best to look out when a fox +asks you to do anything.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I can jump over the church steeple,” declared Bawly, and he hopped +ahead until he came to the church, the fox limping slowly along, and +thinking what a fine meal he’d have when poor Bawly fell, for the fox +knew what a terrible jump it was, and how anyone who made it would be +hurt, but the frog boy didn’t.</p> + +<p>Bawly tucked the bag of lemons under his leg, and he took a long breath, +and he gave a jump, but he didn’t go very far up in the air as his foot +slipped.</p> + +<p>“Ha! I knew you couldn’t do it!” sneered the fox.</p> + +<p>“Watch me!” cried Bawly, and this time he gave a most tremendous and +extraordinary jump, and right up to the church steeple he went, but he +didn’t go over it, and it’s a good thing, too, or he’d have been all +broken to pieces when he landed on the ground again. But instead he hit +right on top of the church steeple and stayed there, where there was a +nice, round, golden ball to sit on.</p> + +<p>“Jump down! Jump down!” cried the fox, for he wanted to eat Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No, I’m going to stay here,” answered<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_95' id='Page_95'>[Pg 95]</a></span> the frog boy, for now he saw how +far it was to the ground, and he knew he’d be killed if he leaped off +the steeple.</p> + +<p>Well, the fox tried to get him to jump down, but Bawly wouldn’t. And +then the frog boy began to wonder how he’d ever get home, for the +steeple was very high.</p> + +<p>Then what do you think Bawly did? Why, he took a lemon and threw it at +the church bell, hoping to ring it so the janitor would come and help +him down. But the lemon was too soft to ring the bell loudly enough for +any to hear.</p> + +<p>Then Bawly thought of his peanuts, and he threw a handful of them at the +church bell in the steeple, making it ring like an alarm clock, and the +janitor, who was sweeping out the church for Sunday, heard the bell, and +he looked up and saw the frog on the steeple. Then the janitor, being a +kind man, got a ladder and helped Bawly down, and the fox, very much +disappointed, limped away, and didn’t eat the frog boy after all.</p> + +<p>“But you must never try to jump over a steeple again,” said Bawly’s +mamma when he told her about it, after he got home with the lemons, and +found Bully there ahead of him with the sugar.</p> + +<p>So Bawly promised that he wouldn’t, and he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_96' id='Page_96'>[Pg 96]</a></span> never did. And now, if the +postman brings me a pink letter with a green stamp on from the playful +elephant in the circus, I’ll tell you next about Bully and the basket of +chips.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XV' id='STORY_XV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_97' id='Page_97'>[Pg 97]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XV</h2><h3>BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS</h3> +</div> + +<p>One nice warm day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along +through the woods, he felt so very happy that he whistled a little tune +on a whistle he made from a willow stick. And the tune he whistled went +like this, when you sing it:</p> + +<p style='margin-left: 4em;'> +“I am a little froggie boy,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Without a bit of tail.</span><br /> +In fact I’m like a guinea pig,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Who eats out of a pail.</span><br /> +<br /> +”I swim, I hop, I flip, I flop,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>I also sing a tune,</span><br /> +And some day I am going to try<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>To hop up to the moon.</span><br /> +<br /> +“Because you see the man up there<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Must very lonesome be,</span><br /> +Without a little froggie boy,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Like Bawly or like me.”</span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_98' id='Page_98'>[Pg 98]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, ho! I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” suddenly exclaimed a voice.</p> + +<p>“Try what?” asked Bully, before he thought.</p> + +<p>“Try to jump up to the moon,” went on the voice. “Don’t you remember +what happened to your brother Bawly when he tried to jump over the +church steeple? Don’t do it, I beg of you.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I wasn’t really going to jump to the moon,” went on Bully. “I only +put that in the song to make it sound nice. But who are you, if you +please?” for the frog boy looked all around and he couldn’t see any one.</p> + +<p>“Here I am, over here,” the voice said, and then out from behind a clump +of tall, waving cat-tail plants, that grew in a pond of water, there +stepped a long-legged bird, with a long, sharp bill like a pencil or a +penholder.</p> + +<p>“Oh ho! So it’s you, is it?” asked Bully, making ready to hop away, for +as soon as he saw that long-legged and sharp-billed bird, he knew right +away that he was in danger. For the bird was a heron, which is something +like a stork that lives on chimneys in a country called Holland. And the +heron bird eats frogs and mice and little animals like that.</p> + +<p>“Yes, it is I,” said the heron. “Won’t you please sing that song on your +whistle again, Bully? I am very fond of music.” And, as he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_99' id='Page_99'>[Pg 99]</a></span> said that, +the heron slyly took another step nearer to the frog boy, intending to +grab him up in his sharp beak.</p> + +<p>“I—I don’t believe I have time to sing another verse,” answered Bully. +“And anyhow, there aren’t any more verses. So I’ll be going,” and he +hopped along, and hid under a stone where the big, big savage bird +couldn’t get him.</p> + +<p>Oh, my! how angry the heron was when he saw that he couldn’t fool Bully. +He stamped his long legs on the ground and said all sorts of mean +things, just because Bully didn’t want to be eaten up.</p> + +<p>“Now I wonder how I’m going to get away from here without that bird +biting me?” thought poor Bully, after a while.</p> + +<p>Well, it did seem a hard thing to do, for the heron was there waiting +for Bully to come out, when he would jab his bill right through the frog +boy. Then Bully thought and thought, which you must always do when you +are in trouble, or have hard examples at school, and finally Bully +thought of a plan.</p> + +<p>“I’ll hop along and go from one stone to another,” he said to himself, +“and by hiding under the different rocks the heron can’t get me.”</p> + +<p>So he tried that plan, hopping very quickly, and he got along all right, +for every time the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_100' id='Page_100'>[Pg 100]</a></span> heron tried to stick the frog boy with his sharp +bill, the bird would pick at a stone, under which Bully was hidden, and +that would make him more angry than ever. I mean it would make the heron +angry, not Bully.</p> + +<p>Well, the frog boy was almost home, and he knew that pretty soon the +heron would have to turn back and run away, for the bird wouldn’t dare +go right up to Bully’s house. Then, all of a sudden, Bully saw a poor +old mouse lady going along through the woods, with a basket of chips on +her arm. She had picked them up where some men were cutting wood, and +the mouse lady intended to put the chips in her kitchen stove, and boil +the teakettle with them.</p> + +<p>She walked along, when, all of a sudden, she stumbled on an acorn, and +fell down, basket and all, and she hurt her paw on a thorn, so she +couldn’t carry the basket any more.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s too bad!” exclaimed Bully. “I must help the poor mouse +lady.” So, forgetting all about the savage, long-billed bird, waiting to +grab him, out from under a stone hopped Bully, and he picked up the +basket of chips for the poor mouse lady.</p> + +<p>“Oh, thank you kindly, little frog boy,” she said, and then the heron +made a rush for Bully<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_101' id='Page_101'>[Pg 101]</a></span> and the mouse lady and tried to stick them both +with his sharp beak.</p> + +<p>“Oh, quick! Quick! Hop in here with me!” exclaimed the mouse lady, as +she pointed to a hole in a hollow stump, and into it she and Bully went, +basket of chips and all, just in time to escape the bad heron bird.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll get you yet! I’ll get you yet!” screeched the bird, hopping +along, first on one leg and then on the other, and dancing about in +front of the stump. “I’ll eat you both, that’s what I will!” Then he +tried to reach in with his bill and pull the frog boy and the mouse lady +out of the hollow stump, but he couldn’t, and then he stood on one leg +and hid the other one up under his feathers to keep it warm.</p> + +<p>“I’ll wait here until you come out, if I have to wait all night,” said +the bird. “Then I’ll get you.”</p> + +<p>“I guess he will, too,” said Bully, peeping out of a crack. “We are safe +here, but how am I going to get home, and how are you going to get home, +Mrs. Mouse?”</p> + +<p>“I will show you,” she answered. “We’ll play a trick on that heron. See, +I have some green paint, that I was going to put on my kitchen cupboard. +Now we’ll take some of it, and we’ll paint a few of the chips green, +and<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_102' id='Page_102'>[Pg 102]</a></span> they’ll look something like a frog. Then we’ll throw them out to +the heron, one at a time, and he’ll be so hungry that he’ll grab them +without looking at them. When he eats enough green chips he’ll have +indigestion, and be so heavy, like a stone, that he can’t chase after us +when we go out.”</p> + +<p>“Good!” cried Bully. So they painted some chips green, just the color of +Bully, and they tossed one out of the stump toward the bird.</p> + +<p>“Now I have you!” cried the heron, and, thinking it was the frog boy, he +grabbed up that green chip as quick as anything. And, before he knew +what it was, he had swallowed it, and then Mrs. Mouse and Bully threw +out more green chips, and the bad bird didn’t know they were only wood, +but he thought they were a whole lot of green frogs hopping out, and he +gobbled them up, one after another, as fast as he could.</p> + +<p>And, in a little while, the sharp chips stuck out all over inside of +him, like potatoes in a sack, and the heron had indigestion, and was so +heavy that he couldn’t run. Then Bully and Mrs. Mouse came out of the +stump, and went away, leaving the bad bird there, unable to move, and as +angry as a fox without a tail. Bully helped Mrs. Mouse carry the rest of +the chips home, and then he hopped home himself.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_103' id='Page_103'>[Pg 103]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now that’s the end of this story, but I know another, and if the little +boy across the street doesn’t throw his baseball at my pussy cat and +make her tail so big I can’t get her inside the house, I’ll tell you +about Bawly and his whistles.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XVI' id='STORY_XVI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_104' id='Page_104'>[Pg 104]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XVI</h2><h3>BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES</h3> +</div> + +<p>Did you ever make a willow whistle—that is, out of a piece of wood off +a willow tree?</p> + +<p>No? Well, it’s lots of fun, and when I was a boy I used to make lots of +them. Big ones and little ones, and the kind that would almost make as +much noise as some factory whistles. If you can’t make one yourself, ask +your big brother, or your papa, or some man, to make you one.</p> + +<p>Maybe your big sister can, for some girls, like Lulu Wibblewobble, the +duck, can use a knife almost as good as a boy.</p> + +<p>Well, if I’m going to tell you about Bawly No-Tail, the frog, and his +whistles I guess I’d better start, hadn’t I? and not talk so much about +big brothers and sisters.</p> + +<p>One afternoon Bawly was hopping along in the woods. It was a nice, warm +day, and the wind was blowing in the treetops, and the flowers were +blooming down in the moss, and Bawly was very happy.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_105' id='Page_105'>[Pg 105]</a></span></p> + +<p>He came to a willow tree, and he said to himself:</p> + +<p>“I guess I’ll make a whistle.” So he cut off a little branch, about +eight inches long, and with his knife he cut one end slanting, just like +the part of a whistle that goes in your mouth. Then he made a hole for +the wind to come out of.</p> + +<p>Then he pounded the bark on the stick gently with his knife handle, and +pretty soon the bark slipped off, just as mamma takes off her gloves +after she’s been down to the five-and-ten-cent store. Then Bully cut +away some of the white wood, slipped on the bark again, and he had a +whistle.</p> + +<p>“My! That’s fine!” he cried, as he blew a loud blast on it. “I think +I’ll make another.”</p> + +<p>So he made a second one, and then he went on through the woods, blowing +first one whistle and then the other, like the steam piano in the circus +parade.</p> + +<p>“Hello!” suddenly cried a voice in the woods, “who is making all that +noise?”</p> + +<p>“I am,” answered Bawly. “Who are you?”</p> + +<p>“I am Sammie Littletail,” was the reply, and out popped the rabbit boy +from under a bush. “Oh, what fine whistles!” he cried when he saw those +Bawly had made. “I wish I had one.”</p> + +<p>“You may have, Sammie,” answered Bawly<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_106' id='Page_106'>[Pg 106]</a></span> kindly, and he gave his little +rabbit friend the biggest and loudest whistle. Then the two boy animals +went on through the woods, and pretty soon they came to a place where +there was a pond of water.</p> + +<p>“Excuse me for a minute,” said Bawly. “I think I’ll have a little swim. +Will you join me, Sammie?” he asked, politely.</p> + +<p>“No,” answered the rabbit, “I’m not a good swimmer, but I’ll wait here +on the bank for you.”</p> + +<p>“Then you may hold my whistle as well as your own,” said Bawly, “for I +might lose it under water.” Then into the pond Bawly hopped, and was +soon swimming about like a fish.</p> + +<p>But something is going to happen, just as I expected it would, and I’ll +tell you all about it, as I promised.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, as Bawly was swimming about, that bad old skillery, +scalery alligator, who had escaped from a circus, reared his ugly head +up from the pond, where he had been sleeping, and grabbed poor Bawly in +his claws.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me go!” cried the boy frog. “Please let me go!”</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not!” answered the alligator savagely. “I had you and your +brother once before, and you got away, but you shan’t get loose this +time. I’m going to take you to my deep, dark, dismal den, and then we’ll +have supper together.”</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-006' id='illus-006'></a> +<img src='images/illus-106.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_107' id='Page_107'>[Pg 107]</a></span>Well, +Bawly begged and pleaded, but it was of no use. That alligator +simply would not let him go, but held him tightly in his claws, and made +ugly faces at him, just like the masks on Hallowe’en night.</p> + +<p>All this while Sammie Littletail sat on the bank of the pond, too +frightened, at the sight of the alligator, to hop away. He was afraid +the savage creature might, at any moment, spring out and grab him also, +and the rabbit boy just sat there, not knowing what to do.</p> + +<p>“I wish I could save Bawly,” thought Sammie, “but how can I? I can’t +fight a big alligator, and if I throw stones at him it will only make +him more angry. Oh, if only there was a fireman or a policeman in the +woods, I’d tell him, and he’d hit the alligator, and make him go away. +But there isn’t a policeman or a fireman here!”</p> + +<p>Then the alligator started to swim away with poor Bawly, to take him off +to his deep, dark, dismal den, when, all of a sudden, Sammie happened to +think of the two willow whistles he had—his own and Bawly’s.</p> + +<p>“I wonder if I could scare the alligator with them, and make him let +Bawly go?” Sammie<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_108' id='Page_108'>[Pg 108]</a></span> thought. Then he made up a plan. He crept softly to +one side, and he hid behind a stump. Then he took the two whistles and +he put them into his mouth.</p> + +<p>Next, the rabbit boy gathered up a whole lot of little stones in a pile. +And the next thing he did was to build a little fire out of dry sticks. +Then he hunted up an old tin can that had once held baked beans, but +which now didn’t have anything in it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll make that alligator wish he’d never caught Bawly!” exclaimed +Sammie, working very quickly, for the savage reptile was fast swimming +away with the frog boy.</p> + +<p>Sammie put the stones in the tin can, together with some water, and he +set the can on the fire to boil, and he knew the stones would get hot, +too, as well as the water. And, surely enough, soon the water in the can +was bubbling and the stones were very hot.</p> + +<p>Then Sammie took a long breath and he blew on those whistles, both at +the same time as hard as ever he could. Then he took some wet moss and +wrapped it around the hot can, so it wouldn’t burn his paws, and he +tossed everything—hot water, hot stones, hot can and all—over into the +pond, close to where the alligator was. Then Sammie blew on the whistles +some more. “Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_109' id='Page_109'>[Pg 109]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Splash!” Into the water went the hot stones, hissing like snakes.</p> + +<p>“Buzz! Bubble! Fizz!” went the hot water all over the alligator.</p> + +<p>“Toot! Toot!” went the whistles which Sammie was blowing.</p> + +<p>“Skizz! Skizz!” went the hot fire-ashes that also fell into the pond.</p> + +<p>“Oh, it’s a fire engine after me! It’s a terrible fire engine after me! +It’s spouting hot water and sparks on me!” cried the alligator, real +frightened like, and then he was so scared that he let go of Bawly, and +sank away down to the bottom of the pond to get out of the way of the +hot stones and the hot water and the hot sparks, and where he couldn’t +hear the screechy whistles which he thought came from fire engines. And +Bawly swam safely to shore, and he thanked Sammie Littletail very kindly +for saving his life, and they went on a little farther and had a nice +game of tag together until supper time.</p> + +<p>So that’s how the whistles that Bawly made did him a good service, and +next, if it stops raining long enough so the moon can come out without +getting wet, and go to the moving pictures, I’ll tell you about Grandpa +Croaker and Uncle Wiggily Longears.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XVII' id='STORY_XVII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_110' id='Page_110'>[Pg 110]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XVII</h2><h3>GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY</h3> +</div> + +<p>After the trick which Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, played on the +alligator, making him believe a fire engine was after him, it was some +time before Bully or Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, went near that pond +again, where the savage creature with the long tail lived, after he had +escaped from the circus.</p> + +<p>“Because it isn’t safe to go near that water,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” agreed his brother. “Some day we’ll get a pump and pump +all the water out of the pond, and that will make the alligator go +away.”</p> + +<p>Well, it was about a week after this that Grandpa Croaker, the old +gentleman frog, put on his best dress. Oh, dear me! Just listen to that, +would you! I mean he put on his best suit and started out, taking his +gold-headed cane with him.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_111' id='Page_111'>[Pg 111]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Where are you going?” asked Mrs. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh! I think I’ll go over and play a game of checkers with Uncle Wiggily +Longears,” replied the old gentleman frog. “The last game we played he +won, but I think I can win this time.”</p> + +<p>“Well, whatever you do, Grandpa,” spoke Bully, “please don’t go past the +pond where the bad alligator is.”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed, for he might bite you,” said Bawly, and their Grandpa +promised that he would be careful.</p> + +<p>Well, he went along through the woods, Grandpa Croaker did, and pretty +soon, after a while, not so very long, he came to where Uncle Wiggily +lived, with Sammie and Susie Littletail, and their papa and mamma and +Miss Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat nurse. But to-day only Uncle Wiggily +was home alone, for every one else had gone to the circus.</p> + +<p>So the old gentleman goat—I mean frog—and the old gentleman rabbit sat +down and played a game of checkers. And after they had played one game +they played another, and another still, for Uncle Wiggily won the first +game, and Grandpa Croaker won the second, and they wanted to see who +would win the third.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_112' id='Page_112'>[Pg 112]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, they were playing away, moving the red and black round checkers +back and forth on the red and black checker board, and they were talking +about the weather, and whether there’d be any more rain, and all things +like that, when, all of a sudden Uncle Wiggily heard a noise at the +window.</p> + +<p>“Hello! What’s that?” he cried, looking up.</p> + +<p>“It sounded like some one breaking the glass,” answered Grandpa Croaker. +“I hope it wasn’t Bawly and Bully playing ball.”</p> + +<p>Then he looked up, and he saw the same thing that Uncle Wiggily saw, and +the funny part of it was that Uncle Wiggily saw the same thing Grandpa +Croaker saw. And what do you think this was?</p> + +<p>Why it was that savage skillery, scalery alligator chap who had poked +his ugly nose right in through the window, breaking the glass!</p> + +<p>“Ha! What do you want here?” cried Uncle Wiggily, as he made his ears +wave back and forth like palm leaf fans, and twinkled his nose like two +stars on a frosty night.</p> + +<p>“Yes, get right away from here, if you please!” said Grandpa Croaker in +his deepest, hoarsest, rumbling, grumbling, thunder-voice. “Get away, we +want to play checkers.”</p> + +<p>But he couldn’t scare the alligator that way,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_113' id='Page_113'>[Pg 113]</a></span> and the first thing he +and Uncle Wiggily knew, that savage creature poked his nose still +farther into the room.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho!” the alligator cried. “Checkers; eh? Now, do you know I am very +fond of checkers?” And with that, what did he do but put out his long +tongue, and with one sweep he licked up the red checkers and the black +checkers and the red and black squared checker board at one swallow, and +down his throat it went, like a sled going down hill.</p> + +<p>“Ah, ha!” exclaimed the alligator. “Those were very fine checkers. I +think I won that game!” he said, smiling a very big smile.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I guess you did,” said Uncle Wiggily, sadly, as he looked for his +cornstalk crutch. When he had it he was just going to hop away, and +Grandpa Croaker was going with him, for they were afraid to stay there +any more, when the alligator suddenly cried:</p> + +<p>“Where are you going?”</p> + +<p>“Away,” said Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>“Far, far away,” said Grandpa Croaker, for it made him sad to think of +all the nice red and black checkers, and the board also, being eaten up.</p> + +<p>“Oh, no! I think you are going to stay right<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_114' id='Page_114'>[Pg 114]</a></span> here,” snapped the +alligator. “You’ll stay here, and as soon as I feel hungry again I’ll +eat you.”</p> + +<p>And with that the savage creature with the double-jointed tail put out +his claws, and in one claw he grabbed Uncle Wiggily and in the other he +caught Grandpa Croaker, and there he had them both.</p> + +<p>Now, it so happened that a little while before this, Bully and Bawly +No-Tail, the frog boys, had started out for a walk in the woods.</p> + +<p>“Dear me,” said Bully, after a while, “do you know I am afraid that +something has happened to Grandpa Croaker.”</p> + +<p>“What makes you think so?” asked his brother.</p> + +<p>“Because I think he went past the pond where the alligator was, and that +the bad creature got him.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hope not,” replied Bawly. “But let’s walk along and see.” So they +walked past the pond, and they saw that it was all calm and peaceful, +and they knew the alligator wasn’t in it.</p> + +<p>So they kept on to Uncle Wiggily’s house, thinking they would walk home +with Grandpa Croaker, and when they came to where the old gentleman +rabbit lived, they saw the alligator standing on his tail outside with +his head in through the window.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_115' id='Page_115'>[Pg 115]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I knew it!” cried Bully. “I knew that alligator would be up to some +tricks! Perhaps he has already eaten Grandpa Croaker and Uncle Wiggily.”</p> + +<p>Just then they heard both the old animal gentlemen squealing inside the +house, for the alligator was squeezing them.</p> + +<p>“They’re alive! They’re still alive!” cried Bawly. “We must save them!”</p> + +<p>“How?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“Let’s build a fire under the alligator’s tail,” suggested Bawly. “He +can’t see us, for his head is inside the room.”</p> + +<p>So what did those two brave frog boys do but make a fire of leaves under +the alligator’s long tail. And he was so surprised at feeling the heat, +that he turned suddenly around, dropped Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa +Croaker on the table cloth, and then, pulling his head out of the +window, he turned it over toward the fire, and he cried great big +alligator tears on the flames and put them out. Oh, what a lot of big +tears he cried.</p> + +<p>Then he tried to catch Bully and Bawly, but the frog boys hopped away, +and the alligator ran after them. Just then the man from the circus +came, with a long rope and caught the savage beast and put him back in +the cage and made<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_116' id='Page_116'>[Pg 116]</a></span> him go to sleep, after he put some vaseline on his +burns.</p> + +<p>So that’s how Bully and Bawly saved Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa Croaker, +by building a fire under the alligator’s long tail.</p> + +<p>And in case some one sends me a nice ring for my finger, or thumb, with +a big orange in it instead of a diamond, I’ll tell you next about Mrs. +No-Tail and Mrs. Longtail.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XVIII' id='STORY_XVIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_117' id='Page_117'>[Pg 117]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XVIII</h2><h3>MRS. NO-TAIL AND MRS. LONGTAIL</h3> +</div> + +<p>“Now, boys,” said Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, to Bully and Bawly one +day, as she put on her best bonnet and shawl and started out, “I hope +you will be good while I am away.”</p> + +<p>“Where are you going, mamma?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“I am going over to call on Mrs. Longtail, the mouse,” replied Mrs. +No-Tail. “She is the mother of the mice children, Jollie and Jillie +Longtail, you know, and she has been ill with mouse-trap fever. So I am +taking her some custard pie, and a bit of toasted cheese.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, of course we’ll be good,” promised Bawly. “But if you don’t come +home in time for supper, mamma, what shall we eat?”</p> + +<p>“I have made up a cold supper for you and your papa and Grandpa +Croaker,” said Mrs. No-tail. “You will find it in the oven of the stove. +You may eat at 5 o’clock, but I think I’ll be back before then.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_118' id='Page_118'>[Pg 118]</a></span></p> + +<p>Poor Mrs. No-Tail didn’t know what was going to happen to her, nor how +near she was to never coming home at all again. But there, wait, if you +please, I’ll tell you all about it.</p> + +<p>Away hopped Mrs. No-Tail through the woods, carrying the custard pie and +the toasted cheese for Mrs. Longtail in a little basket. And when she +got there, I mean to the mouse house, she found the mouse lady home all +alone, for Jollie and Jillie and Squeaky-Eaky, the little cousin mouse, +had gone to a surprise party, given by Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrow +girl.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so glad to see you,” said Mrs. Longtail. “Come right in, if you +please, Mrs. No-Tail. I’ll make you a cup of tea.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, are you able to be about?” asked Bully’s mamma.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” replied Jollie’s mamma. “I am much better, thank you. I am so +glad you brought me a custard pie. But now sit right down by the window, +where you can smell the flowers in the garden, and I’ll make tea.”</p> + +<p>Well in a little while, about forty-’leven seconds, Mrs. Longtail had +the tea made, and she and Mrs. No-Tail sat in the dining-room eating +it—I mean sipping it—for it was quite hot. And they were talking about +spring housecleaning, and about moths getting in the closets, and +eating<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_119' id='Page_119'>[Pg 119]</a></span> up the blankets and the piano, and about whether there would be +many mosquitoes this year, after Bawly had killed such numbers of them +with his bean shooter. They talked of many other things, and finally +Mrs. Longtail said:</p> + +<p>“Let me get you another cup of tea, Mrs. No-Tail.”</p> + +<p>So the lady mouse went out in the kitchen to get the tea off the stove, +and when she got there, what do you think she saw? Why, a great, big, +ugly, savage cat had, somehow or other, gotten into the room and there +he sat in front of the fire, washing his face, which was very dirty.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho!” exclaimed the cat, blinking his yellow eyes, “I was wondering +whether anybody was at home here.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I am at home!” exclaimed the mouse lady, “and I want you to get +right out of my house, Mr. Cat.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” replied the cat, licking his whiskers with his red tongue, “I’m +not going! That’s all there is to it. I am glad I found you at home, but +you are not going to be at home long.”</p> + +<p>“Why not?” asked Mrs. Longtail, suspicious like.</p> + +<p>“Because,” answered that bad cat, “I am going to eat you up, and I think +I’ll start right in!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_120' id='Page_120'>[Pg 120]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t!” begged Mrs. Longtail, as she tried to run back into the +dining-room, where Mrs. No-Tail was sitting. But the savage cat was too +quick for her, and in an instant he had her in his paws, and was glaring +at her with his yellowish-green eyes.</p> + +<p>“I don’t know whether to eat you head first or tail first,” said the +cat, as he looked at the poor mouse lady. “I must make up my mind before +I begin.”</p> + +<p>Now while he was making up his mind Mrs. No-Tail sat in the other room, +wondering what kept Mrs. Longtail such a long time away, getting the +second cup of tea.</p> + +<p>“Perhaps I had better go and see what’s keeping her,” Mrs. No-Tail +thought. “She may have burned herself on the hot stove, or teapot.” So +she went toward the kitchen, and there she saw a dreadful sight, for +there was that bad cat, holding poor Mrs. Longtail in his claws and +opening his mouth to eat her.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me go! Please let me go!” the mouse lady begged.</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not,” answered the cat, and once more he licked his whiskers +with his red tongue.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I must do something to that cat!” thought Mrs. No-Tail. “I must +make him let Mrs. Longtail go.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_121' id='Page_121'>[Pg 121]</a></span></p> + +<p>So she thought and thought, and finally the frog lady saw a sprinkling +can hanging on a nail in the dining-room, where Mrs. Longtail kept it to +water the flowers with.</p> + +<p>“I think that will do,” said Mrs. No-Tail. So she very quietly and +carefully took it off the nail, and then she went softly out of the +front door, and around to the side of the house to the rain-water +barrel, where she filled the watering can. Then she came back with it +into the house.</p> + +<p>“Now,” she thought, “if I can only get up behind the cat and pour the +water on him, he’ll think it’s raining, and as cats don’t like rain he +may run away, and let Mrs. Longtail go.”</p> + +<p>So Mrs. No-Tail tip-toed out into the kitchen as quietly as she could, +for she didn’t want the cat to see her. But the savage animal, who had +made his tail as big as a skyrocket, was getting ready to eat Mrs. +Longtail, and he was going to begin head first. So he didn’t notice Mrs. +No-Tail.</p> + +<p>Up she went behind him, on her tippiest tiptoes, and she held the +watering can above his head. Then she tilted it up, and suddenly out +came the water—drip! drip! drip! splash! splash!</p> + +<p>Upon the cat’s furry back it fell, and my, you should have seen how +surprised that cat was!</p> + +<p>“Why, it’s raining in the house,” he cried.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_122' id='Page_122'>[Pg 122]</a></span> “The roof must leak. The +water is coming in! Get a plumber! Get a plumber!”</p> + +<p>Then he gave a big jump, and bumped his head on the mantelpiece, and +this so startled him that he dropped Mrs. Longtail, and she scampered +off down in a deep, dark hole and hid safely away. Then the cat saw Mrs. +No-Tail pouring water from the can, and he knew he had been fooled.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll get you!” he cried, and he jumped at her, but the frog lady +threw the sprinkling can at the cat, and it went right over his head +like a bonnet, and frightened him so that he jumped out of the window +and ran away. And he didn’t come back for a week or more. So that’s how +Mrs. No-Tail saved Mrs. Longtail.</p> + +<p>Now in case the baker man doesn’t take the front door bell away to put +it on the rag doll’s carriage, I’ll tell you next about Bawly and +Arabella Chick.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XIX' id='STORY_XIX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_123' id='Page_123'>[Pg 123]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIX</h2><h3>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, had been kept in after school one day for +whispering. It was something he very seldom did in class, and I’m quite +surprised that he did it this time.</p> + +<p>You see, he was very anxious to play in a ball game, and when teacher +went to the blackboard to draw a picture of a cat, so the pupils could +spell the word better, Bawly leaned over and asked Sammie Littletail, +the rabbit boy, in a whisper:</p> + +<p>“Say, Sammie, will you have a game of ball after school?”</p> + +<p>Sammie shook his head “yes,” but he didn’t talk. And the lady mouse +teacher heard Bawly whispering, and she made him stay in. But he was +sorry for it, and promised not to do it again, and so he wasn’t kept in +very late.</p> + +<p>Well, after a while the nice mouse teacher said Bawly could go, and soon +he was on his way home, and he was wondering if he would meet Sammie or +any of his friends, but he didn’t, as<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_124' id='Page_124'>[Pg 124]</a></span> they had hurried down to the +vacant lots, where the circus tents were being put up for a show.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my, how lonesome it is!” exclaimed Bawly. “I wish I had some one to +play with. I wonder where all the boys are?”</p> + +<p>“I don’t know where they are,” suddenly answered a voice, “but if you +like, Bawly, I will play house with you. I have my doll, and we can have +lots of fun.”</p> + +<p>Bawly looked around, to make sure it wasn’t a wolf or a bad owl trying +to fool him, and there he saw Arabella Chick, the little chicken girl, +standing by a big pie-plant. It wasn’t a plant that pies grow on, you +understand, but the kind of plant that mamma makes pies from.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you want to play house?” asked Arabella, kindly, of Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No—no thank you, I—I guess not,” answered Bawly, bashfully standing +first on one leg, and then on the other. “I—er—that is—well, you +know, only girls play house,” the frog boy said, for, though he liked +Arabella very much, he was afraid that if he played house with her some +of his friends might come along and laugh at him.</p> + +<p>“Some boys play house,” answered the little chicken girl. “But no +matter. Perhaps you would like to come to the store with me.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_125' id='Page_125'>[Pg 125]</a></span></p> + +<p>“What are you going to get?” asked Bawly, curious like.</p> + +<p>“Some kernels of corn for supper,” answered Arabella, “and I also have a +penny to spend for myself. I am going to get some watercress candy, +and—”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll gladly come to the store with you,” cried Bawly, real excited +like. “I’ll go right along. I don’t care very much about playing ball +with the boys. I’d rather go with you.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll give you some of my candy if you come,” went on Arabella, who +didn’t like to go alone.</p> + +<p>“I thought—that is, I hoped you would,” spoke Bawly, shyly-like. Well, +the frog boy and the chicken girl went on to the store, and Arabella got +the corn, and also a penny’s worth of nice candy flavored with +watercress, which is almost as good as spearmint gum.</p> + +<p>The two friends were walking along toward home, each one taking a bite +of candy now and then, and Bawly was carrying the basket of corn. He was +taking a nice bite off the stick of candy that Arabella held out to him, +and he was thinking how kind she was, when, all of a sudden the frog boy +stumbled and fell, and before he knew it the basket of corn slipped from +his paw, and into a pond of water it fell—ker-splash!</p> + +<p>“Oh dear!” cried Arabella.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_126' id='Page_126'>[Pg 126]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh dear!” also cried Bawly. “Now I have gone and done it; haven’t I?”</p> + +<p>“But—but I guess you didn’t mean to,” spoke Arabella, kindly.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied Bawly, “I certainly did not. But perhaps I can get the +corn up for you. I’ll reach down and try.”</p> + +<p>So he stretched out on the bank of the pond, and reached his front leg +down into the water as far as it would go, but he couldn’t touch the +corn, for it was scattered out of the basket, all over the floor, or +bottom, of the pond.</p> + +<p>“That will never do!” cried Bawly. “I guess I’ll have to dive down for +that corn.”</p> + +<p>“Dive down!” exclaimed Arabella. “Oh, if you dive down under water +you’ll get all wet. Wait, and perhaps the water will all run out of the +pond and we can then get the corn.”</p> + +<p>“Oh I don’t mind the wet,” replied the frog boy. “My clothes are made +purposely for that. I’m so sorry I spilled the corn.” So into the water +Bawly popped, clothes and all, just as when you fall out of a boat, and +down to the bottom he went. But when he tried to pick up the corn he had +trouble. For the kernels were all wet and slippery and Bawly couldn’t +very well hold his paw full of corn, and swim at the same time. So he +had to let go of the corn, and up he popped.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_127' id='Page_127'>[Pg 127]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh!” cried Arabella, when she saw he didn’t have any corn. “I’m so +sorry! What shall we do? We need the corn for supper.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll try again,” promised Bawly, and he did, again and again, but still +he couldn’t get any of the corn up from under the water. And he felt +badly, and so did Arabella, and even eating what they had left of the +candy didn’t make them feel any better.</p> + +<p>“I tell you what it is!” cried Bawly, after he had tried forty-’leven +times to dive down after the corn, “what I need is something like an ash +sieve. Then I could scoop up the corn and water, and the water would run +out, and leave the corn there.”</p> + +<p>“But you haven’t any sieve,” said Arabella, “and so you can never get +the corn, and we won’t have any supper, and—— Oh, dear! Boo-hoo! +Hoo-boo!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, please don’t cry,” begged Bawly, who felt badly enough himself. +“Here, wait, I’ll see if I can’t drink all the water out of the pond, +and that will leave the ground dry so we can get the corn.”</p> + +<p>Well, he tried, but, bless you, he couldn’t begin to drink all the water +in the pond. And he didn’t know what to do, until, all of a sudden, he +saw, coming along the road, Aunt Lettie, the nice old lady goat. And +what do you think she had? Why, a coffee strainer, that she had bought +at the five-and-ten-cent store. As soon as Bawly saw that strainer he +asked Aunt Lettie if he could take it.</p> + +<p>She said he could, and pretty soon down he dived under the water again, +and with the coffee strainer it was very easy to scoop up the corn from +the bottom of the pond, and soon Bawly got it all back again, and the +water hadn’t hurt it a bit, only making it more tender and juicy for +cooking.</p> + +<p>And just as Bawly got up the last of the corn in the coffee strainer, +down swooped a big owl, and he tried to grab Bawly and Arabella and the +corn and sieve and Aunt Lettie, all at the same time. But the old lady +goat drove him away with her sharp horns, and then Bawly and Arabella +thanked her very kindly and went home, the frog boy carrying the corn he +had gotten up from the pond, and taking care not to spill it again. And +so every one was happy but the owl.</p> + +<p>Now in case the fish man doesn’t paint the glass of the parlor windows +sky-blue pink, so I can’t see Uncle Wiggily Longears when he rings the +door bell, I’ll tell you next about Bully and Dottie Trot.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-007' id='illus-007'></a> +<img src='images/illus-128.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XX' id='STORY_XX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_128' id='Page_128'>[Pg 128]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XX</h2><h3>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_129' id='Page_129'>[Pg 129]</a></span>One day Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the +woods, and he felt so very fine, and it was such a nice day, that, when +he came to a place where some flowers grew up near an old stump, nodding +their pretty heads in the wind, the frog boy sang a little song.</p> + +<p style='margin-left: 4em;'> +“I love to skip and jump and hop,<br /> +I love to hear firecrackers pop,<br /> +I love to play<br /> +The whole long day,<br /> +I love to spin my humming top.”<br /> +</p> + +<p>That’s what Bully sang, and if there had been a second, or a third, or a +forty-’leventh verse he would have sung that too, as he felt so good. +Well, after he had sung the one verse he hopped on some more, and pretty +soon he came to the place where the mouse lady lived, whose basket of +chips Bully had once picked up, when she hurt<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_130' id='Page_130'>[Pg 130]</a></span> her foot on a thorn. I +guess you remember about that story.</p> + +<p>“Ah, how to you do, Bully?” asked the mouse lady, as the frog boy hopped +along.</p> + +<p>“Thank you, I am very well,” he answered politely. “I hope you are +feeling pretty good.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” she made answer, “I might feel better. I have a little touch of +cat-and-mouse-trap fever, but I think if I stay in my hole and take +plenty of toasted cheese, I’ll be better. But here is a nice sugar +cookie for you,” and with that the nice mouse lady went to the cupboard, +got a cookie, and gave it to the frog boy.</p> + +<p>Bully ate it without getting a single crumb on the floor, which was very +good of him, and then, saving a piece of the cookie for his brother +Bawly, he hopped on, after bidding the mouse lady good-by and hoping +that she would soon be better.</p> + +<p>Along and along hopped Bully, and all of a sudden the big giant jumped +out of the bushes—Oh, excuse me, if you please! there is no giant in +this story. The giant went back to the circus, but I’ll tell you a story +about him as soon as I may. As Bully was hopping along, all of a sudden +out from behind a bush there jumped a savage, ugly wolf, and he had +gotten out of his circus cage again, and was looking around for +something to eat.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_131' id='Page_131'>[Pg 131]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Ah, ha! At last I have found something!” cried the wolf, as he made a +spring for Bully, and he caught the frog boy under his paws and held him +down to the earth, just like a cat catches a mouse.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me go! Please let me go! You are squeezing the breath out of +me!” cried poor Bully.</p> + +<p>“Indeed I will not let you go!” replied the wolf, real unpleasant-like. +“I have been looking for something to eat all day and now that I’ve +found it I’m not going to let you go. No, indeed, and some horseradish +in a bottle besides.”</p> + +<p>“Are you really going to eat me?” asked Bully, sorrowfully.</p> + +<p>“I certainly am,” replied the wolf. “You just watch me. Oh, no, I +forgot. You can’t see me eat you, but you can feel me, which is much the +same thing.”</p> + +<p>Then the wolf sharpened his teeth on a sharpening stone, and he got +ready to eat up the frog boy. Now Bully didn’t want to be eaten, and I +don’t blame him a bit; do you? He wanted to go play ball, and have a lot +of fun with his friends, and he was thinking what a queer world this is, +where you can be happy and singing a song, and eating a sugar cookie one +minute, and the next<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_132' id='Page_132'>[Pg 132]</a></span> minute be caught by a wolf. But that’s the way it +generally is.</p> + +<p>Then, as Bully thought of how good the sugar cookie was he asked the +wolf:</p> + +<p>“Will you let me go for a piece of cookie, Mr. Wolf?”</p> + +<p>“Let me see the cookie,” spoke the savage creature.</p> + +<p>So Bully reached in his pocket, and took out the piece of cookie that he +was saving for Bawly. He knew Bawly would only be too glad to have the +wolf take it, if he let his brother Bully go.</p> + +<p>But, would you ever believe it? That unpleasant and most extraordinary +wolf animal snatched the cookie from Bully’s paw, ate it up with one +mouthful, and only smiled.</p> + +<p>“Well, now, are you going to let me go?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“No,” said the wolf. “That cookie only made me more hungry. I guess I’ll +eat you now, and then go look for your brother and eat him, too.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, will no one save me?” cried Bully in despair, and just then he +heard a rustling in the bushes. He looked up and there he saw Dottie +Trot, the little pony girl. She waved her hoof at Bully, and then the +frog boy knew she would save him if she could. So he thought of a plan, +while Dottie, with her new red hair ribbon tied<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_133' id='Page_133'>[Pg 133]</a></span> in a pink bow, hid in +the bushes, where the wolf couldn’t see her, and waited.</p> + +<p>“Well, if you are going to eat me, Mr. Wolf,” said Bully, most politely, +after a while, “will you grant me one favor before you do so?”</p> + +<p>“What is it?” asked the wolf, still sharpening his teeth.</p> + +<p>“Let me take one last hop before I die?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“Very well,” answered the wolf. “One hop and only one, remember. And +don’t think you can get away, for I can run faster than you can hop.”</p> + +<p>Bully knew that, but he was thinking of Dottie Trot. So the wolf took +his paws off Bully, and the frog boy got ready to take a last big hop. +He looked over through the bushes, and saw the pony girl, and then he +gave a great, big, most tremendous and extraordinarily strenuous jump, +and landed right on Dottie’s back!</p> + +<p>“Here we go!” cried the pony girl. “Here is where I save Bully No-Tail! +Good-by bad Mr. Wolf.” And away she trotted as fast as the wind.</p> + +<p>“Here, come back with my supper! Come back with my supper!” cried the +disappointed wolf, and off he ran after Dottie, who had Bully safely on +her back.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_134' id='Page_134'>[Pg 134]</a></span></p> + +<p>Faster and faster ran the wolf, but faster and faster ran Dottie, and no +wolf could ever catch her, no matter how fast he ran. And Dottie +galloped and trotted and cantered, and went on and on, and on, and the +wolf came after her, but he kept on being left farther and farther +behind, and at last Dottie was out of the woods, and she and Bully were +safe, for the wolf didn’t dare go any nearer, for fear the circus men +would catch him.</p> + +<p>“Oh, thank you so much, Dottie, for saving me,” said Bully. “I’ll give +you this other piece of cookie I was saving for Bawly. He won’t mind.”</p> + +<p>So he gave it to Dottie, and she liked it very much indeed, and that +wolf was so angry and disappointed about not having any supper that he +bit his claw nails almost off, and went back into the woods, and +growled, and growled, and growled all night, worse than a buzzing +mosquito.</p> + +<p>But Bully and Dottie didn’t care a bit and they went on home and they +met Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, who bought them an ice +cream soda flavored with carrots.</p> + +<p>Now in case my little bunny rabbit doesn’t bite a hole in the back steps +so the milkman drops a bottle down it when he comes in the morning, I’ll +tell you in the following story about Grandpa Croaker and Brighteyes +Pigg.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXI' id='STORY_XXI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_135' id='Page_135'>[Pg 135]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXI</h2><h3>GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG</h3> +</div> + +<p>One nice warm day, right after he had eaten a breakfast of watercress +oatmeal, with sweet-flag-root-sugar and milk on it, Grandpa Croaker, the +nice old gentleman frog, started out for a hop around the woods near the +pond. And he took with him his cane with the crook on the handle, +hanging it over his paw.</p> + +<p>“Where are you going, Grandpa?” asked Bully No-Tail, as he and his +brother Bawly started for school.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hardly know,” said the old frog gentleman in his hoarsest, +deepest, thundering, croaking voice. “Perhaps I may meet with a fairy or +a big giant, or even the alligator bird.”</p> + +<p>“The alligator isn’t a bird, Grandpa,” spoke Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh no, to be sure,” agreed the old gentleman rabbit—I mean frog—“no +more it is. I was thinking of the Pelican. Well, anyhow I am going out +for a walk, and if you didn’t have to go<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_136' id='Page_136'>[Pg 136]</a></span> to school you could come with +me. But I’ll take you next time, and we may go to the Wild West show +together.”</p> + +<p>“Oh fine!” cried Bully, as he hopped away with his school books under +his front leg.</p> + +<p>“Oh fine and dandy!” exclaimed Bawly, as he looked in his spelling book +to see how to spell “cow.”</p> + +<p>Well, the frog boys hopped on to school, and Grandpa Croaker hopped off +to the woods. He went on and on, and he was wondering what sort of an +adventure he would have, when he heard a little noise up in the trees. +He looked up through his glasses, and he saw Jennie Chipmunk there.</p> + +<p>She was a little late for school, but she was hurrying all she could. +She called “good morning” to Grandpa Croaker, and he tossed her up a +sugar cookie that he happened to have in his pocket. Wasn’t he the nice +old Grandpa, though? Well, I just guess he was!</p> + +<p>So he went on a little farther, and pretty soon he came to the place +where Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg lived. Only Buddy wasn’t at home, being +at school. But Brighteyes, the little guinea pig girl, was there in the +house, and she was suffering from the toothache, I’m sorry to say.</p> + +<p>Oh! the poor little guinea pig girl was in great pain, and that’s why +she couldn’t go to school.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_137' id='Page_137'>[Pg 137]</a></span> Her face was all tied up in a towel with a +bag of hot salt on it, but even that didn’t seem to do any good.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so sorry for you, Brighteyes!” exclaimed Grandpa. “Have you had +Dr. Possum? Where is your mamma?”</p> + +<p>“Mamma has gone to the doctor’s now to get me something to stop the +pain,” answered Brighteyes, “and to-morrow I am going to have the tooth +pulled. We tried mustard and cloves and all things like that but nothing +would stop the pain.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps if I tell you a little story it will make you forget it until +mamma comes with the doctor’s medicine,” suggested Grandpa, and then and +there he told Brighteyes a funny story about a little white rabbit that +lived in a garden and had carrots to eat, and it ate so many that its +white hair turned red and it looked too cute for anything, and then it +went to the circus.</p> + +<p>Well, the story made Brighteyes forget the pain for a time, but the +story couldn’t last forever, and soon the pain came back. Then Grandpa +thought of something else.</p> + +<p>“Why are all the ladders, and boards, and cans, and brushes piled +outside your house?” he asked Brighteyes, for he had noticed them as he +came in.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_138' id='Page_138'>[Pg 138]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh! we are having the house painted,” said Brighteyes.</p> + +<p>“But where is the painter monkey?” asked Grandpa. “I didn’t see him.”</p> + +<p>“Oh! he forgot to bring some red paint to make the blinds green or blue +or some color like that,” answered the little guinea pig girl, “so he +went home to get it. He’ll be back soon.”</p> + +<p>“Suppose you come outside and show me how he paints the house,” +suggested Grandpa, thinking perhaps that might make Brighteyes forget +her pain.</p> + +<p>“Of course I will, Grandpa Croaker,” said the little creature. “I know +just how he paints, for I watched him just before you came, and when I +saw him put on the bright colors it made me forget my toothache. Come, +I’ll show you how he does it.”</p> + +<p>So Brighteyes took Grandpa’s paw, and led him outside where there were +ladders and scaffolds and pots of paint and lumps of putty, and spots of +bright colors all over, and lots of brushes, little and big, and more +putty and paint, and oh! I don’t know what all.</p> + +<p>“Now this is how the painter monkey does it,” said Brighteyes. “He takes +a brush, and he dips it in the paint pot, and then he lets some of the +loose paint fall off, and then he wiggles the brush<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_139' id='Page_139'>[Pg 139]</a></span> up and down and +sideways and across the middle on the boards of the house, and—it’s +painted.”</p> + +<p>“I see,” said Grandpa, and then, before he could stop her, Brighteyes +took one of the painter monkey’s brushes, and dipped it into a pot of +the pink paint. And she leaned over too far, and the first thing you +know she fell right into that pink paint pot, clothes, toothache and +all! What do you think of that?</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! Oh!” she cried, as soon as she could get her breath. “This is +awful—terrible!”</p> + +<p>“It certainly is!” said Grandpa Croaker. “But never mind, Brighteyes. +I’ll help you out. Don’t cry.” So he fished her out with his cane, and +he took some rags, and some turpentine, and he cleaned off the pink +paint as best he could, and then he took Brighteyes into the house, and +the little guinea pig girl put on clean clothes, and then she looked as +good as ever, except that there were some spots of pink paint on her +nose.</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said Grandpa, as he gave her a sugar cookie, and just then +Mrs. Pigg came back with the doctor’s medicine.</p> + +<p>“Why—why!” exclaimed Brighteyes as she kissed her mother, “my toothache +has all stopped!” and, surely enough it had. I guess it<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_140' id='Page_140'>[Pg 140]</a></span> got scared +because of the pink paint and went away.</p> + +<p>Anyhow the tooth didn’t ache any more, and the next day Brighteyes went +to the dentist’s and had it pulled. And the painter monkey didn’t mind +about the paint that was spilled, and Mrs. Pigg didn’t mind about +Brighteyes’s dress being spoiled, and they all thought Grandpa Croaker +was as kind as he could be, and he didn’t mind because his cane was +colored pink, where he fished out the little guinea pig girl with it. So +everybody was happy.</p> + +<p>Now in case our cat doesn’t fall into the red paint pot and then go to +sleep on my typewriter paper and make it look blue, I’ll tell you next +about Papa No-Tail and Nannie Goat.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXII' id='STORY_XXII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_141' id='Page_141'>[Pg 141]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXII</h2><h3>PAPA NO-TAIL AND NANNIE GOAT</h3> +</div> + +<p>One morning, bright and early, Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, started +for the wallpaper factory where he worked at making patterns on the +paper by dipping his feet in the different colored inks and jumping up +and down. And when he got there he saw, standing outside the factory, +the man who made the engines go, and this man said:</p> + +<p>“There is no work to-day for you, Mr. No-Tail.”</p> + +<p>“Ah ha! What is the matter?” asked Bully’s papa.</p> + +<p>“That bad Pelican bird came again in the night and chewed up all the +ink,” said the engine man. “So you may have a vacation until we get some +more ink.”</p> + +<p>“This is very unexpected—very,” spoke Papa No-Tail. “But I will enjoy +myself. I’ll go take a nice long hop, and perhaps I will see something I +can bring home to Bully and Bawly.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_142' id='Page_142'>[Pg 142]</a></span> So off he started, and he had no +more idea what was going to happen to him than you have what you’re +going to get for next Christmas.</p> + +<p>Papa No-Tail was hopping along, thinking what a fine day it was when, +all of a sudden, he came to a place in the woods where there were some +nice flowers.</p> + +<p>“Ha! I will take these home to my wife,” thought Mr. No-Tail, as he +picked the pretty blossoms. Then he hopped on some more, and he came to +a place where there were some nice round stones, as white as milk.</p> + +<p>“Ah! I will take these home for Bully and Bawly to play marbles with,” +said the frog papa. Then he hopped on a little farther and he came to a +place in the woods where was growing a nice big stick with a crooked +handle.</p> + +<p>“Ho! I will take that home to Grandpa Croaker for a cane that he can use +when he gets tired of carrying the one with the pink paint on it,” spoke +Mr. No-Tail, and he pulled up the cane-stick, and went on with that and +the flowers and the round white stones, as white as molasses—Oh, there +I go again! I mean milk, of course.</p> + +<p>Well, it was still quite early, and as he hopped along through the woods +Papa No-Tail heard the school bell ring to call the boy and girl animals +to their classes.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_143' id='Page_143'>[Pg 143]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I hope Bully and Bawly are not late,” thought their father. “When one +goes to school one must be on time, and always try to have one’s +lessons.” Still he felt pretty sure that his two little boys were on +time, for they were usually very good.</p> + +<p>On hopped Mr. No-Tail, wishing he could see the bad Pelican bird, and +make him give up the wallpaper-printing ink, when all of a sudden, as +quickly as you can tie your shoe lace, or your hair ribbon, Papa No-Tail +heard a great crashing in the bushes, and then he heard a growling and +then presto-changeo! out popped Nannie Goat, and after her came running +a black, savage bear! Oh, he was a most unpleasant fellow, that bear +was, with a long, red tongue, and long, sharp, white teeth, and long +claws, bigger than a cat’s claws, and he had shaggy fur like an +automobile coat.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! Oh! Stop! Stop! Stop! Don’t catch me! Don’t catch me! Don’t +catch me!” cried Nannie, the goat girl, running on and crashing through +the bushes. But the bear never minded. On he came, right after Nannie, +for he wanted to catch and eat her. You see he used to be in a cage in a +big animal park, but he got loose and he was now very hungry, for no one +had fed him in some time.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_144' id='Page_144'>[Pg 144]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, Papa No-Tail was so surprised that, for a moment, he didn’t know +what to do. He just sat still under a big cabbage leaf, and looked at +the bear chasing after Nannie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, will no one save me?” cried the poor little goat girl. “Will no one +save me from this savage bear?”</p> + +<p>“No; no one will save you,” answered the shaggy creature, as he cleaned +his white teeth with his red tongue for a brush. “I am going to eat you +up.”</p> + +<p>“No, you are not!” cried Papa No-Tail, boldly.</p> + +<p>“Ha! Who says I am not going to eat her?” asked the bear, surly-like.</p> + +<p>“I do!” went on Papa No-Tail, hopping a bit nearer. “You shall never eat +her as long as I am alive!”</p> + +<p>“And who are you, if I may be so bold as to ask,” went on the bear, +stopping so he could laugh.</p> + +<p>“I am the brave Mr. No-Tail, who works in the wallpaper factory, but I +can’t work to-day as the bad Pelican bird took the ink,” replied Bully’s +and Bawly’s papa.</p> + +<p>“Oh, fiddlesticks!” cried the bear, real impolite-like. “Now, just for +that I will eat you both!” He made a rush for Nannie, but with a<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_145' id='Page_145'>[Pg 145]</a></span> scream +she gave a big jump, and then something terrible happened. For she +jumped right into a sand bank, which she didn’t notice, and there she +stuck fast by her horns, which jabbed right into the hard sand and dirt. +There she was held fast, and the bear, seeing her, called out:</p> + +<p>“Now I can get you without any trouble. You can’t get away from me, so +I’ll just eat this frog gentleman first.”</p> + +<p>Oh, but that bear was savage, and hungry, and several other kinds of +unpleasant things. He made a big jump for the frog, but what do you +think Bully’s papa did? Why he took the bunch of flowers, and he tickled +that bear so tickily-ickly under the chin, that the bear first sneezed, +and then he laughed and as Papa No-Tail kept on tickling him, that bear +just had to sit down and laugh and sneeze at the same time, and he +couldn’t chase even a snail.</p> + +<p>“Now for the next act!” bravely cried Mr. No-Tail, and with that he took +the stick he intended for Grandpa Croaker’s cane, and put it under the +bear’s legs, and he twisted the stick, Papa No-Tail did, and the first +thing that bear knew he had been tripped up and turned over just like a +pancake, and he fell on his nose and bumped it real hard.</p> + +<p>Then, before he could get up, Papa No-Tail<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_146' id='Page_146'>[Pg 146]</a></span> pelted him with the round +stones as white as milk, and the bear thought it was snowing and +hailing, and he was as frightened as anything, and as soon as he could +get up, away he ran through the woods, crying big, salty bear tears.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so glad you drove that bear away! You are very brave, Mr. +No-Tail,” said Nannie Goat. “But how am I to get loose in time to get to +school without being late?” For she was still fast by her horns in the +sand bank.</p> + +<p>“Never fear, leave it to me,” said Papa No-Tail. So Nannie never feared, +and Papa No-Tail tried to pull her horns out of the sand bank, but he +couldn’t, because the ground was too hard. So what did he do but go to +the pond, and get some water in his hat, and he threw the water on the +sand, and made it soft, like mud pies, and then Nannie could pull out +her own horns.</p> + +<p>After thanking Mr. No-Tail she ran on to school, and got there just as +the last bell rang, and wasn’t late. And the teacher and all the pupils +were very much surprised when Nannie told them what had happened. Bully +and Bawly were afraid the bear might come back and hurt their papa, but +nothing like that happened I’m glad to say.</p> + +<p>Now in case the tea kettle doesn’t sing a funny<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_147' id='Page_147'>[Pg 147]</a></span> song and waken the +white rabbit with the pink eyes that’s in a cage out in our yard, I’ll +tell you to-morrow night about Mamma No-Tail and Nellie Chip-Chip.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXIII' id='STORY_XXIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_148' id='Page_148'>[Pg 148]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXIII</h2><h3>MRS. NO-TAIL AND NELLIE CHIP-CHIP</h3> +</div> + +<p>Nellie Chip-Chip, the little sparrow girl, flew along over the trees +after school was out, with a box of chocolate under her wing. And under +her other wing was a purse, with some money in it that rattled like +sleigh bells.</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do with that chocolate?” asked Bully No-Tail, the +frog boy, as he and his brother, who were hopping to a ball game, +happened to see Nellie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess she’s going to eat it,” said Bawly. “If you want us to help +you, we will, won’t we, Bully?” he added.</p> + +<p>“Sure,” said Bully, hungry like.</p> + +<p>“Oh, indeed, that’s very kind of you boys,” replied Nellie, politely, +“but you see I’m not eating this chocolate. I am selling it for our +school. We want to get some nice pictures to put in the rooms, and so +I’m trying to help get the money to buy them by selling cakes of +chocolate.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_149' id='Page_149'>[Pg 149]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Ha! That’s a good idea,” said Bully. “Say, Nellie, if you go to our +house maybe our mamma will buy some chocolate.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll fly right over there,” declared the little sparrow girl, “for I +want very much to sell my chocolate, and, so far, very few persons have +bought any of me.”</p> + +<p>“I guess our mamma will,” said Bawly, and, then when Nellie had flown on +with her chocolate, Bawly winked both his eyes and spoke thusly: “Say, +Bully, if mamma buys the chocolate from Nellie I guess she’ll give us +some.”</p> + +<p>“I hope so,” replied his brother, and then they went on to the ball game +and had a good time. Well, as I was telling you, Nellie flew over to +Mrs. No-Tail’s house, and knocked at the door with her little bill.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you want to buy some chocolate so I can make money to get +pictures for our school?” the sparrow girl politely asked.</p> + +<p>“Indeed I do,” replied Mrs. No-Tail. “I just need some chocolate for a +cake I’m baking. And if you would like to come in, and help me make the +cake, and put the chocolate on, I’ll give you some, and you can take a +piece home to Dickie.”</p> + +<p>“Indeed, I’ll be very glad to help,” said Nellie, so she went in the +house, and Mrs. No-Tail<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_150' id='Page_150'>[Pg 150]</a></span> paid her for some of the chocolate, and then +Nellie took off her hat, and put on an apron, and she helped make the +cake.</p> + +<p>Oh, it was a most delicious one! with about forty-’leven layers, and +chocolate between each one, and then on top! Oh, it just makes me hungry +even to typewrite about it! Why the chocolate on top of that cake was as +thick as a board, and then on top of the chocolate was sprinkled +cocoanut until you would have thought there had been a snow storm! Talk +about a delicious cake! Oh, dear me! Well, I just don’t dare write any +more about it, for it makes me so impatient.</p> + +<p>“Now,” said Mrs. No-Tail, after the baking was over, “we’ll just set the +cake on the table by the open window to cool, Nellie, and we’ll wash up +the dishes.”</p> + +<p>So they were working away, talking of different things, and Nellie was a +great help to Mrs. No-Tail. Every once in a while, however, Nellie would +look over to the cake, because it was so nice she just couldn’t keep her +eyes away from it. She was just wishing it was time for her to have some +to take home, but it wasn’t, quite yet.</p> + +<p>Well, all of a sudden, when Nellie looked over for about the +twenty-two-thirteenth time, she saw that all the chocolate was gone from +the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_151' id='Page_151'>[Pg 151]</a></span> top of the cake. All the chocolate and the cocoanut was missing.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh!” cried the little sparrow girl.</p> + +<p>“What’s the matter?” asked Mrs. No-Tail quickly.</p> + +<p>“Look!” exclaimed Nellie, pointing to the cake.</p> + +<p>“Well, of all things!” cried Mrs. No-Tail. “That chocolate must have +disappeared. It must have gone up like a balloon. I will have to buy +some more of you, and put that on.” Then she went over and looked at the +cake, and she wondered at the queer scratches in the top, just as if a +cat had clawed off the chocolate. But there were no cats around.</p> + +<p>So Mrs. No-Tail and Nellie put more chocolate and cocoanut on the cake, +and they went on washing up the dishes, and pretty soon, not so very +long, in a little while Nellie looked at the cake again. And, would you +believe me, the chocolate was all off once more.</p> + +<p>“This is very strange,” said Mrs. No-Tail. “That must be queer chocolate +to disappear that way. Perhaps a fairy is taking it.”</p> + +<p>“Maybe Bully and Bawly are doing it for a joke,” said Nellie. So she and +Mrs. No-Tail looked from the window but they could see no one, not even +a fairy, and, anyhow, Mrs. No-Tail<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_152' id='Page_152'>[Pg 152]</a></span> knew the boys wouldn’t be so +impolite as to do such a thing.</p> + +<p>“It is very strange,” said the frog boys’ mamma. “But we will put the +chocolate and cocoanut on once more, and then we’ll watch to see who +takes it.”</p> + +<p>So they did, making the cake even better than before. Oh, with such +thick chocolate and cocoanut on! and then they hid down behind the +stove, and watched the window.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon a big, shaggy paw, with long, sharp claws on it, was put in +the open window, and the paw went right on top of the cake, and scraped +off some of the chocolate and cocoanut.</p> + +<p>“Ah! Yum-yum! That is most delicious!” exclaimed a grumbling, rumbling +voice, and the paw, all covered with the cake chocolate, just as a +lollypop stick is covered with candy, went out of the window, and the +paw was all cleaned off somehow, when it came back again. More chocolate +was then scraped off the cake by those sharp claws.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho! This is simply scrumptious!” went on the voice, as the paw was +pulled back. Then a third time it came, and scraped off what was left of +the chocolate and cocoanut.</p> + +<p>“Oh, how perfectly delightful and proper this<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_153' id='Page_153'>[Pg 153]</a></span> sweet stuff is!” cried +the voice. “I wish there was more!”</p> + +<p>Then a great, big, shaggy, ugly bear, the same one that once chased +Nannie Goat, stuck his head in the window.</p> + +<p>“Oh, did you scrape the chocolate off my cake?” asked Mrs. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“I did,” the bear said, “have you any more?”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” she answered. “But you are a bold, bad creature, and if +you don’t get away from here I’ll have you arrested.”</p> + +<p>“I am not a bit afraid,” answered the bear impolitely, “and as there is +no more chocolate I’ll take the cake.”</p> + +<p>Well, he was just reaching for it with his sharp clawy-paws, and Mrs. +No-Tail and Nellie were very much frightened, fearing the beast would +get them. But just then a man’s voice cried out:</p> + +<p>“Ah, ha! You bad animal! So I’ve caught you, have I? And you are up to +your tricks as usual! Now you come with me!” And who should appear but +the man from the animal park where the bear once lived. And he had a +whip and a rope, and he tied the rope around the bear’s neck and whipped +him for being so bad, and took him back to his cage. And Mrs. No-Tail +and Nellie were very glad. And I guess you’d be also. Eh?</p> + +<p>There was some chocolate left, and some cocoanut, and soon the cake was +even better than before, and Nellie had sold all her chocolate to Mrs. +No-Tail, and she could buy lots of pictures for the school. And Nellie +took home a big piece of the cake for Dickie, her brother, and of course +some for herself. So it all came out right after all, and that bear was +very sorry for what he did.</p> + +<p>Now, in the story after this one, if the fish we’re going to have for +supper doesn’t swim away with my new soft hat and get it all wet, I’ll +tell you about Bully No-Tail and Alice Wibblewobble.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-008' id='illus-008'></a> +<img src='images/illus-154.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXIV' id='STORY_XXIV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_154' id='Page_154'>[Pg 154]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXIV</h2><h3>BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_155' id='Page_155'>[Pg 155]</a></span>“Bully,” said the frog boy’s mamma to him one Saturday morning, when +there wasn’t any school, “I wish you would go on an errand for me.”</p> + +<p>“Of course I will, mother,” he said. “Do you want me to go to the store +for some lemons, or some sugar?”</p> + +<p>“Neither one, Bully. I wish you would go to Mrs. Wibblewobble’s house +and tell the nice duck lady I can’t come over to-day to help her sew +carpet rags, and piece-out the bedquilt. I have to put away the winter +flannels so the moths won’t get in them, and then, too, it is so rainy +and foggy that we couldn’t see to sew carpet rags very well. Tell her +I’ll be over the first pleasant day.”</p> + +<p>“Very well,” answered Bully, “and may I stay a while and play with +Jimmie Wibblewobble?”</p> + +<p>“You may,” said his mother, and off Bully<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_156' id='Page_156'>[Pg 156]</a></span> hopped all alone, for his +brother Bawly had gone fishing.</p> + +<p>It was a very unpleasant day for any one except ducks or frogs. For +sometimes it rained, and when it wasn’t rainy it was misty, and moisty, +and foggy. And it was wet all over. The water dripped down off the trees +and bushes, and even the ponds and little brooks were wetter than usual, +for the rain rained into them, and splished and splashed.</p> + +<p>But Bully didn’t mind, not in the least. Away he hopped in his rubber +suit, that water couldn’t hurt, and he felt very fine. Soon he was at +Mrs. Wibblewobble’s house, and he delivered the message his mother had +given him.</p> + +<p>“And now I’ll go play with Jimmie,” said Bully. “Where is he, and where +are Lulu and Alice, Mrs. Wibblewobble?”</p> + +<p>“Oh! the girls went over to see Grandfather Goosey Gander,” replied +their mamma. “As for Jimmie, you’ll find him out somewhere on the pond. +But be careful you don’t get lost, for the fog is very thick to-day.”</p> + +<p>“I should think it was,” replied Bully as he hopped away, “it’s almost +as thick as molasses.” Well, pretty soon he came to the edge of the +pond, and in he plumped, and began swimming about.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_157' id='Page_157'>[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Jimmie! Hey, Jimmie! Where are you, Jimmie?” he called.</p> + +<p>“Over here, making a water wheel,” answered the boy duck, and though the +frog chap couldn’t see him, he could tell, by Jimmie’s voice, where he +was, and soon he had hopped to the right place.</p> + +<p>Well, Bully and Jimmie had a fine time, making the water wheel, that +went splash-splash around in the water. And when they became tired of +playing that, they played water-tag with the water-spiders, and then +they played hop-skip-and-jump, at which game Bully was very good.</p> + +<p>“Now let’s go up to the house,” proposed Jimmie, “and I’m sure mother +will give us some cornmeal sandwiches with jam and bread and butter on.”</p> + +<p>Off they went through the fog, and it was now so thick that they +couldn’t see their way, and by mistake they went to the barn instead of +the house. I don’t know what they would have done, only just then along +came Old Percival, the circus dog, and he could smell his way through +the misty fog up to the house. Maybe he could smell the sandwiches, with +jam and bread and butter on. I don’t know, but anyhow Mrs. Wibblewobble +gave him one when she made some for Bully and Jimmie.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_158' id='Page_158'>[Pg 158]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, now I’m coming to the Alice part of the story. As Jimmie and Bully +were eating their sandwiches on the back porch, not minding the rain in +the least, all at once Lulu Wibblewobble came waddling along. As soon as +she got to the steps she called out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, is Alice home yet?”</p> + +<p>“Alice home?” exclaimed Mrs. Wibblewobble. “Why, didn’t she come from +Grandfather Goosey Gander’s house with you?”</p> + +<p>“No, she started on ahead, some time ago,” said Lulu. “She said she +wanted to put on her new hair ribbon for dinner. She ought to have been +here some time ago. Are you sure she isn’t here?”</p> + +<p>“No, she isn’t,” answered Jimmie. “She must be lost in the fog!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! That’s exactly what has happened!” cried the mamma duck. “Oh, +this dreadful fog! What shall I do?”</p> + +<p>“Don’t worry, Mrs. Wibblewobble,” spoke Bully. “Jimmie and I will go and +hunt her. We can find her in the fog.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, you may get lost yourselves!” said the duck lady. “It’s bad enough +as it is, but that would be dreadful. Oh, what shall I do?”</p> + +<p>“I’ll tell you,” said Lulu. “We’ll all hunt for her, and so that we will +not become lost in the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_159' id='Page_159'>[Pg 159]</a></span> fog, we’ll tie several strings to our house, and +then each of us will keep hold of one string, and when we go off in the +fog we can follow the string back again, and we won’t get lost.”</p> + +<p>“That’s a good idea!” cried Bully, and they all thought it was. So they +each tied a long string to the front porch rail, and, keeping hold of +the other end, started off in the fog, Mrs. Wibblewobble, Jimmie, Bully +and Lulu. Off into the fog they went, and the white mist was now thicker +than ever; thicker than molasses, I guess.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Wibblewobble looked one way, and Jimmie another, and Lulu another, +and Bully still another. And for a long time neither one of them could +find Alice.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to call out loud, and perhaps she’ll hear me,” said Bully. +“She probably wandered off on the wrong path coming from Grandfather +Goosey Gander’s house.” So he cried as loudly as he could: “Alice! +Alice! Where are you, Alice?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, here I am!” the duck girl suddenly cried, though Bully couldn’t see +her on account of the fog. “Oh, I’m so glad you came to find me, for +I’ve been lost a long time.”</p> + +<p>“Walk right over this way!” called Bully, “and I’ll take you home by the +string. Come over here!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_160' id='Page_160'>[Pg 160]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Yes, come over here!” called another voice, and Bully looked and what +should he see but a savage alligator, hiding in the fog, with his mouth +wide open. The alligator hoped Alice would, by mistake, walk right into +his mouth so he could eat her. And he kept calling right after Bully, +and poor Alice got so confused with the two of them shouting that she +didn’t know what to do.</p> + +<p>Bully was afraid the alligator would get her, so what did he do but take +up a big stone, and, hiding in the fog, he threw the rock into the +alligator’s mouth.</p> + +<p>“There! Chew on that!” called Bully, and the alligator was so angry that +he crawled right away, taking his scaly, double-jointed tail with him.</p> + +<p>Then Bully called again, and this time Alice found where he was in the +fog, and she waddled up to him, and she wasn’t lost any more, and Bully +took her home by following the string. Then the fog blew away and they +were all happy, and had some more jam sandwiches.</p> + +<p>Now, in case it doesn’t rain and wet my new umbrella so that the pussy +cat can go to school, and learn how to make a mouse trap, I’ll tell you +next about Bawly No-Tail and Lulu Wibblewobble.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXV' id='STORY_XXV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_161' id='Page_161'>[Pg 161]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXV</h2><h3>BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along one day whistling a +little tune about a yellow-spotted doggie, who found a juicy bone, and +sold it to a ragman for a penny ice cream cone. After the little frog +boy had finished his song he hopped into a pond of water and swam about, +standing on his head and wiggling his toes in the air, just as when the +boys go in bathing.</p> + +<p>Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly bounced up out of the water +to catch his breath, which nearly ran away from him down to the +five-and-ten-cent-store—when Bawly bounced up, I say, who should he see +but Lulu Wibblewobble, the duck girl, swimming around on the pond.</p> + +<p>“Hello, Lulu!” called Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Hello!” answered Lulu. “Come on, Bawly, let’s see who can throw a stone +the farthest; you or I.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, pooh!” cried the frog boy. “I can, of course. You’re only a girl.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_162' id='Page_162'>[Pg 162]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly and Lulu were out on the +shore of the pond and had thrown their stones, Lulu’s went ever so much +farther than did Bawly’s. Oh! she was a good thrower, Lulu was!</p> + +<p>“Well, anyhow, I can beat you jumping!” cried Bawly. “Now, let’s try +that game.”</p> + +<p>So they tried that, and, of course, Bawly won, being a very good jumper. +He jumped over two stones, three sticks, a little black ant and also a +big one, a hump of dirt, two flies and a grain of sand. And, as for +Lulu, she only jumped over a brown leaf, a bit of straw, part of a stone +and a little fuzzy bug.</p> + +<p>“Now we’re even,” said Bawly, who felt good-natured again. “Let’s go for +a walk in the woods and we’ll get some wild flowers and maybe something +will happen. Who knows?”</p> + +<p>“Who knows?” agreed Lulu. So off they started together, talking about +the weather and ice cream cones and Fourth of July and all things like +that. For it was Saturday, you see, and there was no school.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, in a little while, not so very long, as Bawly was +hopping, and Lulu was wobbling along, they heard a noise in the bushes. +Now, of course, when you’re in the woods there is always likely to be a +noise in the bushes. Sometimes<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_163' id='Page_163'>[Pg 163]</a></span> it’s made by a fairy, and sometimes by a +giant and sometimes by a squirrel or a rabbit, or a doggie, or a kittie, +and sometimes only by the wind blowing in the treetops. And you can +never tell what makes the noise until you look. So Bawly and Lulu looked +to see what made the noise in the bushes.</p> + +<p>“Maybe it’s a giant!” exclaimed Lulu.</p> + +<p>“Maybe it’s a fairy,” said Bawly, and they looked and looked and pretty +soon, in a jiffy, out came a man—just a plain, ordinary man.</p> + +<p>“Oh, me!” cried Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my!” exclaimed Lulu.</p> + +<p>Then they both started to run away, for they were afraid they might be +hurt. But the man saw them going off, and he called after them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, pray don’t be frightened, little ones. I wouldn’t hurt you for the +world. I was just looking for a frog and a duck, and here you are.”</p> + +<p>“Are—are you going to eat us?” asked Bawly, blinking his eyes.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” replied the man, kindly.</p> + +<p>“Are you going to carry us away in a bag?” asked Lulu, wiggling her +feet.</p> + +<p>“Oh, never, never, never!” cried the man, quickly. “I will put you in my +pockets if you will let me, and I will do a funny trick with you.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_164' id='Page_164'>[Pg 164]</a></span></p> + +<p>“A trick?” asked Bawly, for he was very fond of them. “What kind?”</p> + +<p>“A good trick,” replied the man. “You see, I am a magician in a +show—that is I do all sorts of funny tricks, such as making a rabbit +come out of a hat, or shutting a pig up in a box and changing it to a +bird, and making a boy or girl disappear.</p> + +<p>“I also do tricks with ducks and frogs, but the other day the pet frog +and duck which I have got sick, and I can’t do any more tricks with them +until they are better. But if you would come with me, I could do some +tricks with you in the show, and I wouldn’t hurt you a bit, and I’d give +you each ten cents, and you could have a nice time. Will you come with +me? I took a walk out in the woods specially to-day, hoping I could find +a new duck or frog to use in my tricks.”</p> + +<p>Well, Lulu and Bawly thought about it, and as the man looked very kind +they decided to go with him. So he put Lulu in one of his big pockets +and Bawly in the other, and off he started through the woods.</p> + +<p>And pretty soon he came to the place where he did the tricks. It was a +big building, and there was a whole crowd of people there waiting for<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_165' id='Page_165'>[Pg 165]</a></span> +the magician—men and women and boys and girls.</p> + +<p>“Now, don’t be afraid, Bawly and Lulu,” said the man kindly, for he +could talk duck and frog language. “No one will hurt you.”</p> + +<p>So he put Bawly and Lulu down on a soft table, where the people couldn’t +see them, and then that man did the most surprising and extraordinary +tricks. He made fire come out of a pail of water, and he opened a box, +and there was nothing in it, and he opened it again, and there was a +rabbit in it. Then he took a man’s hat, and he said:</p> + +<p>“Now, there is nothing in his hat but in a moment I am going to make a +little frog come in it. Watch me closely.”</p> + +<p>Well, of course, the people hardly believed him, but what do you think +that man did? Why, he took the hat and turned around, and when nobody +was looking he slipped Bawly off from the table and put him inside +it—inside the hat, I mean, and then the magician said:</p> + +<p>“Presto-changeo! Froggie! Froggie! Come into the hat!”</p> + +<p>Then he put his hand in, and lifted out Bawly, who made a polite little +bow, and the frog wasn’t a bit afraid. And, my! How those people did +clap their hands and stamp their feet!<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_166' id='Page_166'>[Pg 166]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Now if some lady will lend me her handbag, I’ll make a duck come in +it,” said the magician. So a lady in the audience gave him her handbag, +and after the magician had taken out ten handkerchiefs, and a purse with +no money in it, and a looking-glass, and some feathers all done up in a +puff ball, and some peppermint candies, and two postage stamps and some +chewing gum and five keys, why he went back on the stage. And as quick +as a wink, when no one was looking, with his back to the people, he +slipped Lulu Wibblewobble into the empty handbag, and she kept very +quiet for she didn’t want to spoil the trick.</p> + +<p>And then the magician turned to the audience, and he said:</p> + +<p>“Behold! Behold!” and he lifted out the duck girl. Oh my! how those +people did clap; and the lady that owned the handbag was as surprised as +anything. Then the man did lots more tricks, and he called a boy, and +told him to take Lulu and Bawly back home, after he had given them each +ten cents. For his regular trick duck and frog were all well again, and +he could do magic with them. So that’s how Lulu and Bawly were in a +magical show, and they told all their friends about it and everyone was +so surprised that they said: “Oh! Oh! Oh!” more than forty-’leven +times.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_167' id='Page_167'>[Pg 167]</a></span></p> + +<p>And next, if our new kitten, whose name is Peter, doesn’t fall into a +basket of soap bubbles and wet his tail so he can’t go to the moving +picture show, I’ll tell you about Bully No-Tail and Kittie Kat.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXVI' id='STORY_XXVI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_168' id='Page_168'>[Pg 168]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXVI</h2><h3>BULLY NO-TAIL AND KITTIE KAT</h3> +</div> + +<p>“Bully, what are you doing?” the frog boy’s mother called to him one +day, as she heard him making a funny noise.</p> + +<p>“Oh, mother, I am just counting to see how many marbles I have,” he +answered.</p> + +<p>“Well, would you mind going to the store for me?” asked Mrs. No-Tail. “I +was going to make a cake, but I find I have no cocoanut to put on top.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, indeed, I’ll go for you, mother, right away!” cried Bully, quickly, +for he was very fond of cocoanut cake. But I guess he would have gone to +the store anyhow, even if his mamma had only wanted vinegar, or lemons, +or a yeast cake.</p> + +<p>So off he started, whistling a little tune about a fuzzy-wuzzy pussy +cat, who drank a lot of milk and had a crinkly Sunday dress, made out of +yellow silk.</p> + +<p>“Well, I feel better after that!” exclaimed<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_169' id='Page_169'>[Pg 169]</a></span> Bully, as he hopped along, +sailing high in the air, above the clouds. Oh, there I go again! I was +thinking of Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow. No, Bully hopped along on the +ground, and pretty soon he came to the store and bought the cocoanut for +the cake.</p> + +<p>He was hopping home, hoping his mamma would give him and his brother +Bawly some of the cake when it was baked, when, just as he came near a +pond of water he heard some one crying. Oh, such a sad, pitiful cry as +it was, and at first Bully thought it might be some bad wolf, or fox, or +owl, crying because it hadn’t any dinner, and didn’t see anything to +catch to eat for supper.</p> + +<p>“I must look out that they don’t catch me,” thought Bully, and he took +tight hold of the cocoanut, and peeked through the bushes. And what did +he see but poor Kittie Kat—you remember her, I dare say; she was a +sister to Joie and Tommie Kat—there was Kittie Kat, crying as if her +heart would break, and right in front of her was a savage fox, wiggling +his bushy tail to and fro, and snapping his cruel jaws and sharp teeth.</p> + +<p>“Now I’ve caught you!” cried the fox. “I’ve been waiting a good while, +but I have you now.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I—I guess you have,” said poor Kittie,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_170' id='Page_170'>[Pg 170]</a></span> for the fox had hold of +the handle of a little basket that Kittie was carrying, and wouldn’t let +go. In the basket was a nice cornmeal pie that Kittie was taking to +Grandfather Goosey Gander, when the fox caught her. “Will you please let +me go?” begged poor Kittie Kat.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied the bad fox. “I’m going to eat you up—all up!”</p> + +<p>Well, Kittie cried harder than ever at that, but she still kept hold of +the basket with the cornmeal pie in it, and the fox also had hold of it. +And Bully was hiding behind the bushes where neither of them could see +him—hiding and waiting.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I must save Kittie from that fox!” he thought. “How can I do it?”</p> + +<p>So Bully thought and thought, and thought of a plan. Then he leaned +forward and whispered in Kittie’s ear, so low that the fox couldn’t hear +him:</p> + +<p>“Let go of the basket, Kittie,” he told her, “and then give a big jump +and run up a tree.”</p> + +<p>Well, Kittie was quite surprised to hear Bully whispering out of the +bushes to her, for she didn’t know that he was around, but she did as he +told her to. She suddenly let go of the basket handle, and the fox was +so surprised that he nearly fell over sideways. And before he could<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_171' id='Page_171'>[Pg 171]</a></span> +straighten himself up Kittie Kat jumped back, and up a tree she +scrambled before you could shake a stick at her, even if you wanted to. +You see, she never thought of going up a tree until Bully told her to.</p> + +<p>“Here! You come back!” cried the fox, real surprised like.</p> + +<p>“Tell him you are not going to,” whispered Bully, and that’s what Kittie +called to the fox from up in the tree, for, you see, he couldn’t climb +up to her, and he still had hold of her basket.</p> + +<p>“If you don’t come down I’ll throw this basket of yours in the water!” +threatened the bad fox, gnashing his teeth.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I don’t want him to do that!” said Kittie.</p> + +<p>“Never mind, perhaps he won’t,” suggested Bully. “Wait and see.”</p> + +<p>“Are you coming down and let me eat you?” asked the fox of the little +kitten girl, for the savage animal did not yet know that Bully was +hiding there. “Are you coming down, I ask you?”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed!” exclaimed Kittie.</p> + +<p>“Then here goes the basket!” cried the fox, and, just to be mean he +threw the nice basket, containing the cornmeal pudding—I mean pie—into +the pond of water.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! Oh dear!” cried Kittie Kat.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_172' id='Page_172'>[Pg 172]</a></span> “What will Grandfather Goosey +Gander do now?”</p> + +<p>“Never mind, I’ll get it for you, as I don’t mind water in the least,” +spoke Bully, bravely.</p> + +<p>So he started to hop out, to jump into the water to save the kittie +girl’s basket, for he knew the fox wouldn’t dare go in the pond after +him, as the fox doesn’t like to wet his feet and catch cold.</p> + +<p>Well, Bully was just about to hop into the pond, when he happened to +think of the package of cocoanut his mamma had sent him to get at the +store.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I never can get that wet in the water or it will be spoiled!” +he thought. “What can I do? If I leave it on the shore here while I go +after Kittie’s basket the fox will eat it, and we’ll have no cake. I +guess I’m in trouble, all right, for I must get the basket.”</p> + +<p>Well, he didn’t know what to do, and the fox was just sneaking up to eat +him when Kittie Kat cried out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, be careful, Bully. Jump! Jump into the water so the fox can’t get +you!”</p> + +<p>“What about the cocoanut?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“Here, give it to me, and I’ll hold it,” said Kittie, and she reached +down with her sharp claws, and hooked them into the pink string<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_173' id='Page_173'>[Pg 173]</a></span> around +the package of cocoanut and pulled it up on the tree branch where she +sat, and then the fox couldn’t get it. And oh! how disappointed he was +and how he did gnash his teeth.</p> + +<p>And then, before he could grab Bully and eat him up, the frog boy leaped +into the pond and swam out and got Kittie’s basket and the cornmeal pie +before it sank. And then Bully swam to a floating log, and crawled out +on it with the basket, which wasn’t harmed in the least, nor was the +pie, either.</p> + +<p>And the fox sat upon the shore of the pond, and first he looked at +Bully, and wished he could eat him, and then he looked at Kittie, and he +wished he could eat her, and then he looked at the cocoanut, which +Kittie held in her claws, and he couldn’t eat that, and he couldn’t eat +the cornmeal pie—in fact, he had nothing to eat.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, along came Percival, the kind old circus dog, and +he barked at that fox, and nipped his tail and the fox ran away, and +Kittie and Bully were then safe. Bully came off the log, and Kittie came +down out of the tree and they both went on home after thanking Percival +most kindly.</p> + +<p>Now, in case my little girl’s tricycle doesn’t roll down hill and bunk +into the peanut man and make him spill his ice cream, I’ll tell you next +about Bawly helping his teacher.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXVII' id='STORY_XXVII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_174' id='Page_174'>[Pg 174]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXVII</h2><h3>HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER</h3> +</div> + +<p>It was quite warm in the schoolroom one day, and the teacher of the +animal children, who was a nice young lady robin, had all the windows +open. But even then it was still warm, and the pupils, including Bully +and Bawly No-Tail, the frog boys, and Lulu and Alice and Jimmie +Wibblewobble, the ducks, weren’t doing much studying.</p> + +<p>Every now and then they would look out of the window toward the green +fields, and the cool, pleasant woods, where the yellow and purple +violets were growing, and they wished they were out there instead of in +school.</p> + +<p>“My, it’s hot!” whispered Bully to Bawly, and of course it was wrong to +whisper in school, but perhaps he didn’t think.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I wish we could go swimming,” answered Bawly, and the teacher +heard the frog brothers talking together.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Bully and Bawly,” she said, as she turned around from the +blackboard, where she<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_175' id='Page_175'>[Pg 175]</a></span> was drawing a picture of a house, so the children +could better learn how to spell it, “I am sorry to hear you whispering. +You will both have to stay in after school.”</p> + +<p>Well, of course Bully and Bawly didn’t like that, but when you do wrong +you have to suffer for it, and when the other animal boys and girls ran +out after school, to play marbles and baseball, and skip rope, and jump +hop-scotch and other games, the frog boys had to stay in.</p> + +<p>They sat in the quiet schoolroom, and the robin teacher did some writing +in her books. And Bawly looked out of the window over at the baseball +game. And Bully looked out of the window over toward the swimming pond. +And the teacher looked out of the window at the cool woods, where those +queer flowered Jack-in-the-pulpits grew, and she too, wished she was out +there instead of in the schoolroom.</p> + +<p>“Well, if you two boys are sorry you whispered, and promise that you +won’t do it again, you may go,” said the teacher after a while, when she +had looked out of the window once more. “You know it isn’t really wicked +to whisper in school, only it makes you forget to study, and sometimes +it makes other children forget to study, and that’s where the wrong part +comes in.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_176' id='Page_176'>[Pg 176]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I’m sorry, teacher,” said Bully.</p> + +<p>“You may go,” said the young robin lady with a smile. “How about you, +Bawly?”</p> + +<p>“I’m not!” he exclaimed, real cross-like, “and I’ll whisper again,” for +all the while Bawly had been thinking how mean the teacher was to keep +him in when he wanted to go out and play ball.</p> + +<p>The robin lady teacher looked very much surprised at the frog boy, but +she only said, “Very well, Bawly. Then you can’t go.”</p> + +<p>So Bully hurried out, and Bawly and the teacher stayed there.</p> + +<p>Bawly kept feeling worse and worse, and he began to wish that he had +said he was sorry. He looked at the teacher, and he saw that she was +gazing out of the window again, toward the woods, where there were +little white flowers, like stars, growing by the cool, green ferns. And +Bawly noticed how tired the teacher looked, and as he watched he was +sure he saw a tear in each of her bright eyes. And finally she turned to +him and said:</p> + +<p>“It is so nice out of doors, Bawly, that I can’t keep you here any +longer, no matter whether you are sorry or not. But I hope you’ll be +sorry to-morrow, and won’t whisper again. For it helps me when boys and +girls don’t whisper. Run out now, and have a good time. I wish I could +go,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_177' id='Page_177'>[Pg 177]</a></span> but I have some work to do,” and then with her wing she patted +Bawly on his little green head, and opened the door for him.</p> + +<p>Bawly felt rather queer as he hopped out, and he didn’t feel like +playing ball, after all. Instead he hopped off to the woods, and sat +down under a big Jack-in-the-pulpit to think. And he thought of how his +teacher couldn’t live in the nice green country as he did, for she had +to stay in a boarding-house in the city, to be near her school, and she +couldn’t see the flowers growing in the woods as often as could Bawly, +for she nearly always had to stay in after school to write in the +report-books.</p> + +<p>“I—I wish I hadn’t whispered,” Bawly said to himself. “I—I’m going to +help teacher after this. I’ll tell her I’m sorry, and—and I guess I’ll +bring her some flowers for her desk.”</p> + +<p>Every one wondered what made Bawly so quiet that evening at home. He +studied his lessons, and he didn’t want to go out and play ball with +Bully.</p> + +<p>“I hope he isn’t going to be sick,” said his mamma, anxious-like.</p> + +<p>“Oh! I guess maybe he’s got a touch of water-lily fever,” said Grandpa +Croaker. “A few days of swimming will make him all right again.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_178' id='Page_178'>[Pg 178]</a></span></p> + +<p>Bawly got up very early the next morning, and without telling any one +where he was going he hopped over to the woods, and gathered a lot of +flowers.</p> + +<p>Oh, such a quantity as he picked! There were purple violets, and yellow +ones, and white ones, and some wild, purple asters, and some blue +fringed gentian, and some lovely light-purple wild geraniums, and +several Jacks-in-the-pulpit, and many other kinds of flowers. And he +made them into a nice bouquet with some ferns on the outside.</p> + +<p>Then, just as he was hopping to school, what should happen but that a +great big alligator jumped out of the bushes at him.</p> + +<p>“Ha! What are you doing in my woods,” asked the alligator, crossly.</p> + +<p>“If—if you please, I’m getting some flowers for my teacher, because I +whispered,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh, in that case it’s all right,” said the alligator, smacking his +jaws. “I like school teachers. Give her my regards,” and would you +believe it? the savage creature crawled off, taking his double-jointed +tail with him, and didn’t hurt Bawly a bit. The flowers made the +alligator feel kind and happy.</p> + +<p>Well, Bawly got to school all right, before any of the other children +did, and he put the flowers<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_179' id='Page_179'>[Pg 179]</a></span> on teacher’s desk, and he wrote a little +note, saying:</p> + +<div class='blockquot'><p>“Dear teacher, I’m sorry I whispered, but I’m going to help you +to-day, and not talk.”</p></div> + +<p>And Bawly didn’t. It was quite hard in school that day, but at last it +was over. And, just when the children were going home, the robin lady +teacher said:</p> + +<p>“Boys and girls, you have all helped me very much to-day by being good, +and I thank you. And something else helped me. It was these flowers that +Bawly brought me, for they remind me of the woods where I used to play +when I was a little girl,” and then she smelled of the flowers, and +Bawly saw something like two drops of water fall from the teacher’s eyes +right into one of the Jacks-in-the-pulpit. I wonder if it was water?</p> + +<p>And then school was over and all the children ran out to play and Bawly +thought he never had had so much fun in all his life as when he and +Bully and some of the others had a ball game, and Bawly knocked a fine +home run.</p> + +<p>Now, in case the cuckoo clock doesn’t fall down off the wall and spatter +the rice pudding all over the parlor carpet, I’ll tell you in the story +after this one about Bully and Sammie Littletail.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXVIII' id='STORY_XXVIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_180' id='Page_180'>[Pg 180]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXVIII</h2><h3>BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL</h3> +</div> + +<p>One day when the nice young lady robin school teacher, about whom I told +you last night, called the roll of her class, to see if all the animal +children were there, Samuel Littletail, the rabbit boy, didn’t answer.</p> + +<p>“Why, I wonder where Sammie can be?” asked the teacher. “Has anyone seen +him this morning?”</p> + +<p>They all shook their heads, and Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, answered:</p> + +<p>“If you please, teacher, perhaps his sister, Susie, knows.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, of course! Why didn’t I think to ask her?” said the teacher. So she +looked over on the girls’ side of the room, but, would you believe it? +Susie, the rabbit girl, wasn’t there either.</p> + +<p>“That is very odd,” said the teacher, “both Sammie and Susie out! I hope +they haven’t the epizootic, or the mumps, or carrot fever, or anything<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_181' id='Page_181'>[Pg 181]</a></span> +like that. Well, we’ll go on with our lessons, and perhaps they will +come in later.”</p> + +<p>So the first thing the pupils did was to sing a little song, and though +I can’t make up very nice ones, I’ll do the best I can to give you an +idea of it. This is how it went, to the tune, “Tum-Tum-Tum, Tiddle +De-um!”</p> + +<p style='margin-left:4em'> +Good morning! How are you?<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>We hope you’re quite well.</span><br /> +We’re feeling most jolly,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>So hark to us spell.</span><br /> +<br /> +C-A and a T, with<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>A dot on the eye.</span><br /> +Makes cat, dog or rat,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Or a bird in the sky.</span><br /> +<br /> +Take two and two more.<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>What have you? ’Tis five!</span><br /> +What? Four? Oh, of course,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>See the B in the hive.</span><br /> +<br /> +Now sing the last verse,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Ah, isn’t it pretty?</span><br /> +We’re glad that you like<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Our dear little kittie.</span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_182' id='Page_182'>[Pg 182]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, after the children had sung that they all looked around to see if +Sammie or Susie had come in, but they hadn’t, and then the lessons +began, and everyone got a perfect mark. Still the rabbit children didn’t +come, and after school Bully No-Tail said:</p> + +<p>“I think I’ll stop at Sammie’s house and see what is the matter.”</p> + +<p>“I wish you would,” spoke the teacher, “and then you can tell us +to-morrow. I hope he is not ill.”</p> + +<p>But Sammie was worse than ill, as Bully very soon found out when he got +to the house. He found Mr. and Mrs. Littletail very much excited. Mrs. +Littletail was crying, and so was Susie, and as for Nurse Jane +Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat lady, she was washing up the dishes so fast +that she broke a cup and saucer and dropped a knife and spoon. And Uncle +Wiggily Longears was limping around on his crutch, striped red, white +and blue like a barber pole, and saying: “Oh dear! Oh dear me! Oh hum +suz dud.”</p> + +<p>“Why, whatever has happened?” asked Bully. “Is Sammie dead?”</p> + +<p>“Worse than that,” said Susie, wiping her eyes on her apron.</p> + +<p>“Much worse,” chimed in Uncle Wiggily. “Just think, Bully, when Sammie +was starting<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_183' id='Page_183'>[Pg 183]</a></span> off for school this morning, he went off in the woods a +little way to see if he could find a wild carrot, when a big boy rushed +up, grabbed him, and put him in a bag before any of us could save him! +And now he’s gone! Completely gone!”</p> + +<p>“So that’s why he didn’t come to school to-day,” said Nurse Jane sadly.</p> + +<p>“And I didn’t feel like coming either,” spoke Susie, crying some more. +“I tried to find Sammie, but I couldn’t. Oh dear! Boo hoo!”</p> + +<p>“We all tried to find him,” said Mr. Littletail sadly.</p> + +<p>“But we can’t,” added Mrs. Littletail still more sadly. “Our Sammie is +gone! The bad boy has him!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that is awful!” cried Bully. “But I’ll see if I can’t find him for +you.”</p> + +<p>So Bully hopped off through the woods, hoping he could find where the +boy lived who had taken Sammie away with him.</p> + +<p>“And if I find him I’ll help Sammie to get away,” thought Bully. So he +went on and on, but for a long time he couldn’t find Sammie. For, +listen, the boy who had caught the little rabbit had taken Sammie home, +and had made a cage for him.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to keep you forever,” said the boy, looking in through the +wire cage at Sammie.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_184' id='Page_184'>[Pg 184]</a></span> “I’ve always wanted a rabbit and now I have one.” +Well, poor Sammie asked the boy to let him go, but the boy didn’t +understand rabbit language, and maybe he wouldn’t have let the bunny go, +anyhow.</p> + +<p>Well, it was getting dark, and Sammie was very much frightened in his +cage, and he was wondering whether any of his friends would find him, +and help him escape.</p> + +<p>“I’ll call out loud, so they’ll know where to look for me,” he said, and +he grunted as loudly as he could and whistled through his twinkling +nose.</p> + +<p>Well, it happened that just then Bully was hopping up a little hill, and +he heard Sammie calling.</p> + +<p>“That’s Sammie!” exclaimed Bully. “Now, if I can only rescue him!”</p> + +<p>So the frog boy hopped on farther, and pretty soon he came to the yard +of the house where the boy lived. And Bully peeped in through a knothole +in the fence, and he saw Sammie in the cage.</p> + +<p>“I’m here, Sammie!” cried Bully through the hole. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll +get you out of there.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Sammie, clapping his paws.</p> + +<p>But, after he had said it, Bully saw that it wasn’t going to be very +easy to get Sammie out,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_185' id='Page_185'>[Pg 185]</a></span> for the cage was very strong. The boy was in +the house cutting up some cabbage for the rabbit, and the little frog +knew he would have to work very quickly if he was to rescue Sammie.</p> + +<p>So Bully hunted until he found a place where he could crawl under the +fence, and he went close up to the cage, and what did he do but hop +inside, thinking he could unlock the door for Sammie. For Bully was +little enough to hop through between the holes in the wire, but Sammie +was too big to get out that way.</p> + +<p>But Bully couldn’t open the door because the lock was too strong, and +the frog boy couldn’t break the wire.</p> + +<p>“Oh, if Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy were only here!” he exclaimed, “she could +get us out of this trap very soon. But she isn’t.”</p> + +<p>“Let’s both together try to break it,” proposed Sammie, but they +couldn’t do it. I don’t know what they would have done, and perhaps +Sammie would have had to stay there forever, but at that moment along +came the old alligator. He looked through the knothole in the fence, and +he saw Sammie and Bully in the cage.</p> + +<p>“Ah, here is where I get a good dinner!” thought the alligator, so with +one savage and swooping sweep of his big, scaly tail, he smashed down +the fence and broke the cage all to pieces, but he didn’t hurt Bully or +Sammie, very luckily, for they were in a far corner.</p> + +<p>“Now’s our chance!” cried the frog. “Run, Sammie, run!” And they both +scudded away as fast as they could before the alligator could catch +them, or even before the boy could run out to see what the noise was. +And when the alligator saw the boy the savage creature flurried and +scurried away, taking his scalery-ailery tail with him, and the boy was +very much surprised when he saw that the rabbit was gone.</p> + +<p>But Sammie and Bully got safely home, and the next day Sammie went to +school as usual, just as if nothing had happened, and every one said +Bully was very brave to help him.</p> + +<p>So that’s all for to-night, if you please, and in case the housecleaning +man gets all the ice cream up from under the sitting-room matting, and +makes a snowball of it for the poll parrot to play horse with, I’ll tell +you next about Bully and Bawly going to the circus.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-009' id='illus-009'></a> +<img src='images/illus-186.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXIX' id='STORY_XXIX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_186' id='Page_186'>[Pg 186]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXIX</h2><h3>BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_187' id='Page_187'>[Pg 187]</a></span>“Oh, mamma, may we go?” exclaimed Bawly No-Tail one day as he came home +from school, and hopped into the house with such a big hop, that he +hopped right up into the frog lady’s lap.</p> + +<p>“Go where?” asked Bawly’s mother, wondering if the alligator were after +her son.</p> + +<p>“Oh, do please let us go!” cried Bully, hopping in after his brother. +Bully tried to stand on his head, but his foot slipped and he nearly +fell into the ink bottle. “Please let us go, mother?”</p> + +<p>“Where? Where?” she asked again, as Bawly hopped out of her lap.</p> + +<p>“To the circus!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“It’s coming!” exclaimed Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Down in the vacant lots,” went on Bully.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you ought to see the posters! Lions and tigers and elephants, and +men jumping in the air, and horses and—and—”</p> + +<p>Bawly had to stop for breath then, and so he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_188' id='Page_188'>[Pg 188]</a></span> couldn’t say any more. +Neither could Bully. Oh, but they were excited, let me tell you.</p> + +<p>“May we go?” they both cried out again.</p> + +<p>“Well, I’ll see,” began their mother slowly. “I don’t know—”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess you’d better let them go,” spoke up Grandpa Croaker in his +deepest, rumbling voice. “I—I think I can spare the time to look after +them. I don’t really want to go, you know, as I was going to play a game +of checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears, but I guess I can take the boys +to the circus. Ahem!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Bawly, jumping up and down.</p> + +<p>“Where are you going?” asked their papa, just then coming in from the +wallpaper factory.</p> + +<p>“To the circus,” said Bawly. “Grandpa Croaker will take us.”</p> + +<p>“Ha! Hum!” exclaimed Papa No-Tail. “I am very busy, but I guess I can +spare the time to take you. We won’t bother Grandpa.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, it’s no bother—none at all, I assure you,” quickly spoke the +grandpa frog, in a thundering, rumbling voice. “We can both take them.”</p> + +<p>“Well, I never heard of such a thing!” exclaimed Mamma No-Tail. “Any one +would think you two old men frogs wanted to go as<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_189' id='Page_189'>[Pg 189]</a></span> much as the boys do. +But I guess it will be all right.”</p> + +<p>So Bully and Bawly and their papa and their grandpa went to the circus +next day. And what do you think? Just as they were buying their tickets +if they didn’t meet Uncle Wiggily Longears! And he had Sammie and Susie, +the rabbits, with him, and there was Aunt Lettie, the old lady goat, +with the three Wibblewobble children, and many other little friends of +Bully and Bawly.</p> + +<p>Well, that was a fine circus! There were lots of tents with flags on, +and outside were men selling pink lemonade and peanuts for the elephant, +and toy balloons, only those weren’t for the elephant, you know, and +there were men shouting, and lots of excitement, and there was a side +show, with pictures outside the tent of a man swallowing swords by the +dozen, and also knives and forks, and another picture of a lady wrapping +a fat snake around her neck, because she was cold, I guess, and then you +could hear the lions roaring and the elephants trumpeting, and the band +was playing, and the peanut wagons were whistling like teakettles, +and—and—Oh! why, if I write any more about that circus I’ll want to +take my typewriter, and put it away in a dark closet, and go to the show +myself!<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_190' id='Page_190'>[Pg 190]</a></span></p> + +<p>But anyhow it was very fine, and pretty soon Bully and Bawly and their +papa and grandpa were in the tent looking at the animals. They fed the +elephant peanuts until they had none for themselves, and they looked at +the camel with two humps, and at the one with only one hump, because I +s’pose he didn’t have money enough to buy two, and then they went in the +tent where the real show was.</p> + +<p>Well it went off very fine. The big parade was over, and the men were +doing acts on the trapeze, and the trained seals were playing ball with +their noses, and the clowns were cutting up funny capers. And all at +once a man, with a shiny hat on, came out in the middle of the ring, and +said:</p> + +<p>“Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to call your attention to our jumping +dog, Nero. He is the greatest jumping dog in the world, and he will jump +over an elephant’s back!”</p> + +<p>Well, the people clapped like anything after that, and a clown came out, +leading a dog. Everybody was all excited, especially when another clown +led out a big elephant. Then it was the turn of the dog to jump over the +elephant. Well, he tried it, but he didn’t go over. The clown petted +him, and gave him a sweet cracker, and the dog tried it again, but he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_191' id='Page_191'>[Pg 191]</a></span> +couldn’t do it. Then he tried once more and he fell right down under the +elephant, and the elephant lifted Nero up in his trunk, and set him +gently down on some straw.</p> + +<p>Then the clown took off his funny, pointed hat and said:</p> + +<p>“Ladies and gentlemen, I am very sorry, but my poor dog is sick and he +can’t jump to-day, and I have nothing else that can jump over the +elephant’s back.”</p> + +<p>Every one felt quite disappointed at that, but still they were sorry for +the poor dog. The clown led him away, and the other clown was leading +the elephant off, when Bully said to Bawly:</p> + +<p>“Don’t you think we could do that jump? We once did a big jump to get +away from the alligator, you know.”</p> + +<p>“Let’s try it,” said Bawly. “Then the people won’t be disappointed. Come +on.” So they slipped from their seats, when their papa and grandpa were +talking to Uncle Wiggily about the trained seals, and those two frog +boys just hopped right into the middle of the circus ring. At first a +monkey policeman was going to put them out, but they made motions that +they wanted to jump over the elephant, for they couldn’t speak policeman +talk, you know.</p> + +<p>“Ah ha! I see what they want,” said the kind<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_192' id='Page_192'>[Pg 192]</a></span> clown. “Well, I don’t +believe they can do it, but let them try. It may amuse the people.” So +he made the elephant go back to his place, and every one became +interested in what Bully and Bawly were going to do.</p> + +<p>“Are you already?” asked Bully of his brother.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” answered Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Then take a long breath, and jump as hard as you can,” said Bully. So +they both took long breaths, crouched down on their hind legs, and then +both together, simultaneously and most extraordinarily, they jumped. My, +what a jump it was! Bigger than the time when they got away from the +alligator. Right over the elephant’s back they jumped, and they landed +on a pile of soft straw so they weren’t hurt a bit. My! You should have +heard the people cheer and clap!</p> + +<p>“Good!” cried the clown. “That was a great jump! Will you stay in the +circus with me? I will pay you as much as I pay my dog.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no! They must go home,” said their papa, as Bully and Bawly went +back to their seats. “That is, after the circus is over,” said Mr. +No-Tail.</p> + +<p>So the frog boys saw the rest of the show, and afterward all their +friends told them how brave it was to do what they had done.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_193' id='Page_193'>[Pg 193]</a></span></p> + +<p>And for a long time after that whenever any one mentioned what good +jumpers Bully and Bawly were, Sammie Littletail would say:</p> + +<p>“Ah, but you should have seen them in the circus one day.”</p> + +<p>And on the next page, if the lilac bush in our back yard doesn’t reach +in through the window, and take off my typewriter ribbon to wear to +Sunday school, I’ll tell you about Bully and Bawly playing Indian.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXX' id='STORY_XXX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_194' id='Page_194'>[Pg 194]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXX</h2><h3>BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN</h3> +</div> + +<p>It happened, once upon a time, after the circus had gone away from the +place where Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, lived that a Wild West +show came along.</p> + +<p>And my goodness! There were cowboys and cowgirls, and buffaloes and +steers and men with lassos, and Mexicans and Cossacks, and Indians! Real +Indians, mind you, that used to be wild, and scalp people, which was +very impolite to do, but they didn’t know any better; the Indians didn’t +I mean. Then they got tame and didn’t scalp people any more. Yes, sir, +they were real Indians, and they had real feathers on them!</p> + +<p>Of course the feathers didn’t belong to the Indians, the same as a +chicken’s feathers, or a turkey’s feathers belong to them. That is, the +feathers didn’t grow on the Indians, even if they did seem to. No, the +Indians put them on for ornaments, just as ladies put plumes on their +hats with long hatpins.</p> + +<p>Well, of course, Bully and Bawly and the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_195' id='Page_195'>[Pg 195]</a></span> other boys all went to the +Wild West show, and when they got home about all they did for several +days was to play cowboys or Indians. Indians mostly, for they liked them +the best. And the boys gave regular warwhoop cries.</p> + +<p>“We’ll have a new game,” said Bully to Bawly one day. “We’ll dress up +like the Indians did, and we’ll go off in the woods, and we’ll see if we +can capture white people.”</p> + +<p>“Real?” asked Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No, only make-believe ones. And we’ll build a camp fire, and take our +lunch, and sleep in the woods.”</p> + +<p>“After dark?” asked Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Sure. Why not? Don’t Indians sleep in the woods after dark?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but they have real guns and knives to kill the bears with,” +objected Bawly, “and our guns and knives will only be wooden.”</p> + +<p>“Well, maybe it will be better to only pretend it’s night in the woods,” +agreed Bully. “We can go in a dark place under the trees, and make +believe it’s night, and that will do just as well.”</p> + +<p>So they agreed to do that way, and for the next few days the frog boys +were busy making themselves up to look like Indians. Their mother let +them take some old blankets, and they got some red and green chalk to +put on their faces<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_196' id='Page_196'>[Pg 196]</a></span> for war paint, and they found a lot of feathers over +at the homes of Charlie and Arabella Chick, and the three Wibblewobble +duck children. These feathers they put around their heads, and down +their backs, as the Indians in the Wild West show did.</p> + +<p>“Now I guess we’re ready to start off and hunt make-believe white +people,” said Bawly one Saturday morning when there wasn’t any school.</p> + +<p>“Have you the lunch? We mustn’t forget that,” spoke Bully.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I have it,” his brother replied. “Take your bow and arrow, and +I’ll carry the wooden gun.”</p> + +<p>Off they started as brave as an elephant when he has a bag of peanuts in +his trunk. They hurried to the woods, so none of their friends would see +them, for Bully and Bawly wanted to have it all a surprise. And pretty +soon they were under the trees where it was quite dark. Bawly gave a big +hop, and landed up front beside his brother.</p> + +<p>“You mustn’t walk here,” said Bully. “Indians always go in single file, +one behind the other. Get behind me.”</p> + +<p>“I—I’m afraid,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Of what?” asked his brother. “Indians are never afraid.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_197' id='Page_197'>[Pg 197]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I—I’m afraid I might scare somebody,” said Bawly. “I—I look so fierce +you know. I just saw myself reflected back there in a pond of water that +was like a looking-glass and I’m enough to scare anybody.”</p> + +<p>“So much the better,” said his brother. “You can scare the make-believe +white people whom we are going to capture and scalp. Get in behind me.”</p> + +<p>“Wouldn’t it be just as well if I pretended to walk behind you, and +still stayed up front here, beside you?” asked Bawly, looking behind +him.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess so,” answered his brother. So the two frog boys, who looked +just like Indians, went on side by side though the woods. They looked +all around them for something to capture, but all that they saw was an +old lady hoptoad, going home from market.</p> + +<p>“Shall we capture her?” asked Bawly, getting his bow and arrow ready.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied his brother. “She might tell mamma, and, anyhow, we +wouldn’t want to hurt any of mamma’s friends. We’ll capture some of the +fellows.” But Bully and Bawly couldn’t seem to find any one, not even a +make-believe white person, and they were just going to sit down and eat +their lunch, anyhow, when they heard some one shouting:<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_198' id='Page_198'>[Pg 198]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Help! Help! Oh, some one please help me!” called a voice.</p> + +<p>“Some one’s in trouble!” cried Bully. “Let’s help them!”</p> + +<p>So he and his brother bravely hurried on through the woods, and soon +they came to a place where they could hear the voice more plainly. Then +they looked between the bushes, and what should they see but poor +Arabella Chick, and a big hand-organ monkey had hold of her, and the +monkey was slowly pulling all the feathers from Arabella’s tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t, please!” begged the little chicken girl. “Leave my feathers +alone.”</p> + +<p>“No, I shan’t!” answered the monkey. “I want the feathers to make a +feather duster, to dust off my master’s hand-organ,” and with that he +yanked out another handful.</p> + +<p>“Oh, will no one help me?” cried poor Arabella, trying to get away. +“I’ll lose all my feathers!”</p> + +<p>“We must help her,” said Bawly to Bully.</p> + +<p>“We surely must,” agreed Bully. “Get all ready, and we’ll shoot our +arrows at that monkey, and then we’ll go out with our make-believe guns, +and shoot bang-bang-pretend-bullets at him, and then we’ll holler like +the wild Indians, and the monkey will be so frightened that he’ll run +away.”</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_199' id='Page_199'>[Pg 199]</a></span>Well, they did that. Zip-whizz! went two make-believe arrows at the +monkey. One hit him on the nose, and one on the leg, and the pain was +real, not make-believe. Then out from the bushes jumped Bully and Bawly, +firing their make-believe guns as fast as they could.</p> + +<p>Then they yelled like real Indians and when the monkey saw the red and +green and yellow and purple and pink and red feathers on the frog +Indians and saw their colored-chalk faces he was so frightened that he +wiggled his tail, blinked his eyes, clattered his teeth together, and, +dropping Arabella Chick, off he scrambled up a tree after a make-believe +cocoanut.</p> + +<p>“Now, you’re safe!” cried Bully to the chicken girl.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” said Bawly, “being Indians was some good after all, even if we +didn’t capture any make-believe white people to scalp.”</p> + +<p>So they sat down under the trees, and Arabella very kindly helped them +to eat the lunch, and she said she thought Indians were just fine, and +as brave as soldiers.</p> + +<p>So now we’ve reached the end of this story, and as you’re sleepy you’d +better go to bed, and in case the piano key doesn’t open the front door, +and go out to play hop-scotch on the sidewalk, I’ll tell you next about +the Frogs’ farewell hop.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXXI' id='STORY_XXXI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_200' id='Page_200'>[Pg 200]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXXI</h2><h3>THE FROGS’ FAREWELL HOP</h3> +</div> + + +<p>One night Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, came home from his work in +the wallpaper factory with a bundle of something under his left front +leg.</p> + +<p>“What have you there, papa?” asked Bawly, as he scratched his nose on a +rough stone; “is it ice cream cones for us?”</p> + +<p>“No,” said Mr. No-Tail, “it is not anything like that; but, anyhow, the +weather is almost warm enough for ice cream.”</p> + +<p>“Is it some new kind of wallpaper that you hopped on to-day after you +dipped your feet in red and green ink?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied his papa. “I have here some wire to tack over the windows, +to keep out the flies and mosquitoes, for it is getting to be summer +now, and those insects will soon be flying and buzzing around.”</p> + +<p>So after supper Mr. No-Tail, and his two boys, Bully and Bawly, tacked +the wire mosquito netting on the windows, and when they were all<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_201' id='Page_201'>[Pg 201]</a></span> done +Mr. No-Tail went down to the corner drug store and he bought a quart of +ice cream, the kind all striped like a sofa cushion, and he and his wife +and Bully and Bawly sat out on the porch eating it with spoons out of a +dish, just as real as anything.</p> + +<p>“Oh dear me! There’s a mosquito buzzing around!” suddenly exclaimed +Mamma No-Tail, as she ate the last of her cream. “They are on hand early +this year. I’m going in the house.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll go get my bean shooter, and see if I can kill that mosquito!” +exclaimed Bawly, who once went hunting after the buzzers, and shot quite +a number. But land sakes! it was so dark on the porch that he couldn’t +see the buzzing mosquitoes though he blew a number of beans about, and +one hit Uncle Wiggily Longears on the nose, just as the old gentleman +rabbit was hopping over to play checkers with Grandpa Croaker. But Uncle +Wiggily forgave Bawly, as it was an accident, and as there was a little +ice cream left, the old gentleman rabbit and Grandpa Croaker ate it up.</p> + +<p>Well, something happened that night when they had all gone to bed. Along +about 12 o’clock, when it was all still and quiet, and when the little +mice were just coming out to play hide and seek and look for some +crackers and cheese,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_202' id='Page_202'>[Pg 202]</a></span> Bawly No-Tail felt some one pulling him out of +bed.</p> + +<p>“Here! Hold on! Don’t do that, Bully!” he cried.</p> + +<p>“What’s the matter?” asked his brother. “Are you dreaming or talking in +your sleep? I’m not doing anything.”</p> + +<p>“Aren’t you pulling me out of bed?” asked Bawly, and he had to grab hold +of the bedpost to prevent himself falling to the floor.</p> + +<p>“Why, no, I’m in my own bed,” answered Bully. “Oh, dear me! Oh, suz dud! +Some one’s pulling me, too!” And he let out such a yell that Mamma +No-Tail came running in with a light. And what do you think she saw?</p> + +<p>Why two, great, big buzzing mosquitoes flew out of the window through a +hole in the wire netting, and it was those mosquitoes who had been +trying to pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, so they could fly away with +them to eat them up.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! How bold those mosquitoes are this year!” exclaimed the mamma +frog. “They actually bit a hole in the wire screen.”</p> + +<p>“They did, eh?” cried Papa No-Tail. “Well, I’ll fix that!” So he got a +hammer and some more wire, and he mended the hole which the mosquitoes +had made. Then Bully and Bawly went to sleep again. They were afraid the +mosquitoes<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_203' id='Page_203'>[Pg 203]</a></span> would come in once more, but though the savage insects +buzzed around outside for quite a while, the screen was too strong for +them this time, and they didn’t get in the house.</p> + +<p>“If this keeps on,” said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped off to work next +morning, “we’ll have to go to a place where there are no mosquitoes.”</p> + +<p>Well, that night the same thing happened. Along about 1 o’clock Bully +felt some one pulling him out of bed, and he cried, and his mamma came +with a light, and there was another mosquito, twice as big as before, +with a long sharp bill, and long, dingly-dangly legs, and buzzy-uzzy +wings, just skeddadling out of the window.</p> + +<p>“There! They’ve bitten another hole in the screen!” cried Mrs. No-Tail. +“Oh, this is getting terrible!”</p> + +<p>“I’ll put double screens on to-morrow,” said Papa No-Tail, and he did. +But would you believe it? Those mosquitoes still came. The big ones +couldn’t make their way through the two nets, but lots of the little +ones came in. One would manage to get his head through the wire, and +then all his friends would push and pull on him until he was inside, +then another would wiggle in, and that’s how they did it. Then they went +and hid down cellar, until they grew big enough to bite.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_204' id='Page_204'>[Pg 204]</a></span></p> + +<p>And, though these mosquitoes couldn’t pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, +for the pestiferous insects weren’t strong enough, they nipped the frog +boys all over, until their legs and arms and faces and noses and ears +smarted and burned terribly, and their mamma had to put witch hazel and +talcum powder on the bites.</p> + +<p>“I can see that we’ll soon have to get away from here,” said Papa +No-Tail, one morning, when the mosquitoes had been very bad and +troublesome in the night. “They come right through the screens,” he +said. “Now we’ll hop off to the mountains or seashore, where there are +no mosquitoes.”</p> + +<p>“Don’t you s’pose Bully and I could sit up some night and kill them with +our bean shooters?” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“You may try,” said his papa. So the two frog boys tried it that night. +They sat up real late, and they shot at several mosquitoes that came in, +and they hit some. And then Bully and Bawly fell asleep, and the first +thing you know the mosquitoes buzzing outside heard them snoring, and +they bit a big hole right through the double screen this time, and were +just pulling Bully and Bawly out of bed, when the frog boys’ mamma heard +them crying, and came with the lamp, scaring the savage insects away.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_205' id='Page_205'>[Pg 205]</a></span></p> + +<p>“There is no use talking!” said Papa No-Tail. “We will hop off in the +morning. We’ll say good-by to this place.”</p> + +<p>So the next morning the frogs packed up, and they sent word to all their +friends that they were going to take their farewell hop to the +mountains, where there were no more mosquitoes.</p> + +<p>Oh such a crowd as gathered to see them hop away! There was Sammie and +Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble, and Munchie and Dottie Trot, and Peetie and +Jackie Bow Wow, and Uncle Wiggily Longears and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy +and Buddy Pigg and all the other animal friends.</p> + +<p>Away hopped Papa No-Tail, and away hopped Mamma No-Tail, and then +Grandpa Croaker and Bully and Bawly hopped after them, calling good-bys +to all their friends. Every one waved his handkerchief and Susie +Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk cried a little bit, for they liked Bully +and Bawly very much, and didn’t like to see them hop away.</p> + +<p>And what do you think? Some of the mosquitoes were so mean that they +flew out of the woods and tried to bite the frogs as they were hopping +away. But Bully and Bawly had their bean shooters and they shot a number +of the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_206' id='Page_206'>[Pg 206]</a></span> creatures, so the rest soon flew off and hid in a hollow tree.</p> + +<p>“I’m coming to see you some time!” called Uncle Wiggily Longears to +Bully and Bawly. “Be good boys!”</p> + +<p>“Yes, we’ll be good!” promised Bully.</p> + +<p>“As good as we can,” added his brother Bawly, as he tickled Grandpa +Croaker with the bean shooter.</p> + +<p>Then the No-Tail family of frogs hopped on and on, until they came to a +nice place in the woods, where there was a little pond, covered with +duck weed, in which they could swim.</p> + +<p>“Here is where we will make our new home,” said Papa No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, how lovely it is,” said Mrs. No-Tail, as she sat down to rest under +a toadstool umbrella, for the sun was shining.</p> + +<p>“Ger-umph! Ger-umph!” said Grandpa Croaker, in his deep, bass voice. +“Very nice indeed.”</p> + +<p>“Fine!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“Dandy!” said Bawly. “Come on in for a swim,” and into the pond jumped +the two frog boys. And they lived happily there in the woods for ever +after.</p> + +<p>So now we have come to the end of this book. But, if you would like to +hear them, I have more<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_207' id='Page_207'>[Pg 207]</a></span> stories to tell you. And I think I will make the +next book about some goat children. Nannie and Billie Wagtail were their +names, and the book will be called after them—“Nannie and Billie +Wagtail.” The goat children wagged their little, short tails, and did +the funniest things; eating pictures off tin cans, and nibbling +bill-board circus posters of elephants and lions and tigers. And there +was Uncle Butter, the goat gentleman, who pasted wallpaper, and Aunt +Lettie, the old lady goat, and——</p> + +<p>But there, I will let you read the book yourself and find out all that +happened to Nannie and Billie Wagtail. And until you do read that, I +will just say good-bye, for a little while.</p> + +<p style='text-align:center;margin-top:3em'>THE END</p> + +<hr class='full'/> + +<table width='80%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <table width='90%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='0'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <p style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:150%'>The Broncho Rider Boys Series</span><br/> + By FRANK FOWLER</p> + <hr class='minor' /> + <p style='text-align:center'>Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid</p> + <p>A series of stirring stories for boys, breathing the adventurous + spirit that lives in the wide plains and lofty mountain ranges of + the great West. These tales will delight every lad who loves to + read of pleasing adventure in the open; yet at the same time the + most careful parent need not hesitate to place them in the hands of + the boy.</p><br/> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ; or, Upholding the + Honor of the Stars and Stripes.</b></p> + <p>When trouble breaks out between this country and Mexico, the boys are + eager to join the American troops under General Funston. Their attempts + to reach Vera Cruz are fraught with danger, but after many difficulties, + they manage to reach the trouble zone, where their real adventures + begin.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS AT KEYSTONE RANCH; or, Three Chums of the Saddle + and Lariat.</b></p> + <p>In this story the reader makes the acquaintance of three devoted chums. + The book begins in rapid action, and there is “something doing” up to + the very time you lay it down.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS DOWN IN ARIZONA; or A Struggle for the Great + Copper Lode.</b></p> + <p>The Broncho Rider Boys find themselves impelled to make a brave fight + against heavy odds, in order to retain possession of a valuable mine + that is claimed by some of their relatives. They meet with numerous + strange and thrilling perils and every wide-awake boy will be pleased to + learn how the boys finally managed to outwit their enemies.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER; or, The Hidden Treasure of the + Zuni Medicine Man.</b></p> + <p>Once more the tried and true comrades of camp and trail are in the + saddle. In the strangest possible way they are drawn into a series of + exciting happenings among the Zuni Indians. Certainly no lad will lay + this book down, save with regret.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ON THE WYOMING TRAIL; or, A Mystery of the + Prairie Stampede.</b></p> + <p>The three prairie pards finally find a chance to visit the Wyoming ranch + belonging to Adrian, but managed for him by an unscrupulous relative. Of + course, they become entangled in a maze of adventurous doings while in + the Northern cattle country. How the Broncho Rider Boys carried + themselves through this nerve-testing period makes intensely interesting + reading.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS; or, The Smugglers of the + Rio Grande.</b></p> + <p>In this volume, the Broncho Rider Boys get mixed up in the Mexican + troubles, and become acquainted with General Villa. In their efforts to + prevent smuggling across the border, they naturally make many enemies, + but finally succeed in their mission.</p> + </td></tr> + </table> + </td></tr> +</table> + +<hr class='full'/> + + + <table width='80%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <table width='90%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='0'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <p style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:150%'>The Boy Scouts Series</span><br/> + By HERBERT CARTER</p> + <hr class='minor' /> + <p style='text-align:center'>Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; or, Caught Between the Hostile +Armies.</b> In this volume we follow the thrilling adventures of the boys in +the midst of the exciting struggle abroad.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Secret of Alligator Swamp.</b> +Startling experiences awaited the comrades when they visited the +Southland. But their knowledge of woodcraft enabled them to overcome all +difficulties.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA.</b> A story of Burgoyne’s defeat +in 1777.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS’ FIRST CAMP FIRE; or, Scouting with the Silver Fox +Patrol.</b> This book brims over with woods lore and the thrilling adventure +that befell the Boy Scouts during their vacation in the wilderness.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE BLUE RIDGE; or, Marooned Among the Moonshiners.</b> +This story tells of the strange and mysterious adventures that happened +to the Patrol in their trip among the moonshiners of North Carolina.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting through the Big Game Country.</b> +The story recites the adventures of the members of the Silver Fox Patrol +with wild animals of the forest trails and the desperate men who had +sought a refuge in this lonely country.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or, The New Test for the Silver Fox +Patrol.</b> Thad and his chums have a wonderful experience when they are +employed by the State of Maine to act as Fire Wardens.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; or, The Search for the Lost +Tenderfoot.</b> A serious calamity threatens the Silver Fox Patrol. How +apparent disaster is bravely met and overcome by Thad and his friends, +forms the main theme of the story.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret of the Hidden Silver Mine.</b> +The boys’ tour takes them into the wildest region of the great Rocky +Mountains and here they meet with many strange adventures.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or, Marooned Among the Game Fish +Poachers.</b> Thad Brewster and his comrades find themselves in the +predicament that confronted old Robinson Crusoe; only it is on the Great +Lakes that they are wrecked instead of the salty sea.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; or, The Silver Fox Patrol Caught +in a Flood.</b> The boys of the Silver Fox Patrol, after successfully +braving a terrific flood, become entangled in a mystery that carries +them through many exciting adventures.</p> + </td></tr> + </table> + </td></tr> +</table> + +<hr class='full' /> + +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber’s Notes</h3> +<p>1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.</p> +<p>2. Typographic errors corrected in original:<br/> + p. 50 though to thought (“Bully thought of his bag”)<br/> + p. 62 “out out” to “out” (“life out of me”)<br/> + p. 204 think to thing (“first thing you know”)</p> +</div> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. 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Garis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bully and Bawly No-Tail + +Author: Howard R. Garis + +Illustrator: Louis Wisa + +Release Date: June 16, 2006 [EBook #18599] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +_BEDTIME STORIES_ + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL +(THE JUMPING FROGS) + +BY +HOWARD R. GARIS + +Author of "Sammie and Susie Littletail," +"Uncle Wiggily's Automobile," "Daddy Takes Us Camping," +"The Smith Boys," "The Island Boys," etc. + +_ILLUSTRATED BY LOUIS WISA_ + +A. L. BURT COMPANY +PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK + + + + +THE FAMOUS +BED TIME SERIES + +Five groups of books, intended for reading aloud to the little +folks each night. Each volume contains 8 colored illustrations, +31 stories, one for each day of the month. Handsomely bound in +cloth. Size 6-1/2 x 8-1/4. + +Price 60 cents per volume, postpaid + +HOWARD R. GARIS' +Bed Time Animal Stories + +No. 1. SAMMIE AND SUSIE LITTLETAIL +No. 2. JOHNNY AND BILLY BUSHYTAIL +No. 3. LULU, ALICE & JIMMIE WIBBLEWOBBLE +No. 5. JACKIE AND PEETIE BOW-WOW +No. 7. BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG +No. 9. JOIE, TOMMIE AND KITTIE KAT +No. 10 CHARLIE AND ARABELLA CHICK +No. 14 NEDDIE AND BECKIE STUBTAIL +No. 16 BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL +No. 20 NANNIE AND BILLIE WAGTAIL +No. 28 JOLLIE AND JILLIE LONGTAIL + +Uncle Wiggily Bed Time Stories + +No. 4 UNCLE WIGGILY'S ADVENTURES +No. 6 UNCLE WIGGILY'S TRAVELS +No. 8 UNCLE WIGGILY'S FORTUNE +No. 11 UNCLE WIGGILY'S AUTOMOBILE +No. 19 UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE SEASHORE +No. 21 UNCLE WIGGILY'S AIRSHIP +No. 27 UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE COUNTRY + +For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of +price by the publishers + +A. L. BURT CO., 114-120 East 23d St., New York + + + + +Copyright, 1915, by +R. F. FENNO & COMPANY + + + + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL + + +The stories herein contained appeared originally in the Evening News, of +Newark, N. J., where (so many children and their parents were kind +enough to say) they gave pleasure to a number of little folks and +grown-ups also. Permission to issue the stories in book form was kindly +granted by the publisher and editor of the News, to whom the author +extends his thanks. + + + + +Contents + +STORY I BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING 9 +STORY II BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL 15 +STORY III BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY 21 +STORY IV BULLY'S AND BAWLY'S BIG JUMP 26 +STORY V GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL 34 +STORY VI PAPA NO-TAIL IN TROUBLE 40 +STORY VII BULLY NO-TAIL PLAYS MARBLES 46 +STORY VIII BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT 52 +STORY IX GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA 58 +STORY X BAWLY NO-TAIL AND JOLLIE LONGTAIL 65 +STORY XI BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE 71 +STORY XII BAWLY NO-TAIL GOES HUNTING 77 +STORY XIII PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT 83 +STORY XIV BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE 90 +STORY XV BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS 97 +STORY XVI BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES 104 +STORY XVII GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY 110 +STORY XVIII MRS. NO-TAIL AND MRS. LONGTAIL 117 +STORY XIX BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. 123 +STORY XX BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. 128 +STORY XXI GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG 135 +STORY XXII PAPA NO-TAIL AND NANNIE GOAT 141 +STORY XXIII MRS. NO-TAIL AND NELLIE CHIP-CHIP 148 +STORY XXIV BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE 154 +STORY XXV BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE 161 +STORY XXVI BULLY NO-TAIL AND KITTIE KAT 168 +STORY XXVII HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER 174 +STORY XXVIII BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL 180 +STORY XXIX BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS 186 +STORY XXX BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN 194 +STORY XXXI THE FROGS' FAREWELL HOP 200 + + + + +BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL + +STORY I + +BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING + + +Once upon a time, not so very many years ago, there were two little frog +boys who lived in a little pond near a nice big farm. It wasn't very far +from where Peetie and Jackie Bow-Wow, the puppy dogs, had their home, +and the frogs' house was right next door to the pen where Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble the ducks lived. + +There was Bully No-Tail, and his brother Bawly No-Tail, and the reason +Bawly had such a funny name was because when he was a little baby he +used to cry a good bit. And once he cried so much that he made a lot +more water in the pond than should have been there, and it ran over, +just like when you put too much milk in your glass, and made the ground +all wet. + +The last name of the frogs was "No-Tail," because, being frogs, you see, +they had no tails. + +But now Bawly was larger, and he didn't cry so much, I'm glad to say. +And with the frog boys lived their papa and mamma, and also a nice, big, +green and yellow spotted frog who was named Grandpa Croaker. Oh, he was +one of the nicest frogs I have ever known, and I have met quite a +number. + +One day when Bully and Bawly were hopping along on the ground, close to +the edge of the pond, Bully suddenly said: + +"Bawly, I think I can beat you in a swimming race." + +"I don't believe you can," spoke Bawly, as he thoughtfully scratched his +left front leg on a piece of hickory bark. + +"Well, we'll try," said Bully. "We'll see who can first swim to the +other side of the pond, and whoever does it will get a stick of +peppermint candy." + +"Where can we get the candy?" asked Bawly. "Have you got it? For if you +have I wish you'd give me a bite before we jump in the water, Bully." + +"No, I haven't it," replied his brother. "But I know Grandpa Croaker +will give it to us after the race. Come on, let's jump in." + +So the next minute into the pond jumped those two frog boys, and they +didn't take off their shoes or their stockings, nor even their coats or +waists, nor yet their neckties. For you see they wore the kind of +clothes which water couldn't hurt, as they were made of rubber, like a +raincoat. Their mamma had to make them that kind, because they went in +the water so often. + +Into the pond the frogs jumped, and they began swimming as fast as they +could. First Bully was a little distance ahead, and then Bawly would +kick out his front legs and his hind legs, and he would be in the lead. + +"I'm going to win! I'll get the peppermint candy!" Bawly called to his +brother, winking his two eyes right in the water, as easily as you can +put your doll to sleep, or play a game of marbles. + +"No. I'll beat!" declared Bully. "But if I get the candy I'll give you +some." + +So they swam on, faster and faster, making the water splash up all +around them like a steamboat going to a picnic. + +Well, the frogs were almost half way across the pond, when Lulu and +Alice Wibblewobble, the duck girls, came out of their pen. They had just +washed their faces and their yellow bills, and had put on their new hair +ribbons, so they looked very nice, and proper. + +"Oh, see Bully and Bawly having a swimming race!" exclaimed Lulu. "I +think Bully will win!" + +"I think Bawly will!" cried Alice. "See, he is ahead!" + +"No, Bully is ahead now," called Lulu, and surely enough so Bully was, +having made a sudden jump in the water. + +And then, all of a sudden, before you could take all the seeds out of an +apple or an orange, if you had one with seeds in, Bawly disappeared from +sight down under the water. He vanished just as the milk goes out of +baby's bottle when she drinks it all up. + +"Oh, look!" cried Lulu. "Bawly is going to swim under water!" + +"That's so he can win the race easier, I guess," spoke Alice. + +"What's that?" asked Bully, wiggling his two eyes. + +"Your brother has gone down under the water!" cried the two duck girls +together. + +"So he has!" exclaimed Bully, glancing around. And then, when he had +looked down, he cried out: "Oh, a great big fish has hold of Bawly's +toes, and he's going to eat him, I guess! I must save my brother!" + +Bully didn't think anything more about the race after that. No, indeed, +and some tomato ketchup, too! Down under water he dived, and he swam +close up to the fish who was pulling poor Bawly away to his den in among +a lot of stones. + +"Oh, let my brother go, if you please!" called Bully to the fish. + +"No, I'll not," was the answer, and then the big fish flopped his tail +like a fan and made such a wave that poor Bully was upset, turning a +somersault in the water. But that didn't scare him, and when he had +turned over right side up again he swam to the fish once more and said: + +"If you don't let my brother go I'll call a policeman!" + +"No policeman can catch me!" declared the fish, boldly, and in a saucy +manner. + +"Oh, do something to save me!" cried poor Bawly, trying to pull his toes +away from the fish's teeth, but he couldn't. + +"I'll save you!" shouted Bully, and then he took a stick, and tried to +put it in the fish's mouth to make him open his jaws and let loose of +Bawly. But the stick broke, and the fish was swimming away faster than +ever. Then Bully popped his head out of the water and cried to the two +duck girls: + +"Oh, run and tell Grandpa Croaker! Tell him to come and save Bawly!" + +Well, Alice and Lulu wibbled and wobbled as fast as they could go to the +frog house, and told Grandpa Croaker, and the old gentleman gave one +great big leap, and landed in the water right down close to where the +fish had Bawly by the toes. + +"Boom! Boom! Croak-croak-croaker-croak!" cried Grandpa in his deepest +bass voice. "You let Bawly go!" And, would you believe it, his voice +sounded like a cannon, or a big gun, and that fish was so frightened, +thinking he was going to be shot, that he opened his mouth and let Bawly +go. The frog boy's toes were scratched a little by the teeth of the +fish, but he could still swim, and he and his brother and Grandpa were +soon safe on shore. + +"Well, I guess we won't race any more to-day," said Bawly. "Thank you +very much for saving me, Grandpa." + +"Oh, that's all right," said Mr. Croaker kindly. "Here is a penny for +each of you," and he gave Bully and Bawly and Lulu and Alice each a +penny, and they bought peppermint candy, so Bully and Bawly had +something good to eat, even if they didn't finish the race, and the bad +fish had nothing. Now, in case I see a green rose in bloom on the pink +lilac bush, I'll tell you next about Bully making a water wheel. + + + + +STORY II + +BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL + + +Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was sitting out in the yard in front of his +house, with his knife and a lot of sticks. He was whittling the sticks, +and making almost as many chips and shavings as a carpenter, and as he +whittled away he whistled a funny little tune, about a yellow +monkey-doodle with a pink nose colored blue, who wore a slipper on one +foot, because he had no shoe. + +Pretty soon, along came Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, and he +perched on the fence in front of Bully, put his head on one side--not on +one side of the fence, you know, but on one side of his own little +feathered neck--and Dickie looked out of his bright little eyes at Bully, +and inquired: + +"What are you making?" + +"I am making a water-wheel," answered the frog boy. + +"What! making a wheel out of water?" asked the birdie in great surprise. +"I never heard of such a thing." + +"Oh, no indeed!" exclaimed Bully with a laugh. "I'm making a wheel out +of wood, so that it will go 'round and 'round in the water, and make a +nice splashing noise. You see it's something like the paddle-wheel of a +steamboat, or a mill wheel, that I'm making." + +"And where are you going to get the water to make it go 'round?" asked +Dickie. + +"Down by the pond," answered Bully. "I know a little place where the +water falls down over the rocks, and I'm going to fasten a wooden wheel +there, and it will whizz around very fast!" + +"Does the water hurt itself when it falls down over the rocks?" asked +Dickie Chip-Chip. "Once I fell down over a little stone, and I hurt +myself quite badly." + +"Oh, no, water can't hurt itself," spoke Bully, as he made a lot more +shavings. "There, the wheel is almost done. Don't you want to see it go +'round, Dickie?" + +The little sparrow boy said that he did, so he and the frog started off +together for the pond. Dickie hopping along on the ground, and Bully +flying through the air. + +What's that? I'm wrong? Oh, yes, excuse me. I see where I made the +mistake. Of course, Dickie flew through the air, and Bully hopped along +on the ground. Now we're all straight. + +Well, pretty soon they came to the pond and to the little place where +the water fell over the rocks and didn't hurt itself, and there Bully +fastened his water-wheel, which was nearly as large as he was, and quite +heavy. He fixed it so that the water would drop on the wooden paddles +that stuck out like the spokes of the baby carriage wheels, and in a +short while it was going around as fast as an automobile, splashing the +drops of water up in the sunlight, and making them look like the +diamonds which pretty ladies wear on their fingers. + +"That's a fine wheel!" cried Dickie. "I wonder if we could ride on it?" + +"I guess we could," spoke Bully. "It's like a merry-go-round, only it's +turned up the wrong way. I'll see if I can ride on it, and if it goes +all right with me you can try it." + +So Bully hopped on the moving water-wheel, and, surely enough, he had a +fine ride, only, of course, he got all splashed up, but he didn't care. + +"Do you mind getting your feathers wet?" he asked of Dickie as he hopped +off, "because if you don't mind the wet, you can ride." + +"Oh, I don't mind the wet a bit," said the sparrow boy. "In fact, I take +a bath every morning and I wet my feathers then. So I'll ride on the +wheel and get wet now." + +Well, he got on, and around the wheel went, splashing in the water, and +then Bully got on, and they both had a fine ride, just as if they were +in a rainstorm with the sun shining all the while. + +But listen. Something is going to happen, I think. Wait a minute--yes, +it's going to happen right now. What's that animal sneaking along +through the woods, closer and closer up to where Bully and Dickie are +playing? What is it, eh? A cat! I knew it. A bad cat, too! I could just +feel that something was going to happen. + +You see that cat was hungry, and she hoped to catch the sparrow and the +frog boy and eat them. Up she sneaked, walking as softly as a baby can +creep, and just then Dickie and Bully got off the wheel, and sat down on +the bank to eat a cookie, which Bully found in his water-proof pocket. + +"Now's my chance!" thought the cat. "I'll grab 'em both, and eat 'em!" +So she made a spring, but she didn't jump quite far enough and she +missed both Bully and Dickie. Dickie flew up into a tree, and so he was +safe, but Bully couldn't fly, though he hopped away. + +After him jumped the cat, and she cried: + +"I'll get you yet!" + +Bully hopped some more, but the cat raced toward him, and nearly had the +froggie. Then began quite a chase. The cat was very quick, and she kept +after Bully so closely that she was making him very tired. Pretty soon +his jumps weren't as long as they had been at first. And the cat was +keeping him away from the pond, too, for she knew if he jumped into that +he would get away, for cats don't like water, or rain. + +But finally Bully managed to head himself back toward the pond, and the +cat was still after him. Oh, how savage she looked with her sharp teeth, +and her glaring eyes! Poor Bully was much frightened. + +All of a sudden, as he hopped nearer and nearer to the pond, he thought +of a trick to play on that cat. He pretended that he could hardly hop +any more, and only took little steps. Nearer and nearer sneaked the cat, +lashing her tail. At last she thought she could give one big spring, and +land on Bully with her sharp claws. + +She did spring, but Dickie, up in the tree, saw her do it, and he called +to his friend Bully to look out. Then Bully gave a great big hop and +landed on the water-wheel, and the cat was so surprised that she jumped, +too, and before she knew it she had leaped on the wheel also. Around and +around it went, with Bully and the cat on it, and water splashed all +over, and the cat was so wet and miserable that she forgot all about +eating Bully. But Bully only liked the water, and didn't mind it a bit. + +Then the frog boy hopped off the wheel to the shore and hurried away, +with Dickie flying overhead, and the cat, who was now as wet as a +sponge, and very dizzy from the wheel going around so fast, managed to +jump ashore a little while afterward. But her fur was so wet and +plastered down that she couldn't chase after Bully any more, and he got +safely home; and the cat had to stay in the sun all day to dry out. But +it served her right, I think. + +Now in case the little boy next door doesn't take our baby carriage and +make an automobile of it, I'll tell you next about Bawly and Uncle +Wiggily. + + + + +STORY III + +BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the woods one +fine day, whistling a merry tune, and wondering if he would meet any of +his friends, with whom he might have a game of ball. He had a baseball +with him, and he was very fond of playing. I just wish you could have +seen him stand up on his hind legs and catch balls in his mouth. It was +as good as going to the best kind of a moving picture show. Perhaps some +day you may see Bawly. + +Well, as I said, he was hopping along, tossing the ball up into the air +and catching it, sometimes in his paw and sometimes in his mouth, when, +all of a sudden he heard a funny pounding noise, that seemed to be in +the bushes. + +"Gracious, I wonder what that can be!" exclaimed Bawly, looking around +for a good place to hide. + +He was just going to crawl under a hollow stump, for he thought perhaps +the noise might be made by a bad wolf, or a savage fox, sharpening his +teeth on a hard log, when Bawly heard some one say: + +"There, I've dropped my hammer! Oh, dear! Now I'll have to climb all the +way down and get it, I s'pose." + +"Well, that doesn't sound like a wolf or a fox," thought Bawly. "I guess +it's safe to go on." + +So he didn't hide under the stump, but hopped along, and in a little +while he came to a place in the woods where there were no trees, and, +bless you! if there wasn't the cutest little house you've ever seen! It +wasn't quite finished, and, in fact, up on the roof was Uncle Wiggily +Longears, the old gentleman rabbit, putting on the shingles to keep out +the rain if it came. + +"Oh, hello, Uncle Wiggily!" called Bawly, joyfully. + +"Hello," answered the rabbit carpenter. "You are just in time, Bawly. +Would you mind handing me my hammer? It slipped and fell to the ground." + +"Of course I'll throw it up to you," said Bawly, kindly. "But you had +better get behind the chimney, Uncle Wiggily, for I might hit you with +the hammer, though, of course, I wouldn't mean to. You see I am a very +good thrower from having played ball so much." + +"I see," answered Uncle Wiggily. "Well, I'll get behind the chimney." + +So Bawly picked up the hammer and he threw it carefully toward the roof, +but, would you believe me, he threw it so hard that it went right over +the house, chimney and all, and fell down on the other side. + +"My! You are too strong!" exclaimed Uncle Wiggily laughing so that his +fur shook. "Try again, Bully, if you please." + +"Oh, I'm Bawly, not Bully," said the frog boy. + +"Excuse me, that was my mistake," spoke the old gentleman rabbit. "I'll +get it right next time, Peetie--I mean Bawly." + +Well, Bawly threw the hammer again, and this time it landed right on the +roof close to the chimney, and Uncle Wiggily picked it up and began +nailing on more shingles. + +"If you please," asked Bawly, when he had watched the rabbit carpenter +put in about forty-'leven nails, "who is this house for?" + +"It is for Sammie and Susie Littletail," answered Uncle Wiggily. "They +are going to have rabbit play-parties in it, and I hope you and Bully +will come sometimes." + +"We'll be glad to," spoke Bawly. Then Uncle Wiggily drove in another +nail, and the house was almost done. + +"How do you get up and down off the roof?" asked Bawly, who didn't see +any ladder. + +"Oh, I slide up and down a rope," answered Uncle Wiggily. "I have a +strong cord fastened to the chimney, and I crawl up it, just like a +monkey-doodle, and when I want to come down, I slide down. It's better +than a ladder, and I can climb a rope very well, for I used to be a +sailor on a ship. See, here is the rope." + +Well, he took hold of it, near where it was fastened to the chimney, to +show the frog boy how it was done, but, alas, and also alack-a-day! All +of a sudden that rope became untied, it slipped out of Uncle Wiggily's +paw and fell to the ground! Now, what do you think about that? + +"Oh, my! Now I have gone and done it!" exclaimed the elderly rabbit, as +he leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down. "Now I am in a +pickle!--if you will kindly excuse the expression. How am I ever going to +get down? Oh, dear me, suz dud and a piece of sticking-plaster likewise. +Oh, me! Oh, my!" + +"Can't you jump, Uncle Wiggily?" asked Bawly. + +"Oh, my, no! I might be killed. It's too far! I could never jump off the +roof of a house." + +"Perhaps you can climb down from one window shutter to the other, and so +get to the ground," suggested Bawly. + +"No," said Uncle Wiggily, looking over the edge of the house again. +"There are no window shutters on as yet. So I can't climb on 'em." + +Well, it did seem as if poor Uncle Wiggily would have to stay up there +on the roof for a long, long time, for there was no way of getting down. + +"If there was a load of hay here, you could jump on that, and you +wouldn't be hurt," said Bawly, scratching his nose. + +"But there is no hay here," said the rabbit carpenter, sadly. + +"Well, if there was a fireman here with a long ladder, then you could +get down," said Bawly, wiggling his toes. + +"But there is no fireman here," objected Uncle Wiggily. "Ah, I have it, +Bawly! You are a good jumper, perhaps you can jump up here to the roof +with the rope and I can fasten it to the chimney again and slide down as +I did before." + +"I'll try," said Bawly, and he did; but bless you! He couldn't jump as +high as the house, no matter how many times he tried it. And the dinner +bell rang and Uncle Wiggily was very hungry and very anxious to get off +the roof and eat something. + +"Oh, I know how to do it!" cried Bawly at length, when he had jumped +forty-sixteen times. "I'll tie a string to my baseball, and I'll throw +the ball up to you. Then you catch it, untie the string, which I'll keep +hold of on this end, and I'll tie the rope to the cord. Then you can +haul up the rope, fasten it to the chimney, and slide down." + +"Good!" cried Uncle Wiggily, clapping his front paws together in +delight. + +Well, if you'll believe me, Bawly did tie the string to his baseball and +with one big throw he threw it right up to Uncle Wiggily, who caught it +just as if he were on first base in a game. And then with the little +cord, which reached down to the ground, he pulled up the big rope, +knotted it around the chimney, and down he slid, just in time for +dinner, and he took Bawly home with him and gave him a penny. + +Now if it should happen that I don't lose my watch down the inkwell so I +can see when it's time for my pussy cat to have his warm soup, I'll tell +you in the story after this about Bully's and Bawly's big jump. + + + + +STORY IV + +BULLY'S AND BAWLY'S BIG JUMP + + +One day Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, looked in the pantry to see what +there was to eat for dinner and there wasn't a single thing. No, just +like Mother Hubbard's cupboard, the pantry was bare, though there was a +bone in it that was being saved for some time when Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow, the puppie-dog boys, might come on a visit. + +"Oh, some one will have to go to the store to get something for supper," +said Mrs. No-Tail. "Do you feel able to go, Grandpa Croaker?" + +"Well, I could go," said the old frog gentleman, in his deepest bass +voice, which sounded like the rumble of thunder over the hills and far +away, "but I promised I would go over and play a game of checkers with +Uncle Wiggily Longears. He has just finished the playhouse for Sammie +and Susie, and he wants to show me that. So I don't see how I can go to +the store very well." + +"If Bully and Bawly were here they'd go," said their mamma. "I wish +they'd come. Oh, here they are now," she went on, as she looked out of +the window and saw the two frog boys coming home from school. "Hurry!" +she called to them. "I want you to go to the store." + +"All right," they both answered, and they were so polite about it that +Mrs. No-Tail gave them each a penny, though, of course, they would have +gone without that, for they always liked to help their mamma. + +"I want some sugar, and molasses, and bread, and butter, and some corn +meal, and bacon and watercress salad," said the mother frog, and Bully +and Bawly each took a basket in which to carry the things. Then they +hopped on toward the store. + +"I'm going to buy marbles with my penny," said Bully. + +"And I'm going to buy a whistle with mine," said Bawly. + +Well, they got to the grocery, all right, and the cow lady who kept it +gave them the things their mamma wanted. Then they went to the toy store +and Bully got his marbles, and Bawly his whistle, which made a very loud +noise. + +Now I'm very sorry to be obliged to tell it, but something is going to +happen to Bully and Bawly very soon. In fact, I think it is going to +take place at once. Just excuse me a moment, will you, until I look out +of the window and see if the alligator is coming. Yes, there he is. He +just got off the trolley car. The conductor put him off because he had +the wrong transfer. + +So, all at once, as Bully and Bawly were hopping along through the +woods, this alligator that I was telling you about jumped out at them +from under a prickly briar bush. Right at them he jumped, and he was a +very savage alligator, for he had gotten loose out of the circus, where +he belonged, and he had been tramping around without anything to eat for +a long time, so he was very hungry. + +"Now, I see where I'm going to have a nice dinner," the alligator said +to himself, as he jumped out at Bully and Bawly. + +But those two frog boys were smart little fellows, and they were always +looking around for danger. So, as soon as the alligator made a jump at +them, they also leaped to one side, and the unpleasant creature didn't +get them. + +"Oh, you just wait! I'll have you in a minute!" the alligator cried, and +he opened his mouth so wide that it went all the way back to his ears, +and the top of his head nearly flew off. + +"We haven't time to wait," said Bully with a laugh, as he hopped on with +his basket of groceries. + +"No, we must get back home in time for supper," spoke Bawly. "So we'll +have to leave you," and on he hipped and skipped and hopped with his +basket. + +Those frog boys didn't really think that that alligator could reach +them, for he was so big and clumsy-looking that it didn't seem as if he +could run very fast. But he could, and the first thing Bully and Bawly +knew, that most unprepossessing creature, with a smile that went away +around to his ears, was close behind them and gnashing his teeth at +them. + +"Oh, hop, Bully, hop!" cried Bawly in great fright. + +"Sure, I'll hop!" answered his brother. "You hop, too!" + +Well, they both hopped as fast as they could, but on account of the +baskets of groceries which they had they couldn't hop as fast as usual. +The alligator saw this, and after them he crawled, and several times he +nearly had them by their tails. Oh, no, excuse me, if you please, frogs +don't have tails. I was thinking of tadpoles. + +"Oh, just wait until I catch you!" cried the alligator, snapping his +teeth together. + +But Bully and Bawly didn't wait. On they hopped, as fast as they could, +hoping to get away. And would you ever believe that an alligator could +be so mean as this one was? For he chased Bully and Bawly right up a +steep hill. You know it's hard to walk up hill, and harder still to hop, +so Bully and Bawly were soon tired. But do you s'pose that alligator +cared? Not a bit of it! + +Right after them he kept crawling, faster and faster. + +Bully and Bawly hopped as swiftly as they could, but the alligator kept +getting nearer and nearer to them, for he was big and strong, and didn't +mind the hill. They could hear his savage jaws gnashing together, and +they trembled so that Bully almost spilled the molasses out of his +basket and Bawly nearly dropped the granulated sugar. + +Well, finally the two frog boys were at the top of the hill, and they +were very thankful, thinking that they could now get away from the +alligator, when they suddenly saw that the hill came to an end, and fell +over the edge of a great precipice just like the Niagara waterfall, only +there wasn't any water there, of course. + +"Oh, we can't go any farther," cried Bully, coming to a stop. + +"No," said his brother, "we can't jump down that awful gully. But look, +Bully, there is another hill over there," and he pointed across the big, +open space. "If we could jump across from this hill to that hill, the +alligator couldn't get us." + +"Oh, but it's a terrible big jump," said Bully, and indeed it was; about +as wide as a big river. "But we've got to do it!" cried Bully, "for here +comes the terrible beast!" + +The alligator was almost upon them. He opened his mouth to grab them +with his teeth, when Bully, spreading out his legs, and taking a firm +hold of his grocery basket, gave a great, big jump. Through the air he +sailed, over the deep valley, and he landed safely on the other hill. +Then Bawly did the same, and with one most tremendous, extemporaneous +and extraordinary jump, he landed close beside his brother, and the +alligator couldn't get either of them because he couldn't jump across +the chasm. + +Oh, but he was an angry alligator though! He gnashed his teeth and +wiggled his tail and even cried big round tears. Nearly all alligators +cry little square tears, but even round ones didn't do a bit of good. +Then Bully threw a marble at the savage creature, and hit him on the +nose, and Bawly blew his whistle so loud, that the alligator thought a +policeman, or postman, was coming, and he turned around and ran away, +and the frog boys went on safely home with their baskets of groceries +and had a good supper. + +Now in case that alligator doesn't chase after me, and chew up my +typewriter to make mincemeat of it for the wax doll, I'll tell you in +the next story about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. + + + + +STORY V + +GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL + + +It happened, once upon a time when Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, went to +the pump to get some water for supper, that a little fish jumped out of +the pump spout and nearly bit her on the nose. + +"Ha! That is very odd," she said. "There must be fish in our well, and +in that case I think we had better have a new one." + +So that night, when Mr. No-Tail came home from the wallpaper factory, +where he stepped into ink and then hopped all over white paper to make +funny patterns on it--that night, I say, Mrs. No-Tail said to her +husband: + +"I think we will have to get a new well." Then she told him about the +fish from the pump nearly biting her, and Mr. No-Tail remarked: + +"Yes, I think we had better have a new place to get our water, for the +fish in the old well may drink it all up." + +"Well, well!" exclaimed Grandpa Croaker in such a deep bass voice that +he made the dishpan on the gas stove rattle as loudly as if Bully or +Bawly were drumming on it with a wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey. +"Let me dig the well," went on the old gentleman frog. "I just love to +shovel the dirt, and I can dig a well so deep that no fish will ever get +into it." + +"Very well," said Mr. No-Tail. "You may start in the morning, and Bully +and Bawly can help you, as it will be Saturday and there is no school." + +Well, the next morning Grandpa Croaker started in. He marked a nice +round circle on the ground in the back yard, because he wanted a round +well, and not a square one, you see; and then he began to dig. At first +there was nothing for Bully and Bawly to do, as when he was near the top +of the well their Grandpa could easily throw the dirt out himself. But +when he had dug down quite a distance it was harder work, to toss up the +dirt, so Grandpa Croaker told the boys to get a rope, and a hook and +some pails. + +The hook was fastened to one end of the rope, and then a pail was put on +the hook. Then the pail was lowered into the well, down to where Grandpa +Croaker was working. He filled the pail with dirt, and Bully and Bawly +hauled it up and emptied it. + +"Oh, this is lots of fun!" exclaimed Bully, as he and his brother pulled +on the rope. "It's as much fun as playing baseball." + +"I think so, too," agreed Bawly. Then Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, +came along, and so did Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. They +wanted to help pull up the dirt, so Bully and Bawly let them after +Sammie had given the frog brothers a nice marble, and Peetie and Jackie +each a stick of chewing gum. + +Grandpa Croaker kept on digging the well, and the frog boys and their +friends pulled up the dirt, and pretty soon the hole in the ground was +so deep and dark that, by looking up straight, from down at the bottom +of it, the old gentleman frog could see the stars, and part of the moon, +in the sky, even if it was daylight. + +Then he dug some more, and, all of a sudden, his shovel went down into +some water, and then Grandpa Croaker knew that the well was almost +finished. He dug out a little more earth, in came more water, wetting +his feet, and then the frog well-digger cried: + +"I've struck water! I've struck water!" + +"Hurrah!" shouted Bawly. + +"Hurray! Hurray!" exclaimed Bully, and they were so happy that they +danced up and down. Then Sammie Little-Tail and Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow grew so excited and delighted that they ran off to tell all their +friends about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. That left Bully and Bawly +all alone up at the edge of the big hole in the ground, at the bottom of +which was their grandpa. + +"Let's have another little dance!" suggested Bully. + +"No," replied Bawly, "let's jump down the well and have a drink of the +new water that hasn't any fishes in it." + +So, without thinking what they were doing, down they leaped into the +well, almost failing on Grandpa Croaker's bald head, and carrying down +with them the rope, by which they had been pulling up the pails of dirt. +Into the water they popped, and each one took a big drink. + +"Well, now you've done it!" cried Grandpa Croaker, as he leaned on his +shovel and looked at his two grandsons. + +"Why, what is the matter?" asked Bully, splashing some water on Bawly's +nose. + +"Yes. All we did was to jump down here," added Bawly. "What's wrong?" + +"Why that leaves no one above on the ground to help me get up," said the +old gentleman frog. "I was depending on you to haul me up by the rope, +and here you jump down, and pull the rope with you. It's as bad as when +Uncle Wiggily was on the roof, only he was up and couldn't get down, and +we're down and can't get up." + +"Oh, I think I can jump to the top of the well and take the rope with +me. If I can't take this rope I'll get another and pull you both up," +said Bully. So he hopped and he hopped, but he couldn't hop to the top +of the well. Every time he tried it, he fell back into the water, +ker-slash! + +"Let me try," said his brother. But it was just the same with Bawly. +Back he sploshed-splashed into the well-water, getting all wet. + +"Now we'll never get out of here," said Grandpa Croaker sadly. "I wish +you boys would think a little more, and not do things so quickly." + +"We will--next time," promised Bawly as he gave another big jump, but he +came nowhere near the top of the well. + +Then it began to look as if they would have to stay down there forever, +for no one came to pull them out. + +"Let's call for help," suggested Bully. So he and Bawly called as loud +as they could, and so did Grandpa Croaker. But the well was so deep, and +their voices sounded so loud and rumbling, coming out of the hole in the +ground, that every one thought it was thunder. And the animal people +feared it would rain, so they all ran home, and no one thought of +grandpa and the two frog boys in the deep well. + +But at last along came Alice Wibblewobble, and, being a duck, she didn't +mind a thunder storm. So she didn't run away, and she heard Grandpa +Croaker and Bully and Bawly calling for help at the bottom of the well. +She asked what was the trouble, and Bully told her what had happened. + +"Oh, you silly boys, to jump down a well!" exclaimed Alice. "But never +fear, I'll help you up." So they never feared, and Alice got a rope and +lowered it down to them, and then, with the help of her brother Jimmie +and her sister Lulu, she pulled all three frogs up from the well, and +they lived happy for ever after, and drank the water that had no fishes +in it. + +Now if the faucet in the kitchen sink doesn't turn upside down, and +squirt the water on the ceiling and into the cat's eye, I'll tell you +next about Papa No-Tail in trouble. + + + + +STORY VI + +PAPA N + + +Papa No-tail, the frog gentleman, was working away in the wallpaper +factory one day, when something quite strange happened to him, and if +you all sit right nice and quiet, as my dear old grandmother used to +say, I'll tell you all about it, from the beginning to the end, and I'll +even tell you the middle part, which some people leave out, when they +tell stories. + +Papa No-Tail would dip his four feet, which were something like hands, +in the different colored inks at the factory. There was red ink, and +blue ink, and white ink, and black ink, and sky-purple-green ink, and +also that newest shade, skilligimink color, which Sammie Littletail once +dyed his Easter eggs. After he had his feet nicely covered with the ink, +Papa No-Tail would hop all over pieces of white paper to make funny +patterns on them. Then they would be ready to paper a room, and make it +look pretty. + +"I think that is very well done," said the old gentleman frog to himself +as he looked at one roll of paper on which he had made a picture of a +mouse chasing a big lion. "Now I think I will make a pattern of a doggie +standing on his left ear." And he did so, and very fine it was, too. + +"Now, while I'm waiting for the ink to dry," said Mr. No-Tail, "I'll lie +down and take a nap." So he went fast, fast asleep on a long piece of +the wall paper that was stretched out on the floor, and this was the +beginning of his trouble. + +For, all at once, a puff of wind--not a cream puff, you understand, but a +wind puff--came in the window, and rolled up the wallpaper in a tight +little roll, and the worst of it was that Papa No-Tail was asleep +inside. Yes, fast, fast asleep, and he never knew that he was wrapped +up, just like a stick of chewing gum; only you mustn't ever chew gum in +school, you know. + +Well, time went on, and the clock ticked, and Papa No-Tail still slept. +Then a man looked in the window of the wallpaper factory and, seeing no +one there, he thought he would take a roll of paper home with him, to +paste on his little boy's bedroom. + +"The next time I come past here, perhaps some one will be in the +office," the man said, "and then I can pay them for the paper," for he +wanted to be very honest, you see. "I'll get Uncle Butter, the goat, to +paste the paper on the wall for me," said the man. Then he reached +inside the room, and what do you think? Why he picked up the very piece +of wallpaper that was wrapped around Papa Chip-Chip--Oh, no, excuse me! I +mean Papa No-Tail. Yes, the man picked up that roll, with Bully's and +Bawly's papa inside, and away he went with it, and the old gentleman +frog was still sound asleep. + +Now this is about the middle of his trouble, just as I said I'd tell +you, but we haven't gotten to the end yet, though we will in a little +while. + +Home that man went, as fast as he could go, and on his way he stopped at +Uncle Butter's office. + +"I have a little wallpapering I want done at my house," the man said to +the old gentleman goat, "and I wish you'd come right along with me and +do it. I have the paper here." + +"To be sure I will," said Uncle Butter. So he got his pail of paste, and +gave Billie and Nannie Goat a little bit on some brown paper, just like +jam, and they liked it very much. The goat paper-hanger took his shears, +and his brushes, and his stepladders, tying them on his horns, and away +he went with the man. + +Pretty soon they came to the house where the man lived, and his little +boy was there, and very delighted he was when he heard that he was to +have some new paper on his room. + +"May I watch you put it on?" he asked Uncle Butter. + +"Yes," answered the old gentleman goat, "if you don't step in the paste, +and spoil the carpet." + +The little boy promised that he wouldn't, and Uncle Butter went to work. +First he got his sticky stuff all ready, and then he made a little table +on which to lay out and paste the paper. + +"Now, we'll cut the roll into strips and fasten it on the wall good and +tight, so that it won't fall off in the middle of the night and scare +you," said Uncle Butter. Then he reached for the roll of paper, and, +mind you, Papa No-Tail was still asleep inside of it. But all at once, +just as the paper-hanger goat was about to pick up the roll, Mr. No-Tail +awakened and was quite surprised to discover where he was. + +"My, I never would have believed it," he said, and he wiggled his legs +and arms and made a great rustling sound inside the roll of paper like a +fly in a sugar bag. + +"Hello! What's that?" cried Uncle Butter, jumping back so quickly that +he upset his paste-pot. + +"What's the matter?" asked the little boy in glad surprise. + +"Why, there's something inside that paper!" cried the goat. "See, it's +moving! There must be a fairy inside!" + +Surely enough, the paper was rolling and twisting around on the floor in +a most remarkable manner, for Papa No-Tail inside was wriggling and +twisting, and trying his best to get out. But the paper was wound around +him too tightly, and he couldn't get loose. + +"Oh, do you think it's a fairy?" asked the little boy eagerly, for he +loved the dear creatures, and wanted to see one. + +"Let me out! Oh, please let me out!" suddenly cried Papa No-Tail just +then. + +"Of course it's a fairy, my boy!" exclaimed Uncle Butter. "Didn't you +hear it call? Oh, I'm going right away from here! I've pasted all kinds +of paper, but never before have I handled fairy paper, and I'm afraid to +begin now." + +He started to run out of the room but his foot slipped in the paste, and +down he fell, and his little table fell on top of him, and the +stepladder was twisted in his horns. And Papa No-Tail was trying harder +than ever to get loose, and the roll of wallpaper rolled right toward +Uncle Butter. + +"Don't catch me! Please, don't catch me!" the goat called to the fairy +he supposed was inside. "I never did anything to you!" + +Faster and faster rolled the paper, for Mr. No-Tail was wiggling quite +hard now, and he was crying to be let out. Then, all of a sudden, the +paper with the frog in, rolled close to the little boy. The boy was +brave, and he loved fairies, so he opened the roll, and out hopped Mr. +No-Tail, being very glad indeed to get loose, for it was quite warm +inside there. + +"Oh my! Was that you in the paper?" asked Uncle Butter, solemnly, +sitting in the middle of the floor, on a lot of paste. + +"It was," said Papa No-Tail, as he helped the goat to get up. + +"Well, I never heard tell of such a thing in all my life! Never!" +exclaimed the goat, when the frog gentleman told him all about it. Then +Uncle Butter pasted the paper on the wall, and Papa No-Tail hopped home, +and that's the end of the story, just as I promised it would be. + +Now in case the pussy cat doesn't wash the puppy dog's face with the +cork from the ink bottle and make his nose black, I'll tell you on the +next page about Bully playing marbles. + + + + +STORY VII + +BULLY N + + +It happened one day that, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was walking +along with his bag of marbles going clank-clank in his pocket, he met +Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels. + +"Hello, Bully!" called the two brothers. "Do you want to have a game of +marbles?" + +"Of course I do," answered Bully. "I just bought some new ones. 'First +shot agates!'" + +"First shot!" yelled Billie, right after Bully. + +"First shot!" also cried Johnnie, almost at the same time. + +"Well, I guess we're about even," spoke Bully, as he opened his marble +bag to look inside. "Now, how are we going to tell who will shoot +first?" + +"I'll tell you," proposed Billie. "We'll each throw a marble up into the +air, and the one whose comes down first will shoot first." + +Well, the other two animal boys thought that was fair, so they tossed +their marble shooters up into the air. Billie only sent his up a little +way, for then he knew it would come down first, but Johnnie and Bully +didn't think of this, and they threw their shooters up as high as they +could. And, of course, their marbles were so much longer coming down to +the ground again. + +"Oh, ho! Here's mine!" cried Billie. "I'm to shoot first." + +"And here's mine," added Johnnie, a little later, as his marble came +down. + +"Yes, but where's mine?" asked Bully, and they all listened carefully to +tell when Bully's shooter would fall down. But the funny part of it was +that it didn't come. + +"Say, did you throw it up to the sky?" asked Billie surprised like. + +"Because, if you did, it won't come down until Fourth of July," added +Johnnie. + +"No, I didn't throw it as high as that," replied the frog boy. "But +perhaps Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, is flying around up there, +and he may have taken it in his bill for a joke." + +So they looked up toward the clouds as far as they could, but no little +sparrow boy did they see. + +"Well, we'll have a game of marbles, anyhow," said Bully at length. "I +have another shooter." + +So he and Billie and Johnnie made a ring in the dirt, and put some +marbles in the centre. + +Then they began to play, and Billie shot first, then Johnnie, and last +of all Bully. And all the while the frog boy was wondering what had +happened to his first marble. Now, a very queer thing had happened to +it, and you'll soon hear all about it. + +Billie and Johnnie had each missed hitting any marbles, and when it came +Bully's turn he took careful aim, with his second-best shooter, a red +and blue one. + +"Whack-bang!" That's the way Bully's shooter hit the marbles in the +ring, scattering them all over, and rolling several outside. + +"Say, are you going to knock 'em all out?" asked Billie. + +"That's right! Leave some for us," begged Johnnie. + +"Wait until I have one more trial," went on Bully, for you see he had +two shots on account of being lucky with his first one and knocking some +marbles from the ring. + +Then he went to look for his second-best shooter, for it had rolled +away, but he couldn't find it. It had completely, teetotally, +mysteriously and extraordinarily disappeared. + +"I'm sure it rolled over here," said Bully as he poked around in the +grass near a big bush. "Please help me look for it, fellows." + +So Billie and Johnnie helped Bully look, but they couldn't find the +second shooter that the frog boy had lost. + +"You two go on playing and I'll hunt for the marble," said Bully after a +while, so he searched along in the grass, and, as he did so, he dropped +a nice glass agate out of his bag. He stooped to pick it up, but before +he could get his toes on it something that looked like a big chicken's +bill darted out of the prickly briar bush and gobbled up the marble. + +"Oh!" cried Bully in fright, jumping back, "I wonder if that was a +snake?" + +"No, I'm not a snake," was the answer. "I'm a bird," and then out from +behind the bush came a great, big Pelican bird. + +"Did--did you take my marble?" asked Bully timidly. + +"I did!" cried the Pelican bird, snapping his bill together just like a +big pair of scissors. "I ate the first one after it fell to the ground +near me, and I ate the second one that you shot over here. They're +good--marbles are! I like 'em. Give me some more!" + +The bird snapped his beak again, and Bully jumped back. As he did so the +marbles in his pocket rattled, and the Pelican heard them. + +"Ha! You have more!" he cried: "Hand 'em over. I'll eat 'em all up. I +just love marbles!" + +"No, you can't have mine!" exclaimed Bully, backing away. "I want to +play some more games with Billie and Johnnie with these," and he looked +to see where his two friends were. They were quite some distance off, +shooting marbles as hard as they could. + +Then, all of a sudden, that Pelican bird made a swoop for poor Bully, +and before the frog boy could get out of the way the bird had gobbled +him up in his big bill. There Bully was, not exactly swallowed by the +bird, you understand, but held a prisoner in the big pouch, or skin +laundry-bag that hung down below the bird's lower beak. + +"Oh, let me out of here!" cried Bully, hopping about inside the big bag +on the bird's big bill. "Let me out! Let me out!" + +"No, I'll not," said the big bird, speaking through his nose because his +mouth was shut. "I'll keep you there until you give me all your marbles, +or until I decide whether or not I'll eat you for my supper." + +Well, poor Bully was very much frightened, and I guess you'd be, too. He +tried to get out but he couldn't, and the bird began walking off to his +nest, taking the frog boy with him. Then Bully thought of his bag of +marbles, and, inside the big bill, he rattled them as loudly as he +could. + +"Billie and Johnnie Bushytail may hear me, and help me," he thought. + +And, surely enough the squirrel boys did. They heard the rattle of +Bully's marbles inside the Pelican's beak, and they saw the big bird, +and they guessed at once where Bully was. Then they ran up to the +Pelican, and began hitting him with their marbles, which they threw at +him as hard as they could. In the eyes and on his ears and on his +wiggily toes and on his big beak they hit him with marbles, until that +Pelican bird was glad enough to open his bill and let Bully go, marbles +and all. Then the bird flew away to its nest, and Bully and his friends +could play their game once more. + +The Pelican didn't come back to bother them, but he had Bully's two +shooters, that he had swallowed. So Johnnie, the squirrel, lent the boy +frog another shooter, and it was all right. And, in case the rain +doesn't come down the chimney and put the fire out, so I can't cook some +pink eggs with chocolate on for my birthday, I'll tell you in the +following story about Bawly and the soldier hat. + + + + +STORY VIII + +BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT + + +Susie Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk were having a play party in the +woods. They had their lunch in little birch-bark baskets, and they used +a nice, big, flat stump for a table. They took an old napkin for a +tablecloth, and they had pieces of carrots boiled in molasses and +chocolate, and cabbage with pink frosting on, and nuts all covered with +candy, and some sugared popcorn, and all nice things like that, to eat. + +"Oh, isn't this lovely!" exclaimed Susie. "Please pass me the fried +lolly-pops, Jennie, aren't they lovely?" + +"Yes, they're perfectly grand!" spoke Jennie as she passed over some +bits of turnip, which they made believe were fried lolly-pops. "I'll +have some sour ginger snaps, Susie." + +So Susie passed the plate full of acorns, which were make-believe sour +ginger snaps, you know, and the little animal girls were having a very +fine time, indeed. Oh, my, yes, and a bottle of horseradish also! + +Now, don't worry, if you please. I know I did promise to tell about +Bawly and the soldier hat, and I'm going to do it. But Susie's and +Jennie's play party has something to do with the hat, so I had to start +off with them. + +While they were playing in the woods, having a fine time, Bawly No-Tail, +the frog boy, was at home in his house, making a big soldier hat out of +paper. I suppose you children have often made them, and also have played +at having a parade with wooden swords and guns. If you haven't done so, +please get your papa to make you a soldier hat. + +Well, finally Bawly's hat was finished, and he put a feather in it, just +as Yankee Doodle did, only Bawly didn't look like macaroni. + +"Now, I'll go out and see if I can find the boys and we'll pretend +there's a war, and a battle, and shooting and all that," went on the +frog chap, who loved to do exciting things. So Bawly hopped out, and +Grandpa Croaker, who was asleep in the rocking chair didn't hear him go. +Anyhow, I don't believe the old gentleman frog would have cared, for +Bawly's papa was at work in the wallpaper factory and his mamma had gone +to the five and ten cent store to buy a new dishpan that didn't have a +hole in it. As for the other frog boy, Bawly's brother Bully, he had +gone after an ice cream cone, I think, or maybe a chocolate candy. + +On Bawly hopped, but he didn't meet any of his friends. He had on his +big, paper soldier hat, with the feather sticking out of the top, and +Bawly also had a wooden gun, painted black, to make it look real, and he +had a sword made out of a stick, all silvered over with paint to make it +look like steel. + +Oh, Bawly was a very fine soldier boy! And as he marched along he +whistled a little tune that went like this: + + "Soldier boy, soldier boy, + Brave and true, + I'm sure every one is + Frightened at you. + Salute the flag and + Fire the gun, + Now wave your sword + and Foes will run. + Your feathered cap + gives Lots of joy, + Oh! you're a darling + Soldier boy!" + +Well, Bawly felt finer than ever after that, and though he still didn't +meet any of his friends, with whom he might play, he was hoping he might +see a savage fox or wolf, that he might do battle with the unpleasant +creature. But perhaps you had better wait and see what happens. + +All this while, as Bawly was marching along through the woods with his +soldier cap on, Susie and Jennie were playing party at the old stump. +They had just eaten the last of the sweet-sour cookies, and drank the +last thimbleful of the orange-lemonade when, all at once, what should +happen but that a great big alligator crawled out of the bushes and made +a jump for them! Dear me! Would you ever expect such a thing? + +"Oh, look at that!" cried Susie as she saw the alligator. + +"Yes. Let's run home!" shouted Jennie in fright. + +But before either of them could stir a step the savage alligator, who +had escaped from the circus again, grabbed them, one in each claw, and +then, holding them so that they couldn't get away, he sat up on the end +of his big tail, and looked first at Susie and then at Jennie. + +"Oh, please let us go!" cried Susie, with tears in her eyes. + +"Oh, yes, do; and I'll give you this half of a cookie I have left," +spoke Jennie kindly. + +"I don't want your cookie, I want you," sang the alligator, as if he +were reciting a song. "I'm going to eat you both!" + +Then he held them still tighter in his claws, and fairly glared at them +from out of his big eyes. + +"I'm going to eat you all up!" he growled, "but the trouble is I don't +know which one to eat first. I guess I'll eat you," and he made a motion +toward Susie. She screamed, and then the alligator changed his mind. +"No, I guess I'll eat you," and he opened his mouth for Jennie. Then he +changed his mind again, and he didn't know what to do. But, of course, +this made Jennie and Susie feel very nervous and also a big word called +apprehensive, which is the same thing. + +"Oh, help! Help! Will no one help us?" cried Susie at last. + +"No, I guess no one will," spoke the alligator, real mean and saucy +like. + +But he was mistaken. At that moment, hopping through the woods was Bawly +No-Tail, wearing his paper soldier hat. He heard Susie call, and up he +marched, like the brave soldier frog boy that he was. Through the holes +in the bushes he could see the big alligator, and he saw Susie and +Jennie held fast in his claws. + +"Oh, I can never fight that savage creature all alone," thought Bawly. +"I must make him believe that a whole army of soldiers is coming at +him." + +So Bawly hid behind a tree, where the alligator couldn't find him, and +the frog boy beat on a hollow log with a stick as if it were a drum. +Then he blew out his cheeks, whistling, and made a noise like a fife. +Then he aimed his wooden gun and cried: "Bang! Bang! Bung! Bung!" just +as if the wooden gun had powder in it. Next Bawly waved his cap with the +feather in it, and the alligator heard all this, and he saw the waving +soldier cap, and he, surely enough, thought a whole big army was coming +after him. + +"I forgot something," the alligator suddenly cried, as he let go of +Susie and Jennie. "I have to go to the dentist's to get a tooth filled," +and away that alligator scrambled through the woods as fast as he could +go, taking his tail with him. So that's how Bawly saved Susie and +Jennie, and very thankful they were to him, and if they had had any +cookies left they would have given him two or sixteen, I guess. + +Now if our gas stove doesn't go out and dance in the middle of the back +yard and scare the cook, so she can't bake a rice-pudding pie-cake, I'll +tell you next about Grandpa Croaker and the umbrella. + + + + +STORY IX + +GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA + + +One day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was coming home from school he +thought of a very hard word he had had to spell in class that afternoon. +It began with a "C," and the next letter was "A" and the next one was +"T"--CAT--and what do you think? Why Bully said it spelled "Kitten," and +just for that he had to write the word on his slate forty-'leven times, +so he'd remember it next day. + +"I guess I won't forget it again in a hurry," thought Bully as he hopped +along with his books in a strap over his shoulder. "C-a-t spells--" And +just then he heard a funny noise in the bushes, and he stopped short, as +Grandfather Goosey Gander's clock did, when Jimmy Wibblewobble poured +molasses in it. Bully looked all around to see what the noise was. "For +it might be that alligator, or the Pelican bird," he whispered to +himself. + +Just then he heard a jolly laugh, and his brother Bawly hopped out from +under a cabbage leaf. + +"Did I scare you, Bully?" asked Bawly, as he scratched his right ear +with his left foot. + +"A little," said Bully, turning a somersault to get over being +frightened. + +"Well, I didn't mean to, and I won't do it again. But now that you are +out of school, come on, let's go have a game of ball. It'll be lots of +fun," went on Bawly. + +So the two brothers hopped off, and found Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, +the squirrels, and Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, and some other +animal friends, and they had a fine game, and Bawly made a home run. + +Now, about this same time, Grandpa Croaker, the nice old gentleman frog, +was hopping along through the cool, shady woods, and he was wondering +what Mrs. No-Tail would have good for supper. + +"I hope she has scrambled watercress with sugar on top," thought +Grandpa, and just then he felt a drop of rain on his back. The sun had +suddenly gone under a cloud, and the water was coming down as fast as it +could, for April showers bring May flowers, you know. Grandpa Croaker +looked up, and, as he did so a drop of rain fell right in his eye! But +bless you! He didn't mind that a bit. He just hopped out where he could +get all wet, for he had on his rubber clothes, and he felt as happy as +your dollie does when she has on her new dress and goes for a ride in +the park. Frogs love water. + +The rain came down harder and harder and the water was running about, +all over in the woods, playing tag, and jumping rope, and everything +like that, when, all at once, Grandpa Croaker heard a little voice +crying: + +"Oh, dear! I'll never get home in all this rain without wetting my new +dress and bonnet! Oh, what shall I do?" + +"Ha, I wonder if that can be a fairy?" said Grandpa. + +"No, I'm not a fairy," went on the voice. "I'm Nellie Chip-Chip, the +sparrow girl, and I haven't any umbrella." + +"Oh, ho!" exclaimed Grandpa Croaker as he saw Nellie huddled up under a +big leaf, "why do you come out without an umbrella when it may rain at +any moment? Why do you do it?" + +"Oh, I came out to-day to gather some nice wild flowers for my teacher," +said Nellie. "See, I found some lovely white ones, like stars," and she +held them out so Grandpa could smell them. But he couldn't without +hopping over closer to where the little sparrow girl was. + +"I was so interested in the flowers that I forgot all about bringing an +umbrella," went on Nellie, and then she began to cry, for she had on a +new blue hat and dress, and didn't want them to get spoiled by the rain +that was splashing all over. + +"Oh, don't cry!" begged Grandpa. + +"But I can't get home without an umbrella," wailed Nellie. + +"Oh, I can soon fix that," said the old gentleman goat--I mean frog. +"See, over there is a nice big toadstool. That will make the finest +umbrella in the world. I'll break it off and bring it to you, and then +you can fly home, holding it over your head, in your wing, and then your +hat and dress won't get wet." + +Nellie thanked Grandpa Croaker very kindly and thought what a fine frog +gentleman he was. Off he hopped through the rain, never minding it the +least bit, and just as he got to the toadstool what do you s'pose he +saw? Why, a big, ugly snake was twined around it, just as a grapevine +twines around the clothes-post. + +"Hello, there!" cried Grandpa. "You don't need that toadstool at all, +Mr. Snake, for water won't hurt you. I want it for Nellie Chip-Chip, so +kindly unwind yourself from it." + +"Indeed, I will not," spoke the snake, saucily, hissing like a steam +radiator on a hot day. + +"I demand that you immediately get off that toadstool!" cried Grandpa +Croaker in his hoarsest voice, so that it sounded like distant thunder. +He wanted to scare the snake. + +"I certainly will not get off!" said the snake, firmly, "and what's more +I'm going to catch you, too!" And with that he reached out like +lightning and grabbed Grandpa, and wound himself around him and the +toadstool also, and there the poor gentleman frog was, tight fast! + +"Oh! Oh! You're squeezing the life out of me!" cried Grandpa +Croaker. + +"That's what I intend to do," spoke the snake, savagely. + +"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What shall I do?" asked Nellie. "Shall I bite his +tail, Mr. Frog?" + +"No, stay there. Don't come near him, or he'll grab you," called Grandpa +Croaker in a choking voice. "Besides you'll get all wet, for it's still +raining. I'll get away somehow." But no matter how hard he struggled +Grandpa couldn't get away from the snake, who was pressing him tighter +and tighter against the toadstool. + +Poor Grandpa thought he was surely going to be killed, and Nellie was +crying, but she didn't dare go near the snake, and the snake was +laughing and snickering as loud as he could. Oh, he was very impolite! +Then, all of a sudden, along hopped Bully and Bawly, the frog boys. The +ball game had been stopped on account of the rain, you know. + +"Oh, look!" cried Bully. "We must save Grandpa from that snake!" + +"That's what we must!" shouted Bawly. "Here, we'll make him unwind +himself from Grandpa and the toadstool and then hit him with our +baseball bats." + +So those brave frog boys went quite close to the snake, and that wiggily +creature thought he could catch them, and so put out his head to do it. +Then Bully and Bawly hopped around the toadstool in a circle, and the +snake, keeping his beady, black eyes on them, followed them with his +head, around and around, still hoping to catch them, until he finally +unwound himself, just like a corkscrew out of a bottle. + +Then Bully and Bawly hit him with their baseball bats, and the snake ran +away, taking his tail with him, and Grandpa Croaker was free. Then, +taking a long breath, for good measure, the old gentleman frog broke off +the toadstool and gave it to Nellie Chip-Chip for an umbrella, and the +sparrow girl could go home in the rain without getting wet. And Grandpa +thanked Bully and Bawly and hopped on home with them. So that's the end +of this story. + +But in case the little dog next door doesn't take our doormat and eat it +for supper with his bread and butter I'll tell you in the story after +this one about Bawly and Jollie Longtail. + + + + +STORY X + +BAWLY N + + +For a few days after Grandpa Croaker, the old frog gentleman, had been +wound around the toadstool by the snake, as I told you in the story +before this one, he was so sore and stiff from the squeezing he had +received, that he had to sit in an easy chair, and eat hot mush with +sugar on. And, in order that he would not be lonesome, Bawly and Bully +No-Tail, the frog boys, sat near him, and read him funny things from +their school books, or the paper, and Grandpa Croaker was very thankful +to them. + +The frog boys wanted very much to go away and play ball with their +friends, for, it being the Easter vacation, there was no school, but, +instead, they remained at home nearly all the while, so Grandpa wouldn't +feel lonesome. + +But at last one day the old gentleman frog said: + +"Now, boys, I'm sure you must be very tired of staying with me so much. +You need a little vacation. I am almost well now, so I'll hop over and +see Uncle Wiggily Longears. Then you may go and play ball, and here is a +penny for each of you." + +Well, of course Bully and Bawly thanked their Grandpa, though they +really hadn't expected anything like that, and off they hopped to the +store to spend the money. For they had saved all the pennies for a long +time, and they were now allowed to buy something. + +Bully bought a picture post card to send to Aunt Lettie, the nice old +lady goat, and Bawly bought a bean shooter. That is a long piece of tin, +with a hole through it like a pipe, and you put in a bean at one end, +blow on the other end, and out pops the bean like a cork out of a soda +water bottle. + +"What are you going to do with that bean shooter?" asked Bully of his +brother. + +"Oh, I'm going to carry it instead of a gun," said Bawly, "and if I see +that bad alligator, or snake, again I'll shoot 'em with beans." + +"Beans, won't hurt 'em much," spoke Bully. + +"No, but maybe the beans will tickle 'em so they'll laugh and run away," +replied his brother. Then they hopped on through the woods, and pretty +soon they met Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. + +"Let's have a ball game," suggested Peetie, as he wiggled his left ear. + +"Oh, yes!" cried Jackie, as he dug a hole in the ground to see if he +could find a juicy bone, but he couldn't I'm sorry to say. + +Well, they started the ball game, and Bawly was so fond of his bean +shooter that he kept it with him all the while, and several times, when +the balls were high in the air, he tried to hit them by blowing beans at +them. But he couldn't, though the beans popped out very nicely. + +But finally the other players didn't like Bawly to do that, for the +beans came down all around them, and tickled them so that they had to +laugh, and they couldn't play ball. + +Then Bawly said he'd lay his shooter down in the grass, but before he +could do so his brother Bully knocked such a high flying ball that you +could hardly see it. + +"Oh, grab it, Bawly! Grab it!" cried Peetie and Jackie, dancing about on +the ends of their tails, for Bawly was supposed to chase after the +balls. Away he went with his bean shooter, almost as fast as an +automobile. + +Farther and farther went the ball, and Bawly was chasing after it. All +of a sudden he found himself in the back yard of a house where the ball +had bounced over the fence, and of course, being a good ball player, +Bawly kept right on after it. But he never expected to find himself in +the yard, and he certainly never expected to see what he did see. + +For there was a great, big, ugly, cruel boy, and he had something in his +hand. At first Bawly couldn't tell what it was, and then, to his +surprise, he saw that the boy had caught Jollie Longtail, the nice +little mousie boy, about whom I once told you. + +"Ah ha! Now I have you!" cried the boy to the mouse. "You went in the +feed box in my father's barn, and I have caught you." + +"Oh, but I only took the least bit of corn," said Jollie Longtail. But +the boy didn't understand the mouse language, though Bawly did. + +"I'm going to tie your tail in a knot, hang you over the clothes line +and then throw stones at you!" went on the cruel boy. "That will teach +you to keep away from our place. We don't like mice." + +Well, poor Jollie Longtail shivered and shook, and tried to get away +from that boy, but he couldn't, and then the boy began tying a knot in +the mousie's tail, so he could fasten Jollie to the clothes line in the +yard. + +"Oh, this is terrible!" cried Bawly, and he forgot all about the ball +that was lying in the grass close beside him. "How sorry I am for poor +Jollie," thought Bawly. + +"There's one knot!" cried the boy as he made it. "Now for another!" + +Poor Jollie squirmed and wiggled, but he couldn't get away. + +"Now for the last knot, and then I'll tie you on the clothes line," +spoke the boy, twisting Jollie's tail very hard. + +"Oh, if he ever gets tied on the clothes line that will be the last of +him!" thought Bawly. "I wonder how I can save him?" + +Bawly thought, and thought, and thought, and finally he thought of his +bean shooter, and the beans he still had with him. + +"That's the very thing!" he whispered. Then he hid down in the grass, +where the boy couldn't see him, and just as that boy was about to tie +Jollie to the line, Bawly put a bean in the shooter, put the shooter in +his mouth, puffed out his cheeks and "bango!" a bean hit the boy on the +nose! + +"Ha!" cried the boy. "Who did that?" He looked all around and he +thought, maybe, it was a hailstone, but there weren't any storm clouds +in the sky. Then the boy once more started to tie Jollie to the line. + +"Bungo!" went a bean on his left ear, hitting him quite hard. + +"Stop that!" the boy cried, winking his eyes very fast. + +"Cracko!" went a bean on his right ear, for Bawly was blowing them very +fast now. + +"Oh, wait until I get hold of you, whoever you are!" shouted the boy, +looking all around, but he could see no one, for Bawly was hiding in the +grass. + +"Smacko!" went a bean on the boy's nose again, and then he danced up and +down, and was so excited that he dropped poor Jollie in the soft grass, +and away the mousie scampered to where he saw Bawly hiding. + +Then Bawly kindly loosened the knots in the mousie's tail, picked up the +ball, and away they both scampered back to the game, and told their +friends what had happened. And maybe Jollie wasn't thankful to Bawly! +Well, I just guess he was! And that boy was so kerslastrated, about not +being able to find out who blew the beans at him, that he stood right up +on his head and wiggled his feet in the air, and then ran into the +house. + +Now, if it should happen that our pussy cat doesn't go roller skating +and fall down and hurt its little nose so he can't lap up his milk, I'll +tell you next about Bully and the water bottle. + + + + +STORY XI + +BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE + + +Well, just as I expected, my little cat did go roller skating, and +skated over a banana skin, and fell down and rubbed some of the fur off +his ear. But anyhow I'll tell you a story just the same, and it's going +to be about what happened to Bully No-Tail, the frog, when he had a +water bottle. + +Do you know what a water bottle is? Now don't be too sure. You might +think it was a bottle made out of water, but instead it's a bottle that +holds water. Any kind of a bottle will do, and you can even take a milk +bottle and put water in it if the milkman lets you. + +Well, one day, when Bully didn't know what to do to have some fun, and +when Bawly, his brother, had gone off to play ball, Bully thought about +making a water bottle, as Johnnie Bushytail had told him how to do it. + +Bully took a bottle that once had held ink, and he cleaned it all out. +Then he got a cork, and, taking one of his mamma's long hatpins, he +made, with the sharp point, a number of holes through the cork, just as +if it were a sieve, or a coffee strainer. Then Bully filled the bottle +with water, put in the cork, and there he had a sprinkling-water-bottle, +just as nice as you could buy in a store. + +"Now I'll have some fun!" exclaimed Bully, as he jiggled the bottle up +and down quite fast, with the cork end held down. The water squirted out +from it just like from the watering can, when your mamma waters the +flowers. + +"I guess I'll go water the garden first," thought Bully. So he hopped +over to where there were some seeds planted and the little green sprouts +were just peeping up from the ground. Bully sprinkled water on the dry +earth and made it soft so the flowers could come through more easily. + +"Oh, this is great!" cried the frog boy, as he held the water bottle +high in the air and let some drops sprinkle down all around on his own +head and clothes. + +But please don't any of you try that part of the trick unless you have +on your bathing suit, for your mamma might not like it. As for Bully, it +didn't matter how wet he got, for frogs just like water, and they have +on clothes that water doesn't harm. + +So Bully watered all the flowers, and then he sprinkled the dust on the +sidewalk and got a broom, and swept it nice and clean. + +"Ha! That's a good boy!" said Grandpa Croaker, in his deepest voice, as +he hopped out of the yard to go over and play checkers with Uncle +Wiggily Longears. "A very good boy, indeed. Here is a penny for you," +and he gave Bully a bright, new one. + +"I'm going to buy some marbles, as I lost all mine," said Bully, as he +thanked his Grandpa very kindly and hopped off to the store. + +But before Bully had hopped very far he happened to think that his water +bottle was empty, so he stopped at a nice cold spring that he knew of, +beside the road, and filled it--that is, he filled his water bottle, you +know, not the spring. + +"For," said Bully to himself, "I might happen to meet a bad dog, and if +he came at me to bite me I could squirt water in his eyes, almost as +well as if I had a water pistol, and the dog would howl and run away." + +Well, the frog boy hopped along, and pretty soon he came to a store +where the marbles were. He bought a penny's worth of brown and blue +ones, and then the monkey-doodle, who kept the store, gave him a piece +of candy. + +"Now I'll find some of the boys, and have a game of marbles," thought +Bully, as he took three big hops and two little ones. Then he hopped +into the woods to look for his friends. + +Well, Bully hadn't gone on very far before, just as he was hopping past +a big stump, he heard a voice calling: + +"Now I have you!" + +Well, you should have seen that frog boy jump, for he thought it was a +savage wolf or fox about to grab him. But, instead he saw Johnnie +Bushytail, the squirrel, and right in front of Johnnie was a great big +horned owl, with large and staring eyes. + +"Now I have you!" cried the owl again, and this time Bully knew the bad +bird was speaking to poor Johnnie Bushytail and not to him. And at that +the owl put out one claw, and, before the squirrel could run away the +savage creature had grabbed him. "Didn't I tell you I had you?" the bird +asked, sarcastic like. + +"Yes, I guess I did," answered Johnnie, trembling so that his tail +looked like a dusting brush. "But please let me go, Mr. Owl. I never did +anything to you." + +"Didn't you climb up a tree just now?" asked the owl, real saucy like. + +"Yes. I guess I did," answered Johnnie. "I'm always climbing trees, you +know. But that doesn't hurt you; does it?" + +"Yes, it does, for you knocked down a piece of bark, and it hit me on +the beak. And for that I'm going to take you home and cook you for +dinner," the owl hooted. + +"Oh, please, please don't!" begged poor Johnnie, but the owl said he +would, just the same, and he began to get ready to fly off to his nest +with the squirrel. + +"Ha, I must stop that, if it's possible," thought Bully, the frog, who +was still hiding behind the stump. "I mustn't let the owl carry Johnnie +away. But how can I stop him?" Bully peeked around the edge of the stump +and saw the owl squeezing poor Johnnie tighter and tighter in his claws. + +"Ah, I have it!" cried Bully. "My water bottle and my marbles!" And with +that he hopped softly up on top of the stump, and leaning over the edge +he saw below him the owl holding Johnnie. Then Bully took the water +bottle, turned it upside down, and he sprinkled the water out as hard as +he could on that savage owl's back. Down it fell in a regular shower. + +"My goodness me!" cried the owl. "It's raining and I have no umbrella! +I'll get all wet!" + +Then Bully squirted out more water, shaking it from the bottle as hard +as he could, and he rattled his bag of marbles until they sounded like +thunder and hailstones, and the owl looked up, but couldn't see Bully on +the stump for the water was in his eyes. Then, being very much afraid of +rain and thunder storms, that bad owl bird suddenly flew away, leaving +Johnnie Bushytail on the ground, scared but safe. + +"Ha! That's the time the water bottle did a good trick!" cried Bully, as +he went to see if Johnnie was hurt. But the squirrel wasn't, very much, +and he could soon scramble home, after thanking Bully very kindly. + +And that owl was so wet that he caught cold and had the epizootic for a +week, and it served him right. Now in case the baby's rattle box doesn't +bounce into the pudding dish and scare the chocolate cake, I'll tell you +next about Bawly going hunting. + + + + +STORY XII + +BAWLY N + + +"Oh, Grandpa, will you please tell us a story?" begged Bully and Bawly +No-Tail one evening after supper, when they sat beside the old gentleman +frog, who was reading a newspaper. "Do tell us a story about a giant." + +"Ha! Hum!" exclaimed Grandpa Croaker. "I'm afraid I don't know any giant +stories, but I'll tell you one about how I once went hunting and was +nearly caught myself." + +"Oh, that will be fine!" cried the two frog boys, so their Grandpa took +one of them up on each knee, and in his deepest, bass, rumbling, +stumbling, bumbling voice he told them the story. + +It was a very good story, and some day perhaps I may tell it to you. It +was about how, when Grandpa was a young frog, he started out to hunt +blackberries, and got caught in a briar bush and couldn't get loose for +ever so long, and the mosquitoes bit him very hard, all over. + +"And after that I never went hunting blackberries without taking a +mosquito netting along," said the old frog gentleman, as he finished his +story. + +"My but that _was_ an adventure!" cried Bully. + +"That's what!" agreed his brother. "You were very brave, Grandpa, to go +off hunting blackberries all alone." + +"Yes, I was considered quite brave and handsome when I was young," +admitted the old gentleman frog, in his bass voice. "But now, boys, run +off to bed, and I'll finish reading the paper." + +The next morning when Bully got up he saw Bawly at the side of the bed, +putting some beans in a bag, and taking his bean shooter out from the +bureau drawer where he kept it. + +"What are you going to do, Bawly?" asked Bully. + +"I'm going hunting, as Grandpa did," said his brother. + +"But blackberries aren't ripe yet. They're not ripe until June or July," +objected Bully. + +"I know it, but I'm going to hunt mosquitoes, not blackberries. I'm +going to kill all I can with my bean shooter, and then there won't be so +many to bite the dear little babies this summer. Don't you want to come +along?" asked Bawly. + +"I would if I had a bean shooter," answered Bully. "Perhaps I'll go some +other time. To-day I promised Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow I'd come over +and play ball with them." + +So Bully went to play ball, with the puppy dogs, and Bawly went hunting, +after his mamma had said that he might, and had told him to be careful. + +"I'll put up a little lunch for you," she said, "so you won't get hungry +hunting mosquitoes in the woods." + +Off Bawly hopped, with his lunch in a little basket on one leg and +carrying his bean shooter, and plenty of beans. He knew a deep, dark, +dismal stretch of woodland where there were so many mosquitoes that they +wouldn't have been afraid to bite even an elephant, if one had happened +along. You see there were so many of the mosquitoes that they were bold +and savage, like bears or lions. + +"But just wait until I get at them with my bean shooter," said Bawly +bravely. "Then they'll be so frightened that they'll fly away, and never +come back to bother people any more." + +On and on he hopped and pretty soon he could hear a funny buzzing noise. + +"Those are the mosquitoes," said the frog boy. "I am almost at the deep, +dark, dismal woods. Now I must be brave, as my Grandpa was when he +hunted blackberries; and, so that I may be very strong, to kill all the +mosquitoes, I'll eat part of my lunch now." + +So Bawly sat down under a toadstool, for it was very hot, and he ate +part of his lunch. He could hear the mosquitoes buzzing louder and +louder, and he knew there must be many of them; thousands and thousands. + +"Well, here I go!" exclaimed the frog boy at length, as he wrapped up in +a paper what was left of his lunch, and got his bean shooter all ready. +"Now for the battle. Charge! Forward, March! Bang-bang! Bung-bung!" and +he made a noise like a fife and drum going up hill. + +"Well, I wonder what that can be coming into our woods?" asked one +mosquito of another as he stopped buzzing his wings a moment. + +"It looks like a frog boy," was the reply of a lady mosquito. + +"It is," spoke a third mosquito, sharpening his biting bill on a stone. +"Let's sting him so he'll never come here again." + +"Yes, let's do it!" they all agreed. + +So they all got ready with their stingers, and Bawly hopped nearer and +nearer. They were just going to pounce on him and bite him to pieces +when he suddenly shot a lot of beans at them, hitting quite a number of +mosquitoes and killing a few. + +"My! What's this? What's this?" cried the mosquitoes that weren't +killed. "What is happening?" and they were very much surprised, not to +say startled. + +"This must be a war!" said some others. "This frog boy is fighting us!" + +"That's just what I'm doing!" cried Bawly bravely. "I'm punishing you +for what you did to Grandfather Croaker! Bang-bang! Bung-bung! Shoot! +Fire! Aim! Forward, March!" and with that he shot some more beans at the +mosquitoes, killing hundreds of them so they could never more bite +little babies or boys and girls, to say nothing of papas and mammas and +aunts and uncles. + +Oh, how brave Bawly was with his bean shooter! He made those mosquitoes +dance around like humming birds, and they were very much frightened. +Then Bawly took a rest and ate some more of his lunch, laying his bean +shooter down on top of a stump. + +"Now the battle will go on again!" he cried, when he had eaten the last +crumb and felt very strong. But, would you believe me, while he was +eating, those mosquitoes had sneaked up and taken away his bean shooter. + +"Oh, this is terrible!" cried Bawly, as he saw that his tin shooter was +gone. "Now I can't fight them any more." + +Then the mosquitoes knew that the frog boy didn't have his bean-gun with +him, for they had hid it, and they stung him, so much that maybe, they +would have stung him to death if it hadn't happened that Dickie and +Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrows, flew along just then. Into the swarm of +mosquitoes the birds flew, and they caught hundreds of them in their +bills and killed them, and the rest were so frightened that they flew +away, and in that manner Bawly was saved. + +So that's how he went hunting all alone, and when he got home his +Grandpa Croaker and all the folks thought him very brave. Now, in case I +see a red poodle dog, with yellow legs, standing on his nose while he +wags his tail at the pussy cat, I'll tell you next about Papa No-Tail +and the giant. + + + + +STORY XIII + +PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT + + +Did you ever hear the story of the giant with two heads, who +chased a whale, and caught him by the tail, and tickled the terrible +monster with a big, crooked hickory fence rail? + +Well, I'm not going to tell you a story about that giant, but about +another, who had only one head, though it was a very large one, and this +giant nearly scared Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, into a conniption +fit, which is almost as bad as the epizootic. + +It happened one day that there wasn't any work for Mr. No-Tail to do at +the wallpaper factory, where he dipped his feet in ink and hopped around +to make funny black, and red, and green, and purple splotches, so they +would turn out to be wallpaper patterns. The reason there was no work +was because the Pelican bird drank up all the ink in his big bill, so +they couldn't print any paper. + +"I have a holiday," said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped about, "and I am +going to have a good time." + +"What are you going to do?" asked Grandpa Croaker as he started off +across the pond to play checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears. + +"I think I will take Bully and Bawly and go for a swim, and then we'll +take a hop through the woods and perhaps we may find an adventure," +answered Mr. No-Tail. + +So he went up to the house, where Bully and Bawly, the two boy frogs, +were just getting ready to go out roller skating, and Mr. No-Tail asked +them if they didn't want to come with him instead. + +"Indeed we do!" cried Bully, as he winked both eyes at his brother, for +he knew that when his papa took them out hopping, he used often to stop +in a store and buy them peanuts or candy. + +Well, pretty soon, not so very long, in a little while, Papa No-Tail and +the two boys got to the edge of the pond, and into the water they hopped +to have a swim. My! I just wish you could have seen them. Papa No-Tail +swam in ever so many different ways, and Bully and Bawly did as well as +they could. And, would you believe me? just as Bully was getting out of +the water, up on the bank, ready to go hopping off with Bawly and his +papa through the woods, a big fish nearly grabbed the little frog boy by +his left hind leg. + +"Oh my!" he cried, and his papa hopped over quickly to where Bully was, +and threw a stick at the bad fish to scare him away. + +"Ha! hum!" exclaimed Mr. No-Tail, "that was nearly an adventure, Bully, +but I don't like that kind. Come on into the woods, boys, and we'll see +what else we can find." + +So into the woods they went, where there were tall trees, and little +trees, and bushes, and old stumps where owls lived. And the green leaves +were just coming out nicely on the branches, and there were a few early +May flowers peeping up from under the leaves and moss, just as baby +peeps up at you, out from under the bedclothes in the morning when the +sun awakens her. + +"Oh, isn't it just lovely here in the woods!" cried Bully. + +"It is certainly very fine," agreed Bawly, and he looked up in the +treetops, where Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels, were +frisking about, and then down on the ground, where Sammie and Susie +Littletail, the rabbits, were sitting beside an old stump, in which +there were no bad owls to scare them. + +"Now I think we'll sit down here and eat our lunch," said Papa No-Tail +after a while, as they came to a nice little open place in the woods, +where there was a large flat stump, which they could use as a table. So +they opened the baskets of lunch that Mamma No-Tail had put up for them, +and they were eating their watercress sandwiches, and talking of what +they would do next, when, all of a sudden, they heard a most startling, +tremendous and extraordinary noise in the bushes. + +It was just as if an elephant were tramping along, and at first Papa +No-Tail thought it might be one of those big beasts, or perhaps an +alligator. + +"Keep quiet, boys," he whispered, "and perhaps he won't see us." So they +kept very quiet, and hid down behind the stump. + +But the noise came nearer and nearer, and it sounded louder and louder, +and, before you could spell "cat" or "rat," out from under a big, tall +tree stepped a big, tall giant. Oh, he was a fearful looking fellow! His +head was as big as a washtub full of clothes on a Monday morning, and +his legs were so long that I guess he could have hopped, skipped and +jumped across the street in about three steps. + +"Oh, look!" whispered Bully. + +"Oh, isn't he terrible!" said Bawly, softly. + +"Hush!" cautioned their papa. "Please keep quiet and maybe he won't see +us." + +So they kept as quiet as they could, hoping the giant would pass by, but +instead he came right over to the stump, and the first any one knew he +had sat down on the top of it. I tell you it's a good thing Bully and +Bawly and their papa had hopped off or they would have been crushed +flat. But they weren't, I'm glad to say, for they were hiding down +behind the stump, and they didn't dare hop away for fear the giant would +see, or hear them. + +The big man sat on the stump, and he looked all about, and he saw some +bread and watercress crumbs where Bully and Bawly and their papa had +been eating their lunch. + +"My!" exclaimed the giant. "Some one has been having dinner here. Oh, +how hungry I am! I wish I had some dinner. I believe I could eat the +hind legs of a dozen frogs if I had them!" + +Well, you should have seen poor Bully and Bawly tremble when they heard +that. + +"This must be a terrible giant," said Mr. No-Tail. "Now I tell you what +I am going to do. Bully, I will hide you and Bawly in this hollow stump, +and then I'll hop out where the giant can see me. He'll chase after me, +but I'll hop away as fast as I can, and perhaps I can get to some water +and hide before he catches me. Then he'll be so far away from the stump +that it will be safe for you boys to come out." + +Well, Bully and Bawly didn't want their papa to do that, fearing he +would be hurt, but he said it was best, so they hid inside the stump, +and out Mr. No-Tail hopped to where the giant could see him. Papa +No-Tail expected the big man would chase after him, but instead the +giant never moved and only looked at the frog and then he laughed and +said: + +"Hello, Mr. Frog! Let's see you hop!" And then, what do you think that +giant did? Why he took off his head, which wasn't real, being hollow and +made of paper, like a false face, so that his own head went inside of +it. And there he was only a nice, ordinary man after all. + +"What! Aren't you a giant?" cried Papa No-Tail, who was so surprised +that he hadn't hopped a single hop. + +"No," said the man; "I am only a clown giant in a circus, but I ran away +to-day so I could see the flowers in the woods. I was tired of being in +the circus so much and doing funny tricks." + +"But--but--what makes you so tall?" asked Mr. No-Tail. + +"Oh, those are wooden stilts on my legs," said the giant. "They make me +as tall as a clothes post, these stilts do." + +And, surely enough, they did, being like wooden legs, and the man wasn't +a real giant at all, but very nice, like Mr. No-Tail, only different: +and he left off his big hollow paper head, and Bully and Bawly came out +of the stump, and the circus clown-giant, just like those you have seen, +told the frog boys lots of funny stories. Then they gave him some of +their lunch and showed him where flowers grew. Afterward the +make-believe giant went back to the circus, much happier than he had +been at first. + +So that's all now, if you please, but if the rose bush in our back yard +doesn't come into the house and scratch the frosting off the chocolate +cake I'll tell you next about Bawly and the church steeple. + + + + +STORY XIV + +BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE + + +After Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, and their papa, reached home +from the woods, where they met the make-believe giant, as I told you in +the story before this one, they talked about it for ever so long, and +agreed that it was quite an adventure. + +"I wish I'd have another adventure to-morrow," said Bawly, as he went to +bed that night. + +"Perhaps you may," said his papa. "Only I can't be with you to-morrow, +as I have to go to work in my wallpaper factory. We made the Pelican +bird give back the ink, so the printing presses can run again." + +Well, the next day the frog boys' mamma said to them: + +"Bully and Bawly, I wish you would go to the store for me. I want a +dozen lemons and some sugar, for I am going to make lemonade, in case +company comes to-night." + +"All right, we'll go," said Bully very politely. "I'll get the sugar and +Bawly can get the lemons." + +So they went to the store and got the things, and when they were hopping +out, the storekeeper, who was a very kind elephant gentleman, gave them +each a handful of peanuts, which they put in the pockets of their +clothes, that water couldn't hurt. + +Well, when Bully and Bawly were almost home, they came to a place where +there were two paths. One went through the woods and the other across +the pond. + +"I'll tell you what let's do," suggested Bully. "You go by the woodland +path, Bawly, and I'll go by way of the pond and we'll see who will get +home first." + +"All right," said Bawly, so on he hopped through the woods, going as +fast as he could, for he wanted to beat. And Bully swam as fast as he +could in the water, carrying the sugar, for it was in a rubber bag, so +it wouldn't get wet. But now I'm going to tell you what happened to +Bawly. + +He was hopping along, carrying the lemons, when all at once he heard +some one calling to him: + +"Hello, little frog, are you a good jumper?" + +Bawly looked all around, and there right by a great, big stone he saw a +savage, ugly fox. At first Bawly was going to throw a lemon at the bad +animal, to scare him away, and then he happened to think that the lemons +were soft and wouldn't hurt the fox very much. + +"Don't be afraid," said the fox, "I won't bite you. I wouldn't hurt you +for the world, little frog," and then the fox came slowly from behind +the stone, and Bawly saw that both the sly creature's front feet were +lame from the rheumatism, like Uncle Wiggily's, so the fox couldn't run +at all. Bawly knew he could easily hop away from him, as the sly animal +couldn't go any faster than a snail. + +"Oh, I guess the reason you won't hurt me, is because you can't catch +me," said Bawly, slow and careful-like. + +"Oh, I wouldn't hurt you, anyhow," went on the fox, trying not to show +how hungry he was, for really, you know, he wanted to eat Bawly, but he +knew he couldn't catch him, with his sore feet, so he was trying to +think of another way to get hold of him. "I just love frogs," said the +fox. + +"I guess you do," thought Bawly. "You like them too much. I'll keep well +away from you." + +"But what I want to know," continued the fox, "is whether you are a good +jumper, Bawly." + +"Yes, I am--pretty good," said the frog boy. + +"Could you jump over this stone?" asked the fox, slyly, pointing to a +little one. + +"Easily," said Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +"Could you jump over that stump?" asked the fox, pointing to a big one. + +"Easily," answered Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +"Ha! Here is a hard one," said the fox. "Could you jump over my head?" + +"Easily," replied Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all. + +"Well, you certainly are a good jumper," spoke the fox, wagging his +bushy tail with a puzzled air. "I know something you can't do, though." + +"What is it?" inquired Bawly. + +"You can't jump over the church steeple." + +"I believe I can!" exclaimed Bawly, before he thought. You see he didn't +like the fox to think he couldn't do it, for Bawly was proud, and that's +not exactly right, and it got him into trouble, as you shall soon see. + +You know that fox was very sly, and the reason he wanted Bawly to try to +jump over the church steeple was so the frog boy would fall down from a +great height and be hurt, and then the fox could eat him without any +trouble, sore feet or none. I tell you it's best to look out when a fox +asks you to do anything. + +"Yes, I can jump over the church steeple," declared Bawly, and he hopped +ahead until he came to the church, the fox limping slowly along, and +thinking what a fine meal he'd have when poor Bawly fell, for the fox +knew what a terrible jump it was, and how anyone who made it would be +hurt, but the frog boy didn't. + +Bawly tucked the bag of lemons under his leg, and he took a long breath, +and he gave a jump, but he didn't go very far up in the air as his foot +slipped. + +"Ha! I knew you couldn't do it!" sneered the fox. + +"Watch me!" cried Bawly, and this time he gave a most tremendous and +extraordinary jump, and right up to the church steeple he went, but he +didn't go over it, and it's a good thing, too, or he'd have been all +broken to pieces when he landed on the ground again. But instead he hit +right on top of the church steeple and stayed there, where there was a +nice, round, golden ball to sit on. + +"Jump down! Jump down!" cried the fox, for he wanted to eat Bawly. + +"No, I'm going to stay here," answered the frog boy, for now he saw how +far it was to the ground, and he knew he'd be killed if he leaped off +the steeple. + +Well, the fox tried to get him to jump down, but Bawly wouldn't. And +then the frog boy began to wonder how he'd ever get home, for the +steeple was very high. + +Then what do you think Bawly did? Why, he took a lemon and threw it at +the church bell, hoping to ring it so the janitor would come and help +him down. But the lemon was too soft to ring the bell loudly enough for +any to hear. + +Then Bawly thought of his peanuts, and he threw a handful of them at the +church bell in the steeple, making it ring like an alarm clock, and the +janitor, who was sweeping out the church for Sunday, heard the bell, and +he looked up and saw the frog on the steeple. Then the janitor, being a +kind man, got a ladder and helped Bawly down, and the fox, very much +disappointed, limped away, and didn't eat the frog boy after all. + +"But you must never try to jump over a steeple again," said Bawly's +mamma when he told her about it, after he got home with the lemons, and +found Bully there ahead of him with the sugar. + +So Bawly promised that he wouldn't, and he never did. And now, if the +postman brings me a pink letter with a green stamp on from the playful +elephant in the circus, I'll tell you next about Bully and the basket of +chips. + + + + +STORY XV + +BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS + + +One nice warm day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along +through the woods, he felt so very happy that he whistled a little tune +on a whistle he made from a willow stick. And the tune he whistled went +like this, when you sing it: + + "I am a little froggie boy, + Without a bit of tail. + In fact I'm like a guinea pig, + Who eats out of a pail. + + "I swim, I hop, I flip, I flop, + I also sing a tune, + And some day I am going to try + To hop up to the moon. + + "Because you see the man up there + Must very lonesome be, + Without a little froggie boy, + Like Bawly or like me." + +"Oh, ho! I wouldn't try that if I were you," suddenly exclaimed a voice. + +"Try what?" asked Bully, before he thought. + +"Try to jump up to the moon," went on the voice. "Don't you remember +what happened to your brother Bawly when he tried to jump over the +church steeple? Don't do it, I beg of you." + +"Oh, I wasn't really going to jump to the moon," went on Bully. "I only +put that in the song to make it sound nice. But who are you, if you +please?" for the frog boy looked all around and he couldn't see any one. + +"Here I am, over here," the voice said, and then out from behind a clump +of tall, waving cat-tail plants, that grew in a pond of water, there +stepped a long-legged bird, with a long, sharp bill like a pencil or a +penholder. + +"Oh ho! So it's you, is it?" asked Bully, making ready to hop away, for +as soon as he saw that long-legged and sharp-billed bird, he knew right +away that he was in danger. For the bird was a heron, which is something +like a stork that lives on chimneys in a country called Holland. And the +heron bird eats frogs and mice and little animals like that. + +"Yes, it is I," said the heron. "Won't you please sing that song on your +whistle again, Bully? I am very fond of music." And, as he said that, +the heron slyly took another step nearer to the frog boy, intending to +grab him up in his sharp beak. + +"I--I don't believe I have time to sing another verse," answered Bully. +"And anyhow, there aren't any more verses. So I'll be going," and he +hopped along, and hid under a stone where the big, big savage bird +couldn't get him. + +Oh, my! how angry the heron was when he saw that he couldn't fool Bully. +He stamped his long legs on the ground and said all sorts of mean +things, just because Bully didn't want to be eaten up. + +"Now I wonder how I'm going to get away from here without that bird +biting me?" thought poor Bully, after a while. + +Well, it did seem a hard thing to do, for the heron was there waiting +for Bully to come out, when he would jab his bill right through the frog +boy. Then Bully thought and thought, which you must always do when you +are in trouble, or have hard examples at school, and finally Bully +thought of a plan. + +"I'll hop along and go from one stone to another," he said to himself, +"and by hiding under the different rocks the heron can't get me." + +So he tried that plan, hopping very quickly, and he got along all right, +for every time the heron tried to stick the frog boy with his sharp +bill, the bird would pick at a stone, under which Bully was hidden, and +that would make him more angry than ever. I mean it would make the heron +angry, not Bully. + +Well, the frog boy was almost home, and he knew that pretty soon the +heron would have to turn back and run away, for the bird wouldn't dare +go right up to Bully's house. Then, all of a sudden, Bully saw a poor +old mouse lady going along through the woods, with a basket of chips on +her arm. She had picked them up where some men were cutting wood, and +the mouse lady intended to put the chips in her kitchen stove, and boil +the teakettle with them. + +She walked along, when, all of a sudden, she stumbled on an acorn, and +fell down, basket and all, and she hurt her paw on a thorn, so she +couldn't carry the basket any more. + +"Oh, that's too bad!" exclaimed Bully. "I must help the poor mouse +lady." So, forgetting all about the savage, long-billed bird, waiting to +grab him, out from under a stone hopped Bully, and he picked up the +basket of chips for the poor mouse lady. + +"Oh, thank you kindly, little frog boy," she said, and then the heron +made a rush for Bully and the mouse lady and tried to stick them both +with his sharp beak. + +"Oh, quick! Quick! Hop in here with me!" exclaimed the mouse lady, as +she pointed to a hole in a hollow stump, and into it she and Bully went, +basket of chips and all, just in time to escape the bad heron bird. + +"Oh, I'll get you yet! I'll get you yet!" screeched the bird, hopping +along, first on one leg and then on the other, and dancing about in +front of the stump. "I'll eat you both, that's what I will!" Then he +tried to reach in with his bill and pull the frog boy and the mouse lady +out of the hollow stump, but he couldn't, and then he stood on one leg +and hid the other one up under his feathers to keep it warm. + +"I'll wait here until you come out, if I have to wait all night," said +the bird. "Then I'll get you." + +"I guess he will, too," said Bully, peeping out of a crack. "We are safe +here, but how am I going to get home, and how are you going to get home, +Mrs. Mouse?" + +"I will show you," she answered. "We'll play a trick on that heron. See, +I have some green paint, that I was going to put on my kitchen cupboard. +Now we'll take some of it, and we'll paint a few of the chips green, and +they'll look something like a frog. Then we'll throw them out to the +heron, one at a time, and he'll be so hungry that he'll grab them +without looking at them. When he eats enough green chips he'll have +indigestion, and be so heavy, like a stone, that he can't chase after us +when we go out." + +"Good!" cried Bully. So they painted some chips green, just the color of +Bully, and they tossed one out of the stump toward the bird. + +"Now I have you!" cried the heron, and, thinking it was the frog boy, he +grabbed up that green chip as quick as anything. And, before he knew +what it was, he had swallowed it, and then Mrs. Mouse and Bully threw +out more green chips, and the bad bird didn't know they were only wood, +but he thought they were a whole lot of green frogs hopping out, and he +gobbled them up, one after another, as fast as he could. + +And, in a little while, the sharp chips stuck out all over inside of +him, like potatoes in a sack, and the heron had indigestion, and was so +heavy that he couldn't run. Then Bully and Mrs. Mouse came out of the +stump, and went away, leaving the bad bird there, unable to move, and as +angry as a fox without a tail. Bully helped Mrs. Mouse carry the rest of +the chips home, and then he hopped home himself. + +Now that's the end of this story, but I know another, and if the little +boy across the street doesn't throw his baseball at my pussy cat and +make her tail so big I can't get her inside the house, I'll tell you +about Bawly and his whistles. + + + + +STORY XVI + +BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES + + +Did you ever make a willow whistle--that is, out of a piece of wood off a +willow tree? + +No? Well, it's lots of fun, and when I was a boy I used to make lots of +them. Big ones and little ones, and the kind that would almost make as +much noise as some factory whistles. If you can't make one yourself, ask +your big brother, or your papa, or some man, to make you one. + +Maybe your big sister can, for some girls, like Lulu Wibblewobble, the +duck, can use a knife almost as good as a boy. + +Well, if I'm going to tell you about Bawly No-Tail, the frog, and his +whistles I guess I'd better start, hadn't I? and not talk so much about +big brothers and sisters. + +One afternoon Bawly was hopping along in the woods. It was a nice, warm +day, and the wind was blowing in the treetops, and the flowers were +blooming down in the moss, and Bawly was very happy. + +He came to a willow tree, and he said to himself: + +"I guess I'll make a whistle." So he cut off a little branch, about +eight inches long, and with his knife he cut one end slanting, just like +the part of a whistle that goes in your mouth. Then he made a hole for +the wind to come out of. + +Then he pounded the bark on the stick gently with his knife handle, and +pretty soon the bark slipped off, just as mamma takes off her gloves +after she's been down to the five-and-ten-cent store. Then Bully cut +away some of the white wood, slipped on the bark again, and he had a +whistle. + +"My! That's fine!" he cried, as he blew a loud blast on it. "I think +I'll make another." + +So he made a second one, and then he went on through the woods, blowing +first one whistle and then the other, like the steam piano in the circus +parade. + +"Hello!" suddenly cried a voice in the woods, "who is making all that +noise?" + +"I am," answered Bawly. "Who are you?" + +"I am Sammie Littletail," was the reply, and out popped the rabbit boy +from under a bush. "Oh, what fine whistles!" he cried when he saw those +Bawly had made. "I wish I had one." + +"You may have, Sammie," answered Bawly kindly, and he gave his little +rabbit friend the biggest and loudest whistle. Then the two boy animals +went on through the woods, and pretty soon they came to a place where +there was a pond of water. + +"Excuse me for a minute," said Bawly. "I think I'll have a little swim. +Will you join me, Sammie?" he asked, politely. + +"No," answered the rabbit, "I'm not a good swimmer, but I'll wait here +on the bank for you." + +"Then you may hold my whistle as well as your own," said Bawly, "for I +might lose it under water." Then into the pond Bawly hopped, and was +soon swimming about like a fish. + +But something is going to happen, just as I expected it would, and I'll +tell you all about it, as I promised. + +All of a sudden, as Bawly was swimming about, that bad old skillery, +scalery alligator, who had escaped from a circus, reared his ugly head +up from the pond, where he had been sleeping, and grabbed poor Bawly in +his claws. + +"Oh, let me go!" cried the boy frog. "Please let me go!" + +"No, I'll not!" answered the alligator savagely. "I had you and your +brother once before, and you got away, but you shan't get loose this +time. I'm going to take you to my deep, dark, dismal den, and then we'll +have supper together." + +Well, Bawly begged and pleaded, but it was of no use. That alligator +simply would not let him go, but held him tightly in his claws, and made +ugly faces at him, just like the masks on Hallowe'en night. + +All this while Sammie Littletail sat on the bank of the pond, too +frightened, at the sight of the alligator, to hop away. He was afraid +the savage creature might, at any moment, spring out and grab him also, +and the rabbit boy just sat there, not knowing what to do. + +"I wish I could save Bawly," thought Sammie, "but how can I? I can't +fight a big alligator, and if I throw stones at him it will only make +him more angry. Oh, if only there was a fireman or a policeman in the +woods, I'd tell him, and he'd hit the alligator, and make him go away. +But there isn't a policeman or a fireman here!" + +Then the alligator started to swim away with poor Bawly, to take him off +to his deep, dark, dismal den, when, all of a sudden, Sammie happened to +think of the two willow whistles he had--his own and Bawly's. + +"I wonder if I could scare the alligator with them, and make him let +Bawly go?" Sammie thought. Then he made up a plan. He crept softly to +one side, and he hid behind a stump. Then he took the two whistles and +he put them into his mouth. + +Next, the rabbit boy gathered up a whole lot of little stones in a pile. +And the next thing he did was to build a little fire out of dry sticks. +Then he hunted up an old tin can that had once held baked beans, but +which now didn't have anything in it. + +"Oh, I'll make that alligator wish he'd never caught Bawly!" exclaimed +Sammie, working very quickly, for the savage reptile was fast swimming +away with the frog boy. + +Sammie put the stones in the tin can, together with some water, and he +set the can on the fire to boil, and he knew the stones would get hot, +too, as well as the water. And, surely enough, soon the water in the can +was bubbling and the stones were very hot. + +Then Sammie took a long breath and he blew on those whistles, both at +the same time as hard as ever he could. Then he took some wet moss and +wrapped it around the hot can, so it wouldn't burn his paws, and he +tossed everything--hot water, hot stones, hot can and all--over into the +pond, close to where the alligator was. Then Sammie blew on the whistles +some more. "Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!" + +"Splash!" Into the water went the hot stones, hissing like snakes. + +"Buzz! Bubble! Fizz!" went the hot water all over the alligator. + +"Toot! Toot!" went the whistles which Sammie was blowing. + +"Skizz! Skizz!" went the hot fire-ashes that also fell into the pond. + +"Oh, it's a fire engine after me! It's a terrible fire engine after me! +It's spouting hot water and sparks on me!" cried the alligator, real +frightened like, and then he was so scared that he let go of Bawly, and +sank away down to the bottom of the pond to get out of the way of the +hot stones and the hot water and the hot sparks, and where he couldn't +hear the screechy whistles which he thought came from fire engines. And +Bawly swam safely to shore, and he thanked Sammie Littletail very kindly +for saving his life, and they went on a little farther and had a nice +game of tag together until supper time. + +So that's how the whistles that Bawly made did him a good service, and +next, if it stops raining long enough so the moon can come out without +getting wet, and go to the moving pictures, I'll tell you about Grandpa +Croaker and Uncle Wiggily Longears. + + + + +STORY XVII + +GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY + + +After the trick which Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, played on the +alligator, making him believe a fire engine was after him, it was some +time before Bully or Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, went near that pond +again, where the savage creature with the long tail lived, after he had +escaped from the circus. + +"Because it isn't safe to go near that water," said Bawly. + +"No, indeed," agreed his brother. "Some day we'll get a pump and pump +all the water out of the pond, and that will make the alligator go +away." + +Well, it was about a week after this that Grandpa Croaker, the old +gentleman frog, put on his best dress. Oh, dear me! Just listen to that, +would you! I mean he put on his best suit and started out, taking his +gold-headed cane with him. + +"Where are you going?" asked Mrs. No-Tail. + +"Oh! I think I'll go over and play a game of checkers with Uncle Wiggily +Longears," replied the old gentleman frog. "The last game we played he +won, but I think I can win this time." + +"Well, whatever you do, Grandpa," spoke Bully, "please don't go past the +pond where the bad alligator is." + +"No, indeed, for he might bite you," said Bawly, and their Grandpa +promised that he would be careful. + +Well, he went along through the woods, Grandpa Croaker did, and pretty +soon, after a while, not so very long, he came to where Uncle Wiggily +lived, with Sammie and Susie Littletail, and their papa and mamma and +Miss Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat nurse. But to-day only Uncle Wiggily +was home alone, for every one else had gone to the circus. + +So the old gentleman goat--I mean frog--and the old gentleman rabbit sat +down and played a game of checkers. And after they had played one game +they played another, and another still, for Uncle Wiggily won the first +game, and Grandpa Croaker won the second, and they wanted to see who +would win the third. + +Well, they were playing away, moving the red and black round checkers +back and forth on the red and black checker board, and they were talking +about the weather, and whether there'd be any more rain, and all things +like that, when, all of a sudden Uncle Wiggily heard a noise at the +window. + +"Hello! What's that?" he cried, looking up. + +"It sounded like some one breaking the glass," answered Grandpa Croaker. +"I hope it wasn't Bawly and Bully playing ball." + +Then he looked up, and he saw the same thing that Uncle Wiggily saw, and +the funny part of it was that Uncle Wiggily saw the same thing Grandpa +Croaker saw. And what do you think this was? + +Why it was that savage skillery, scalery alligator chap who had poked +his ugly nose right in through the window, breaking the glass! + +"Ha! What do you want here?" cried Uncle Wiggily, as he made his ears +wave back and forth like palm leaf fans, and twinkled his nose like two +stars on a frosty night. + +"Yes, get right away from here, if you please!" said Grandpa Croaker in +his deepest, hoarsest, rumbling, grumbling, thunder-voice. "Get away, we +want to play checkers." + +But he couldn't scare the alligator that way, and the first thing he and +Uncle Wiggily knew, that savage creature poked his nose still farther +into the room. + +"Oh, ho!" the alligator cried. "Checkers; eh? Now, do you know I am very +fond of checkers?" And with that, what did he do but put out his long +tongue, and with one sweep he licked up the red checkers and the black +checkers and the red and black squared checker board at one swallow, and +down his throat it went, like a sled going down hill. + +"Ah, ha!" exclaimed the alligator. "Those were very fine checkers. I +think I won that game!" he said, smiling a very big smile. + +"Yes, I guess you did," said Uncle Wiggily, sadly, as he looked for his +cornstalk crutch. When he had it he was just going to hop away, and +Grandpa Croaker was going with him, for they were afraid to stay there +any more, when the alligator suddenly cried: + +"Where are you going?" + +"Away," said Uncle Wiggily. + +"Far, far away," said Grandpa Croaker, for it made him sad to think of +all the nice red and black checkers, and the board also, being eaten up. + +"Oh, no! I think you are going to stay right here," snapped the +alligator. "You'll stay here, and as soon as I feel hungry again I'll +eat you." + +And with that the savage creature with the double-jointed tail put out +his claws, and in one claw he grabbed Uncle Wiggily and in the other he +caught Grandpa Croaker, and there he had them both. + +Now, it so happened that a little while before this, Bully and Bawly +No-Tail, the frog boys, had started out for a walk in the woods. + +"Dear me," said Bully, after a while, "do you know I am afraid that +something has happened to Grandpa Croaker." + +"What makes you think so?" asked his brother. + +"Because I think he went past the pond where the alligator was, and that +the bad creature got him." + +"Oh, I hope not," replied Bawly. "But let's walk along and see." So they +walked past the pond, and they saw that it was all calm and peaceful, +and they knew the alligator wasn't in it. + +So they kept on to Uncle Wiggily's house, thinking they would walk home +with Grandpa Croaker, and when they came to where the old gentleman +rabbit lived, they saw the alligator standing on his tail outside with +his head in through the window. + +"I knew it!" cried Bully. "I knew that alligator would be up to some +tricks! Perhaps he has already eaten Grandpa Croaker and Uncle Wiggily." + +Just then they heard both the old animal gentlemen squealing inside the +house, for the alligator was squeezing them. + +"They're alive! They're still alive!" cried Bawly. "We must save them!" + +"How?" asked Bully. + +"Let's build a fire under the alligator's tail," suggested Bawly. "He +can't see us, for his head is inside the room." + +So what did those two brave frog boys do but make a fire of leaves under +the alligator's long tail. And he was so surprised at feeling the heat, +that he turned suddenly around, dropped Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa +Croaker on the table cloth, and then, pulling his head out of the +window, he turned it over toward the fire, and he cried great big +alligator tears on the flames and put them out. Oh, what a lot of big +tears he cried. + +Then he tried to catch Bully and Bawly, but the frog boys hopped away, +and the alligator ran after them. Just then the man from the circus +came, with a long rope and caught the savage beast and put him back in +the cage and made him go to sleep, after he put some vaseline on his +burns. + +So that's how Bully and Bawly saved Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa Croaker, +by building a fire under the alligator's long tail. + +And in case some one sends me a nice ring for my finger, or thumb, with +a big orange in it instead of a diamond, I'll tell you next about Mrs. +No-Tail and Mrs. Longtail. + + + + +STORY XVIII + +MRS. N + + +"Now, boys," said Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, to Bully and Bawly one +day, as she put on her best bonnet and shawl and started out, "I hope +you will be good while I am away." + +"Where are you going, mamma?" asked Bully. + +"I am going over to call on Mrs. Longtail, the mouse," replied Mrs. +No-Tail. "She is the mother of the mice children, Jollie and Jillie +Longtail, you know, and she has been ill with mouse-trap fever. So I am +taking her some custard pie, and a bit of toasted cheese." + +"Oh, of course we'll be good," promised Bawly. "But if you don't come +home in time for supper, mamma, what shall we eat?" + +"I have made up a cold supper for you and your papa and Grandpa +Croaker," said Mrs. No-tail. "You will find it in the oven of the stove. +You may eat at 5 o'clock, but I think I'll be back before then." + +Poor Mrs. No-Tail didn't know what was going to happen to her, nor how +near she was to never coming home at all again. But there, wait, if you +please, I'll tell you all about it. + +Away hopped Mrs. No-Tail through the woods, carrying the custard pie and +the toasted cheese for Mrs. Longtail in a little basket. And when she +got there, I mean to the mouse house, she found the mouse lady home all +alone, for Jollie and Jillie and Squeaky-Eaky, the little cousin mouse, +had gone to a surprise party, given by Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrow +girl. + +"Oh, I'm so glad to see you," said Mrs. Longtail. "Come right in, if you +please, Mrs. No-Tail. I'll make you a cup of tea." + +"Oh, are you able to be about?" asked Bully's mamma. + +"Yes," replied Jollie's mamma. "I am much better, thank you. I am so +glad you brought me a custard pie. But now sit right down by the window, +where you can smell the flowers in the garden, and I'll make tea." + +Well in a little while, about forty-'leven seconds, Mrs. Longtail had +the tea made, and she and Mrs. No-Tail sat in the dining-room eating +it--I mean sipping it--for it was quite hot. And they were talking about +spring housecleaning, and about moths getting in the closets, and eating +up the blankets and the piano, and about whether there would be many +mosquitoes this year, after Bawly had killed such numbers of them with +his bean shooter. They talked of many other things, and finally Mrs. +Longtail said: + +"Let me get you another cup of tea, Mrs. No-Tail." + +So the lady mouse went out in the kitchen to get the tea off the stove, +and when she got there, what do you think she saw? Why, a great, big, +ugly, savage cat had, somehow or other, gotten into the room and there +he sat in front of the fire, washing his face, which was very dirty. + +"Oh, ho!" exclaimed the cat, blinking his yellow eyes, "I was wondering +whether anybody was at home here." + +"Yes, I am at home!" exclaimed the mouse lady, "and I want you to get +right out of my house, Mr. Cat." + +"Well," replied the cat, licking his whiskers with his red tongue, "I'm +not going! That's all there is to it. I am glad I found you at home, but +you are not going to be at home long." + +"Why not?" asked Mrs. Longtail, suspicious like. + +"Because," answered that bad cat, "I am going to eat you up, and I think +I'll start right in!" + +"Oh, don't!" begged Mrs. Longtail, as she tried to run back into the +dining-room, where Mrs. No-Tail was sitting. But the savage cat was too +quick for her, and in an instant he had her in his paws, and was glaring +at her with his yellowish-green eyes. + +"I don't know whether to eat you head first or tail first," said the +cat, as he looked at the poor mouse lady. "I must make up my mind before +I begin." + +Now while he was making up his mind Mrs. No-Tail sat in the other room, +wondering what kept Mrs. Longtail such a long time away, getting the +second cup of tea. + +"Perhaps I had better go and see what's keeping her," Mrs. No-Tail +thought. "She may have burned herself on the hot stove, or teapot." So +she went toward the kitchen, and there she saw a dreadful sight, for +there was that bad cat, holding poor Mrs. Longtail in his claws and +opening his mouth to eat her. + +"Oh, let me go! Please let me go!" the mouse lady begged. + +"No, I'll not," answered the cat, and once more he licked his whiskers +with his red tongue. + +"Oh, I must do something to that cat!" thought Mrs. No-Tail. "I must +make him let Mrs. Longtail go." + +So she thought and thought, and finally the frog lady saw a sprinkling +can hanging on a nail in the dining-room, where Mrs. Longtail kept it to +water the flowers with. + +"I think that will do," said Mrs. No-Tail. So she very quietly and +carefully took it off the nail, and then she went softly out of the +front door, and around to the side of the house to the rain-water +barrel, where she filled the watering can. Then she came back with it +into the house. + +"Now," she thought, "if I can only get up behind the cat and pour the +water on him, he'll think it's raining, and as cats don't like rain he +may run away, and let Mrs. Longtail go." + +So Mrs. No-Tail tip-toed out into the kitchen as quietly as she could, +for she didn't want the cat to see her. But the savage animal, who had +made his tail as big as a skyrocket, was getting ready to eat Mrs. +Longtail, and he was going to begin head first. So he didn't notice Mrs. +No-Tail. + +Up she went behind him, on her tippiest tiptoes, and she held the +watering can above his head. Then she tilted it up, and suddenly out +came the water--drip! drip! drip! splash! splash! + +Upon the cat's furry back it fell, and my, you should have seen how +surprised that cat was! + +"Why, it's raining in the house," he cried. "The roof must leak. The +water is coming in! Get a plumber! Get a plumber!" + +Then he gave a big jump, and bumped his head on the mantelpiece, and +this so startled him that he dropped Mrs. Longtail, and she scampered +off down in a deep, dark hole and hid safely away. Then the cat saw Mrs. +No-Tail pouring water from the can, and he knew he had been fooled. + +"Oh, I'll get you!" he cried, and he jumped at her, but the frog lady +threw the sprinkling can at the cat, and it went right over his head +like a bonnet, and frightened him so that he jumped out of the window +and ran away. And he didn't come back for a week or more. So that's how +Mrs. No-Tail saved Mrs. Longtail. + +Now in case the baker man doesn't take the front door bell away to put +it on the rag doll's carriage, I'll tell you next about Bawly and +Arabella Chick. + + + + +STORY XIX + +BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, had been kept in after school one day for +whispering. It was something he very seldom did in class, and I'm quite +surprised that he did it this time. + +You see, he was very anxious to play in a ball game, and when teacher +went to the blackboard to draw a picture of a cat, so the pupils could +spell the word better, Bawly leaned over and asked Sammie Littletail, +the rabbit boy, in a whisper: + +"Say, Sammie, will you have a game of ball after school?" + +Sammie shook his head "yes," but he didn't talk. And the lady mouse +teacher heard Bawly whispering, and she made him stay in. But he was +sorry for it, and promised not to do it again, and so he wasn't kept in +very late. + +Well, after a while the nice mouse teacher said Bawly could go, and soon +he was on his way home, and he was wondering if he would meet Sammie or +any of his friends, but he didn't, as they had hurried down to the +vacant lots, where the circus tents were being put up for a show. + +"Oh, my, how lonesome it is!" exclaimed Bawly. "I wish I had some one to +play with. I wonder where all the boys are?" + +"I don't know where they are," suddenly answered a voice, "but if you +like, Bawly, I will play house with you. I have my doll, and we can have +lots of fun." + +Bawly looked around, to make sure it wasn't a wolf or a bad owl trying +to fool him, and there he saw Arabella Chick, the little chicken girl, +standing by a big pie-plant. It wasn't a plant that pies grow on, you +understand, but the kind of plant that mamma makes pies from. + +"Don't you want to play house?" asked Arabella, kindly, of Bawly. + +"No--no thank you, I--I guess not," answered Bawly, bashfully standing +first on one leg, and then on the other. "I--er--that is--well, you know, +only girls play house," the frog boy said, for, though he liked Arabella +very much, he was afraid that if he played house with her some of his +friends might come along and laugh at him. + +"Some boys play house," answered the little chicken girl. "But no +matter. Perhaps you would like to come to the store with me." + +"What are you going to get?" asked Bawly, curious like. + +"Some kernels of corn for supper," answered Arabella, "and I also have a +penny to spend for myself. I am going to get some watercress candy, +and--" + +"Oh, I'll gladly come to the store with you," cried Bawly, real excited +like. "I'll go right along. I don't care very much about playing ball +with the boys. I'd rather go with you." + +"I'll give you some of my candy if you come," went on Arabella, who +didn't like to go alone. + +"I thought--that is, I hoped you would," spoke Bawly, shyly-like. Well, +the frog boy and the chicken girl went on to the store, and Arabella got +the corn, and also a penny's worth of nice candy flavored with +watercress, which is almost as good as spearmint gum. + +The two friends were walking along toward home, each one taking a bite +of candy now and then, and Bawly was carrying the basket of corn. He was +taking a nice bite off the stick of candy that Arabella held out to him, +and he was thinking how kind she was, when, all of a sudden the frog boy +stumbled and fell, and before he knew it the basket of corn slipped from +his paw, and into a pond of water it fell--ker-splash! + +"Oh dear!" cried Arabella. + +"Oh dear!" also cried Bawly. "Now I have gone and done it; haven't I?" + +"But--but I guess you didn't mean to," spoke Arabella, kindly. + +"No," replied Bawly, "I certainly did not. But perhaps I can get the +corn up for you. I'll reach down and try." + +So he stretched out on the bank of the pond, and reached his front leg +down into the water as far as it would go, but he couldn't touch the +corn, for it was scattered out of the basket, all over the floor, or +bottom, of the pond. + +"That will never do!" cried Bawly. "I guess I'll have to dive down for +that corn." + +"Dive down!" exclaimed Arabella. "Oh, if you dive down under water +you'll get all wet. Wait, and perhaps the water will all run out of the +pond and we can then get the corn." + +"Oh I don't mind the wet," replied the frog boy. "My clothes are made +purposely for that. I'm so sorry I spilled the corn." So into the water +Bawly popped, clothes and all, just as when you fall out of a boat, and +down to the bottom he went. But when he tried to pick up the corn he had +trouble. For the kernels were all wet and slippery and Bawly couldn't +very well hold his paw full of corn, and swim at the same time. So he +had to let go of the corn, and up he popped. + +"Oh!" cried Arabella, when she saw he didn't have any corn. "I'm so +sorry! What shall we do? We need the corn for supper." + +"I'll try again," promised Bawly, and he did, again and again, but still +he couldn't get any of the corn up from under the water. And he felt +badly, and so did Arabella, and even eating what they had left of the +candy didn't make them feel any better. + +"I tell you what it is!" cried Bawly, after he had tried forty-'leven +times to dive down after the corn, "what I need is something like an ash +sieve. Then I could scoop up the corn and water, and the water would run +out, and leave the corn there." + +"But you haven't any sieve," said Arabella, "and so you can never get +the corn, and we won't have any supper, and---- Oh, dear! Boo-hoo! +Hoo-boo!" + +"Oh, please don't cry," begged Bawly, who felt badly enough himself. +"Here, wait, I'll see if I can't drink all the water out of the pond, +and that will leave the ground dry so we can get the corn." + +Well, he tried, but, bless you, he couldn't begin to drink all the water +in the pond. And he didn't know what to do, until, all of a sudden, he +saw, coming along the road, Aunt Lettie, the nice old lady goat. And +what do you think she had? Why, a coffee strainer, that she had bought +at the five-and-ten-cent store. As soon as Bawly saw that strainer he +asked Aunt Lettie if he could take it. + +She said he could, and pretty soon down he dived under the water again, +and with the coffee strainer it was very easy to scoop up the corn from +the bottom of the pond, and soon Bawly got it all back again, and the +water hadn't hurt it a bit, only making it more tender and juicy for +cooking. + +And just as Bawly got up the last of the corn in the coffee strainer, +down swooped a big owl, and he tried to grab Bawly and Arabella and the +corn and sieve and Aunt Lettie, all at the same time. But the old lady +goat drove him away with her sharp horns, and then Bawly and Arabella +thanked her very kindly and went home, the frog boy carrying the corn he +had gotten up from the pond, and taking care not to spill it again. And +so every one was happy but the owl. + +Now in case the fish man doesn't paint the glass of the parlor windows +sky-blue pink, so I can't see Uncle Wiggily Longears when he rings the +door bell, I'll tell you next about Bully and Dottie Trot. + + + + +STORY XX + +BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK. + + +One day Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the +woods, and he felt so very fine, and it was such a nice day, that, when +he came to a place where some flowers grew up near an old stump, nodding +their pretty heads in the wind, the frog boy sang a little song. + + "I love to skip and jump and hop, + I love to hear firecrackers pop, + I love to play + The whole long day, + I love to spin my humming top." + +That's what Bully sang, and if there had been a second, or a third, or a +forty-'leventh verse he would have sung that too, as he felt so good. +Well, after he had sung the one verse he hopped on some more, and pretty +soon he came to the place where the mouse lady lived, whose basket of +chips Bully had once picked up, when she hurt her foot on a thorn. I +guess you remember about that story. + +"Ah, how to you do, Bully?" asked the mouse lady, as the frog boy hopped +along. + +"Thank you, I am very well," he answered politely. "I hope you are +feeling pretty good." + +"Well," she made answer, "I might feel better. I have a little touch of +cat-and-mouse-trap fever, but I think if I stay in my hole and take +plenty of toasted cheese, I'll be better. But here is a nice sugar +cookie for you," and with that the nice mouse lady went to the cupboard, +got a cookie, and gave it to the frog boy. + +Bully ate it without getting a single crumb on the floor, which was very +good of him, and then, saving a piece of the cookie for his brother +Bawly, he hopped on, after bidding the mouse lady good-by and hoping +that she would soon be better. + +Along and along hopped Bully, and all of a sudden the big giant jumped +out of the bushes--Oh, excuse me, if you please! there is no giant in +this story. The giant went back to the circus, but I'll tell you a story +about him as soon as I may. As Bully was hopping along, all of a sudden +out from behind a bush there jumped a savage, ugly wolf, and he had +gotten out of his circus cage again, and was looking around for +something to eat. + +"Ah, ha! At last I have found something!" cried the wolf, as he made a +spring for Bully, and he caught the frog boy under his paws and held him +down to the earth, just like a cat catches a mouse. + +"Oh, let me go! Please let me go! You are squeezing the breath out of +me!" cried poor Bully. + +"Indeed I will not let you go!" replied the wolf, real unpleasant-like. +"I have been looking for something to eat all day and now that I've +found it I'm not going to let you go. No, indeed, and some horseradish +in a bottle besides." + +"Are you really going to eat me?" asked Bully, sorrowfully. + +"I certainly am," replied the wolf. "You just watch me. Oh, no, I +forgot. You can't see me eat you, but you can feel me, which is much the +same thing." + +Then the wolf sharpened his teeth on a sharpening stone, and he got +ready to eat up the frog boy. Now Bully didn't want to be eaten, and I +don't blame him a bit; do you? He wanted to go play ball, and have a lot +of fun with his friends, and he was thinking what a queer world this is, +where you can be happy and singing a song, and eating a sugar cookie one +minute, and the next minute be caught by a wolf. But that's the way it +generally is. + +Then, as Bully thought of how good the sugar cookie was he asked the +wolf: + +"Will you let me go for a piece of cookie, Mr. Wolf?" + +"Let me see the cookie," spoke the savage creature. + +So Bully reached in his pocket, and took out the piece of cookie that he +was saving for Bawly. He knew Bawly would only be too glad to have the +wolf take it, if he let his brother Bully go. + +But, would you ever believe it? That unpleasant and most extraordinary +wolf animal snatched the cookie from Bully's paw, ate it up with one +mouthful, and only smiled. + +"Well, now, are you going to let me go?" asked Bully. + +"No," said the wolf. "That cookie only made me more hungry. I guess I'll +eat you now, and then go look for your brother and eat him, too." + +"Oh, will no one save me?" cried Bully in despair, and just then he +heard a rustling in the bushes. He looked up and there he saw Dottie +Trot, the little pony girl. She waved her hoof at Bully, and then the +frog boy knew she would save him if she could. So he thought of a plan, +while Dottie, with her new red hair ribbon tied in a pink bow, hid in +the bushes, where the wolf couldn't see her, and waited. + +"Well, if you are going to eat me, Mr. Wolf," said Bully, most politely, +after a while, "will you grant me one favor before you do so?" + +"What is it?" asked the wolf, still sharpening his teeth. + +"Let me take one last hop before I die?" asked Bully. + +"Very well," answered the wolf. "One hop and only one, remember. And +don't think you can get away, for I can run faster than you can hop." + +Bully knew that, but he was thinking of Dottie Trot. So the wolf took +his paws off Bully, and the frog boy got ready to take a last big hop. +He looked over through the bushes, and saw the pony girl, and then he +gave a great, big, most tremendous and extraordinarily strenuous jump, +and landed right on Dottie's back! + +"Here we go!" cried the pony girl. "Here is where I save Bully No-Tail! +Good-by bad Mr. Wolf." And away she trotted as fast as the wind. + +"Here, come back with my supper! Come back with my supper!" cried the +disappointed wolf, and off he ran after Dottie, who had Bully safely on +her back. + +Faster and faster ran the wolf, but faster and faster ran Dottie, and no +wolf could ever catch her, no matter how fast he ran. And Dottie +galloped and trotted and cantered, and went on and on, and on, and the +wolf came after her, but he kept on being left farther and farther +behind, and at last Dottie was out of the woods, and she and Bully were +safe, for the wolf didn't dare go any nearer, for fear the circus men +would catch him. + +"Oh, thank you so much, Dottie, for saving me," said Bully. "I'll give +you this other piece of cookie I was saving for Bawly. He won't mind." + +So he gave it to Dottie, and she liked it very much indeed, and that +wolf was so angry and disappointed about not having any supper that he +bit his claw nails almost off, and went back into the woods, and +growled, and growled, and growled all night, worse than a buzzing +mosquito. + +But Bully and Dottie didn't care a bit and they went on home and they +met Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, who bought them an ice +cream soda flavored with carrots. + +Now in case my little bunny rabbit doesn't bite a hole in the back steps +so the milkman drops a bottle down it when he comes in the morning, I'll +tell you in the following story about Grandpa Croaker and Brighteyes +Pigg. + + + + +STORY XXI + +GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG + + +One nice warm day, right after he had eaten a breakfast of watercress +oatmeal, with sweet-flag-root-sugar and milk on it, Grandpa Croaker, the +nice old gentleman frog, started out for a hop around the woods near the +pond. And he took with him his cane with the crook on the handle, +hanging it over his paw. + +"Where are you going, Grandpa?" asked Bully No-Tail, as he and his +brother Bawly started for school. + +"Oh, I hardly know," said the old frog gentleman in his hoarsest, +deepest, thundering, croaking voice. "Perhaps I may meet with a fairy or +a big giant, or even the alligator bird." + +"The alligator isn't a bird, Grandpa," spoke Bawly. + +"Oh no, to be sure," agreed the old gentleman rabbit--I mean frog--"no +more it is. I was thinking of the Pelican. Well, anyhow I am going out +for a walk, and if you didn't have to go to school you could come with +me. But I'll take you next time, and we may go to the Wild West show +together." + +"Oh fine!" cried Bully, as he hopped away with his school books under +his front leg. + +"Oh fine and dandy!" exclaimed Bawly, as he looked in his spelling book +to see how to spell "cow." + +Well, the frog boys hopped on to school, and Grandpa Croaker hopped off +to the woods. He went on and on, and he was wondering what sort of an +adventure he would have, when he heard a little noise up in the trees. +He looked up through his glasses, and he saw Jennie Chipmunk there. + +She was a little late for school, but she was hurrying all she could. +She called "good morning" to Grandpa Croaker, and he tossed her up a +sugar cookie that he happened to have in his pocket. Wasn't he the nice +old Grandpa, though? Well, I just guess he was! + +So he went on a little farther, and pretty soon he came to the place +where Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg lived. Only Buddy wasn't at home, being +at school. But Brighteyes, the little guinea pig girl, was there in the +house, and she was suffering from the toothache, I'm sorry to say. + +Oh! the poor little guinea pig girl was in great pain, and that's why +she couldn't go to school. Her face was all tied up in a towel with a +bag of hot salt on it, but even that didn't seem to do any good. + +"Oh, I'm so sorry for you, Brighteyes!" exclaimed Grandpa. "Have you had +Dr. Possum? Where is your mamma?" + +"Mamma has gone to the doctor's now to get me something to stop the +pain," answered Brighteyes, "and to-morrow I am going to have the tooth +pulled. We tried mustard and cloves and all things like that but nothing +would stop the pain." + +"Perhaps if I tell you a little story it will make you forget it until +mamma comes with the doctor's medicine," suggested Grandpa, and then and +there he told Brighteyes a funny story about a little white rabbit that +lived in a garden and had carrots to eat, and it ate so many that its +white hair turned red and it looked too cute for anything, and then it +went to the circus. + +Well, the story made Brighteyes forget the pain for a time, but the +story couldn't last forever, and soon the pain came back. Then Grandpa +thought of something else. + +"Why are all the ladders, and boards, and cans, and brushes piled +outside your house?" he asked Brighteyes, for he had noticed them as he +came in. + +"Oh! we are having the house painted," said Brighteyes. + +"But where is the painter monkey?" asked Grandpa. "I didn't see him." + +"Oh! he forgot to bring some red paint to make the blinds green or blue +or some color like that," answered the little guinea pig girl, "so he +went home to get it. He'll be back soon." + +"Suppose you come outside and show me how he paints the house," +suggested Grandpa, thinking perhaps that might make Brighteyes forget +her pain. + +"Of course I will, Grandpa Croaker," said the little creature. "I know +just how he paints, for I watched him just before you came, and when I +saw him put on the bright colors it made me forget my toothache. Come, +I'll show you how he does it." + +So Brighteyes took Grandpa's paw, and led him outside where there were +ladders and scaffolds and pots of paint and lumps of putty, and spots of +bright colors all over, and lots of brushes, little and big, and more +putty and paint, and oh! I don't know what all. + +"Now this is how the painter monkey does it," said Brighteyes. "He takes +a brush, and he dips it in the paint pot, and then he lets some of the +loose paint fall off, and then he wiggles the brush up and down and +sideways and across the middle on the boards of the house, and--it's +painted." + +"I see," said Grandpa, and then, before he could stop her, Brighteyes +took one of the painter monkey's brushes, and dipped it into a pot of +the pink paint. And she leaned over too far, and the first thing you +know she fell right into that pink paint pot, clothes, toothache and +all! What do you think of that? + +"Oh! Oh! Oh!" she cried, as soon as she could get her breath. "This is +awful--terrible!" + +"It certainly is!" said Grandpa Croaker. "But never mind, Brighteyes. +I'll help you out. Don't cry." So he fished her out with his cane, and +he took some rags, and some turpentine, and he cleaned off the pink +paint as best he could, and then he took Brighteyes into the house, and +the little guinea pig girl put on clean clothes, and then she looked as +good as ever, except that there were some spots of pink paint on her +nose. + +"Never mind," said Grandpa, as he gave her a sugar cookie, and just then +Mrs. Pigg came back with the doctor's medicine. + +"Why--why!" exclaimed Brighteyes as she kissed her mother, "my toothache +has all stopped!" and, surely enough it had. I guess it got scared +because of the pink paint and went away. + +Anyhow the tooth didn't ache any more, and the next day Brighteyes went +to the dentist's and had it pulled. And the painter monkey didn't mind +about the paint that was spilled, and Mrs. Pigg didn't mind about +Brighteyes's dress being spoiled, and they all thought Grandpa Croaker +was as kind as he could be, and he didn't mind because his cane was +colored pink, where he fished out the little guinea pig girl with it. So +everybody was happy. + +Now in case our cat doesn't fall into the red paint pot and then go to +sleep on my typewriter paper and make it look blue, I'll tell you next +about Papa No-Tail and Nannie Goat. + + + + +STORY XXII + +PAPA N + + +One morning, bright and early, Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, started +for the wallpaper factory where he worked at making patterns on the +paper by dipping his feet in the different colored inks and jumping up +and down. And when he got there he saw, standing outside the factory, +the man who made the engines go, and this man said: + +"There is no work to-day for you, Mr. No-Tail." + +"Ah ha! What is the matter?" asked Bully's papa. + +"That bad Pelican bird came again in the night and chewed up all the +ink," said the engine man. "So you may have a vacation until we get some +more ink." + +"This is very unexpected--very," spoke Papa No-Tail. "But I will enjoy +myself. I'll go take a nice long hop, and perhaps I will see something I +can bring home to Bully and Bawly." So off he started, and he had no +more idea what was going to happen to him than you have what you're +going to get for next Christmas. + +Papa No-Tail was hopping along, thinking what a fine day it was when, +all of a sudden, he came to a place in the woods where there were some +nice flowers. + +"Ha! I will take these home to my wife," thought Mr. No-Tail, as he +picked the pretty blossoms. Then he hopped on some more, and he came to +a place where there were some nice round stones, as white as milk. + +"Ah! I will take these home for Bully and Bawly to play marbles with," +said the frog papa. Then he hopped on a little farther and he came to a +place in the woods where was growing a nice big stick with a crooked +handle. + +"Ho! I will take that home to Grandpa Croaker for a cane that he can use +when he gets tired of carrying the one with the pink paint on it," spoke +Mr. No-Tail, and he pulled up the cane-stick, and went on with that and +the flowers and the round white stones, as white as molasses--Oh, there I +go again! I mean milk, of course. + +Well, it was still quite early, and as he hopped along through the woods +Papa No-Tail heard the school bell ring to call the boy and girl animals +to their classes. + +"I hope Bully and Bawly are not late," thought their father. "When one +goes to school one must be on time, and always try to have one's +lessons." Still he felt pretty sure that his two little boys were on +time, for they were usually very good. + +On hopped Mr. No-Tail, wishing he could see the bad Pelican bird, and +make him give up the wallpaper-printing ink, when all of a sudden, as +quickly as you can tie your shoe lace, or your hair ribbon, Papa No-Tail +heard a great crashing in the bushes, and then he heard a growling and +then presto-changeo! out popped Nannie Goat, and after her came running +a black, savage bear! Oh, he was a most unpleasant fellow, that bear +was, with a long, red tongue, and long, sharp, white teeth, and long +claws, bigger than a cat's claws, and he had shaggy fur like an +automobile coat. + +"Oh! Oh! Oh! Stop! Stop! Stop! Don't catch me! Don't catch me! Don't +catch me!" cried Nannie, the goat girl, running on and crashing through +the bushes. But the bear never minded. On he came, right after Nannie, +for he wanted to catch and eat her. You see he used to be in a cage in a +big animal park, but he got loose and he was now very hungry, for no one +had fed him in some time. + +Well, Papa No-Tail was so surprised that, for a moment, he didn't know +what to do. He just sat still under a big cabbage leaf, and looked at +the bear chasing after Nannie. + +"Oh, will no one save me?" cried the poor little goat girl. "Will no one +save me from this savage bear?" + +"No; no one will save you," answered the shaggy creature, as he cleaned +his white teeth with his red tongue for a brush. "I am going to eat you +up." + +"No, you are not!" cried Papa No-Tail, boldly. + +"Ha! Who says I am not going to eat her?" asked the bear, surly-like. + +"I do!" went on Papa No-Tail, hopping a bit nearer. "You shall never eat +her as long as I am alive!" + +"And who are you, if I may be so bold as to ask," went on the bear, +stopping so he could laugh. + +"I am the brave Mr. No-Tail, who works in the wallpaper factory, but I +can't work to-day as the bad Pelican bird took the ink," replied Bully's +and Bawly's papa. + +"Oh, fiddlesticks!" cried the bear, real impolite-like. "Now, just for +that I will eat you both!" He made a rush for Nannie, but with a scream +she gave a big jump, and then something terrible happened. For she +jumped right into a sand bank, which she didn't notice, and there she +stuck fast by her horns, which jabbed right into the hard sand and dirt. +There she was held fast, and the bear, seeing her, called out: + +"Now I can get you without any trouble. You can't get away from me, so +I'll just eat this frog gentleman first." + +Oh, but that bear was savage, and hungry, and several other kinds of +unpleasant things. He made a big jump for the frog, but what do you +think Bully's papa did? Why he took the bunch of flowers, and he tickled +that bear so tickily-ickly under the chin, that the bear first sneezed, +and then he laughed and as Papa No-Tail kept on tickling him, that bear +just had to sit down and laugh and sneeze at the same time, and he +couldn't chase even a snail. + +"Now for the next act!" bravely cried Mr. No-Tail, and with that he took +the stick he intended for Grandpa Croaker's cane, and put it under the +bear's legs, and he twisted the stick, Papa No-Tail did, and the first +thing that bear knew he had been tripped up and turned over just like a +pancake, and he fell on his nose and bumped it real hard. + +Then, before he could get up, Papa No-Tail pelted him with the round +stones as white as milk, and the bear thought it was snowing and +hailing, and he was as frightened as anything, and as soon as he could +get up, away he ran through the woods, crying big, salty bear tears. + +"Oh, I'm so glad you drove that bear away! You are very brave, Mr. +No-Tail," said Nannie Goat. "But how am I to get loose in time to get to +school without being late?" For she was still fast by her horns in the +sand bank. + +"Never fear, leave it to me," said Papa No-Tail. So Nannie never feared, +and Papa No-Tail tried to pull her horns out of the sand bank, but he +couldn't, because the ground was too hard. So what did he do but go to +the pond, and get some water in his hat, and he threw the water on the +sand, and made it soft, like mud pies, and then Nannie could pull out +her own horns. + +After thanking Mr. No-Tail she ran on to school, and got there just as +the last bell rang, and wasn't late. And the teacher and all the pupils +were very much surprised when Nannie told them what had happened. Bully +and Bawly were afraid the bear might come back and hurt their papa, but +nothing like that happened I'm glad to say. + +Now in case the tea kettle doesn't sing a funny song and waken the white +rabbit with the pink eyes that's in a cage out in our yard, I'll tell +you to-morrow night about Mamma No-Tail and Nellie Chip-Chip. + + + + +STORY XXIII + +MRS. N + + +Nellie Chip-Chip, the little sparrow girl, flew along over the trees +after school was out, with a box of chocolate under her wing. And under +her other wing was a purse, with some money in it that rattled like +sleigh bells. + +"What are you going to do with that chocolate?" asked Bully No-Tail, the +frog boy, as he and his brother, who were hopping to a ball game, +happened to see Nellie. + +"Oh, I guess she's going to eat it," said Bawly. "If you want us to help +you, we will, won't we, Bully?" he added. + +"Sure," said Bully, hungry like. + +"Oh, indeed, that's very kind of you boys," replied Nellie, politely, +"but you see I'm not eating this chocolate. I am selling it for our +school. We want to get some nice pictures to put in the rooms, and so +I'm trying to help get the money to buy them by selling cakes of +chocolate." + +"Ha! That's a good idea," said Bully. "Say, Nellie, if you go to our +house maybe our mamma will buy some chocolate." + +"I'll fly right over there," declared the little sparrow girl, "for I +want very much to sell my chocolate, and, so far, very few persons have +bought any of me." + +"I guess our mamma will," said Bawly, and, then when Nellie had flown on +with her chocolate, Bawly winked both his eyes and spoke thusly: "Say, +Bully, if mamma buys the chocolate from Nellie I guess she'll give us +some." + +"I hope so," replied his brother, and then they went on to the ball game +and had a good time. Well, as I was telling you, Nellie flew over to +Mrs. No-Tail's house, and knocked at the door with her little bill. + +"Don't you want to buy some chocolate so I can make money to get +pictures for our school?" the sparrow girl politely asked. + +"Indeed I do," replied Mrs. No-Tail. "I just need some chocolate for a +cake I'm baking. And if you would like to come in, and help me make the +cake, and put the chocolate on, I'll give you some, and you can take a +piece home to Dickie." + +"Indeed, I'll be very glad to help," said Nellie, so she went in the +house, and Mrs. No-Tail paid her for some of the chocolate, and then +Nellie took off her hat, and put on an apron, and she helped make the +cake. + +Oh, it was a most delicious one! with about forty-'leven layers, and +chocolate between each one, and then on top! Oh, it just makes me hungry +even to typewrite about it! Why the chocolate on top of that cake was as +thick as a board, and then on top of the chocolate was sprinkled +cocoanut until you would have thought there had been a snow storm! Talk +about a delicious cake! Oh, dear me! Well, I just don't dare write any +more about it, for it makes me so impatient. + +"Now," said Mrs. No-Tail, after the baking was over, "we'll just set the +cake on the table by the open window to cool, Nellie, and we'll wash up +the dishes." + +So they were working away, talking of different things, and Nellie was a +great help to Mrs. No-Tail. Every once in a while, however, Nellie would +look over to the cake, because it was so nice she just couldn't keep her +eyes away from it. She was just wishing it was time for her to have some +to take home, but it wasn't, quite yet. + +Well, all of a sudden, when Nellie looked over for about the +twenty-two-thirteenth time, she saw that all the chocolate was gone from +the top of the cake. All the chocolate and the cocoanut was missing. + +"Oh! Oh!" cried the little sparrow girl. + +"What's the matter?" asked Mrs. No-Tail quickly. + +"Look!" exclaimed Nellie, pointing to the cake. + +"Well, of all things!" cried Mrs. No-Tail. "That chocolate must have +disappeared. It must have gone up like a balloon. I will have to buy +some more of you, and put that on." Then she went over and looked at the +cake, and she wondered at the queer scratches in the top, just as if a +cat had clawed off the chocolate. But there were no cats around. + +So Mrs. No-Tail and Nellie put more chocolate and cocoanut on the cake, +and they went on washing up the dishes, and pretty soon, not so very +long, in a little while Nellie looked at the cake again. And, would you +believe me, the chocolate was all off once more. + +"This is very strange," said Mrs. No-Tail. "That must be queer chocolate +to disappear that way. Perhaps a fairy is taking it." + +"Maybe Bully and Bawly are doing it for a joke," said Nellie. So she and +Mrs. No-Tail looked from the window but they could see no one, not even +a fairy, and, anyhow, Mrs. No-Tail knew the boys wouldn't be so impolite +as to do such a thing. + +"It is very strange," said the frog boys' mamma. "But we will put the +chocolate and cocoanut on once more, and then we'll watch to see who +takes it." + +So they did, making the cake even better than before. Oh, with such +thick chocolate and cocoanut on! and then they hid down behind the +stove, and watched the window. + +Pretty soon a big, shaggy paw, with long, sharp claws on it, was put in +the open window, and the paw went right on top of the cake, and scraped +off some of the chocolate and cocoanut. + +"Ah! Yum-yum! That is most delicious!" exclaimed a grumbling, rumbling +voice, and the paw, all covered with the cake chocolate, just as a +lollypop stick is covered with candy, went out of the window, and the +paw was all cleaned off somehow, when it came back again. More chocolate +was then scraped off the cake by those sharp claws. + +"Oh, ho! This is simply scrumptious!" went on the voice, as the paw was +pulled back. Then a third time it came, and scraped off what was left of +the chocolate and cocoanut. + +"Oh, how perfectly delightful and proper this sweet stuff is!" cried the +voice. "I wish there was more!" + +Then a great, big, shaggy, ugly bear, the same one that once chased +Nannie Goat, stuck his head in the window. + +"Oh, did you scrape the chocolate off my cake?" asked Mrs. No-Tail. + +"I did," the bear said, "have you any more?" + +"No, indeed," she answered. "But you are a bold, bad creature, and if +you don't get away from here I'll have you arrested." + +"I am not a bit afraid," answered the bear impolitely, "and as there is +no more chocolate I'll take the cake." + +Well, he was just reaching for it with his sharp clawy-paws, and Mrs. +No-Tail and Nellie were very much frightened, fearing the beast would +get them. But just then a man's voice cried out: + +"Ah, ha! You bad animal! So I've caught you, have I? And you are up to +your tricks as usual! Now you come with me!" And who should appear but +the man from the animal park where the bear once lived. And he had a +whip and a rope, and he tied the rope around the bear's neck and whipped +him for being so bad, and took him back to his cage. And Mrs. No-Tail +and Nellie were very glad. And I guess you'd be also. Eh? + +There was some chocolate left, and some cocoanut, and soon the cake was +even better than before, and Nellie had sold all her chocolate to Mrs. +No-Tail, and she could buy lots of pictures for the school. And Nellie +took home a big piece of the cake for Dickie, her brother, and of course +some for herself. So it all came out right after all, and that bear was +very sorry for what he did. + +Now, in the story after this one, if the fish we're going to have for +supper doesn't swim away with my new soft hat and get it all wet, I'll +tell you about Bully No-Tail and Alice Wibblewobble. + + + + +STORY XXIV + +BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE + + +"Bully," said the frog boy's mamma to him one Saturday morning, when +there wasn't any school, "I wish you would go on an errand for me." + +"Of course I will, mother," he said. "Do you want me to go to the store +for some lemons, or some sugar?" + +"Neither one, Bully. I wish you would go to Mrs. Wibblewobble's house +and tell the nice duck lady I can't come over to-day to help her sew +carpet rags, and piece-out the bedquilt. I have to put away the winter +flannels so the moths won't get in them, and then, too, it is so rainy +and foggy that we couldn't see to sew carpet rags very well. Tell her +I'll be over the first pleasant day." + +"Very well," answered Bully, "and may I stay a while and play with +Jimmie Wibblewobble?" + +"You may," said his mother, and off Bully hopped all alone, for his +brother Bawly had gone fishing. + +It was a very unpleasant day for any one except ducks or frogs. For +sometimes it rained, and when it wasn't rainy it was misty, and moisty, +and foggy. And it was wet all over. The water dripped down off the trees +and bushes, and even the ponds and little brooks were wetter than usual, +for the rain rained into them, and splished and splashed. + +But Bully didn't mind, not in the least. Away he hopped in his rubber +suit, that water couldn't hurt, and he felt very fine. Soon he was at +Mrs. Wibblewobble's house, and he delivered the message his mother had +given him. + +"And now I'll go play with Jimmie," said Bully. "Where is he, and where +are Lulu and Alice, Mrs. Wibblewobble?" + +"Oh! the girls went over to see Grandfather Goosey Gander," replied +their mamma. "As for Jimmie, you'll find him out somewhere on the pond. +But be careful you don't get lost, for the fog is very thick to-day." + +"I should think it was," replied Bully as he hopped away, "it's almost +as thick as molasses." Well, pretty soon he came to the edge of the +pond, and in he plumped, and began swimming about. + +"Jimmie! Hey, Jimmie! Where are you, Jimmie?" he called. + +"Over here, making a water wheel," answered the boy duck, and though the +frog chap couldn't see him, he could tell, by Jimmie's voice, where he +was, and soon he had hopped to the right place. + +Well, Bully and Jimmie had a fine time, making the water wheel, that +went splash-splash around in the water. And when they became tired of +playing that, they played water-tag with the water-spiders, and then +they played hop-skip-and-jump, at which game Bully was very good. + +"Now let's go up to the house," proposed Jimmie, "and I'm sure mother +will give us some cornmeal sandwiches with jam and bread and butter on." + +Off they went through the fog, and it was now so thick that they +couldn't see their way, and by mistake they went to the barn instead of +the house. I don't know what they would have done, only just then along +came Old Percival, the circus dog, and he could smell his way through +the misty fog up to the house. Maybe he could smell the sandwiches, with +jam and bread and butter on. I don't know, but anyhow Mrs. Wibblewobble +gave him one when she made some for Bully and Jimmie. + +Well, now I'm coming to the Alice part of the story. As Jimmie and Bully +were eating their sandwiches on the back porch, not minding the rain in +the least, all at once Lulu Wibblewobble came waddling along. As soon as +she got to the steps she called out: + +"Oh, is Alice home yet?" + +"Alice home?" exclaimed Mrs. Wibblewobble. "Why, didn't she come from +Grandfather Goosey Gander's house with you?" + +"No, she started on ahead, some time ago," said Lulu. "She said she +wanted to put on her new hair ribbon for dinner. She ought to have been +here some time ago. Are you sure she isn't here?" + +"No, she isn't," answered Jimmie. "She must be lost in the fog!" + +"Oh, dear! That's exactly what has happened!" cried the mamma duck. "Oh, +this dreadful fog! What shall I do?" + +"Don't worry, Mrs. Wibblewobble," spoke Bully. "Jimmie and I will go and +hunt her. We can find her in the fog." + +"Oh, you may get lost yourselves!" said the duck lady. "It's bad enough +as it is, but that would be dreadful. Oh, what shall I do?" + +"I'll tell you," said Lulu. "We'll all hunt for her, and so that we will +not become lost in the fog, we'll tie several strings to our house, and +then each of us will keep hold of one string, and when we go off in the +fog we can follow the string back again, and we won't get lost." + +"That's a good idea!" cried Bully, and they all thought it was. So they +each tied a long string to the front porch rail, and, keeping hold of +the other end, started off in the fog, Mrs. Wibblewobble, Jimmie, Bully +and Lulu. Off into the fog they went, and the white mist was now thicker +than ever; thicker than molasses, I guess. + +Mrs. Wibblewobble looked one way, and Jimmie another, and Lulu another, +and Bully still another. And for a long time neither one of them could +find Alice. + +"I'm going to call out loud, and perhaps she'll hear me," said Bully. +"She probably wandered off on the wrong path coming from Grandfather +Goosey Gander's house." So he cried as loudly as he could: "Alice! +Alice! Where are you, Alice?" + +"Oh, here I am!" the duck girl suddenly cried, though Bully couldn't see +her on account of the fog. "Oh, I'm so glad you came to find me, for +I've been lost a long time." + +"Walk right over this way!" called Bully, "and I'll take you home by the +string. Come over here!" + +"Yes, come over here!" called another voice, and Bully looked and what +should he see but a savage alligator, hiding in the fog, with his mouth +wide open. The alligator hoped Alice would, by mistake, walk right into +his mouth so he could eat her. And he kept calling right after Bully, +and poor Alice got so confused with the two of them shouting that she +didn't know what to do. + +Bully was afraid the alligator would get her, so what did he do but take +up a big stone, and, hiding in the fog, he threw the rock into the +alligator's mouth. + +"There! Chew on that!" called Bully, and the alligator was so angry that +he crawled right away, taking his scaly, double-jointed tail with him. + +Then Bully called again, and this time Alice found where he was in the +fog, and she waddled up to him, and she wasn't lost any more, and Bully +took her home by following the string. Then the fog blew away and they +were all happy, and had some more jam sandwiches. + +Now, in case it doesn't rain and wet my new umbrella so that the pussy +cat can go to school, and learn how to make a mouse trap, I'll tell you +next about Bawly No-Tail and Lulu Wibblewobble. + + + + +STORY XXV + +BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE + + +Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along one day whistling a +little tune about a yellow-spotted doggie, who found a juicy bone, and +sold it to a ragman for a penny ice cream cone. After the little frog +boy had finished his song he hopped into a pond of water and swam about, +standing on his head and wiggling his toes in the air, just as when the +boys go in bathing. + +Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly bounced up out of the water +to catch his breath, which nearly ran away from him down to the +five-and-ten-cent-store--when Bawly bounced up, I say, who should he see +but Lulu Wibblewobble, the duck girl, swimming around on the pond. + +"Hello, Lulu!" called Bawly. + +"Hello!" answered Lulu. "Come on, Bawly, let's see who can throw a stone +the farthest; you or I." + +"Oh, pooh!" cried the frog boy. "I can, of course. You're only a girl." + +Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly and Lulu were out on the +shore of the pond and had thrown their stones, Lulu's went ever so much +farther than did Bawly's. Oh! she was a good thrower, Lulu was! + +"Well, anyhow, I can beat you jumping!" cried Bawly. "Now, let's try +that game." + +So they tried that, and, of course, Bawly won, being a very good jumper. +He jumped over two stones, three sticks, a little black ant and also a +big one, a hump of dirt, two flies and a grain of sand. And, as for +Lulu, she only jumped over a brown leaf, a bit of straw, part of a stone +and a little fuzzy bug. + +"Now we're even," said Bawly, who felt good-natured again. "Let's go for +a walk in the woods and we'll get some wild flowers and maybe something +will happen. Who knows?" + +"Who knows?" agreed Lulu. So off they started together, talking about +the weather and ice cream cones and Fourth of July and all things like +that. For it was Saturday, you see, and there was no school. + +Well, pretty soon, in a little while, not so very long, as Bawly was +hopping, and Lulu was wobbling along, they heard a noise in the bushes. +Now, of course, when you're in the woods there is always likely to be a +noise in the bushes. Sometimes it's made by a fairy, and sometimes by a +giant and sometimes by a squirrel or a rabbit, or a doggie, or a kittie, +and sometimes only by the wind blowing in the treetops. And you can +never tell what makes the noise until you look. So Bawly and Lulu looked +to see what made the noise in the bushes. + +"Maybe it's a giant!" exclaimed Lulu. + +"Maybe it's a fairy," said Bawly, and they looked and looked and pretty +soon, in a jiffy, out came a man--just a plain, ordinary man. + +"Oh, me!" cried Bawly. + +"Oh, my!" exclaimed Lulu. + +Then they both started to run away, for they were afraid they might be +hurt. But the man saw them going off, and he called after them. + +"Oh, pray don't be frightened, little ones. I wouldn't hurt you for the +world. I was just looking for a frog and a duck, and here you are." + +"Are--are you going to eat us?" asked Bawly, blinking his eyes. + +"No, indeed," replied the man, kindly. + +"Are you going to carry us away in a bag?" asked Lulu, wiggling her +feet. + +"Oh, never, never, never!" cried the man, quickly. "I will put you in my +pockets if you will let me, and I will do a funny trick with you." + +"A trick?" asked Bawly, for he was very fond of them. "What kind?" + +"A good trick," replied the man. "You see, I am a magician in a +show--that is I do all sorts of funny tricks, such as making a rabbit +come out of a hat, or shutting a pig up in a box and changing it to a +bird, and making a boy or girl disappear. + +"I also do tricks with ducks and frogs, but the other day the pet frog +and duck which I have got sick, and I can't do any more tricks with them +until they are better. But if you would come with me, I could do some +tricks with you in the show, and I wouldn't hurt you a bit, and I'd give +you each ten cents, and you could have a nice time. Will you come with +me? I took a walk out in the woods specially to-day, hoping I could find +a new duck or frog to use in my tricks." + +Well, Lulu and Bawly thought about it, and as the man looked very kind +they decided to go with him. So he put Lulu in one of his big pockets +and Bawly in the other, and off he started through the woods. + +And pretty soon he came to the place where he did the tricks. It was a +big building, and there was a whole crowd of people there waiting for +the magician--men and women and boys and girls. + +"Now, don't be afraid, Bawly and Lulu," said the man kindly, for he +could talk duck and frog language. "No one will hurt you." + +So he put Bawly and Lulu down on a soft table, where the people couldn't +see them, and then that man did the most surprising and extraordinary +tricks. He made fire come out of a pail of water, and he opened a box, +and there was nothing in it, and he opened it again, and there was a +rabbit in it. Then he took a man's hat, and he said: + +"Now, there is nothing in his hat but in a moment I am going to make a +little frog come in it. Watch me closely." + +Well, of course, the people hardly believed him, but what do you think +that man did? Why, he took the hat and turned around, and when nobody +was looking he slipped Bawly off from the table and put him inside +it--inside the hat, I mean, and then the magician said: + +"Presto-changeo! Froggie! Froggie! Come into the hat!" + +Then he put his hand in, and lifted out Bawly, who made a polite little +bow, and the frog wasn't a bit afraid. And, my! How those people did +clap their hands and stamp their feet! + +"Now if some lady will lend me her handbag, I'll make a duck come in +it," said the magician. So a lady in the audience gave him her handbag, +and after the magician had taken out ten handkerchiefs, and a purse with +no money in it, and a looking-glass, and some feathers all done up in a +puff ball, and some peppermint candies, and two postage stamps and some +chewing gum and five keys, why he went back on the stage. And as quick +as a wink, when no one was looking, with his back to the people, he +slipped Lulu Wibblewobble into the empty handbag, and she kept very +quiet for she didn't want to spoil the trick. + +And then the magician turned to the audience, and he said: + +"Behold! Behold!" and he lifted out the duck girl. Oh my! how those +people did clap; and the lady that owned the handbag was as surprised as +anything. Then the man did lots more tricks, and he called a boy, and +told him to take Lulu and Bawly back home, after he had given them each +ten cents. For his regular trick duck and frog were all well again, and +he could do magic with them. So that's how Lulu and Bawly were in a +magical show, and they told all their friends about it and everyone was +so surprised that they said: "Oh! Oh! Oh!" more than forty-'leven times. + +And next, if our new kitten, whose name is Peter, doesn't fall into a +basket of soap bubbles and wet his tail so he can't go to the moving +picture show, I'll tell you about Bully No-Tail and Kittie Kat. + + + + +STORY XXVI + +BULLY N + + +"Bully, what are you doing?" the frog boy's mother called to him one +day, as she heard him making a funny noise. + +"Oh, mother, I am just counting to see how many marbles I have," he +answered. + +"Well, would you mind going to the store for me?" asked Mrs. No-Tail. "I +was going to make a cake, but I find I have no cocoanut to put on top." + +"Oh, indeed, I'll go for you, mother, right away!" cried Bully, quickly, +for he was very fond of cocoanut cake. But I guess he would have gone to +the store anyhow, even if his mamma had only wanted vinegar, or lemons, +or a yeast cake. + +So off he started, whistling a little tune about a fuzzy-wuzzy pussy +cat, who drank a lot of milk and had a crinkly Sunday dress, made out of +yellow silk. + +"Well, I feel better after that!" exclaimed Bully, as he hopped along, +sailing high in the air, above the clouds. Oh, there I go again! I was +thinking of Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow. No, Bully hopped along on the +ground, and pretty soon he came to the store and bought the cocoanut for +the cake. + +He was hopping home, hoping his mamma would give him and his brother +Bawly some of the cake when it was baked, when, just as he came near a +pond of water he heard some one crying. Oh, such a sad, pitiful cry as +it was, and at first Bully thought it might be some bad wolf, or fox, or +owl, crying because it hadn't any dinner, and didn't see anything to +catch to eat for supper. + +"I must look out that they don't catch me," thought Bully, and he took +tight hold of the cocoanut, and peeked through the bushes. And what did +he see but poor Kittie Kat--you remember her, I dare say; she was a +sister to Joie and Tommie Kat--there was Kittie Kat, crying as if her +heart would break, and right in front of her was a savage fox, wiggling +his bushy tail to and fro, and snapping his cruel jaws and sharp teeth. + +"Now I've caught you!" cried the fox. "I've been waiting a good while, +but I have you now." + +"Yes, I--I guess you have," said poor Kittie, for the fox had hold of the +handle of a little basket that Kittie was carrying, and wouldn't let go. +In the basket was a nice cornmeal pie that Kittie was taking to +Grandfather Goosey Gander, when the fox caught her. "Will you please let +me go?" begged poor Kittie Kat. + +"No," replied the bad fox. "I'm going to eat you up--all up!" + +Well, Kittie cried harder than ever at that, but she still kept hold of +the basket with the cornmeal pie in it, and the fox also had hold of it. +And Bully was hiding behind the bushes where neither of them could see +him--hiding and waiting. + +"Oh, I must save Kittie from that fox!" he thought. "How can I do it?" + +So Bully thought and thought, and thought of a plan. Then he leaned +forward and whispered in Kittie's ear, so low that the fox couldn't hear +him: + +"Let go of the basket, Kittie," he told her, "and then give a big jump +and run up a tree." + +Well, Kittie was quite surprised to hear Bully whispering out of the +bushes to her, for she didn't know that he was around, but she did as he +told her to. She suddenly let go of the basket handle, and the fox was +so surprised that he nearly fell over sideways. And before he could +straighten himself up Kittie Kat jumped back, and up a tree she +scrambled before you could shake a stick at her, even if you wanted to. +You see, she never thought of going up a tree until Bully told her to. + +"Here! You come back!" cried the fox, real surprised like. + +"Tell him you are not going to," whispered Bully, and that's what Kittie +called to the fox from up in the tree, for, you see, he couldn't climb +up to her, and he still had hold of her basket. + +"If you don't come down I'll throw this basket of yours in the water!" +threatened the bad fox, gnashing his teeth. + +"Oh, I don't want him to do that!" said Kittie. + +"Never mind, perhaps he won't," suggested Bully. "Wait and see." + +"Are you coming down and let me eat you?" asked the fox of the little +kitten girl, for the savage animal did not yet know that Bully was +hiding there. "Are you coming down, I ask you?" + +"No, indeed!" exclaimed Kittie. + +"Then here goes the basket!" cried the fox, and, just to be mean he +threw the nice basket, containing the cornmeal pudding--I mean pie--into +the pond of water. + +"Oh! Oh! Oh dear!" cried Kittie Kat. "What will Grandfather Goosey +Gander do now?" + +"Never mind, I'll get it for you, as I don't mind water in the least," +spoke Bully, bravely. + +So he started to hop out, to jump into the water to save the kittie +girl's basket, for he knew the fox wouldn't dare go in the pond after +him, as the fox doesn't like to wet his feet and catch cold. + +Well, Bully was just about to hop into the pond, when he happened to +think of the package of cocoanut his mamma had sent him to get at the +store. + +"Oh, dear! I never can get that wet in the water or it will be spoiled!" +he thought. "What can I do? If I leave it on the shore here while I go +after Kittie's basket the fox will eat it, and we'll have no cake. I +guess I'm in trouble, all right, for I must get the basket." + +Well, he didn't know what to do, and the fox was just sneaking up to eat +him when Kittie Kat cried out: + +"Oh, be careful, Bully. Jump! Jump into the water so the fox can't get +you!" + +"What about the cocoanut?" asked Bully. + +"Here, give it to me, and I'll hold it," said Kittie, and she reached +down with her sharp claws, and hooked them into the pink string around +the package of cocoanut and pulled it up on the tree branch where she +sat, and then the fox couldn't get it. And oh! how disappointed he was +and how he did gnash his teeth. + +And then, before he could grab Bully and eat him up, the frog boy leaped +into the pond and swam out and got Kittie's basket and the cornmeal pie +before it sank. And then Bully swam to a floating log, and crawled out +on it with the basket, which wasn't harmed in the least, nor was the +pie, either. + +And the fox sat upon the shore of the pond, and first he looked at +Bully, and wished he could eat him, and then he looked at Kittie, and he +wished he could eat her, and then he looked at the cocoanut, which +Kittie held in her claws, and he couldn't eat that, and he couldn't eat +the cornmeal pie--in fact, he had nothing to eat. + +Then, all of a sudden, along came Percival, the kind old circus dog, and +he barked at that fox, and nipped his tail and the fox ran away, and +Kittie and Bully were then safe. Bully came off the log, and Kittie came +down out of the tree and they both went on home after thanking Percival +most kindly. + +Now, in case my little girl's tricycle doesn't roll down hill and bunk +into the peanut man and make him spill his ice cream, I'll tell you next +about Bawly helping his teacher. + + + + +STORY XXVII + +HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER + + +It was quite warm in the schoolroom one day, and the teacher of the +animal children, who was a nice young lady robin, had all the windows +open. But even then it was still warm, and the pupils, including Bully +and Bawly No-Tail, the frog boys, and Lulu and Alice and Jimmie +Wibblewobble, the ducks, weren't doing much studying. + +Every now and then they would look out of the window toward the green +fields, and the cool, pleasant woods, where the yellow and purple +violets were growing, and they wished they were out there instead of in +school. + +"My, it's hot!" whispered Bully to Bawly, and of course it was wrong to +whisper in school, but perhaps he didn't think. + +"Yes, I wish we could go swimming," answered Bawly, and the teacher +heard the frog brothers talking together. + +"Oh, Bully and Bawly," she said, as she turned around from the +blackboard, where she was drawing a picture of a house, so the children +could better learn how to spell it, "I am sorry to hear you whispering. +You will both have to stay in after school." + +Well, of course Bully and Bawly didn't like that, but when you do wrong +you have to suffer for it, and when the other animal boys and girls ran +out after school, to play marbles and baseball, and skip rope, and jump +hop-scotch and other games, the frog boys had to stay in. + +They sat in the quiet schoolroom, and the robin teacher did some writing +in her books. And Bawly looked out of the window over at the baseball +game. And Bully looked out of the window over toward the swimming pond. +And the teacher looked out of the window at the cool woods, where those +queer flowered Jack-in-the-pulpits grew, and she too, wished she was out +there instead of in the schoolroom. + +"Well, if you two boys are sorry you whispered, and promise that you +won't do it again, you may go," said the teacher after a while, when she +had looked out of the window once more. "You know it isn't really wicked +to whisper in school, only it makes you forget to study, and sometimes +it makes other children forget to study, and that's where the wrong part +comes in." + +"I'm sorry, teacher," said Bully. + +"You may go," said the young robin lady with a smile. "How about you, +Bawly?" + +"I'm not!" he exclaimed, real cross-like, "and I'll whisper again," for +all the while Bawly had been thinking how mean the teacher was to keep +him in when he wanted to go out and play ball. + +The robin lady teacher looked very much surprised at the frog boy, but +she only said, "Very well, Bawly. Then you can't go." + +So Bully hurried out, and Bawly and the teacher stayed there. + +Bawly kept feeling worse and worse, and he began to wish that he had +said he was sorry. He looked at the teacher, and he saw that she was +gazing out of the window again, toward the woods, where there were +little white flowers, like stars, growing by the cool, green ferns. And +Bawly noticed how tired the teacher looked, and as he watched he was +sure he saw a tear in each of her bright eyes. And finally she turned to +him and said: + +"It is so nice out of doors, Bawly, that I can't keep you here any +longer, no matter whether you are sorry or not. But I hope you'll be +sorry to-morrow, and won't whisper again. For it helps me when boys and +girls don't whisper. Run out now, and have a good time. I wish I could +go, but I have some work to do," and then with her wing she patted Bawly +on his little green head, and opened the door for him. + +Bawly felt rather queer as he hopped out, and he didn't feel like +playing ball, after all. Instead he hopped off to the woods, and sat +down under a big Jack-in-the-pulpit to think. And he thought of how his +teacher couldn't live in the nice green country as he did, for she had +to stay in a boarding-house in the city, to be near her school, and she +couldn't see the flowers growing in the woods as often as could Bawly, +for she nearly always had to stay in after school to write in the +report-books. + +"I--I wish I hadn't whispered," Bawly said to himself. "I--I'm going to +help teacher after this. I'll tell her I'm sorry, and--and I guess I'll +bring her some flowers for her desk." + +Every one wondered what made Bawly so quiet that evening at home. He +studied his lessons, and he didn't want to go out and play ball with +Bully. + +"I hope he isn't going to be sick," said his mamma, anxious-like. + +"Oh! I guess maybe he's got a touch of water-lily fever," said Grandpa +Croaker. "A few days of swimming will make him all right again." + +Bawly got up very early the next morning, and without telling any one +where he was going he hopped over to the woods, and gathered a lot of +flowers. + +Oh, such a quantity as he picked! There were purple violets, and yellow +ones, and white ones, and some wild, purple asters, and some blue +fringed gentian, and some lovely light-purple wild geraniums, and +several Jacks-in-the-pulpit, and many other kinds of flowers. And he +made them into a nice bouquet with some ferns on the outside. + +Then, just as he was hopping to school, what should happen but that a +great big alligator jumped out of the bushes at him. + +"Ha! What are you doing in my woods," asked the alligator, crossly. + +"If--if you please, I'm getting some flowers for my teacher, because I +whispered," said Bawly. + +"Oh, in that case it's all right," said the alligator, smacking his +jaws. "I like school teachers. Give her my regards," and would you +believe it? the savage creature crawled off, taking his double-jointed +tail with him, and didn't hurt Bawly a bit. The flowers made the +alligator feel kind and happy. + +Well, Bawly got to school all right, before any of the other children +did, and he put the flowers on teacher's desk, and he wrote a little +note, saying: + +"Dear teacher, I'm sorry I whispered, but I'm going to help you to-day, +and not talk." + +And Bawly didn't. It was quite hard in school that day, but at last it +was over. And, just when the children were going home, the robin lady +teacher said: + +"Boys and girls, you have all helped me very much to-day by being good, +and I thank you. And something else helped me. It was these flowers that +Bawly brought me, for they remind me of the woods where I used to play +when I was a little girl," and then she smelled of the flowers, and +Bawly saw something like two drops of water fall from the teacher's eyes +right into one of the Jacks-in-the-pulpit. I wonder if it was water? + +And then school was over and all the children ran out to play and Bawly +thought he never had had so much fun in all his life as when he and +Bully and some of the others had a ball game, and Bawly knocked a fine +home run. + +Now, in case the cuckoo clock doesn't fall down off the wall and spatter +the rice pudding all over the parlor carpet, I'll tell you in the story +after this one about Bully and Sammie Littletail. + + + + +STORY XXVIII + +BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL + + +One day when the nice young lady robin school teacher, about whom I told +you last night, called the roll of her class, to see if all the animal +children were there, Samuel Littletail, the rabbit boy, didn't answer. + +"Why, I wonder where Sammie can be?" asked the teacher. "Has anyone seen +him this morning?" + +They all shook their heads, and Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, answered: + +"If you please, teacher, perhaps his sister, Susie, knows." + +"Oh, of course! Why didn't I think to ask her?" said the teacher. So she +looked over on the girls' side of the room, but, would you believe it? +Susie, the rabbit girl, wasn't there either. + +"That is very odd," said the teacher, "both Sammie and Susie out! I hope +they haven't the epizootic, or the mumps, or carrot fever, or anything +like that. Well, we'll go on with our lessons, and perhaps they will +come in later." + +So the first thing the pupils did was to sing a little song, and though +I can't make up very nice ones, I'll do the best I can to give you an +idea of it. This is how it went, to the tune, "Tum-Tum-Tum, Tiddle +De-um!" + + Good morning! How are you? + We hope you're quite well. + We're feeling most jolly, + So hark to us spell. + + C-A and a T, with + A dot on the eye. + Makes cat, dog or rat, + Or a bird in the sky. + + Take two and two more. + What have you? 'Tis five! + What? Four? Oh, of course, + See the B in the hive. + + Now sing the last verse, + Ah, isn't it pretty? + We're glad that you like + Our dear little kittie. + +Well, after the children had sung that they all looked around to see if +Sammie or Susie had come in, but they hadn't, and then the lessons +began, and everyone got a perfect mark. Still the rabbit children didn't +come, and after school Bully No-Tail said: + +"I think I'll stop at Sammie's house and see what is the matter." + +"I wish you would," spoke the teacher, "and then you can tell us +to-morrow. I hope he is not ill." + +But Sammie was worse than ill, as Bully very soon found out when he got +to the house. He found Mr. and Mrs. Littletail very much excited. Mrs. +Littletail was crying, and so was Susie, and as for Nurse Jane +Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat lady, she was washing up the dishes so fast +that she broke a cup and saucer and dropped a knife and spoon. And Uncle +Wiggily Longears was limping around on his crutch, striped red, white +and blue like a barber pole, and saying: "Oh dear! Oh dear me! Oh hum +suz dud." + +"Why, whatever has happened?" asked Bully. "Is Sammie dead?" + +"Worse than that," said Susie, wiping her eyes on her apron. + +"Much worse," chimed in Uncle Wiggily. "Just think, Bully, when Sammie +was starting off for school this morning, he went off in the woods a +little way to see if he could find a wild carrot, when a big boy rushed +up, grabbed him, and put him in a bag before any of us could save him! +And now he's gone! Completely gone!" + +"So that's why he didn't come to school to-day," said Nurse Jane sadly. + +"And I didn't feel like coming either," spoke Susie, crying some more. +"I tried to find Sammie, but I couldn't. Oh dear! Boo hoo!" + +"We all tried to find him," said Mr. Littletail sadly. + +"But we can't," added Mrs. Littletail still more sadly. "Our Sammie is +gone! The bad boy has him!" + +"Oh, that is awful!" cried Bully. "But I'll see if I can't find him for +you." + +So Bully hopped off through the woods, hoping he could find where the +boy lived who had taken Sammie away with him. + +"And if I find him I'll help Sammie to get away," thought Bully. So he +went on and on, but for a long time he couldn't find Sammie. For, +listen, the boy who had caught the little rabbit had taken Sammie home, +and had made a cage for him. + +"I'm going to keep you forever," said the boy, looking in through the +wire cage at Sammie. "I've always wanted a rabbit and now I have one." +Well, poor Sammie asked the boy to let him go, but the boy didn't +understand rabbit language, and maybe he wouldn't have let the bunny go, +anyhow. + +Well, it was getting dark, and Sammie was very much frightened in his +cage, and he was wondering whether any of his friends would find him, +and help him escape. + +"I'll call out loud, so they'll know where to look for me," he said, and +he grunted as loudly as he could and whistled through his twinkling +nose. + +Well, it happened that just then Bully was hopping up a little hill, and +he heard Sammie calling. + +"That's Sammie!" exclaimed Bully. "Now, if I can only rescue him!" + +So the frog boy hopped on farther, and pretty soon he came to the yard +of the house where the boy lived. And Bully peeped in through a knothole +in the fence, and he saw Sammie in the cage. + +"I'm here, Sammie!" cried Bully through the hole. "Don't be afraid, I'll +get you out of there." + +"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Sammie, clapping his paws. + +But, after he had said it, Bully saw that it wasn't going to be very +easy to get Sammie out, for the cage was very strong. The boy was in the +house cutting up some cabbage for the rabbit, and the little frog knew +he would have to work very quickly if he was to rescue Sammie. + +So Bully hunted until he found a place where he could crawl under the +fence, and he went close up to the cage, and what did he do but hop +inside, thinking he could unlock the door for Sammie. For Bully was +little enough to hop through between the holes in the wire, but Sammie +was too big to get out that way. + +But Bully couldn't open the door because the lock was too strong, and +the frog boy couldn't break the wire. + +"Oh, if Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy were only here!" he exclaimed, "she could +get us out of this trap very soon. But she isn't." + +"Let's both together try to break it," proposed Sammie, but they +couldn't do it. I don't know what they would have done, and perhaps +Sammie would have had to stay there forever, but at that moment along +came the old alligator. He looked through the knothole in the fence, and +he saw Sammie and Bully in the cage. + +"Ah, here is where I get a good dinner!" thought the alligator, so with +one savage and swooping sweep of his big, scaly tail, he smashed down +the fence and broke the cage all to pieces, but he didn't hurt Bully or +Sammie, very luckily, for they were in a far corner. + +"Now's our chance!" cried the frog. "Run, Sammie, run!" And they both +scudded away as fast as they could before the alligator could catch +them, or even before the boy could run out to see what the noise was. +And when the alligator saw the boy the savage creature flurried and +scurried away, taking his scalery-ailery tail with him, and the boy was +very much surprised when he saw that the rabbit was gone. + +But Sammie and Bully got safely home, and the next day Sammie went to +school as usual, just as if nothing had happened, and every one said +Bully was very brave to help him. + +So that's all for to-night, if you please, and in case the housecleaning +man gets all the ice cream up from under the sitting-room matting, and +makes a snowball of it for the poll parrot to play horse with, I'll tell +you next about Bully and Bawly going to the circus. + + + + +STORY XXIX + +BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS + + +"Oh, mamma, may we go?" exclaimed Bawly No-Tail one day as he came home +from school, and hopped into the house with such a big hop, that he +hopped right up into the frog lady's lap. + +"Go where?" asked Bawly's mother, wondering if the alligator were after +her son. + +"Oh, do please let us go!" cried Bully, hopping in after his brother. +Bully tried to stand on his head, but his foot slipped and he nearly +fell into the ink bottle. "Please let us go, mother?" + +"Where? Where?" she asked again, as Bawly hopped out of her lap. + +"To the circus!" cried Bully. + +"It's coming!" exclaimed Bawly. + +"Down in the vacant lots," went on Bully. + +"Oh, you ought to see the posters! Lions and tigers and elephants, and +men jumping in the air, and horses and--and--" + +Bawly had to stop for breath then, and so he couldn't say any more. +Neither could Bully. Oh, but they were excited, let me tell you. + +"May we go?" they both cried out again. + +"Well, I'll see," began their mother slowly. "I don't know--" + +"Oh, I guess you'd better let them go," spoke up Grandpa Croaker in his +deepest, rumbling voice. "I--I think I can spare the time to look after +them. I don't really want to go, you know, as I was going to play a game +of checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears, but I guess I can take the boys +to the circus. Ahem!" + +"Oh, goody!" cried Bawly, jumping up and down. + +"Where are you going?" asked their papa, just then coming in from the +wallpaper factory. + +"To the circus," said Bawly. "Grandpa Croaker will take us." + +"Ha! Hum!" exclaimed Papa No-Tail. "I am very busy, but I guess I can +spare the time to take you. We won't bother Grandpa." + +"Oh, it's no bother--none at all, I assure you," quickly spoke the +grandpa frog, in a thundering, rumbling voice. "We can both take them." + +"Well, I never heard of such a thing!" exclaimed Mamma No-Tail. "Any one +would think you two old men frogs wanted to go as much as the boys do. +But I guess it will be all right." + +So Bully and Bawly and their papa and their grandpa went to the circus +next day. And what do you think? Just as they were buying their tickets +if they didn't meet Uncle Wiggily Longears! And he had Sammie and Susie, +the rabbits, with him, and there was Aunt Lettie, the old lady goat, +with the three Wibblewobble children, and many other little friends of +Bully and Bawly. + +Well, that was a fine circus! There were lots of tents with flags on, +and outside were men selling pink lemonade and peanuts for the elephant, +and toy balloons, only those weren't for the elephant, you know, and +there were men shouting, and lots of excitement, and there was a side +show, with pictures outside the tent of a man swallowing swords by the +dozen, and also knives and forks, and another picture of a lady wrapping +a fat snake around her neck, because she was cold, I guess, and then you +could hear the lions roaring and the elephants trumpeting, and the band +was playing, and the peanut wagons were whistling like teakettles, +and--and--Oh! why, if I write any more about that circus I'll want to take +my typewriter, and put it away in a dark closet, and go to the show +myself! + +But anyhow it was very fine, and pretty soon Bully and Bawly and their +papa and grandpa were in the tent looking at the animals. They fed the +elephant peanuts until they had none for themselves, and they looked at +the camel with two humps, and at the one with only one hump, because I +s'pose he didn't have money enough to buy two, and then they went in the +tent where the real show was. + +Well it went off very fine. The big parade was over, and the men were +doing acts on the trapeze, and the trained seals were playing ball with +their noses, and the clowns were cutting up funny capers. And all at +once a man, with a shiny hat on, came out in the middle of the ring, and +said: + +"Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to call your attention to our jumping +dog, Nero. He is the greatest jumping dog in the world, and he will jump +over an elephant's back!" + +Well, the people clapped like anything after that, and a clown came out, +leading a dog. Everybody was all excited, especially when another clown +led out a big elephant. Then it was the turn of the dog to jump over the +elephant. Well, he tried it, but he didn't go over. The clown petted +him, and gave him a sweet cracker, and the dog tried it again, but he +couldn't do it. Then he tried once more and he fell right down under the +elephant, and the elephant lifted Nero up in his trunk, and set him +gently down on some straw. + +Then the clown took off his funny, pointed hat and said: + +"Ladies and gentlemen, I am very sorry, but my poor dog is sick and he +can't jump to-day, and I have nothing else that can jump over the +elephant's back." + +Every one felt quite disappointed at that, but still they were sorry for +the poor dog. The clown led him away, and the other clown was leading +the elephant off, when Bully said to Bawly: + +"Don't you think we could do that jump? We once did a big jump to get +away from the alligator, you know." + +"Let's try it," said Bawly. "Then the people won't be disappointed. Come +on." So they slipped from their seats, when their papa and grandpa were +talking to Uncle Wiggily about the trained seals, and those two frog +boys just hopped right into the middle of the circus ring. At first a +monkey policeman was going to put them out, but they made motions that +they wanted to jump over the elephant, for they couldn't speak policeman +talk, you know. + +"Ah ha! I see what they want," said the kind clown. "Well, I don't +believe they can do it, but let them try. It may amuse the people." So +he made the elephant go back to his place, and every one became +interested in what Bully and Bawly were going to do. + +"Are you already?" asked Bully of his brother. + +"Yes," answered Bawly. + +"Then take a long breath, and jump as hard as you can," said Bully. So +they both took long breaths, crouched down on their hind legs, and then +both together, simultaneously and most extraordinarily, they jumped. My, +what a jump it was! Bigger than the time when they got away from the +alligator. Right over the elephant's back they jumped, and they landed +on a pile of soft straw so they weren't hurt a bit. My! You should have +heard the people cheer and clap! + +"Good!" cried the clown. "That was a great jump! Will you stay in the +circus with me? I will pay you as much as I pay my dog." + +"Oh, no! They must go home," said their papa, as Bully and Bawly went +back to their seats. "That is, after the circus is over," said Mr. +No-Tail. + +So the frog boys saw the rest of the show, and afterward all their +friends told them how brave it was to do what they had done. + +And for a long time after that whenever any one mentioned what good +jumpers Bully and Bawly were, Sammie Littletail would say: + +"Ah, but you should have seen them in the circus one day." + +And on the next page, if the lilac bush in our back yard doesn't reach +in through the window, and take off my typewriter ribbon to wear to +Sunday school, I'll tell you about Bully and Bawly playing Indian. + + + + +STORY XXX + +BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN + + +It happened, once upon a time, after the circus had gone away from the +place where Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, lived that a Wild West +show came along. + +And my goodness! There were cowboys and cowgirls, and buffaloes and +steers and men with lassos, and Mexicans and Cossacks, and Indians! Real +Indians, mind you, that used to be wild, and scalp people, which was +very impolite to do, but they didn't know any better; the Indians didn't +I mean. Then they got tame and didn't scalp people any more. Yes, sir, +they were real Indians, and they had real feathers on them! + +Of course the feathers didn't belong to the Indians, the same as a +chicken's feathers, or a turkey's feathers belong to them. That is, the +feathers didn't grow on the Indians, even if they did seem to. No, the +Indians put them on for ornaments, just as ladies put plumes on their +hats with long hatpins. + +Well, of course, Bully and Bawly and the other boys all went to the Wild +West show, and when they got home about all they did for several days +was to play cowboys or Indians. Indians mostly, for they liked them the +best. And the boys gave regular warwhoop cries. + +"We'll have a new game," said Bully to Bawly one day. "We'll dress up +like the Indians did, and we'll go off in the woods, and we'll see if we +can capture white people." + +"Real?" asked Bawly. + +"No, only make-believe ones. And we'll build a camp fire, and take our +lunch, and sleep in the woods." + +"After dark?" asked Bawly. + +"Sure. Why not? Don't Indians sleep in the woods after dark?" + +"Oh, but they have real guns and knives to kill the bears with," +objected Bawly, "and our guns and knives will only be wooden." + +"Well, maybe it will be better to only pretend it's night in the woods," +agreed Bully. "We can go in a dark place under the trees, and make +believe it's night, and that will do just as well." + +So they agreed to do that way, and for the next few days the frog boys +were busy making themselves up to look like Indians. Their mother let +them take some old blankets, and they got some red and green chalk to +put on their faces for war paint, and they found a lot of feathers over +at the homes of Charlie and Arabella Chick, and the three Wibblewobble +duck children. These feathers they put around their heads, and down +their backs, as the Indians in the Wild West show did. + +"Now I guess we're ready to start off and hunt make-believe white +people," said Bawly one Saturday morning when there wasn't any school. + +"Have you the lunch? We mustn't forget that," spoke Bully. + +"Yes, I have it," his brother replied. "Take your bow and arrow, and +I'll carry the wooden gun." + +Off they started as brave as an elephant when he has a bag of peanuts in +his trunk. They hurried to the woods, so none of their friends would see +them, for Bully and Bawly wanted to have it all a surprise. And pretty +soon they were under the trees where it was quite dark. Bawly gave a big +hop, and landed up front beside his brother. + +"You mustn't walk here," said Bully. "Indians always go in single file, +one behind the other. Get behind me." + +"I--I'm afraid," said Bawly. + +"Of what?" asked his brother. "Indians are never afraid." + +"I--I'm afraid I might scare somebody," said Bawly. "I--I look so fierce +you know. I just saw myself reflected back there in a pond of water that +was like a looking-glass and I'm enough to scare anybody." + +"So much the better," said his brother. "You can scare the make-believe +white people whom we are going to capture and scalp. Get in behind me." + +"Wouldn't it be just as well if I pretended to walk behind you, and +still stayed up front here, beside you?" asked Bawly, looking behind +him. + +"Oh, I guess so," answered his brother. So the two frog boys, who looked +just like Indians, went on side by side though the woods. They looked +all around them for something to capture, but all that they saw was an +old lady hoptoad, going home from market. + +"Shall we capture her?" asked Bawly, getting his bow and arrow ready. + +"No," replied his brother. "She might tell mamma, and, anyhow, we +wouldn't want to hurt any of mamma's friends. We'll capture some of the +fellows." But Bully and Bawly couldn't seem to find any one, not even a +make-believe white person, and they were just going to sit down and eat +their lunch, anyhow, when they heard some one shouting: + +"Help! Help! Oh, some one please help me!" called a voice. + +"Some one's in trouble!" cried Bully. "Let's help them!" + +So he and his brother bravely hurried on through the woods, and soon +they came to a place where they could hear the voice more plainly. Then +they looked between the bushes, and what should they see but poor +Arabella Chick, and a big hand-organ monkey had hold of her, and the +monkey was slowly pulling all the feathers from Arabella's tail. + +"Oh, don't, please!" begged the little chicken girl. "Leave my feathers +alone." + +"No, I shan't!" answered the monkey. "I want the feathers to make a +feather duster, to dust off my master's hand-organ," and with that he +yanked out another handful. + +"Oh, will no one help me?" cried poor Arabella, trying to get away. +"I'll lose all my feathers!" + +"We must help her," said Bawly to Bully. + +"We surely must," agreed Bully. "Get all ready, and we'll shoot our +arrows at that monkey, and then we'll go out with our make-believe guns, +and shoot bang-bang-pretend-bullets at him, and then we'll holler like +the wild Indians, and the monkey will be so frightened that he'll run +away." + +Well, they did that. Zip-whizz! went two make-believe arrows at the +monkey. One hit him on the nose, and one on the leg, and the pain was +real, not make-believe. Then out from the bushes jumped Bully and Bawly, +firing their make-believe guns as fast as they could. + +Then they yelled like real Indians and when the monkey saw the red and +green and yellow and purple and pink and red feathers on the frog +Indians and saw their colored-chalk faces he was so frightened that he +wiggled his tail, blinked his eyes, clattered his teeth together, and, +dropping Arabella Chick, off he scrambled up a tree after a make-believe +cocoanut. + +"Now, you're safe!" cried Bully to the chicken girl. + +"Yes," said Bawly, "being Indians was some good after all, even if we +didn't capture any make-believe white people to scalp." + +So they sat down under the trees, and Arabella very kindly helped them +to eat the lunch, and she said she thought Indians were just fine, and +as brave as soldiers. + +So now we've reached the end of this story, and as you're sleepy you'd +better go to bed, and in case the piano key doesn't open the front door, +and go out to play hop-scotch on the sidewalk, I'll tell you next about +the Frogs' farewell hop. + + + + +STORY XXXI + +THE FROGS' FAREWELL HOP + + +One night Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, came home from his work in +the wallpaper factory with a bundle of something under his left front +leg. + +"What have you there, papa?" asked Bawly, as he scratched his nose on a +rough stone; "is it ice cream cones for us?" + +"No," said Mr. No-Tail, "it is not anything like that; but, anyhow, the +weather is almost warm enough for ice cream." + +"Is it some new kind of wallpaper that you hopped on to-day after you +dipped your feet in red and green ink?" asked Bully. + +"No," replied his papa. "I have here some wire to tack over the windows, +to keep out the flies and mosquitoes, for it is getting to be summer +now, and those insects will soon be flying and buzzing around." + +So after supper Mr. No-Tail, and his two boys, Bully and Bawly, tacked +the wire mosquito netting on the windows, and when they were all done +Mr. No-Tail went down to the corner drug store and he bought a quart of +ice cream, the kind all striped like a sofa cushion, and he and his wife +and Bully and Bawly sat out on the porch eating it with spoons out of a +dish, just as real as anything. + +"Oh dear me! There's a mosquito buzzing around!" suddenly exclaimed +Mamma No-Tail, as she ate the last of her cream. "They are on hand early +this year. I'm going in the house." + +"I'll go get my bean shooter, and see if I can kill that mosquito!" +exclaimed Bawly, who once went hunting after the buzzers, and shot quite +a number. But land sakes! it was so dark on the porch that he couldn't +see the buzzing mosquitoes though he blew a number of beans about, and +one hit Uncle Wiggily Longears on the nose, just as the old gentleman +rabbit was hopping over to play checkers with Grandpa Croaker. But Uncle +Wiggily forgave Bawly, as it was an accident, and as there was a little +ice cream left, the old gentleman rabbit and Grandpa Croaker ate it up. + +Well, something happened that night when they had all gone to bed. Along +about 12 o'clock, when it was all still and quiet, and when the little +mice were just coming out to play hide and seek and look for some +crackers and cheese, Bawly No-Tail felt some one pulling him out of bed. + +"Here! Hold on! Don't do that, Bully!" he cried. + +"What's the matter?" asked his brother. "Are you dreaming or talking in +your sleep? I'm not doing anything." + +"Aren't you pulling me out of bed?" asked Bawly, and he had to grab hold +of the bedpost to prevent himself falling to the floor. + +"Why, no, I'm in my own bed," answered Bully. "Oh, dear me! Oh, suz dud! +Some one's pulling me, too!" And he let out such a yell that Mamma +No-Tail came running in with a light. And what do you think she saw? + +Why two, great, big buzzing mosquitoes flew out of the window through a +hole in the wire netting, and it was those mosquitoes who had been +trying to pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, so they could fly away with +them to eat them up. + +"Oh, my! How bold those mosquitoes are this year!" exclaimed the mamma +frog. "They actually bit a hole in the wire screen." + +"They did, eh?" cried Papa No-Tail. "Well, I'll fix that!" So he got a +hammer and some more wire, and he mended the hole which the mosquitoes +had made. Then Bully and Bawly went to sleep again. They were afraid the +mosquitoes would come in once more, but though the savage insects buzzed +around outside for quite a while, the screen was too strong for them +this time, and they didn't get in the house. + +"If this keeps on," said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped off to work next +morning, "we'll have to go to a place where there are no mosquitoes." + +Well, that night the same thing happened. Along about 1 o'clock Bully +felt some one pulling him out of bed, and he cried, and his mamma came +with a light, and there was another mosquito, twice as big as before, +with a long sharp bill, and long, dingly-dangly legs, and buzzy-uzzy +wings, just skeddadling out of the window. + +"There! They've bitten another hole in the screen!" cried Mrs. No-Tail. +"Oh, this is getting terrible!" + +"I'll put double screens on to-morrow," said Papa No-Tail, and he did. +But would you believe it? Those mosquitoes still came. The big ones +couldn't make their way through the two nets, but lots of the little +ones came in. One would manage to get his head through the wire, and +then all his friends would push and pull on him until he was inside, +then another would wiggle in, and that's how they did it. Then they went +and hid down cellar, until they grew big enough to bite. + +And, though these mosquitoes couldn't pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, +for the pestiferous insects weren't strong enough, they nipped the frog +boys all over, until their legs and arms and faces and noses and ears +smarted and burned terribly, and their mamma had to put witch hazel and +talcum powder on the bites. + +"I can see that we'll soon have to get away from here," said Papa +No-Tail, one morning, when the mosquitoes had been very bad and +troublesome in the night. "They come right through the screens," he +said. "Now we'll hop off to the mountains or seashore, where there are +no mosquitoes." + +"Don't you s'pose Bully and I could sit up some night and kill them with +our bean shooters?" said Bawly. + +"You may try," said his papa. So the two frog boys tried it that night. +They sat up real late, and they shot at several mosquitoes that came in, +and they hit some. And then Bully and Bawly fell asleep, and the first +thing you know the mosquitoes buzzing outside heard them snoring, and +they bit a big hole right through the double screen this time, and were +just pulling Bully and Bawly out of bed, when the frog boys' mamma heard +them crying, and came with the lamp, scaring the savage insects away. + +"There is no use talking!" said Papa No-Tail. "We will hop off in the +morning. We'll say good-by to this place." + +So the next morning the frogs packed up, and they sent word to all their +friends that they were going to take their farewell hop to the +mountains, where there were no more mosquitoes. + +Oh such a crowd as gathered to see them hop away! There was Sammie and +Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble, and Munchie and Dottie Trot, and Peetie and +Jackie Bow Wow, and Uncle Wiggily Longears and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy +and Buddy Pigg and all the other animal friends. + +Away hopped Papa No-Tail, and away hopped Mamma No-Tail, and then +Grandpa Croaker and Bully and Bawly hopped after them, calling good-bys +to all their friends. Every one waved his handkerchief and Susie +Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk cried a little bit, for they liked Bully +and Bawly very much, and didn't like to see them hop away. + +And what do you think? Some of the mosquitoes were so mean that they +flew out of the woods and tried to bite the frogs as they were hopping +away. But Bully and Bawly had their bean shooters and they shot a number +of the creatures, so the rest soon flew off and hid in a hollow tree. + +"I'm coming to see you some time!" called Uncle Wiggily Longears to +Bully and Bawly. "Be good boys!" + +"Yes, we'll be good!" promised Bully. + +"As good as we can," added his brother Bawly, as he tickled Grandpa +Croaker with the bean shooter. + +Then the No-Tail family of frogs hopped on and on, until they came to a +nice place in the woods, where there was a little pond, covered with +duck weed, in which they could swim. + +"Here is where we will make our new home," said Papa No-Tail. + +"Oh, how lovely it is," said Mrs. No-Tail, as she sat down to rest under +a toadstool umbrella, for the sun was shining. + +"Ger-umph! Ger-umph!" said Grandpa Croaker, in his deep, bass voice. +"Very nice indeed." + +"Fine!" cried Bully. + +"Dandy!" said Bawly. "Come on in for a swim," and into the pond jumped +the two frog boys. And they lived happily there in the woods for ever +after. + +So now we have come to the end of this book. But, if you would like to +hear them, I have more stories to tell you. And I think I will make the +next book about some goat children. Nannie and Billie Wagtail were their +names, and the book will be called after them--"Nannie and Billie +Wagtail." The goat children wagged their little, short tails, and did +the funniest things; eating pictures off tin cans, and nibbling +bill-board circus posters of elephants and lions and tigers. And there +was Uncle Butter, the goat gentleman, who pasted wallpaper, and Aunt +Lettie, the old lady goat, and---- + +But there, I will let you read the book yourself and find out all that +happened to Nannie and Billie Wagtail. And until you do read that, I +will just say good-bye, for a little while. + +THE END + + + + +The Broncho Rider Boys Series +By FRANK FOWLER + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid + +A series of stirring stories for boys, breathing the +adventurous spirit that lives in the wide plains and lofty +mountain ranges of the great West. These tales will delight +every lad who loves to read of pleasing adventure in the open; +yet at the same time the most careful parent need not hesitate +to place them in the hands of the boy. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ; or, +Upholding the Honor of the Stars and Stripes. + +When trouble breaks out between this country and Mexico, the +boys are eager to join the American troops under General +Funston. Their attempts to reach Vera Cruz are fraught with +danger, but after many difficulties, they manage to reach the +trouble zone, where their real adventures begin. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS AT KEYSTONE RANCH; or, Three Chums of +the Saddle and Lariat. + +In this story the reader makes the acquaintance of three +devoted chums. The book begins in rapid action, and there is +"something doing" up to the very time you lay it down. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS DOWN IN ARIZONA; or A Struggle for the +Great Copper Lode. + +The Broncho Rider Boys find themselves impelled to make a +brave fight against heavy odds, in order to retain possession +of a valuable mine that is claimed by some of their relatives. +They meet with numerous strange and thrilling perils and every +wide-awake boy will be pleased to learn how the boys finally +managed to outwit their enemies. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER; or, The Hidden +Treasure of the Zuni Medicine Man. + +Once more the tried and true comrades of camp and trail are in +the saddle. In the strangest possible way they are drawn into +a series of exciting happenings among the Zuni Indians. +Certainly no lad will lay this book down, save with regret. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ON THE WYOMING TRAIL; or, A Mystery of +the Prairie Stampede. + +The three prairie pards finally find a chance to visit the +Wyoming ranch belonging to Adrian, but managed for him by an +unscrupulous relative. Of course, they become entangled in a +maze of adventurous doings while in the Northern cattle +country. How the Broncho Rider Boys carried themselves through +this nerve-testing period makes intensely interesting reading. + +THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS; or, The +Smugglers of the Rio Grande. + +In this volume, the Broncho Rider Boys get mixed up in the +Mexican troubles, and become acquainted with General Villa. In +their efforts to prevent smuggling across the border, they +naturally make many enemies, but finally succeed in their +mission. + + + + +The Boy Scouts Series +By HERBERT CARTER + +Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; or, Caught Between +the Hostile Armies. In this volume we follow the thrilling +adventures of the boys in the midst of the exciting struggle +abroad. + +THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Secret of +Alligator Swamp. Startling experiences awaited the comrades +when they visited the Southland. But their knowledge of +woodcraft enabled them to overcome all difficulties. + +THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA. A story of +Burgoyne's defeat in 1777. + +THE BOY SCOUTS' FIRST CAMP FIRE; or, Scouting with the +Silver Fox Patrol. This book brims over with woods lore and +the thrilling adventure that befell the Boy Scouts during +their vacation in the wilderness. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE BLUE RIDGE; or, Marooned Among the +Moonshiners. This story tells of the strange and mysterious +adventures that happened to the Patrol in their trip among the +moonshiners of North Carolina. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting through the Big +Game Country. The story recites the adventures of the members +of the Silver Fox Patrol with wild animals of the forest +trails and the desperate men who had sought a refuge in this +lonely country. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or, The New Test for the +Silver Fox Patrol. Thad and his chums have a wonderful +experience when they are employed by the State of Maine to act +as Fire Wardens. + +THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; or, The Search for the +Lost Tenderfoot. A serious calamity threatens the Silver Fox +Patrol. How apparent disaster is bravely met and overcome by +Thad and his friends, forms the main theme of the story. + +THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret of the Hidden +Silver Mine. The boys' tour takes them into the wildest +region of the great Rocky Mountains and here they meet with +many strange adventures. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or, Marooned Among the +Game Fish Poachers. Thad Brewster and his comrades find +themselves in the predicament that confronted old Robinson +Crusoe; only it is on the Great Lakes that they are wrecked +instead of the salty sea. + +THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; or, The Silver Fox +Patrol Caught in a Flood. The boys of the Silver Fox Patrol, +after successfully braving a terrific flood, become entangled +in a mystery that carries them through many exciting +adventures. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes + +1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. + +2. Typographic errors corrected in original: + p. 50 though to thought ("Bully thought of his bag") + p. 62 "out out" to "out" ("life out of me") + p. 204 think to thing ("first thing you know") + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. Garis + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + +***** This file should be named 18599.txt or 18599.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/5/9/18599/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Garis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bully and Bawly No-Tail + +Author: Howard R. Garis + +Illustrator: Louis Wisa + +Release Date: June 16, 2006 [EBook #18599] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-001' id='illus-001'></a> +<img src='images/illus-cov.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class='major'/> + +<table width='470' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr> + <td align='center'> + <span style='font-size: 100%;'><br /><i>BEDTIME STORIES</i></span><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 180%;'>Bully and Bawly No-Tail</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 120%;'>(THE JUMPING FROGS)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'>BY</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 100%;'>HOWARD R. GARIS</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'>Author of <span class='smcap'>“Sammie and Susie Littletail,”</span></span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'><span class='smcap'>“Uncle Wiggily’s Automobile,” “Daddy Takes Us Camp-</span></span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'><span class='smcap'>ing,” “The Smith Boys,” “The Island</span></span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'><span class='smcap'>Boys,” etc.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 100%;'><i>ILLUSTRATED BY LOUIS WISA</i></span><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <span style='font-size: 120%;'>A. L. BURT COMPANY</span><br /> + <span style='font-size: 80%;'>PUBLISHERS - - NEW YORK</span><br /><br /> + </td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr class='major'/> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-002' id='illus-002'></a> +<img src='images/illus-fpc.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class='full'/> + +<table width='470' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> +<col style='width:100%;' /> +<tr><td> +<table width='90%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='0'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + +<p style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:120%'>THE FAMOUS</span><br/> +<span style='font-size:150%'>BED TIME SERIES</span></p> + +<p>Five groups of books, intended for reading aloud to the little folks +each night. Each volume contains 8 colored illustrations, 31 stories, +one for each day of the month. Handsomely bound in cloth. Size 6-1/2 x +8-1/4.</p> + +<p style='text-align:center'><b>Price 60 cents per volume, postpaid</b></p> + +<p style='text-align:center'><b>HOWARD R. GARIS’</b><br/> +<b>Bed Time Animal Stories</b></p> +<p>No. 1. SAMMIE AND SUSIE LITTLETAIL<br /> +No. 2. JOHNNY AND BILLY BUSHYTAIL<br /> +No. 3. LULU, ALICE & JIMMIE WIBBLEWOBBLE<br /> +No. 5. JACKIE AND PEETIE BOW-WOW<br /> +No. 7. BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG<br /> +No. 9. JOIE, TOMMIE AND KITTIE KAT<br /> +No. 10 CHARLIE AND ARABELLA CHICK<br /> +No. 14 NEDDIE AND BECKIE STUBTAIL<br /> +No. 16 BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL<br /> +No. 20 NANNIE AND BILLIE WAGTAIL<br /> +No. 28 JOLLIE AND JILLIE LONGTAIL +</p> +<br/> +<p style='text-align:center'><b>Uncle Wiggily Bed Time Stories</b></p> + +<p>No. 4 UNCLE WIGGILY’S ADVENTURES<br /> +No. 6 UNCLE WIGGILY’S TRAVELS<br /> +No. 8 UNCLE WIGGILY’S FORTUNE<br /> +No. 11 UNCLE WIGGILY’S AUTOMOBILE<br /> +No. 19 UNCLE WIGGILY AT THE SEASHORE<br /> +No. 21 UNCLE WIGGILY’S AIRSHIP<br /> +No. 27 UNCLE WIGGILY IN THE COUNTRY +</p> +<p style='text-align:center'>For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the +publishers</p> +<p style='text-align:center'> +<b>A. L. BURT CO., 114-120 East 23d St., New York</b></p> + </td></tr> + </table> + </td></tr> +</table> + +<p style='text-align:center;font-size:80%'>Copyright, 1915, by<br/>R. F. FENNO & COMPANY</p> +<hr class='minor' /> +<p style='text-align:center;font-size:80%'>BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> + +<p style='margin-left:20%; margin-right:20%; text-align: left;'>The stories herein contained appeared originally in the Evening News, of +Newark, N. J., where (so many children and their parents were kind +enough to say) they gave pleasure to a number of little folks and +grown-ups also. Permission to issue the stories in book form was kindly +granted by the publisher and editor of the News, to whom the author +extends his thanks.</p> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<h2><a name='Contents' id='Contents'></a>Contents</h2> +<div class='smcap'> +<table border='0' width='550' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='Contents'> +<col style='width:25%;' /> +<col style='width:65%;' /> +<col style='width:10%;' /> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY I</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_I'>9</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY II</td><td align='left'>BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_II'>15</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY III</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_III'>21</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY IV</td><td align='left'>BULLY’S AND BAWLY’S BIG JUMP</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_IV'>26</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY V</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_V'>34</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY VI</td><td align='left'>PAPA NO-TAIL IN TROUBLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_VI'>40</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY VII</td><td align='left'>BULLY NO-TAIL PLAYS MARBLES</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_VII'>46</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY VIII</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_VIII'>52</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY IX</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_IX'>58</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY X</td><td align='left'>BAWLY NO-TAIL AND JOLLIE LONGTAIL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_X'>65</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XI</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XI'>71</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XII</td><td align='left'>BAWLY NO-TAIL GOES HUNTING</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XII'>77</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XIII</td><td align='left'>PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XIII'>83</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XIV</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XIV'>90</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XV</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XV'>97</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XVI</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XVI'>104</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XVII</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XVII'>110</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XVIII</td><td align='left'>MRS. NO-TAIL AND MRS. LONGTAIL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XVIII'>117</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XIX</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XIX'>123</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XX</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XX'>128</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXI</td><td align='left'>GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXI'>135</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXII</td><td align='left'>PAPA NO-TAIL AND NANNIE GOAT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXII'>141</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXIII</td><td align='left'>MRS. NO-TAIL AND NELLIE CHIP-CHIP</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXIII'>148</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXIV</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXIV'>154</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXV</td><td align='left'>BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXV'>161</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXVI</td><td align='left'>BULLY NO-TAIL AND KITTIE KAT</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXVI'>168</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXVII</td><td align='left'>HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXVII'>174</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXVIII</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXVIII'>180</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXIX</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXIX'>186</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXX</td><td align='left'>BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXX'>194</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>STORY XXXI</td><td align='left'>THE FROGS’ FAREWELL HOP</td><td align='right'><a href='#STORY_XXXI'>200</a></td></tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<h1>BULLY AND BAWLY NO-TAIL</h1> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_I' id='STORY_I'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_9' id='Page_9'>[Pg 9]</a></span> +<h2>STORY I</h2><h3>BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Once upon a time, not so very many years ago, there were two little frog +boys who lived in a little pond near a nice big farm. It wasn’t very far +from where Peetie and Jackie Bow-Wow, the puppy dogs, had their home, +and the frogs’ house was right next door to the pen where Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble the ducks lived.</p> + +<p>There was Bully No-Tail, and his brother Bawly No-Tail, and the reason +Bawly had such a funny name was because when he was a little baby he +used to cry a good bit. And once he cried so much that he made a lot +more water in the pond than should have been there, and it ran over, +just like when you put too much milk in your glass, and made the ground +all wet.</p> + +<p>The last name of the frogs was “No-Tail,” because, being frogs, you see, +they had no tails.</p> + +<p>But now Bawly was larger, and he didn’t cry<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_10' id='Page_10'>[Pg 10]</a></span> so much, I’m glad to say. +And with the frog boys lived their papa and mamma, and also a nice, big, +green and yellow spotted frog who was named Grandpa Croaker. Oh, he was +one of the nicest frogs I have ever known, and I have met quite a +number.</p> + +<p>One day when Bully and Bawly were hopping along on the ground, close to +the edge of the pond, Bully suddenly said:</p> + +<p>“Bawly, I think I can beat you in a swimming race.”</p> + +<p>“I don’t believe you can,” spoke Bawly, as he thoughtfully scratched his +left front leg on a piece of hickory bark.</p> + +<p>“Well, we’ll try,” said Bully. “We’ll see who can first swim to the +other side of the pond, and whoever does it will get a stick of +peppermint candy.”</p> + +<p>“Where can we get the candy?” asked Bawly. “Have you got it? For if you +have I wish you’d give me a bite before we jump in the water, Bully.”</p> + +<p>“No, I haven’t it,” replied his brother. “But I know Grandpa Croaker +will give it to us after the race. Come on, let’s jump in.”</p> + +<p>So the next minute into the pond jumped those two frog boys, and they +didn’t take off their shoes or their stockings, nor even their coats or<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_11' id='Page_11'>[Pg 11]</a></span> +waists, nor yet their neckties. For you see they wore the kind of +clothes which water couldn’t hurt, as they were made of rubber, like a +raincoat. Their mamma had to make them that kind, because they went in +the water so often.</p> + +<p>Into the pond the frogs jumped, and they began swimming as fast as they +could. First Bully was a little distance ahead, and then Bawly would +kick out his front legs and his hind legs, and he would be in the lead.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to win! I’ll get the peppermint candy!” Bawly called to his +brother, winking his two eyes right in the water, as easily as you can +put your doll to sleep, or play a game of marbles.</p> + +<p>“No. I’ll beat!” declared Bully. “But if I get the candy I’ll give you +some.”</p> + +<p>So they swam on, faster and faster, making the water splash up all +around them like a steamboat going to a picnic.</p> + +<p>Well, the frogs were almost half way across the pond, when Lulu and +Alice Wibblewobble, the duck girls, came out of their pen. They had just +washed their faces and their yellow bills, and had put on their new hair +ribbons, so they looked very nice, and proper.</p> + +<p>“Oh, see Bully and Bawly having a swimming race!” exclaimed Lulu. “I +think Bully will win!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_12' id='Page_12'>[Pg 12]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I think Bawly will!” cried Alice. “See, he is ahead!”</p> + +<p>“No, Bully is ahead now,” called Lulu, and surely enough so Bully was, +having made a sudden jump in the water.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, before you could take all the seeds out of an +apple or an orange, if you had one with seeds in, Bawly disappeared from +sight down under the water. He vanished just as the milk goes out of +baby’s bottle when she drinks it all up.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” cried Lulu. “Bawly is going to swim under water!”</p> + +<p>“That’s so he can win the race easier, I guess,” spoke Alice.</p> + +<p>“What’s that?” asked Bully, wiggling his two eyes.</p> + +<p>“Your brother has gone down under the water!” cried the two duck girls +together.</p> + +<p>“So he has!” exclaimed Bully, glancing around. And then, when he had +looked down, he cried out: “Oh, a great big fish has hold of Bawly’s +toes, and he’s going to eat him, I guess! I must save my brother!”</p> + +<p>Bully didn’t think anything more about the race after that. No, indeed, +and some tomato ketchup, too! Down under water he dived, and he swam +close up to the fish who was pulling poor<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_13' id='Page_13'>[Pg 13]</a></span> Bawly away to his den in +among a lot of stones.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let my brother go, if you please!” called Bully to the fish.</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not,” was the answer, and then the big fish flopped his tail +like a fan and made such a wave that poor Bully was upset, turning a +somersault in the water. But that didn’t scare him, and when he had +turned over right side up again he swam to the fish once more and said:</p> + +<p>“If you don’t let my brother go I’ll call a policeman!”</p> + +<p>“No policeman can catch me!” declared the fish, boldly, and in a saucy +manner.</p> + +<p>“Oh, do something to save me!” cried poor Bawly, trying to pull his toes +away from the fish’s teeth, but he couldn’t.</p> + +<p>“I’ll save you!” shouted Bully, and then he took a stick, and tried to +put it in the fish’s mouth to make him open his jaws and let loose of +Bawly. But the stick broke, and the fish was swimming away faster than +ever. Then Bully popped his head out of the water and cried to the two +duck girls:</p> + +<p>“Oh, run and tell Grandpa Croaker! Tell him to come and save Bawly!”</p> + +<p>Well, Alice and Lulu wibbled and wobbled as fast as they could go to the +frog house, and told Grandpa Croaker, and the old gentleman gave<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_14' id='Page_14'>[Pg 14]</a></span> one +great big leap, and landed in the water right down close to where the +fish had Bawly by the toes.</p> + +<p>“Boom! Boom! Croak-croak-croaker-croak!” cried Grandpa in his deepest +bass voice. “You let Bawly go!” And, would you believe it, his voice +sounded like a cannon, or a big gun, and that fish was so frightened, +thinking he was going to be shot, that he opened his mouth and let Bawly +go. The frog boy’s toes were scratched a little by the teeth of the +fish, but he could still swim, and he and his brother and Grandpa were +soon safe on shore.</p> + +<p>“Well, I guess we won’t race any more to-day,” said Bawly. “Thank you +very much for saving me, Grandpa.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s all right,” said Mr. Croaker kindly. “Here is a penny for +each of you,” and he gave Bully and Bawly and Lulu and Alice each a +penny, and they bought peppermint candy, so Bully and Bawly had +something good to eat, even if they didn’t finish the race, and the bad +fish had nothing. Now, in case I see a green rose in bloom on the pink +lilac bush, I’ll tell you next about Bully making a water wheel.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_II' id='STORY_II'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_15' id='Page_15'>[Pg 15]</a></span> +<h2>STORY II</h2><h3>BULLY MAKES A WATER WHEEL</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was sitting out in the yard in front of his +house, with his knife and a lot of sticks. He was whittling the sticks, +and making almost as many chips and shavings as a carpenter, and as he +whittled away he whistled a funny little tune, about a yellow +monkey-doodle with a pink nose colored blue, who wore a slipper on one +foot, because he had no shoe.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon, along came Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, and he +perched on the fence in front of Bully, put his head on one side—not on +one side of the fence, you know, but on one side of his own little +feathered neck—and Dickie looked out of his bright little eyes at +Bully, and inquired:</p> + +<p>“What are you making?”</p> + +<p>“I am making a water-wheel,” answered the frog boy.</p> + +<p>“What! making a wheel out of water?” asked the birdie in great surprise. +“I never heard of such a thing.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_16' id='Page_16'>[Pg 16]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, no indeed!” exclaimed Bully with a laugh. “I’m making a wheel out +of wood, so that it will go ‘round and ‘round in the water, and make a +nice splashing noise. You see it’s something like the paddle-wheel of a +steamboat, or a mill wheel, that I’m making.”</p> + +<p>“And where are you going to get the water to make it go ‘round?” asked +Dickie.</p> + +<p>“Down by the pond,” answered Bully. “I know a little place where the +water falls down over the rocks, and I’m going to fasten a wooden wheel +there, and it will whizz around very fast!”</p> + +<p>“Does the water hurt itself when it falls down over the rocks?” asked +Dickie Chip-Chip. “Once I fell down over a little stone, and I hurt +myself quite badly.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no, water can’t hurt itself,” spoke Bully, as he made a lot more +shavings. “There, the wheel is almost done. Don’t you want to see it go +‘round, Dickie?”</p> + +<p>The little sparrow boy said that he did, so he and the frog started off +together for the pond. Dickie hopping along on the ground, and Bully +flying through the air.</p> + +<p>What’s that? I’m wrong? Oh, yes, excuse me. I see where I made the +mistake. Of course, Dickie flew through the air, and Bully hopped along +on the ground. Now we’re all straight.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_17' id='Page_17'>[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon they came to the pond and to the little place where +the water fell over the rocks and didn’t hurt itself, and there Bully +fastened his water-wheel, which was nearly as large as he was, and quite +heavy. He fixed it so that the water would drop on the wooden paddles +that stuck out like the spokes of the baby carriage wheels, and in a +short while it was going around as fast as an automobile, splashing the +drops of water up in the sunlight, and making them look like the +diamonds which pretty ladies wear on their fingers.</p> + +<p>“That’s a fine wheel!” cried Dickie. “I wonder if we could ride on it?”</p> + +<p>“I guess we could,” spoke Bully. “It’s like a merry-go-round, only it’s +turned up the wrong way. I’ll see if I can ride on it, and if it goes +all right with me you can try it.”</p> + +<p>So Bully hopped on the moving water-wheel, and, surely enough, he had a +fine ride, only, of course, he got all splashed up, but he didn’t care.</p> + +<p>“Do you mind getting your feathers wet?” he asked of Dickie as he hopped +off, “because if you don’t mind the wet, you can ride.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I don’t mind the wet a bit,” said the sparrow boy. “In fact, I take +a bath every morning and I wet my feathers then. So I’ll ride on the +wheel and get wet now.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_18' id='Page_18'>[Pg 18]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, he got on, and around the wheel went, splashing in the water, and +then Bully got on, and they both had a fine ride, just as if they were +in a rainstorm with the sun shining all the while.</p> + +<p>But listen. Something is going to happen, I think. Wait a minute—yes, +it’s going to happen right now. What’s that animal sneaking along +through the woods, closer and closer up to where Bully and Dickie are +playing? What is it, eh? A cat! I knew it. A bad cat, too! I could just +feel that something was going to happen.</p> + +<p>You see that cat was hungry, and she hoped to catch the sparrow and the +frog boy and eat them. Up she sneaked, walking as softly as a baby can +creep, and just then Dickie and Bully got off the wheel, and sat down on +the bank to eat a cookie, which Bully found in his water-proof pocket.</p> + +<p>“Now’s my chance!” thought the cat. “I’ll grab ’em both, and eat ’em!” +So she made a spring, but she didn’t jump quite far enough and she +missed both Bully and Dickie. Dickie flew up into a tree, and so he was +safe, but Bully couldn’t fly, though he hopped away.</p> + +<p>After him jumped the cat, and she cried:</p> + +<p>“I’ll get you yet!”</p> + +<p>Bully hopped some more, but the cat raced toward him, and nearly had the +froggie. Then began quite a chase. The cat was very quick,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_19' id='Page_19'>[Pg 19]</a></span> and she kept +after Bully so closely that she was making him very tired. Pretty soon +his jumps weren’t as long as they had been at first. And the cat was +keeping him away from the pond, too, for she knew if he jumped into that +he would get away, for cats don’t like water, or rain.</p> + +<p>But finally Bully managed to head himself back toward the pond, and the +cat was still after him. Oh, how savage she looked with her sharp teeth, +and her glaring eyes! Poor Bully was much frightened.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, as he hopped nearer and nearer to the pond, he thought +of a trick to play on that cat. He pretended that he could hardly hop +any more, and only took little steps. Nearer and nearer sneaked the cat, +lashing her tail. At last she thought she could give one big spring, and +land on Bully with her sharp claws.</p> + +<p>She did spring, but Dickie, up in the tree, saw her do it, and he called +to his friend Bully to look out. Then Bully gave a great big hop and +landed on the water-wheel, and the cat was so surprised that she jumped, +too, and before she knew it she had leaped on the wheel also. Around and +around it went, with Bully and the cat on it, and water splashed all +over, and the cat was so wet and miserable that she forgot all<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_20' id='Page_20'>[Pg 20]</a></span> about +eating Bully. But Bully only liked the water, and didn’t mind it a bit.</p> + +<p>Then the frog boy hopped off the wheel to the shore and hurried away, +with Dickie flying overhead, and the cat, who was now as wet as a +sponge, and very dizzy from the wheel going around so fast, managed to +jump ashore a little while afterward. But her fur was so wet and +plastered down that she couldn’t chase after Bully any more, and he got +safely home; and the cat had to stay in the sun all day to dry out. But +it served her right, I think.</p> + +<p>Now in case the little boy next door doesn’t take our baby carriage and +make an automobile of it, I’ll tell you next about Bawly and Uncle +Wiggily.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_III' id='STORY_III'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_21' id='Page_21'>[Pg 21]</a></span> +<h2>STORY III</h2><h3>BAWLY AND UNCLE WIGGILY</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the woods one +fine day, whistling a merry tune, and wondering if he would meet any of +his friends, with whom he might have a game of ball. He had a baseball +with him, and he was very fond of playing. I just wish you could have +seen him stand up on his hind legs and catch balls in his mouth. It was +as good as going to the best kind of a moving picture show. Perhaps some +day you may see Bawly.</p> + +<p>Well, as I said, he was hopping along, tossing the ball up into the air +and catching it, sometimes in his paw and sometimes in his mouth, when, +all of a sudden he heard a funny pounding noise, that seemed to be in +the bushes.</p> + +<p>“Gracious, I wonder what that can be!” exclaimed Bawly, looking around +for a good place to hide.</p> + +<p>He was just going to crawl under a hollow stump, for he thought perhaps +the noise might be made by a bad wolf, or a savage fox, sharpening<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_22' id='Page_22'>[Pg 22]</a></span> his +teeth on a hard log, when Bawly heard some one say:</p> + +<p>“There, I’ve dropped my hammer! Oh, dear! Now I’ll have to climb all the +way down and get it, I s’pose.”</p> + +<p>“Well, that doesn’t sound like a wolf or a fox,” thought Bawly. “I guess +it’s safe to go on.”</p> + +<p>So he didn’t hide under the stump, but hopped along, and in a little +while he came to a place in the woods where there were no trees, and, +bless you! if there wasn’t the cutest little house you’ve ever seen! It +wasn’t quite finished, and, in fact, up on the roof was Uncle Wiggily +Longears, the old gentleman rabbit, putting on the shingles to keep out +the rain if it came.</p> + +<p>“Oh, hello, Uncle Wiggily!” called Bawly, joyfully.</p> + +<p>“Hello,” answered the rabbit carpenter. “You are just in time, Bawly. +Would you mind handing me my hammer? It slipped and fell to the ground.”</p> + +<p>“Of course I’ll throw it up to you,” said Bawly, kindly. “But you had +better get behind the chimney, Uncle Wiggily, for I might hit you with +the hammer, though, of course, I wouldn’t mean to. You see I am a very +good thrower from having played ball so much.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_23' id='Page_23'>[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I see,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “Well, I’ll get behind the chimney.”</p> + +<p>So Bawly picked up the hammer and he threw it carefully toward the roof, +but, would you believe me, he threw it so hard that it went right over +the house, chimney and all, and fell down on the other side.</p> + +<p>“My! You are too strong!” exclaimed Uncle Wiggily laughing so that his +fur shook. “Try again, Bully, if you please.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m Bawly, not Bully,” said the frog boy.</p> + +<p>“Excuse me, that was my mistake,” spoke the old gentleman rabbit. “I’ll +get it right next time, Peetie—I mean Bawly.”</p> + +<p>Well, Bawly threw the hammer again, and this time it landed right on the +roof close to the chimney, and Uncle Wiggily picked it up and began +nailing on more shingles.</p> + +<p>“If you please,” asked Bawly, when he had watched the rabbit carpenter +put in about forty-’leven nails, “who is this house for?”</p> + +<p>“It is for Sammie and Susie Littletail,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “They +are going to have rabbit play-parties in it, and I hope you and Bully +will come sometimes.”</p> + +<p>“We’ll be glad to,” spoke Bawly. Then Uncle<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_24' id='Page_24'>[Pg 24]</a></span> Wiggily drove in another +nail, and the house was almost done.</p> + +<p>“How do you get up and down off the roof?” asked Bawly, who didn’t see +any ladder.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I slide up and down a rope,” answered Uncle Wiggily. “I have a +strong cord fastened to the chimney, and I crawl up it, just like a +monkey-doodle, and when I want to come down, I slide down. It’s better +than a ladder, and I can climb a rope very well, for I used to be a +sailor on a ship. See, here is the rope.”</p> + +<p>Well, he took hold of it, near where it was fastened to the chimney, to +show the frog boy how it was done, but, alas, and also alack-a-day! All +of a sudden that rope became untied, it slipped out of Uncle Wiggily’s +paw and fell to the ground! Now, what do you think about that?</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! Now I have gone and done it!” exclaimed the elderly rabbit, as +he leaned over the edge of the roof and looked down. “Now I am in a +pickle!—if you will kindly excuse the expression. How am I ever going +to get down? Oh, dear me, suz dud and a piece of sticking-plaster +likewise. Oh, me! Oh, my!”</p> + +<p>“Can’t you jump, Uncle Wiggily?” asked Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my, no! I might be killed. It’s too far! I could never jump off the +roof of a house.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_25' id='Page_25'>[Pg 25]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Perhaps you can climb down from one window shutter to the other, and so +get to the ground,” suggested Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No,” said Uncle Wiggily, looking over the edge of the house again. +“There are no window shutters on as yet. So I can’t climb on ’em.”</p> + +<p>Well, it did seem as if poor Uncle Wiggily would have to stay up there +on the roof for a long, long time, for there was no way of getting down.</p> + +<p>“If there was a load of hay here, you could jump on that, and you +wouldn’t be hurt,” said Bawly, scratching his nose.</p> + +<p>“But there is no hay here,” said the rabbit carpenter, sadly.</p> + +<p>“Well, if there was a fireman here with a long ladder, then you could +get down,” said Bawly, wiggling his toes.</p> + +<p>“But there is no fireman here,” objected Uncle Wiggily. “Ah, I have it, +Bawly! You are a good jumper, perhaps you can jump up here to the roof +with the rope and I can fasten it to the chimney again and slide down as +I did before.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll try,” said Bawly, and he did; but bless you! He couldn’t jump as +high as the house, no matter how many times he tried it. And the dinner +bell rang and Uncle Wiggily was very hungry and very anxious to get off +the roof and eat something.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know how to do it!” cried Bawly at length, when he had jumped +forty-sixteen times. “I’ll tie a string to my baseball, and I’ll throw +the ball up to you. Then you catch it, untie the string, which I’ll keep +hold of on this end, and I’ll tie the rope to the cord. Then you can +haul up the rope, fasten it to the chimney, and slide down.”</p> + +<p>“Good!” cried Uncle Wiggily, clapping his front paws together in +delight.</p> + +<p>Well, if you’ll believe me, Bawly did tie the string to his baseball and +with one big throw he threw it right up to Uncle Wiggily, who caught it +just as if he were on first base in a game. And then with the little +cord, which reached down to the ground, he pulled up the big rope, +knotted it around the chimney, and down he slid, just in time for +dinner, and he took Bawly home with him and gave him a penny.</p> + +<p>Now if it should happen that I don’t lose my watch down the inkwell so I +can see when it’s time for my pussy cat to have his warm soup, I’ll tell +you in the story after this about Bully’s and Bawly’s big jump.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-003' id='illus-003'></a> +<img src='images/illus-026.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_IV' id='STORY_IV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_26' id='Page_26'>[Pg 26]</a></span> +<h2>STORY IV</h2><h3>BULLY’S AND BAWLY’S BIG JUMP</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_27' id='Page_27'>[Pg 27]</a></span>One +day Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, looked in the pantry to see what +there was to eat for dinner and there wasn’t a single thing. No, just +like Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, the pantry was bare, though there was a +bone in it that was being saved for some time when Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow, the puppie-dog boys, might come on a visit.</p> + +<p>“Oh, some one will have to go to the store to get something for supper,” +said Mrs. No-Tail. “Do you feel able to go, Grandpa Croaker?”</p> + +<p>“Well, I could go,” said the old frog gentleman, in his deepest bass +voice, which sounded like the rumble of thunder over the hills and far +away, “but I promised I would go over and play a game of checkers with +Uncle Wiggily Longears. He has just finished the playhouse for Sammie +and Susie, and he wants to show me that. So I don’t see how I can go to +the store very well.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_28' id='Page_28'>[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>“If Bully and Bawly were here they’d go,” said their mamma. “I wish +they’d come. Oh, here they are now,” she went on, as she looked out of +the window and saw the two frog boys coming home from school. “Hurry!” +she called to them. “I want you to go to the store.”</p> + +<p>“All right,” they both answered, and they were so polite about it that +Mrs. No-Tail gave them each a penny, though, of course, they would have +gone without that, for they always liked to help their mamma.</p> + +<p>“I want some sugar, and molasses, and bread, and butter, and some corn +meal, and bacon and watercress salad,” said the mother frog, and Bully +and Bawly each took a basket in which to carry the things. Then they +hopped on toward the store.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to buy marbles with my penny,” said Bully.</p> + +<p>“And I’m going to buy a whistle with mine,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>Well, they got to the grocery, all right, and the cow lady who kept it +gave them the things their mamma wanted. Then they went to the toy store +and Bully got his marbles, and Bawly his whistle, which made a very loud +noise.</p> + +<p>Now I’m very sorry to be obliged to tell it, but something is going to +happen to Bully and Bawly<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_29' id='Page_29'>[Pg 29]</a></span> very soon. In fact, I think it is going to +take place at once. Just excuse me a moment, will you, until I look out +of the window and see if the alligator is coming. Yes, there he is. He +just got off the trolley car. The conductor put him off because he had +the wrong transfer.</p> + +<p>So, all at once, as Bully and Bawly were hopping along through the +woods, this alligator that I was telling you about jumped out at them +from under a prickly briar bush. Right at them he jumped, and he was a +very savage alligator, for he had gotten loose out of the circus, where +he belonged, and he had been tramping around without anything to eat for +a long time, so he was very hungry.</p> + +<p>“Now, I see where I’m going to have a nice dinner,” the alligator said +to himself, as he jumped out at Bully and Bawly.</p> + +<p>But those two frog boys were smart little fellows, and they were always +looking around for danger. So, as soon as the alligator made a jump at +them, they also leaped to one side, and the unpleasant creature didn’t +get them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you just wait! I’ll have you in a minute!” the alligator cried, and +he opened his mouth so wide that it went all the way back to his ears, +and the top of his head nearly flew off.</p> + +<p>“We haven’t time to wait,” said Bully with a<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_30' id='Page_30'>[Pg 30]</a></span> laugh, as he hopped on +with his basket of groceries.</p> + +<p>“No, we must get back home in time for supper,” spoke Bawly. “So we’ll +have to leave you,” and on he hipped and skipped and hopped with his +basket.</p> + +<p>Those frog boys didn’t really think that that alligator could reach +them, for he was so big and clumsy-looking that it didn’t seem as if he +could run very fast. But he could, and the first thing Bully and Bawly +knew, that most unprepossessing creature, with a smile that went away +around to his ears, was close behind them and gnashing his teeth at +them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, hop, Bully, hop!” cried Bawly in great fright.</p> + +<p>“Sure, I’ll hop!” answered his brother. “You hop, too!”</p> + +<p>Well, they both hopped as fast as they could, but on account of the +baskets of groceries which they had they couldn’t hop as fast as usual. +The alligator saw this, and after them he crawled, and several times he +nearly had them by their tails. Oh, no, excuse me, if you please, frogs +don’t have tails. I was thinking of tadpoles.</p> + +<p>“Oh, just wait until I catch you!” cried the alligator, snapping his +teeth together.</p> + +<p>But Bully and Bawly didn’t wait. On they<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_31' id='Page_31'>[Pg 31]</a></span> hopped, as fast as they could, +hoping to get away. And would you ever believe that an alligator could +be so mean as this one was? For he chased Bully and Bawly right up a +steep hill. You know it’s hard to walk up hill, and harder still to hop, +so Bully and Bawly were soon tired. But do you s’pose that alligator +cared? Not a bit of it!</p> + +<p>Right after them he kept crawling, faster and faster.</p> + +<p>Bully and Bawly hopped as swiftly as they could, but the alligator kept +getting nearer and nearer to them, for he was big and strong, and didn’t +mind the hill. They could hear his savage jaws gnashing together, and +they trembled so that Bully almost spilled the molasses out of his +basket and Bawly nearly dropped the granulated sugar.</p> + +<p>Well, finally the two frog boys were at the top of the hill, and they +were very thankful, thinking that they could now get away from the +alligator, when they suddenly saw that the hill came to an end, and fell +over the edge of a great precipice just like the Niagara waterfall, only +there wasn’t any water there, of course.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we can’t go any farther,” cried Bully, coming to a stop.</p> + +<p>“No,” said his brother, “we can’t jump down<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_32' id='Page_32'>[Pg 32]</a></span> that awful gully. But look, +Bully, there is another hill over there,” and he pointed across the big, +open space. “If we could jump across from this hill to that hill, the +alligator couldn’t get us.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but it’s a terrible big jump,” said Bully, and indeed it was; about +as wide as a big river. “But we’ve got to do it!” cried Bully, “for here +comes the terrible beast!”</p> + +<p>The alligator was almost upon them. He opened his mouth to grab them +with his teeth, when Bully, spreading out his legs, and taking a firm +hold of his grocery basket, gave a great, big jump. Through the air he +sailed, over the deep valley, and he landed safely on the other hill. +Then Bawly did the same, and with one most tremendous, extemporaneous +and extraordinary jump, he landed close beside his brother, and the +alligator couldn’t get either of them because he couldn’t jump across +the chasm.</p> + +<p>Oh, but he was an angry alligator though! He gnashed his teeth and +wiggled his tail and even cried big round tears. Nearly all alligators +cry little square tears, but even round ones didn’t do a bit of good. +Then Bully threw a marble at the savage creature, and hit him on the +nose, and Bawly blew his whistle so loud, that the alligator thought a +policeman, or postman, was coming, and he turned around and ran away, +and the frog<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_33' id='Page_33'>[Pg 33]</a></span> boys went on safely home with their baskets of groceries +and had a good supper.</p> + +<p>Now in case that alligator doesn’t chase after me, and chew up my +typewriter to make mincemeat of it for the wax doll, I’ll tell you in +the next story about Grandpa Croaker digging a well.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_V' id='STORY_V'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_34' id='Page_34'>[Pg 34]</a></span> +<h2>STORY V</h2><h3>GRANDPA CROAKER DIGS A WELL</h3> +</div> + +<p>It happened, once upon a time when Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, went to +the pump to get some water for supper, that a little fish jumped out of +the pump spout and nearly bit her on the nose.</p> + +<p>“Ha! That is very odd,” she said. “There must be fish in our well, and +in that case I think we had better have a new one.”</p> + +<p>So that night, when Mr. No-Tail came home from the wallpaper factory, +where he stepped into ink and then hopped all over white paper to make +funny patterns on it—that night, I say, Mrs. No-Tail said to her +husband:</p> + +<p>“I think we will have to get a new well.” Then she told him about the +fish from the pump nearly biting her, and Mr. No-Tail remarked:</p> + +<p>“Yes, I think we had better have a new place to get our water, for the +fish in the old well may drink it all up.”</p> + +<p>“Well, well!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker in such a deep bass voice that +he made the dishpan<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_35' id='Page_35'>[Pg 35]</a></span> on the gas stove rattle as loudly as if Bully or +Bawly were drumming on it with a wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey. +“Let me dig the well,” went on the old gentleman frog. “I just love to +shovel the dirt, and I can dig a well so deep that no fish will ever get +into it.”</p> + +<p>“Very well,” said Mr. No-Tail. “You may start in the morning, and Bully +and Bawly can help you, as it will be Saturday and there is no school.”</p> + +<p>Well, the next morning Grandpa Croaker started in. He marked a nice +round circle on the ground in the back yard, because he wanted a round +well, and not a square one, you see; and then he began to dig. At first +there was nothing for Bully and Bawly to do, as when he was near the top +of the well their Grandpa could easily throw the dirt out himself. But +when he had dug down quite a distance it was harder work, to toss up the +dirt, so Grandpa Croaker told the boys to get a rope, and a hook and +some pails.</p> + +<p>The hook was fastened to one end of the rope, and then a pail was put on +the hook. Then the pail was lowered into the well, down to where Grandpa +Croaker was working. He filled the pail with dirt, and Bully and Bawly +hauled it up and emptied it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is lots of fun!” exclaimed Bully, as<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_36' id='Page_36'>[Pg 36]</a></span> he and his brother +pulled on the rope. “It’s as much fun as playing baseball.”</p> + +<p>“I think so, too,” agreed Bawly. Then Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, +came along, and so did Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. They +wanted to help pull up the dirt, so Bully and Bawly let them after +Sammie had given the frog brothers a nice marble, and Peetie and Jackie +each a stick of chewing gum.</p> + +<p>Grandpa Croaker kept on digging the well, and the frog boys and their +friends pulled up the dirt, and pretty soon the hole in the ground was +so deep and dark that, by looking up straight, from down at the bottom +of it, the old gentleman frog could see the stars, and part of the moon, +in the sky, even if it was daylight.</p> + +<p>Then he dug some more, and, all of a sudden, his shovel went down into +some water, and then Grandpa Croaker knew that the well was almost +finished. He dug out a little more earth, in came more water, wetting +his feet, and then the frog well-digger cried:</p> + +<p>“I’ve struck water! I’ve struck water!”</p> + +<p>“Hurrah!” shouted Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Hurray! Hurray!” exclaimed Bully, and they were so happy that they +danced up and down. Then Sammie Little-Tail and Peetie and Jackie Bow +Wow grew so excited and delighted<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_37' id='Page_37'>[Pg 37]</a></span> that they ran off to tell all their +friends about Grandpa Croaker digging a well. That left Bully and Bawly +all alone up at the edge of the big hole in the ground, at the bottom of +which was their grandpa.</p> + +<p>“Let’s have another little dance!” suggested Bully.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied Bawly, “let’s jump down the well and have a drink of the +new water that hasn’t any fishes in it.”</p> + +<p>So, without thinking what they were doing, down they leaped into the +well, almost failing on Grandpa Croaker’s bald head, and carrying down +with them the rope, by which they had been pulling up the pails of dirt. +Into the water they popped, and each one took a big drink.</p> + +<p>“Well, now you’ve done it!” cried Grandpa Croaker, as he leaned on his +shovel and looked at his two grandsons.</p> + +<p>“Why, what is the matter?” asked Bully, splashing some water on Bawly’s +nose.</p> + +<p>“Yes. All we did was to jump down here,” added Bawly. “What’s wrong?”</p> + +<p>“Why that leaves no one above on the ground to help me get up,” said the +old gentleman frog. “I was depending on you to haul me up by the rope, +and here you jump down, and pull the rope with you. It’s as bad as when +Uncle Wiggily<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_38' id='Page_38'>[Pg 38]</a></span> was on the roof, only he was up and couldn’t get down, +and we’re down and can’t get up.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I think I can jump to the top of the well and take the rope with +me. If I can’t take this rope I’ll get another and pull you both up,” +said Bully. So he hopped and he hopped, but he couldn’t hop to the top +of the well. Every time he tried it, he fell back into the water, +ker-slash!</p> + +<p>“Let me try,” said his brother. But it was just the same with Bawly. +Back he sploshed-splashed into the well-water, getting all wet.</p> + +<p>“Now we’ll never get out of here,” said Grandpa Croaker sadly. “I wish +you boys would think a little more, and not do things so quickly.”</p> + +<p>“We will—next time,” promised Bawly as he gave another big jump, but he +came nowhere near the top of the well.</p> + +<p>Then it began to look as if they would have to stay down there forever, +for no one came to pull them out.</p> + +<p>“Let’s call for help,” suggested Bully. So he and Bawly called as loud +as they could, and so did Grandpa Croaker. But the well was so deep, and +their voices sounded so loud and rumbling, coming out of the hole in the +ground, that every one thought it was thunder. And the animal people +feared it would rain, so they all ran home, and no<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_39' id='Page_39'>[Pg 39]</a></span> one thought of +grandpa and the two frog boys in the deep well.</p> + +<p>But at last along came Alice Wibblewobble, and, being a duck, she didn’t +mind a thunder storm. So she didn’t run away, and she heard Grandpa +Croaker and Bully and Bawly calling for help at the bottom of the well. +She asked what was the trouble, and Bully told her what had happened.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you silly boys, to jump down a well!” exclaimed Alice. “But never +fear, I’ll help you up.” So they never feared, and Alice got a rope and +lowered it down to them, and then, with the help of her brother Jimmie +and her sister Lulu, she pulled all three frogs up from the well, and +they lived happy for ever after, and drank the water that had no fishes +in it.</p> + +<p>Now if the faucet in the kitchen sink doesn’t turn upside down, and +squirt the water on the ceiling and into the cat’s eye, I’ll tell you +next about Papa No-Tail in trouble.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_VI' id='STORY_VI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_40' id='Page_40'>[Pg 40]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VI</h2><h3>PAPA NO-TAIL IN TROUBLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>Papa No-tail, the frog gentleman, was working away in the wallpaper +factory one day, when something quite strange happened to him, and if +you all sit right nice and quiet, as my dear old grandmother used to +say, I’ll tell you all about it, from the beginning to the end, and I’ll +even tell you the middle part, which some people leave out, when they +tell stories.</p> + +<p>Papa No-Tail would dip his four feet, which were something like hands, +in the different colored inks at the factory. There was red ink, and +blue ink, and white ink, and black ink, and sky-purple-green ink, and +also that newest shade, skilligimink color, which Sammie Littletail once +dyed his Easter eggs. After he had his feet nicely covered with the ink, +Papa No-Tail would hop all over pieces of white paper to make funny +patterns on them. Then they would be ready to paper a room, and make it +look pretty.</p> + +<p>“I think that is very well done,” said the old<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_41' id='Page_41'>[Pg 41]</a></span> gentleman frog to +himself as he looked at one roll of paper on which he had made a picture +of a mouse chasing a big lion. “Now I think I will make a pattern of a +doggie standing on his left ear.” And he did so, and very fine it was, +too.</p> + +<p>“Now, while I’m waiting for the ink to dry,” said Mr. No-Tail, “I’ll lie +down and take a nap.” So he went fast, fast asleep on a long piece of +the wall paper that was stretched out on the floor, and this was the +beginning of his trouble.</p> + +<p>For, all at once, a puff of wind—not a cream puff, you understand, but +a wind puff—came in the window, and rolled up the wallpaper in a tight +little roll, and the worst of it was that Papa No-Tail was asleep +inside. Yes, fast, fast asleep, and he never knew that he was wrapped +up, just like a stick of chewing gum; only you mustn’t ever chew gum in +school, you know.</p> + +<p>Well, time went on, and the clock ticked, and Papa No-Tail still slept. +Then a man looked in the window of the wallpaper factory and, seeing no +one there, he thought he would take a roll of paper home with him, to +paste on his little boy’s bedroom.</p> + +<p>“The next time I come past here, perhaps some one will be in the +office,” the man said, “and then I can pay them for the paper,” for he +wanted to be very honest, you see. “I’ll get<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_42' id='Page_42'>[Pg 42]</a></span> Uncle Butter, the goat, to +paste the paper on the wall for me,” said the man. Then he reached +inside the room, and what do you think? Why he picked up the very piece +of wallpaper that was wrapped around Papa Chip-Chip—Oh, no, excuse me! +I mean Papa No-Tail. Yes, the man picked up that roll, with Bully’s and +Bawly’s papa inside, and away he went with it, and the old gentleman +frog was still sound asleep.</p> + +<p>Now this is about the middle of his trouble, just as I said I’d tell +you, but we haven’t gotten to the end yet, though we will in a little +while.</p> + +<p>Home that man went, as fast as he could go, and on his way he stopped at +Uncle Butter’s office.</p> + +<p>“I have a little wallpapering I want done at my house,” the man said to +the old gentleman goat, “and I wish you’d come right along with me and +do it. I have the paper here.”</p> + +<p>“To be sure I will,” said Uncle Butter. So he got his pail of paste, and +gave Billie and Nannie Goat a little bit on some brown paper, just like +jam, and they liked it very much. The goat paper-hanger took his shears, +and his brushes, and his stepladders, tying them on his horns, and away +he went with the man.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they came to the house where the man lived, and his little +boy was there, and very<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_43' id='Page_43'>[Pg 43]</a></span> delighted he was when he heard that he was to +have some new paper on his room.</p> + +<p>“May I watch you put it on?” he asked Uncle Butter.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” answered the old gentleman goat, “if you don’t step in the paste, +and spoil the carpet.”</p> + +<p>The little boy promised that he wouldn’t, and Uncle Butter went to work. +First he got his sticky stuff all ready, and then he made a little table +on which to lay out and paste the paper.</p> + +<p>“Now, we’ll cut the roll into strips and fasten it on the wall good and +tight, so that it won’t fall off in the middle of the night and scare +you,” said Uncle Butter. Then he reached for the roll of paper, and, +mind you, Papa No-Tail was still asleep inside of it. But all at once, +just as the paper-hanger goat was about to pick up the roll, Mr. No-Tail +awakened and was quite surprised to discover where he was.</p> + +<p>“My, I never would have believed it,” he said, and he wiggled his legs +and arms and made a great rustling sound inside the roll of paper like a +fly in a sugar bag.</p> + +<p>“Hello! What’s that?” cried Uncle Butter, jumping back so quickly that +he upset his paste-pot.</p> + +<p>“What’s the matter?” asked the little boy in glad surprise.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_44' id='Page_44'>[Pg 44]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Why, there’s something inside that paper!” cried the goat. “See, it’s +moving! There must be a fairy inside!”</p> + +<p>Surely enough, the paper was rolling and twisting around on the floor in +a most remarkable manner, for Papa No-Tail inside was wriggling and +twisting, and trying his best to get out. But the paper was wound around +him too tightly, and he couldn’t get loose.</p> + +<p>“Oh, do you think it’s a fairy?” asked the little boy eagerly, for he +loved the dear creatures, and wanted to see one.</p> + +<p>“Let me out! Oh, please let me out!” suddenly cried Papa No-Tail just +then.</p> + +<p>“Of course it’s a fairy, my boy!” exclaimed Uncle Butter. “Didn’t you +hear it call? Oh, I’m going right away from here! I’ve pasted all kinds +of paper, but never before have I handled fairy paper, and I’m afraid to +begin now.”</p> + +<p>He started to run out of the room but his foot slipped in the paste, and +down he fell, and his little table fell on top of him, and the +stepladder was twisted in his horns. And Papa No-Tail was trying harder +than ever to get loose, and the roll of wallpaper rolled right toward +Uncle Butter.</p> + +<p>“Don’t catch me! Please, don’t catch me!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_45' id='Page_45'>[Pg 45]</a></span> the goat called to the fairy +he supposed was inside. “I never did anything to you!”</p> + +<p>Faster and faster rolled the paper, for Mr. No-Tail was wiggling quite +hard now, and he was crying to be let out. Then, all of a sudden, the +paper with the frog in, rolled close to the little boy. The boy was +brave, and he loved fairies, so he opened the roll, and out hopped Mr. +No-Tail, being very glad indeed to get loose, for it was quite warm +inside there.</p> + +<p>“Oh my! Was that you in the paper?” asked Uncle Butter, solemnly, +sitting in the middle of the floor, on a lot of paste.</p> + +<p>“It was,” said Papa No-Tail, as he helped the goat to get up.</p> + +<p>“Well, I never heard tell of such a thing in all my life! Never!” +exclaimed the goat, when the frog gentleman told him all about it. Then +Uncle Butter pasted the paper on the wall, and Papa No-Tail hopped home, +and that’s the end of the story, just as I promised it would be.</p> + +<p>Now in case the pussy cat doesn’t wash the puppy dog’s face with the +cork from the ink bottle and make his nose black, I’ll tell you on the +next page about Bully playing marbles.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_VII' id='STORY_VII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_46' id='Page_46'>[Pg 46]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VII</h2><h3>BULLY NO-TAIL PLAYS MARBLES</h3> +</div> + +<p>It happened one day that, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was walking +along with his bag of marbles going clank-clank in his pocket, he met +Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels.</p> + +<p>“Hello, Bully!” called the two brothers. “Do you want to have a game of +marbles?”</p> + +<p>“Of course I do,” answered Bully. “I just bought some new ones. ‘First +shot agates!’”</p> + +<p>“First shot!” yelled Billie, right after Bully.</p> + +<p>“First shot!” also cried Johnnie, almost at the same time.</p> + +<p>“Well, I guess we’re about even,” spoke Bully, as he opened his marble +bag to look inside. “Now, how are we going to tell who will shoot +first?”</p> + +<p>“I’ll tell you,” proposed Billie. “We’ll each throw a marble up into the +air, and the one whose comes down first will shoot first.”</p> + +<p>Well, the other two animal boys thought that was fair, so they tossed +their marble shooters up into the air. Billie only sent his up a little +way,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_47' id='Page_47'>[Pg 47]</a></span> for then he knew it would come down first, but Johnnie and Bully +didn’t think of this, and they threw their shooters up as high as they +could. And, of course, their marbles were so much longer coming down to +the ground again.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho! Here’s mine!” cried Billie. “I’m to shoot first.”</p> + +<p>“And here’s mine,” added Johnnie, a little later, as his marble came +down.</p> + +<p>“Yes, but where’s mine?” asked Bully, and they all listened carefully to +tell when Bully’s shooter would fall down. But the funny part of it was +that it didn’t come.</p> + +<p>“Say, did you throw it up to the sky?” asked Billie surprised like.</p> + +<p>“Because, if you did, it won’t come down until Fourth of July,” added +Johnnie.</p> + +<p>“No, I didn’t throw it as high as that,” replied the frog boy. “But +perhaps Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, is flying around up there, +and he may have taken it in his bill for a joke.”</p> + +<p>So they looked up toward the clouds as far as they could, but no little +sparrow boy did they see.</p> + +<p>“Well, we’ll have a game of marbles, anyhow,” said Bully at length. “I +have another shooter.”</p> + +<p>So he and Billie and Johnnie made a ring in the dirt, and put some +marbles in the centre.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_48' id='Page_48'>[Pg 48]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then they began to play, and Billie shot first, then Johnnie, and last +of all Bully. And all the while the frog boy was wondering what had +happened to his first marble. Now, a very queer thing had happened to +it, and you’ll soon hear all about it.</p> + +<p>Billie and Johnnie had each missed hitting any marbles, and when it came +Bully’s turn he took careful aim, with his second-best shooter, a red +and blue one.</p> + +<p>“Whack-bang!” That’s the way Bully’s shooter hit the marbles in the +ring, scattering them all over, and rolling several outside.</p> + +<p>“Say, are you going to knock ’em all out?” asked Billie.</p> + +<p>“That’s right! Leave some for us,” begged Johnnie.</p> + +<p>“Wait until I have one more trial,” went on Bully, for you see he had +two shots on account of being lucky with his first one and knocking some +marbles from the ring.</p> + +<p>Then he went to look for his second-best shooter, for it had rolled +away, but he couldn’t find it. It had completely, teetotally, +mysteriously and extraordinarily disappeared.</p> + +<p>“I’m sure it rolled over here,” said Bully as he poked around in the +grass near a big bush. “Please help me look for it, fellows.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_49' id='Page_49'>[Pg 49]</a></span></p> + +<p>So Billie and Johnnie helped Bully look, but they couldn’t find the +second shooter that the frog boy had lost.</p> + +<p>“You two go on playing and I’ll hunt for the marble,” said Bully after a +while, so he searched along in the grass, and, as he did so, he dropped +a nice glass agate out of his bag. He stooped to pick it up, but before +he could get his toes on it something that looked like a big chicken’s +bill darted out of the prickly briar bush and gobbled up the marble.</p> + +<p>“Oh!” cried Bully in fright, jumping back, “I wonder if that was a +snake?”</p> + +<p>“No, I’m not a snake,” was the answer. “I’m a bird,” and then out from +behind the bush came a great, big Pelican bird.</p> + +<p>“Did—did you take my marble?” asked Bully timidly.</p> + +<p>“I did!” cried the Pelican bird, snapping his bill together just like a +big pair of scissors. “I ate the first one after it fell to the ground +near me, and I ate the second one that you shot over here. They’re +good—marbles are! I like ’em. Give me some more!”</p> + +<p>The bird snapped his beak again, and Bully jumped back. As he did so the +marbles in his pocket rattled, and the Pelican heard them.</p> + +<p>“Ha! You have more!” he cried: “Hand<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_50' id='Page_50'>[Pg 50]</a></span> ’em over. I’ll eat ’em all up. I +just love marbles!”</p> + +<p>“No, you can’t have mine!” exclaimed Bully, backing away. “I want to +play some more games with Billie and Johnnie with these,” and he looked +to see where his two friends were. They were quite some distance off, +shooting marbles as hard as they could.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, that Pelican bird made a swoop for poor Bully, +and before the frog boy could get out of the way the bird had gobbled +him up in his big bill. There Bully was, not exactly swallowed by the +bird, you understand, but held a prisoner in the big pouch, or skin +laundry-bag that hung down below the bird’s lower beak.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me out of here!” cried Bully, hopping about inside the big bag +on the bird’s big bill. “Let me out! Let me out!”</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not,” said the big bird, speaking through his nose because his +mouth was shut. “I’ll keep you there until you give me all your marbles, +or until I decide whether or not I’ll eat you for my supper.”</p> + +<p>Well, poor Bully was very much frightened, and I guess you’d be, too. He +tried to get out but he couldn’t, and the bird began walking off to his +nest, taking the frog boy with him. Then Bully thought of his bag of +marbles, and, inside<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_51' id='Page_51'>[Pg 51]</a></span> the big bill, he rattled them as loudly as he +could.</p> + +<p>“Billie and Johnnie Bushytail may hear me, and help me,” he thought.</p> + +<p>And, surely enough the squirrel boys did. They heard the rattle of +Bully’s marbles inside the Pelican’s beak, and they saw the big bird, +and they guessed at once where Bully was. Then they ran up to the +Pelican, and began hitting him with their marbles, which they threw at +him as hard as they could. In the eyes and on his ears and on his +wiggily toes and on his big beak they hit him with marbles, until that +Pelican bird was glad enough to open his bill and let Bully go, marbles +and all. Then the bird flew away to its nest, and Bully and his friends +could play their game once more.</p> + +<p>The Pelican didn’t come back to bother them, but he had Bully’s two +shooters, that he had swallowed. So Johnnie, the squirrel, lent the boy +frog another shooter, and it was all right. And, in case the rain +doesn’t come down the chimney and put the fire out, so I can’t cook some +pink eggs with chocolate on for my birthday, I’ll tell you in the +following story about Bawly and the soldier hat.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_VIII' id='STORY_VIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_52' id='Page_52'>[Pg 52]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VIII</h2><h3>BAWLY AND THE SOLDIER HAT</h3> +</div> + +<p>Susie Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk were having a play party in the +woods. They had their lunch in little birch-bark baskets, and they used +a nice, big, flat stump for a table. They took an old napkin for a +tablecloth, and they had pieces of carrots boiled in molasses and +chocolate, and cabbage with pink frosting on, and nuts all covered with +candy, and some sugared popcorn, and all nice things like that, to eat.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t this lovely!” exclaimed Susie. “Please pass me the fried +lolly-pops, Jennie, aren’t they lovely?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, they’re perfectly grand!” spoke Jennie as she passed over some +bits of turnip, which they made believe were fried lolly-pops. “I’ll +have some sour ginger snaps, Susie.”</p> + +<p>So Susie passed the plate full of acorns, which were make-believe sour +ginger snaps, you know, and the little animal girls were having a very +fine time, indeed. Oh, my, yes, and a bottle of horseradish also!<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_53' id='Page_53'>[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now, don’t worry, if you please. I know I did promise to tell about +Bawly and the soldier hat, and I’m going to do it. But Susie’s and +Jennie’s play party has something to do with the hat, so I had to start +off with them.</p> + +<p>While they were playing in the woods, having a fine time, Bawly No-Tail, +the frog boy, was at home in his house, making a big soldier hat out of +paper. I suppose you children have often made them, and also have played +at having a parade with wooden swords and guns. If you haven’t done so, +please get your papa to make you a soldier hat.</p> + +<p>Well, finally Bawly’s hat was finished, and he put a feather in it, just +as Yankee Doodle did, only Bawly didn’t look like macaroni.</p> + +<p>“Now, I’ll go out and see if I can find the boys and we’ll pretend +there’s a war, and a battle, and shooting and all that,” went on the +frog chap, who loved to do exciting things. So Bawly hopped out, and +Grandpa Croaker, who was asleep in the rocking chair didn’t hear him go. +Anyhow, I don’t believe the old gentleman frog would have cared, for +Bawly’s papa was at work in the wallpaper factory and his mamma had gone +to the five and ten cent store to buy a new dishpan that didn’t have a +hole in it. As for the other frog boy, Bawly’s brother Bully, he had<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_54' id='Page_54'>[Pg 54]</a></span> +gone after an ice cream cone, I think, or maybe a chocolate candy.</p> + +<p>On Bawly hopped, but he didn’t meet any of his friends. He had on his +big, paper soldier hat, with the feather sticking out of the top, and +Bawly also had a wooden gun, painted black, to make it look real, and he +had a sword made out of a stick, all silvered over with paint to make it +look like steel.</p> + +<p>Oh, Bawly was a very fine soldier boy! And as he marched along he +whistled a little tune that went like this:</p> + +<p style='margin-left: 4em;'> +“Soldier boy, soldier boy,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Brave and true,</span><br /> +I’m sure every one is<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Frightened at you.</span><br /> +Salute the flag and<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Fire the gun,</span><br /> +Now wave your sword and<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Foes will run.</span><br /> +Your feathered cap gives<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Lots of joy,</span><br /> +Oh! you’re a darling<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Soldier boy!”</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Well, Bawly felt finer than ever after that, and though he still didn’t +meet any of his friends,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_55' id='Page_55'>[Pg 55]</a></span> with whom he might play, he was hoping he +might see a savage fox or wolf, that he might do battle with the +unpleasant creature. But perhaps you had better wait and see what +happens.</p> + +<p>All this while, as Bawly was marching along through the woods with his +soldier cap on, Susie and Jennie were playing party at the old stump. +They had just eaten the last of the sweet-sour cookies, and drank the +last thimbleful of the orange-lemonade when, all at once, what should +happen but that a great big alligator crawled out of the bushes and made +a jump for them! Dear me! Would you ever expect such a thing?</p> + +<p>“Oh, look at that!” cried Susie as she saw the alligator.</p> + +<p>“Yes. Let’s run home!” shouted Jennie in fright.</p> + +<p>But before either of them could stir a step the savage alligator, who +had escaped from the circus again, grabbed them, one in each claw, and +then, holding them so that they couldn’t get away, he sat up on the end +of his big tail, and looked first at Susie and then at Jennie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, please let us go!” cried Susie, with tears in her eyes.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, do; and I’ll give you this half of a cookie I have left,” +spoke Jennie kindly.</p> + +<p>“I don’t want your cookie, I want you,” sang<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_56' id='Page_56'>[Pg 56]</a></span> the alligator, as if he +were reciting a song. “I’m going to eat you both!”</p> + +<p>Then he held them still tighter in his claws, and fairly glared at them +from out of his big eyes.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to eat you all up!” he growled, “but the trouble is I don’t +know which one to eat first. I guess I’ll eat you,” and he made a motion +toward Susie. She screamed, and then the alligator changed his mind. +“No, I guess I’ll eat you,” and he opened his mouth for Jennie. Then he +changed his mind again, and he didn’t know what to do. But, of course, +this made Jennie and Susie feel very nervous and also a big word called +apprehensive, which is the same thing.</p> + +<p>“Oh, help! Help! Will no one help us?” cried Susie at last.</p> + +<p>“No, I guess no one will,” spoke the alligator, real mean and saucy +like.</p> + +<p>But he was mistaken. At that moment, hopping through the woods was Bawly +No-Tail, wearing his paper soldier hat. He heard Susie call, and up he +marched, like the brave soldier frog boy that he was. Through the holes +in the bushes he could see the big alligator, and he saw Susie and +Jennie held fast in his claws.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I can never fight that savage creature<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_57' id='Page_57'>[Pg 57]</a></span> all alone,” thought Bawly. +“I must make him believe that a whole army of soldiers is coming at +him.”</p> + +<p>So Bawly hid behind a tree, where the alligator couldn’t find him, and +the frog boy beat on a hollow log with a stick as if it were a drum. +Then he blew out his cheeks, whistling, and made a noise like a fife. +Then he aimed his wooden gun and cried: “Bang! Bang! Bung! Bung!” just +as if the wooden gun had powder in it. Next Bawly waved his cap with the +feather in it, and the alligator heard all this, and he saw the waving +soldier cap, and he, surely enough, thought a whole big army was coming +after him.</p> + +<p>“I forgot something,” the alligator suddenly cried, as he let go of +Susie and Jennie. “I have to go to the dentist’s to get a tooth filled,” +and away that alligator scrambled through the woods as fast as he could +go, taking his tail with him. So that’s how Bawly saved Susie and +Jennie, and very thankful they were to him, and if they had had any +cookies left they would have given him two or sixteen, I guess.</p> + +<p>Now if our gas stove doesn’t go out and dance in the middle of the back +yard and scare the cook, so she can’t bake a rice-pudding pie-cake, I’ll +tell you next about Grandpa Croaker and the umbrella.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_IX' id='STORY_IX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_58' id='Page_58'>[Pg 58]</a></span> +<h2>STORY IX</h2><h3>GRANDPA CROAKER AND THE UMBRELLA</h3> +</div> + +<p>One day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was coming home from school he +thought of a very hard word he had had to spell in class that afternoon. +It began with a “C,” and the next letter was “A” and the next one was +“T”—CAT—and what do you think? Why Bully said it spelled “Kitten,” and +just for that he had to write the word on his slate forty-’leven times, +so he’d remember it next day.</p> + +<p>“I guess I won’t forget it again in a hurry,” thought Bully as he hopped +along with his books in a strap over his shoulder. “C-a-t spells—” And +just then he heard a funny noise in the bushes, and he stopped short, as +Grandfather Goosey Gander’s clock did, when Jimmy Wibblewobble poured +molasses in it. Bully looked all around to see what the noise was. “For +it might be that alligator, or the Pelican bird,” he whispered to +himself.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-004' id='illus-004'></a> +<img src='images/illus-058.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_59' id='Page_59'>[Pg 59]</a></span>Just +then he heard a jolly laugh, and his brother Bawly hopped out from +under a cabbage leaf.</p> + +<p>“Did I scare you, Bully?” asked Bawly, as he scratched his right ear +with his left foot.</p> + +<p>“A little,” said Bully, turning a somersault to get over being +frightened.</p> + +<p>“Well, I didn’t mean to, and I won’t do it again. But now that you are +out of school, come on, let’s go have a game of ball. It’ll be lots of +fun,” went on Bawly.</p> + +<p>So the two brothers hopped off, and found Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, +the squirrels, and Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, and some other +animal friends, and they had a fine game, and Bawly made a home run.</p> + +<p>Now, about this same time, Grandpa Croaker, the nice old gentleman frog, +was hopping along through the cool, shady woods, and he was wondering +what Mrs. No-Tail would have good for supper.</p> + +<p>“I hope she has scrambled watercress with sugar on top,” thought +Grandpa, and just then he felt a drop of rain on his back. The sun had +suddenly gone under a cloud, and the water was coming down as fast as it +could, for April showers bring May flowers, you know. Grandpa Croaker +looked up, and, as he did so a drop of rain fell right in his eye! But +bless you! He<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_60' id='Page_60'>[Pg 60]</a></span> didn’t mind that a bit. He just hopped out where he could +get all wet, for he had on his rubber clothes, and he felt as happy as +your dollie does when she has on her new dress and goes for a ride in +the park. Frogs love water.</p> + +<p>The rain came down harder and harder and the water was running about, +all over in the woods, playing tag, and jumping rope, and everything +like that, when, all at once, Grandpa Croaker heard a little voice +crying:</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I’ll never get home in all this rain without wetting my new +dress and bonnet! Oh, what shall I do?”</p> + +<p>“Ha, I wonder if that can be a fairy?” said Grandpa.</p> + +<p>“No, I’m not a fairy,” went on the voice. “I’m Nellie Chip-Chip, the +sparrow girl, and I haven’t any umbrella.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker as he saw Nellie huddled up under a +big leaf, “why do you come out without an umbrella when it may rain at +any moment? Why do you do it?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I came out to-day to gather some nice wild flowers for my teacher,” +said Nellie. “See, I found some lovely white ones, like stars,” and she +held them out so Grandpa could smell them. But he couldn’t without +hopping over closer to where the little sparrow girl was.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_61' id='Page_61'>[Pg 61]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I was so interested in the flowers that I forgot all about bringing an +umbrella,” went on Nellie, and then she began to cry, for she had on a +new blue hat and dress, and didn’t want them to get spoiled by the rain +that was splashing all over.</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t cry!” begged Grandpa.</p> + +<p>“But I can’t get home without an umbrella,” wailed Nellie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I can soon fix that,” said the old gentleman goat—I mean frog. +“See, over there is a nice big toadstool. That will make the finest +umbrella in the world. I’ll break it off and bring it to you, and then +you can fly home, holding it over your head, in your wing, and then your +hat and dress won’t get wet.”</p> + +<p>Nellie thanked Grandpa Croaker very kindly and thought what a fine frog +gentleman he was. Off he hopped through the rain, never minding it the +least bit, and just as he got to the toadstool what do you s’pose he +saw? Why, a big, ugly snake was twined around it, just as a grapevine +twines around the clothes-post.</p> + +<p>“Hello, there!” cried Grandpa. “You don’t need that toadstool at all, +Mr. Snake, for water won’t hurt you. I want it for Nellie Chip-Chip, so +kindly unwind yourself from it.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_62' id='Page_62'>[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Indeed, I will not,” spoke the snake, saucily, hissing like a steam +radiator on a hot day.</p> + +<p>“I demand that you immediately get off that toadstool!” cried Grandpa +Croaker in his hoarsest voice, so that it sounded like distant thunder. +He wanted to scare the snake.</p> + +<p>“I certainly will not get off!” said the snake, firmly, “and what’s more +I’m going to catch you, too!” And with that he reached out like +lightning and grabbed Grandpa, and wound himself around him and the +toadstool also, and there the poor gentleman frog was, tight fast!</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! You’re squeezing the life out of me!” cried Grandpa +Croaker.</p> + +<p>“That’s what I intend to do,” spoke the snake, savagely.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What shall I do?” asked Nellie. “Shall I bite his +tail, Mr. Frog?”</p> + +<p>“No, stay there. Don’t come near him, or he’ll grab you,” called Grandpa +Croaker in a choking voice. “Besides you’ll get all wet, for it’s still +raining. I’ll get away somehow.” But no matter how hard he struggled +Grandpa couldn’t get away from the snake, who was pressing him tighter +and tighter against the toadstool.</p> + +<p>Poor Grandpa thought he was surely going to be killed, and Nellie was +crying, but she didn’t dare go near the snake, and the snake was +laughing<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_63' id='Page_63'>[Pg 63]</a></span> and snickering as loud as he could. Oh, he was very impolite! +Then, all of a sudden, along hopped Bully and Bawly, the frog boys. The +ball game had been stopped on account of the rain, you know.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” cried Bully. “We must save Grandpa from that snake!”</p> + +<p>“That’s what we must!” shouted Bawly. “Here, we’ll make him unwind +himself from Grandpa and the toadstool and then hit him with our +baseball bats.”</p> + +<p>So those brave frog boys went quite close to the snake, and that wiggily +creature thought he could catch them, and so put out his head to do it. +Then Bully and Bawly hopped around the toadstool in a circle, and the +snake, keeping his beady, black eyes on them, followed them with his +head, around and around, still hoping to catch them, until he finally +unwound himself, just like a corkscrew out of a bottle.</p> + +<p>Then Bully and Bawly hit him with their baseball bats, and the snake ran +away, taking his tail with him, and Grandpa Croaker was free. Then, +taking a long breath, for good measure, the old gentleman frog broke off +the toadstool and gave it to Nellie Chip-Chip for an umbrella, and the +sparrow girl could go home in the rain without getting wet. And Grandpa +thanked Bully and<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_64' id='Page_64'>[Pg 64]</a></span> Bawly and hopped on home with them. So that’s the end +of this story.</p> + +<p>But in case the little dog next door doesn’t take our doormat and eat it +for supper with his bread and butter I’ll tell you in the story after +this one about Bawly and Jollie Longtail.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_X' id='STORY_X'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_65' id='Page_65'>[Pg 65]</a></span> +<h2>STORY X</h2><h3>BAWLY NO-TAIL AND JOLLIE LONGTAIL</h3> +</div> + +<p>For a few days after Grandpa Croaker, the old frog gentleman, had been +wound around the toadstool by the snake, as I told you in the story +before this one, he was so sore and stiff from the squeezing he had +received, that he had to sit in an easy chair, and eat hot mush with +sugar on. And, in order that he would not be lonesome, Bawly and Bully +No-Tail, the frog boys, sat near him, and read him funny things from +their school books, or the paper, and Grandpa Croaker was very thankful +to them.</p> + +<p>The frog boys wanted very much to go away and play ball with their +friends, for, it being the Easter vacation, there was no school, but, +instead, they remained at home nearly all the while, so Grandpa wouldn’t +feel lonesome.</p> + +<p>But at last one day the old gentleman frog said:</p> + +<p>“Now, boys, I’m sure you must be very tired of staying with me so much. +You need a little<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_66' id='Page_66'>[Pg 66]</a></span> vacation. I am almost well now, so I’ll hop over and +see Uncle Wiggily Longears. Then you may go and play ball, and here is a +penny for each of you.”</p> + +<p>Well, of course Bully and Bawly thanked their Grandpa, though they +really hadn’t expected anything like that, and off they hopped to the +store to spend the money. For they had saved all the pennies for a long +time, and they were now allowed to buy something.</p> + +<p>Bully bought a picture post card to send to Aunt Lettie, the nice old +lady goat, and Bawly bought a bean shooter. That is a long piece of tin, +with a hole through it like a pipe, and you put in a bean at one end, +blow on the other end, and out pops the bean like a cork out of a soda +water bottle.</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do with that bean shooter?” asked Bully of his +brother.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m going to carry it instead of a gun,” said Bawly, “and if I see +that bad alligator, or snake, again I’ll shoot ’em with beans.”</p> + +<p>“Beans, won’t hurt ’em much,” spoke Bully.</p> + +<p>“No, but maybe the beans will tickle ’em so they’ll laugh and run away,” +replied his brother. Then they hopped on through the woods, and pretty +soon they met Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_67' id='Page_67'>[Pg 67]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Let’s have a ball game,” suggested Peetie, as he wiggled his left ear.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes!” cried Jackie, as he dug a hole in the ground to see if he +could find a juicy bone, but he couldn’t I’m sorry to say.</p> + +<p>Well, they started the ball game, and Bawly was so fond of his bean +shooter that he kept it with him all the while, and several times, when +the balls were high in the air, he tried to hit them by blowing beans at +them. But he couldn’t, though the beans popped out very nicely.</p> + +<p>But finally the other players didn’t like Bawly to do that, for the +beans came down all around them, and tickled them so that they had to +laugh, and they couldn’t play ball.</p> + +<p>Then Bawly said he’d lay his shooter down in the grass, but before he +could do so his brother Bully knocked such a high flying ball that you +could hardly see it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, grab it, Bawly! Grab it!” cried Peetie and Jackie, dancing about on +the ends of their tails, for Bawly was supposed to chase after the +balls. Away he went with his bean shooter, almost as fast as an +automobile.</p> + +<p>Farther and farther went the ball, and Bawly was chasing after it. All +of a sudden he found himself in the back yard of a house where the ball +had bounced over the fence, and of course, being<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_68' id='Page_68'>[Pg 68]</a></span> a good ball player, +Bawly kept right on after it. But he never expected to find himself in +the yard, and he certainly never expected to see what he did see.</p> + +<p>For there was a great, big, ugly, cruel boy, and he had something in his +hand. At first Bawly couldn’t tell what it was, and then, to his +surprise, he saw that the boy had caught Jollie Longtail, the nice +little mousie boy, about whom I once told you.</p> + +<p>“Ah ha! Now I have you!” cried the boy to the mouse. “You went in the +feed box in my father’s barn, and I have caught you.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but I only took the least bit of corn,” said Jollie Longtail. But +the boy didn’t understand the mouse language, though Bawly did.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to tie your tail in a knot, hang you over the clothes line +and then throw stones at you!” went on the cruel boy. “That will teach +you to keep away from our place. We don’t like mice.”</p> + +<p>Well, poor Jollie Longtail shivered and shook, and tried to get away +from that boy, but he couldn’t, and then the boy began tying a knot in +the mousie’s tail, so he could fasten Jollie to the clothes line in the +yard.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is terrible!” cried Bawly, and he forgot all about the ball +that was lying in the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_69' id='Page_69'>[Pg 69]</a></span> grass close beside him. “How sorry I am for poor +Jollie,” thought Bawly.</p> + +<p>“There’s one knot!” cried the boy as he made it. “Now for another!”</p> + +<p>Poor Jollie squirmed and wiggled, but he couldn’t get away.</p> + +<p>“Now for the last knot, and then I’ll tie you on the clothes line,” +spoke the boy, twisting Jollie’s tail very hard.</p> + +<p>“Oh, if he ever gets tied on the clothes line that will be the last of +him!” thought Bawly. “I wonder how I can save him?”</p> + +<p>Bawly thought, and thought, and thought, and finally he thought of his +bean shooter, and the beans he still had with him.</p> + +<p>“That’s the very thing!” he whispered. Then he hid down in the grass, +where the boy couldn’t see him, and just as that boy was about to tie +Jollie to the line, Bawly put a bean in the shooter, put the shooter in +his mouth, puffed out his cheeks and “bango!” a bean hit the boy on the +nose!</p> + +<p>“Ha!” cried the boy. “Who did that?” He looked all around and he +thought, maybe, it was a hailstone, but there weren’t any storm clouds +in the sky. Then the boy once more started to tie Jollie to the line.</p> + +<p>“Bungo!” went a bean on his left ear, hitting him quite hard.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_70' id='Page_70'>[Pg 70]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Stop that!” the boy cried, winking his eyes very fast.</p> + +<p>“Cracko!” went a bean on his right ear, for Bawly was blowing them very +fast now.</p> + +<p>“Oh, wait until I get hold of you, whoever you are!” shouted the boy, +looking all around, but he could see no one, for Bawly was hiding in the +grass.</p> + +<p>“Smacko!” went a bean on the boy’s nose again, and then he danced up and +down, and was so excited that he dropped poor Jollie in the soft grass, +and away the mousie scampered to where he saw Bawly hiding.</p> + +<p>Then Bawly kindly loosened the knots in the mousie’s tail, picked up the +ball, and away they both scampered back to the game, and told their +friends what had happened. And maybe Jollie wasn’t thankful to Bawly! +Well, I just guess he was! And that boy was so kerslastrated, about not +being able to find out who blew the beans at him, that he stood right up +on his head and wiggled his feet in the air, and then ran into the +house.</p> + +<p>Now, if it should happen that our pussy cat doesn’t go roller skating +and fall down and hurt its little nose so he can’t lap up his milk, I’ll +tell you next about Bully and the water bottle.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XI' id='STORY_XI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_71' id='Page_71'>[Pg 71]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XI</h2><h3>BULLY AND THE WATER BOTTLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>Well, just as I expected, my little cat did go roller skating, and +skated over a banana skin, and fell down and rubbed some of the fur off +his ear. But anyhow I’ll tell you a story just the same, and it’s going +to be about what happened to Bully No-Tail, the frog, when he had a +water bottle.</p> + +<p>Do you know what a water bottle is? Now don’t be too sure. You might +think it was a bottle made out of water, but instead it’s a bottle that +holds water. Any kind of a bottle will do, and you can even take a milk +bottle and put water in it if the milkman lets you.</p> + +<p>Well, one day, when Bully didn’t know what to do to have some fun, and +when Bawly, his brother, had gone off to play ball, Bully thought about +making a water bottle, as Johnnie Bushytail had told him how to do it.</p> + +<p>Bully took a bottle that once had held ink, and he cleaned it all out. +Then he got a cork, and, taking one of his mamma’s long hatpins, he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_72' id='Page_72'>[Pg 72]</a></span> +made, with the sharp point, a number of holes through the cork, just as +if it were a sieve, or a coffee strainer. Then Bully filled the bottle +with water, put in the cork, and there he had a sprinkling-water-bottle, +just as nice as you could buy in a store.</p> + +<p>“Now I’ll have some fun!” exclaimed Bully, as he jiggled the bottle up +and down quite fast, with the cork end held down. The water squirted out +from it just like from the watering can, when your mamma waters the +flowers.</p> + +<p>“I guess I’ll go water the garden first,” thought Bully. So he hopped +over to where there were some seeds planted and the little green sprouts +were just peeping up from the ground. Bully sprinkled water on the dry +earth and made it soft so the flowers could come through more easily.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is great!” cried the frog boy, as he held the water bottle +high in the air and let some drops sprinkle down all around on his own +head and clothes.</p> + +<p>But please don’t any of you try that part of the trick unless you have +on your bathing suit, for your mamma might not like it. As for Bully, it +didn’t matter how wet he got, for frogs just like water, and they have +on clothes that water doesn’t harm.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_73' id='Page_73'>[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<p>So Bully watered all the flowers, and then he sprinkled the dust on the +sidewalk and got a broom, and swept it nice and clean.</p> + +<p>“Ha! That’s a good boy!” said Grandpa Croaker, in his deepest voice, as +he hopped out of the yard to go over and play checkers with Uncle +Wiggily Longears. “A very good boy, indeed. Here is a penny for you,” and +he gave Bully a bright, new one.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to buy some marbles, as I lost all mine,” said Bully, as he +thanked his Grandpa very kindly and hopped off to the store.</p> + +<p>But before Bully had hopped very far he happened to think that his water +bottle was empty, so he stopped at a nice cold spring that he knew of, +beside the road, and filled it—that is, he filled his water bottle, you +know, not the spring.</p> + +<p>“For,” said Bully to himself, “I might happen to meet a bad dog, and if +he came at me to bite me I could squirt water in his eyes, almost as +well as if I had a water pistol, and the dog would howl and run away.”</p> + +<p>Well, the frog boy hopped along, and pretty soon he came to a store +where the marbles were. He bought a penny’s worth of brown and blue +ones, and then the monkey-doodle, who kept the store, gave him a piece +of candy.</p> + +<p>“Now I’ll find some of the boys, and have a<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_74' id='Page_74'>[Pg 74]</a></span> game of marbles,” thought +Bully, as he took three big hops and two little ones. Then he hopped +into the woods to look for his friends.</p> + +<p>Well, Bully hadn’t gone on very far before, just as he was hopping past +a big stump, he heard a voice calling:</p> + +<p>“Now I have you!”</p> + +<p>Well, you should have seen that frog boy jump, for he thought it was a +savage wolf or fox about to grab him. But, instead he saw Johnnie +Bushytail, the squirrel, and right in front of Johnnie was a great big +horned owl, with large and staring eyes.</p> + +<p>“Now I have you!” cried the owl again, and this time Bully knew the bad +bird was speaking to poor Johnnie Bushytail and not to him. And at that +the owl put out one claw, and, before the squirrel could run away the +savage creature had grabbed him. “Didn’t I tell you I had you?” the bird +asked, sarcastic like.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I guess I did,” answered Johnnie, trembling so that his tail +looked like a dusting brush. “But please let me go, Mr. Owl. I never did +anything to you.”</p> + +<p>“Didn’t you climb up a tree just now?” asked the owl, real saucy like.</p> + +<p>“Yes. I guess I did,” answered Johnnie.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_75' id='Page_75'>[Pg 75]</a></span> “I’m always climbing trees, you +know. But that doesn’t hurt you; does it?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, it does, for you knocked down a piece of bark, and it hit me on +the beak. And for that I’m going to take you home and cook you for +dinner,” the owl hooted.</p> + +<p>“Oh, please, please don’t!” begged poor Johnnie, but the owl said he +would, just the same, and he began to get ready to fly off to his nest +with the squirrel.</p> + +<p>“Ha, I must stop that, if it’s possible,” thought Bully, the frog, who +was still hiding behind the stump. “I mustn’t let the owl carry Johnnie +away. But how can I stop him?” Bully peeked around the edge of the stump +and saw the owl squeezing poor Johnnie tighter and tighter in his claws.</p> + +<p>“Ah, I have it!” cried Bully. “My water bottle and my marbles!” And with +that he hopped softly up on top of the stump, and leaning over the edge +he saw below him the owl holding Johnnie. Then Bully took the water +bottle, turned it upside down, and he sprinkled the water out as hard as +he could on that savage owl’s back. Down it fell in a regular shower.</p> + +<p>“My goodness me!” cried the owl. “It’s raining and I have no umbrella! +I’ll get all wet!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_76' id='Page_76'>[Pg 76]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then Bully squirted out more water, shaking it from the bottle as hard +as he could, and he rattled his bag of marbles until they sounded like +thunder and hailstones, and the owl looked up, but couldn’t see Bully on +the stump for the water was in his eyes. Then, being very much afraid of +rain and thunder storms, that bad owl bird suddenly flew away, leaving +Johnnie Bushytail on the ground, scared but safe.</p> + +<p>“Ha! That’s the time the water bottle did a good trick!” cried Bully, as +he went to see if Johnnie was hurt. But the squirrel wasn’t, very much, +and he could soon scramble home, after thanking Bully very kindly.</p> + +<p>And that owl was so wet that he caught cold and had the epizootic for a +week, and it served him right. Now in case the baby’s rattle box doesn’t +bounce into the pudding dish and scare the chocolate cake, I’ll tell you +next about Bawly going hunting.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XII' id='STORY_XII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_77' id='Page_77'>[Pg 77]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XII</h2><h3>BAWLY NO-TAIL GOES HUNTING</h3> +</div> + +<p>“Oh, Grandpa, will you please tell us a story?” begged Bully and Bawly +No-Tail one evening after supper, when they sat beside the old gentleman +frog, who was reading a newspaper. “Do tell us a story about a giant.”</p> + +<p>“Ha! Hum!” exclaimed Grandpa Croaker. “I’m afraid I don’t know any giant +stories, but I’ll tell you one about how I once went hunting and was +nearly caught myself.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that will be fine!” cried the two frog boys, so their Grandpa took +one of them up on each knee, and in his deepest, bass, rumbling, +stumbling, bumbling voice he told them the story.</p> + +<p>It was a very good story, and some day perhaps I may tell it to you. It +was about how, when Grandpa was a young frog, he started out to hunt +blackberries, and got caught in a briar bush and couldn’t get loose for +ever so long, and the mosquitoes bit him very hard, all over.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_78' id='Page_78'>[Pg 78]</a></span></p> + +<p>“And after that I never went hunting blackberries without taking a +mosquito netting along,” said the old frog gentleman, as he finished his +story.</p> + +<p>“My but that <i>was</i> an adventure!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“That’s what!” agreed his brother. “You were very brave, Grandpa, to go +off hunting blackberries all alone.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I was considered quite brave and handsome when I was young,” +admitted the old gentleman frog, in his bass voice. “But now, boys, run +off to bed, and I’ll finish reading the paper.”</p> + +<p>The next morning when Bully got up he saw Bawly at the side of the bed, +putting some beans in a bag, and taking his bean shooter out from the +bureau drawer where he kept it.</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do, Bawly?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“I’m going hunting, as Grandpa did,” said his brother.</p> + +<p>“But blackberries aren’t ripe yet. They’re not ripe until June or July,” +objected Bully.</p> + +<p>“I know it, but I’m going to hunt mosquitoes, not blackberries. I’m +going to kill all I can with my bean shooter, and then there won’t be so +many to bite the dear little babies this summer. Don’t you want to come +along?” asked Bawly.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_79' id='Page_79'>[Pg 79]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I would if I had a bean shooter,” answered Bully. “Perhaps I’ll go some +other time. To-day I promised Peetie and Jackie Bow Wow I’d come over +and play ball with them.”</p> + +<p>So Bully went to play ball, with the puppy dogs, and Bawly went hunting, +after his mamma had said that he might, and had told him to be careful.</p> + +<p>“I’ll put up a little lunch for you,” she said, “so you won’t get hungry +hunting mosquitoes in the woods.”</p> + +<p>Off Bawly hopped, with his lunch in a little basket on one leg and +carrying his bean shooter, and plenty of beans. He knew a deep, dark, +dismal stretch of woodland where there were so many mosquitoes that they +wouldn’t have been afraid to bite even an elephant, if one had happened +along. You see there were so many of the mosquitoes that they were bold +and savage, like bears or lions.</p> + +<p>“But just wait until I get at them with my bean shooter,” said Bawly +bravely. “Then they’ll be so frightened that they’ll fly away, and never +come back to bother people any more.”</p> + +<p>On and on he hopped and pretty soon he could hear a funny buzzing noise.</p> + +<p>“Those are the mosquitoes,” said the frog boy. “I am almost at the deep, +dark, dismal woods.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_80' id='Page_80'>[Pg 80]</a></span> Now I must be brave, as my Grandpa was when he +hunted blackberries; and, so that I may be very strong, to kill all the +mosquitoes, I’ll eat part of my lunch now.”</p> + +<p>So Bawly sat down under a toadstool, for it was very hot, and he ate +part of his lunch. He could hear the mosquitoes buzzing louder and +louder, and he knew there must be many of them; thousands and thousands.</p> + +<p>“Well, here I go!” exclaimed the frog boy at length, as he wrapped up in +a paper what was left of his lunch, and got his bean shooter all ready. +“Now for the battle. Charge! Forward, March! Bang-bang! Bung-bung!” and +he made a noise like a fife and drum going up hill.</p> + +<p>“Well, I wonder what that can be coming into our woods?” asked one +mosquito of another as he stopped buzzing his wings a moment.</p> + +<p>“It looks like a frog boy,” was the reply of a lady mosquito.</p> + +<p>“It is,” spoke a third mosquito, sharpening his biting bill on a stone. +“Let’s sting him so he’ll never come here again.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, let’s do it!” they all agreed.</p> + +<p>So they all got ready with their stingers, and Bawly hopped nearer and +nearer. They were just going to pounce on him and bite him to<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_81' id='Page_81'>[Pg 81]</a></span> pieces +when he suddenly shot a lot of beans at them, hitting quite a number of +mosquitoes and killing a few.</p> + +<p>“My! What’s this? What’s this?” cried the mosquitoes that weren’t +killed. “What is happening?” and they were very much surprised, not to +say startled.</p> + +<p>“This must be a war!” said some others. “This frog boy is fighting us!”</p> + +<p>“That’s just what I’m doing!” cried Bawly bravely. “I’m punishing you +for what you did to Grandfather Croaker! Bang-bang! Bung-bung! Shoot! +Fire! Aim! Forward, March!” and with that he shot some more beans at the +mosquitoes, killing hundreds of them so they could never more bite +little babies or boys and girls, to say nothing of papas and mammas and +aunts and uncles.</p> + +<p>Oh, how brave Bawly was with his bean shooter! He made those mosquitoes +dance around like humming birds, and they were very much frightened. +Then Bawly took a rest and ate some more of his lunch, laying his bean +shooter down on top of a stump.</p> + +<p>“Now the battle will go on again!” he cried, when he had eaten the last +crumb and felt very strong. But, would you believe me, while he was +eating, those mosquitoes had sneaked up and taken away his bean shooter.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is terrible!” cried Bawly, as he saw that his tin shooter was +gone. “Now I can’t fight them any more.”</p> + +<p>Then the mosquitoes knew that the frog boy didn’t have his bean-gun with +him, for they had hid it, and they stung him, so much that maybe, they +would have stung him to death if it hadn’t happened that Dickie and +Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrows, flew along just then. Into the swarm of +mosquitoes the birds flew, and they caught hundreds of them in their +bills and killed them, and the rest were so frightened that they flew +away, and in that manner Bawly was saved.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_82' id='Page_82'>[Pg 82]</a></span>So + that’s how he went hunting all alone, and when he got home his +Grandpa Croaker and all the folks thought him very brave. Now, in case I +see a red poodle dog, with yellow legs, standing on his nose while he +wags his tail at the pussy cat, I’ll tell you next about Papa No-Tail +and the giant.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-005' id='illus-005'></a> +<img src='images/illus-092.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XIII' id='STORY_XIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_83' id='Page_83'>[Pg 83]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIII</h2><h3>PAPA NO-TAIL AND THE GIANT</h3> +</div> + +<p>Did you ever hear the story of the giant with two heads, who chased a +whale, and caught him by the tail, and tickled the terrible monster with +a big, crooked hickory fence rail?</p> + +<p>Well, I’m not going to tell you a story about that giant, but about +another, who had only one head, though it was a very large one, and this +giant nearly scared Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, into a conniption +fit, which is almost as bad as the epizootic.</p> + +<p>It happened one day that there wasn’t any work for Mr. No-Tail to do at +the wallpaper factory, where he dipped his feet in ink and hopped around +to make funny black, and red, and green, and purple splotches, so they +would turn out to be wallpaper patterns. The reason there was no work +was because the Pelican bird drank up all the ink in his big bill, so +they couldn’t print any paper.</p> + +<p>“I have a holiday,” said Papa No-Tail, as he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_84' id='Page_84'>[Pg 84]</a></span> hopped about, “and I am +going to have a good time.”</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do?” asked Grandpa Croaker as he started off +across the pond to play checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears.</p> + +<p>“I think I will take Bully and Bawly and go for a swim, and then we’ll +take a hop through the woods and perhaps we may find an adventure,” +answered Mr. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>So he went up to the house, where Bully and Bawly, the two boy frogs, +were just getting ready to go out roller skating, and Mr. No-Tail asked +them if they didn’t want to come with him instead.</p> + +<p>“Indeed we do!” cried Bully, as he winked both eyes at his brother, for +he knew that when his papa took them out hopping, he used often to stop +in a store and buy them peanuts or candy.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, not so very long, in a little while, Papa No-Tail and +the two boys got to the edge of the pond, and into the water they hopped +to have a swim. My! I just wish you could have seen them. Papa No-Tail +swam in ever so many different ways, and Bully and Bawly did as well as +they could. And, would you believe me? just as Bully was getting out of +the water, up on the bank, ready to go hopping<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_85' id='Page_85'>[Pg 85]</a></span> off with Bawly and his +papa through the woods, a big fish nearly grabbed the little frog boy by +his left hind leg.</p> + +<p>“Oh my!” he cried, and his papa hopped over quickly to where Bully was, +and threw a stick at the bad fish to scare him away.</p> + +<p>“Ha! hum!” exclaimed Mr. No-Tail, “that was nearly an adventure, Bully, +but I don’t like that kind. Come on into the woods, boys, and we’ll see +what else we can find.”</p> + +<p>So into the woods they went, where there were tall trees, and little +trees, and bushes, and old stumps where owls lived. And the green leaves +were just coming out nicely on the branches, and there were a few early +May flowers peeping up from under the leaves and moss, just as baby +peeps up at you, out from under the bedclothes in the morning when the +sun awakens her.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t it just lovely here in the woods!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“It is certainly very fine,” agreed Bawly, and he looked up in the +treetops, where Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrels, were +frisking about, and then down on the ground, where Sammie and Susie +Littletail, the rabbits, were sitting beside an old stump, in which +there were no bad owls to scare them.</p> + +<p>“Now I think we’ll sit down here and eat our<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_86' id='Page_86'>[Pg 86]</a></span> lunch,” said Papa No-Tail +after a while, as they came to a nice little open place in the woods, +where there was a large flat stump, which they could use as a table. So +they opened the baskets of lunch that Mamma No-Tail had put up for them, +and they were eating their watercress sandwiches, and talking of what +they would do next, when, all of a sudden, they heard a most startling, +tremendous and extraordinary noise in the bushes.</p> + +<p>It was just as if an elephant were tramping along, and at first Papa +No-Tail thought it might be one of those big beasts, or perhaps an +alligator.</p> + +<p>“Keep quiet, boys,” he whispered, “and perhaps he won’t see us.” So they +kept very quiet, and hid down behind the stump.</p> + +<p>But the noise came nearer and nearer, and it sounded louder and louder, +and, before you could spell “cat” or “rat,” out from under a big, tall +tree stepped a big, tall giant. Oh, he was a fearful looking fellow! His +head was as big as a washtub full of clothes on a Monday morning, and +his legs were so long that I guess he could have hopped, skipped and +jumped across the street in about three steps.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” whispered Bully.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t he terrible!” said Bawly, softly.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_87' id='Page_87'>[Pg 87]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Hush!” cautioned their papa. “Please keep quiet and maybe he won’t see +us.”</p> + +<p>So they kept as quiet as they could, hoping the giant would pass by, but +instead he came right over to the stump, and the first any one knew he +had sat down on the top of it. I tell you it’s a good thing Bully and +Bawly and their papa had hopped off or they would have been crushed +flat. But they weren’t, I’m glad to say, for they were hiding down +behind the stump, and they didn’t dare hop away for fear the giant would +see, or hear them.</p> + +<p>The big man sat on the stump, and he looked all about, and he saw some +bread and watercress crumbs where Bully and Bawly and their papa had +been eating their lunch.</p> + +<p>“My!” exclaimed the giant. “Some one has been having dinner here. Oh, +how hungry I am! I wish I had some dinner. I believe I could eat the +hind legs of a dozen frogs if I had them!”</p> + +<p>Well, you should have seen poor Bully and Bawly tremble when they heard +that.</p> + +<p>“This must be a terrible giant,” said Mr. No-Tail. “Now I tell you what +I am going to do. Bully, I will hide you and Bawly in this hollow stump, +and then I’ll hop out where the giant can see me. He’ll chase after me, +but I’ll hop away as fast as I can, and perhaps I can get to some<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_88' id='Page_88'>[Pg 88]</a></span> water +and hide before he catches me. Then he’ll be so far away from the stump +that it will be safe for you boys to come out.”</p> + +<p>Well, Bully and Bawly didn’t want their papa to do that, fearing he +would be hurt, but he said it was best, so they hid inside the stump, +and out Mr. No-Tail hopped to where the giant could see him. Papa +No-Tail expected the big man would chase after him, but instead the +giant never moved and only looked at the frog and then he laughed and +said:</p> + +<p>“Hello, Mr. Frog! Let’s see you hop!” And then, what do you think that +giant did? Why he took off his head, which wasn’t real, being hollow and +made of paper, like a false face, so that his own head went inside of +it. And there he was only a nice, ordinary man after all.</p> + +<p>“What! Aren’t you a giant?” cried Papa No-Tail, who was so surprised +that he hadn’t hopped a single hop.</p> + +<p>“No,” said the man; “I am only a clown giant in a circus, but I ran away +to-day so I could see the flowers in the woods. I was tired of being in +the circus so much and doing funny tricks.”</p> + +<p>“But—but—what makes you so tall?” asked Mr. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, those are wooden stilts on my legs,” said<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_89' id='Page_89'>[Pg 89]</a></span> the giant. “They make me +as tall as a clothes post, these stilts do.”</p> + +<p>And, surely enough, they did, being like wooden legs, and the man wasn’t +a real giant at all, but very nice, like Mr. No-Tail, only different: +and he left off his big hollow paper head, and Bully and Bawly came out +of the stump, and the circus clown-giant, just like those you have seen, +told the frog boys lots of funny stories. Then they gave him some of +their lunch and showed him where flowers grew. Afterward the +make-believe giant went back to the circus, much happier than he had +been at first.</p> + +<p>So that’s all now, if you please, but if the rose bush in our back yard +doesn’t come into the house and scratch the frosting off the chocolate +cake I’ll tell you next about Bawly and the church steeple.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XIV' id='STORY_XIV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_90' id='Page_90'>[Pg 90]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIV</h2><h3>BAWLY AND THE CHURCH STEEPLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>After Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, and their papa, reached home +from the woods, where they met the make-believe giant, as I told you in +the story before this one, they talked about it for ever so long, and +agreed that it was quite an adventure.</p> + +<p>“I wish I’d have another adventure to-morrow,” said Bawly, as he went to +bed that night.</p> + +<p>“Perhaps you may,” said his papa. “Only I can’t be with you to-morrow, +as I have to go to work in my wallpaper factory. We made the Pelican +bird give back the ink, so the printing presses can run again.”</p> + +<p>Well, the next day the frog boys’ mamma said to them:</p> + +<p>“Bully and Bawly, I wish you would go to the store for me. I want a +dozen lemons and some sugar, for I am going to make lemonade, in case +company comes to-night.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_91' id='Page_91'>[Pg 91]</a></span></p> + +<p>“All right, we’ll go,” said Bully very politely. “I’ll get the sugar and +Bawly can get the lemons.”</p> + +<p>So they went to the store and got the things, and when they were hopping +out, the storekeeper, who was a very kind elephant gentleman, gave them +each a handful of peanuts, which they put in the pockets of their +clothes, that water couldn’t hurt.</p> + +<p>Well, when Bully and Bawly were almost home, they came to a place where +there were two paths. One went through the woods and the other across +the pond.</p> + +<p>“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” suggested Bully. “You go by the woodland +path, Bawly, and I’ll go by way of the pond and we’ll see who will get +home first.”</p> + +<p>“All right,” said Bawly, so on he hopped through the woods, going as +fast as he could, for he wanted to beat. And Bully swam as fast as he +could in the water, carrying the sugar, for it was in a rubber bag, so +it wouldn’t get wet. But now I’m going to tell you what happened to +Bawly.</p> + +<p>He was hopping along, carrying the lemons, when all at once he heard +some one calling to him:</p> + +<p>“Hello, little frog, are you a good jumper?”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_92' id='Page_92'>[Pg 92]</a></span></p> + +<p>Bawly looked all around, and there right by a great, big stone he saw a +savage, ugly fox. At first Bawly was going to throw a lemon at the bad +animal, to scare him away, and then he happened to think that the lemons +were soft and wouldn’t hurt the fox very much.</p> + +<p>“Don’t be afraid,” said the fox, “I won’t bite you. I wouldn’t hurt you +for the world, little frog,” and then the fox came slowly from behind +the stone, and Bawly saw that both the sly creature’s front feet were +lame from the rheumatism, like Uncle Wiggily’s, so the fox couldn’t run +at all. Bawly knew he could easily hop away from him, as the sly animal +couldn’t go any faster than a snail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess the reason you won’t hurt me, is because you can’t catch +me,” said Bawly, slow and careful-like.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I wouldn’t hurt you, anyhow,” went on the fox, trying not to show +how hungry he was, for really, you know, he wanted to eat Bawly, but he +knew he couldn’t catch him, with his sore feet, so he was trying to +think of another way to get hold of him. “I just love frogs,” said the +fox.</p> + +<p>“I guess you do,” thought Bawly. “You like them too much. I’ll keep well +away from you.”</p> + +<p>“But what I want to know,” continued the fox, “is whether you are a good +jumper, Bawly.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_93' id='Page_93'>[Pg 93]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Yes, I am—pretty good,” said the frog boy.</p> + +<p>“Could you jump over this stone?” asked the fox, slyly, pointing to a +little one.</p> + +<p>“Easily,” said Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all.</p> + +<p>“Could you jump over that stump?” asked the fox, pointing to a big one.</p> + +<p>“Easily,” answered Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all.</p> + +<p>“Ha! Here is a hard one,” said the fox. “Could you jump over my head?”</p> + +<p>“Easily,” replied Bawly, and he did it, lemons and all.</p> + +<p>“Well, you certainly are a good jumper,” spoke the fox, wagging his +bushy tail with a puzzled air. “I know something you can’t do, though.”</p> + +<p>“What is it?” inquired Bawly.</p> + +<p>“You can’t jump over the church steeple.”</p> + +<p>“I believe I can!” exclaimed Bawly, before he thought. You see he didn’t +like the fox to think he couldn’t do it, for Bawly was proud, and that’s +not exactly right, and it got him into trouble, as you shall soon see.</p> + +<p>You know that fox was very sly, and the reason he wanted Bawly to try to +jump over the church steeple was so the frog boy would fall down from a +great height and be hurt, and then<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_94' id='Page_94'>[Pg 94]</a></span> the fox could eat him without any +trouble, sore feet or none. I tell you it’s best to look out when a fox +asks you to do anything.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I can jump over the church steeple,” declared Bawly, and he hopped +ahead until he came to the church, the fox limping slowly along, and +thinking what a fine meal he’d have when poor Bawly fell, for the fox +knew what a terrible jump it was, and how anyone who made it would be +hurt, but the frog boy didn’t.</p> + +<p>Bawly tucked the bag of lemons under his leg, and he took a long breath, +and he gave a jump, but he didn’t go very far up in the air as his foot +slipped.</p> + +<p>“Ha! I knew you couldn’t do it!” sneered the fox.</p> + +<p>“Watch me!” cried Bawly, and this time he gave a most tremendous and +extraordinary jump, and right up to the church steeple he went, but he +didn’t go over it, and it’s a good thing, too, or he’d have been all +broken to pieces when he landed on the ground again. But instead he hit +right on top of the church steeple and stayed there, where there was a +nice, round, golden ball to sit on.</p> + +<p>“Jump down! Jump down!” cried the fox, for he wanted to eat Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No, I’m going to stay here,” answered<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_95' id='Page_95'>[Pg 95]</a></span> the frog boy, for now he saw how +far it was to the ground, and he knew he’d be killed if he leaped off +the steeple.</p> + +<p>Well, the fox tried to get him to jump down, but Bawly wouldn’t. And +then the frog boy began to wonder how he’d ever get home, for the +steeple was very high.</p> + +<p>Then what do you think Bawly did? Why, he took a lemon and threw it at +the church bell, hoping to ring it so the janitor would come and help +him down. But the lemon was too soft to ring the bell loudly enough for +any to hear.</p> + +<p>Then Bawly thought of his peanuts, and he threw a handful of them at the +church bell in the steeple, making it ring like an alarm clock, and the +janitor, who was sweeping out the church for Sunday, heard the bell, and +he looked up and saw the frog on the steeple. Then the janitor, being a +kind man, got a ladder and helped Bawly down, and the fox, very much +disappointed, limped away, and didn’t eat the frog boy after all.</p> + +<p>“But you must never try to jump over a steeple again,” said Bawly’s +mamma when he told her about it, after he got home with the lemons, and +found Bully there ahead of him with the sugar.</p> + +<p>So Bawly promised that he wouldn’t, and he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_96' id='Page_96'>[Pg 96]</a></span> never did. And now, if the +postman brings me a pink letter with a green stamp on from the playful +elephant in the circus, I’ll tell you next about Bully and the basket of +chips.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XV' id='STORY_XV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_97' id='Page_97'>[Pg 97]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XV</h2><h3>BULLY AND THE BASKET OF CHIPS</h3> +</div> + +<p>One nice warm day, as Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along +through the woods, he felt so very happy that he whistled a little tune +on a whistle he made from a willow stick. And the tune he whistled went +like this, when you sing it:</p> + +<p style='margin-left: 4em;'> +“I am a little froggie boy,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Without a bit of tail.</span><br /> +In fact I’m like a guinea pig,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Who eats out of a pail.</span><br /> +<br /> +”I swim, I hop, I flip, I flop,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>I also sing a tune,</span><br /> +And some day I am going to try<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>To hop up to the moon.</span><br /> +<br /> +“Because you see the man up there<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Must very lonesome be,</span><br /> +Without a little froggie boy,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Like Bawly or like me.”</span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_98' id='Page_98'>[Pg 98]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, ho! I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” suddenly exclaimed a voice.</p> + +<p>“Try what?” asked Bully, before he thought.</p> + +<p>“Try to jump up to the moon,” went on the voice. “Don’t you remember +what happened to your brother Bawly when he tried to jump over the +church steeple? Don’t do it, I beg of you.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I wasn’t really going to jump to the moon,” went on Bully. “I only +put that in the song to make it sound nice. But who are you, if you +please?” for the frog boy looked all around and he couldn’t see any one.</p> + +<p>“Here I am, over here,” the voice said, and then out from behind a clump +of tall, waving cat-tail plants, that grew in a pond of water, there +stepped a long-legged bird, with a long, sharp bill like a pencil or a +penholder.</p> + +<p>“Oh ho! So it’s you, is it?” asked Bully, making ready to hop away, for +as soon as he saw that long-legged and sharp-billed bird, he knew right +away that he was in danger. For the bird was a heron, which is something +like a stork that lives on chimneys in a country called Holland. And the +heron bird eats frogs and mice and little animals like that.</p> + +<p>“Yes, it is I,” said the heron. “Won’t you please sing that song on your +whistle again, Bully? I am very fond of music.” And, as he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_99' id='Page_99'>[Pg 99]</a></span> said that, +the heron slyly took another step nearer to the frog boy, intending to +grab him up in his sharp beak.</p> + +<p>“I—I don’t believe I have time to sing another verse,” answered Bully. +“And anyhow, there aren’t any more verses. So I’ll be going,” and he +hopped along, and hid under a stone where the big, big savage bird +couldn’t get him.</p> + +<p>Oh, my! how angry the heron was when he saw that he couldn’t fool Bully. +He stamped his long legs on the ground and said all sorts of mean +things, just because Bully didn’t want to be eaten up.</p> + +<p>“Now I wonder how I’m going to get away from here without that bird +biting me?” thought poor Bully, after a while.</p> + +<p>Well, it did seem a hard thing to do, for the heron was there waiting +for Bully to come out, when he would jab his bill right through the frog +boy. Then Bully thought and thought, which you must always do when you +are in trouble, or have hard examples at school, and finally Bully +thought of a plan.</p> + +<p>“I’ll hop along and go from one stone to another,” he said to himself, +“and by hiding under the different rocks the heron can’t get me.”</p> + +<p>So he tried that plan, hopping very quickly, and he got along all right, +for every time the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_100' id='Page_100'>[Pg 100]</a></span> heron tried to stick the frog boy with his sharp +bill, the bird would pick at a stone, under which Bully was hidden, and +that would make him more angry than ever. I mean it would make the heron +angry, not Bully.</p> + +<p>Well, the frog boy was almost home, and he knew that pretty soon the +heron would have to turn back and run away, for the bird wouldn’t dare +go right up to Bully’s house. Then, all of a sudden, Bully saw a poor +old mouse lady going along through the woods, with a basket of chips on +her arm. She had picked them up where some men were cutting wood, and +the mouse lady intended to put the chips in her kitchen stove, and boil +the teakettle with them.</p> + +<p>She walked along, when, all of a sudden, she stumbled on an acorn, and +fell down, basket and all, and she hurt her paw on a thorn, so she +couldn’t carry the basket any more.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s too bad!” exclaimed Bully. “I must help the poor mouse +lady.” So, forgetting all about the savage, long-billed bird, waiting to +grab him, out from under a stone hopped Bully, and he picked up the +basket of chips for the poor mouse lady.</p> + +<p>“Oh, thank you kindly, little frog boy,” she said, and then the heron +made a rush for Bully<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_101' id='Page_101'>[Pg 101]</a></span> and the mouse lady and tried to stick them both +with his sharp beak.</p> + +<p>“Oh, quick! Quick! Hop in here with me!” exclaimed the mouse lady, as +she pointed to a hole in a hollow stump, and into it she and Bully went, +basket of chips and all, just in time to escape the bad heron bird.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll get you yet! I’ll get you yet!” screeched the bird, hopping +along, first on one leg and then on the other, and dancing about in +front of the stump. “I’ll eat you both, that’s what I will!” Then he +tried to reach in with his bill and pull the frog boy and the mouse lady +out of the hollow stump, but he couldn’t, and then he stood on one leg +and hid the other one up under his feathers to keep it warm.</p> + +<p>“I’ll wait here until you come out, if I have to wait all night,” said +the bird. “Then I’ll get you.”</p> + +<p>“I guess he will, too,” said Bully, peeping out of a crack. “We are safe +here, but how am I going to get home, and how are you going to get home, +Mrs. Mouse?”</p> + +<p>“I will show you,” she answered. “We’ll play a trick on that heron. See, +I have some green paint, that I was going to put on my kitchen cupboard. +Now we’ll take some of it, and we’ll paint a few of the chips green, +and<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_102' id='Page_102'>[Pg 102]</a></span> they’ll look something like a frog. Then we’ll throw them out to +the heron, one at a time, and he’ll be so hungry that he’ll grab them +without looking at them. When he eats enough green chips he’ll have +indigestion, and be so heavy, like a stone, that he can’t chase after us +when we go out.”</p> + +<p>“Good!” cried Bully. So they painted some chips green, just the color of +Bully, and they tossed one out of the stump toward the bird.</p> + +<p>“Now I have you!” cried the heron, and, thinking it was the frog boy, he +grabbed up that green chip as quick as anything. And, before he knew +what it was, he had swallowed it, and then Mrs. Mouse and Bully threw +out more green chips, and the bad bird didn’t know they were only wood, +but he thought they were a whole lot of green frogs hopping out, and he +gobbled them up, one after another, as fast as he could.</p> + +<p>And, in a little while, the sharp chips stuck out all over inside of +him, like potatoes in a sack, and the heron had indigestion, and was so +heavy that he couldn’t run. Then Bully and Mrs. Mouse came out of the +stump, and went away, leaving the bad bird there, unable to move, and as +angry as a fox without a tail. Bully helped Mrs. Mouse carry the rest of +the chips home, and then he hopped home himself.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_103' id='Page_103'>[Pg 103]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now that’s the end of this story, but I know another, and if the little +boy across the street doesn’t throw his baseball at my pussy cat and +make her tail so big I can’t get her inside the house, I’ll tell you +about Bawly and his whistles.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XVI' id='STORY_XVI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_104' id='Page_104'>[Pg 104]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XVI</h2><h3>BAWLY AND HIS WHISTLES</h3> +</div> + +<p>Did you ever make a willow whistle—that is, out of a piece of wood off +a willow tree?</p> + +<p>No? Well, it’s lots of fun, and when I was a boy I used to make lots of +them. Big ones and little ones, and the kind that would almost make as +much noise as some factory whistles. If you can’t make one yourself, ask +your big brother, or your papa, or some man, to make you one.</p> + +<p>Maybe your big sister can, for some girls, like Lulu Wibblewobble, the +duck, can use a knife almost as good as a boy.</p> + +<p>Well, if I’m going to tell you about Bawly No-Tail, the frog, and his +whistles I guess I’d better start, hadn’t I? and not talk so much about +big brothers and sisters.</p> + +<p>One afternoon Bawly was hopping along in the woods. It was a nice, warm +day, and the wind was blowing in the treetops, and the flowers were +blooming down in the moss, and Bawly was very happy.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_105' id='Page_105'>[Pg 105]</a></span></p> + +<p>He came to a willow tree, and he said to himself:</p> + +<p>“I guess I’ll make a whistle.” So he cut off a little branch, about +eight inches long, and with his knife he cut one end slanting, just like +the part of a whistle that goes in your mouth. Then he made a hole for +the wind to come out of.</p> + +<p>Then he pounded the bark on the stick gently with his knife handle, and +pretty soon the bark slipped off, just as mamma takes off her gloves +after she’s been down to the five-and-ten-cent store. Then Bully cut +away some of the white wood, slipped on the bark again, and he had a +whistle.</p> + +<p>“My! That’s fine!” he cried, as he blew a loud blast on it. “I think +I’ll make another.”</p> + +<p>So he made a second one, and then he went on through the woods, blowing +first one whistle and then the other, like the steam piano in the circus +parade.</p> + +<p>“Hello!” suddenly cried a voice in the woods, “who is making all that +noise?”</p> + +<p>“I am,” answered Bawly. “Who are you?”</p> + +<p>“I am Sammie Littletail,” was the reply, and out popped the rabbit boy +from under a bush. “Oh, what fine whistles!” he cried when he saw those +Bawly had made. “I wish I had one.”</p> + +<p>“You may have, Sammie,” answered Bawly<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_106' id='Page_106'>[Pg 106]</a></span> kindly, and he gave his little +rabbit friend the biggest and loudest whistle. Then the two boy animals +went on through the woods, and pretty soon they came to a place where +there was a pond of water.</p> + +<p>“Excuse me for a minute,” said Bawly. “I think I’ll have a little swim. +Will you join me, Sammie?” he asked, politely.</p> + +<p>“No,” answered the rabbit, “I’m not a good swimmer, but I’ll wait here +on the bank for you.”</p> + +<p>“Then you may hold my whistle as well as your own,” said Bawly, “for I +might lose it under water.” Then into the pond Bawly hopped, and was +soon swimming about like a fish.</p> + +<p>But something is going to happen, just as I expected it would, and I’ll +tell you all about it, as I promised.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, as Bawly was swimming about, that bad old skillery, +scalery alligator, who had escaped from a circus, reared his ugly head +up from the pond, where he had been sleeping, and grabbed poor Bawly in +his claws.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me go!” cried the boy frog. “Please let me go!”</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not!” answered the alligator savagely. “I had you and your +brother once before, and you got away, but you shan’t get loose this +time. I’m going to take you to my deep, dark, dismal den, and then we’ll +have supper together.”</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-006' id='illus-006'></a> +<img src='images/illus-106.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_107' id='Page_107'>[Pg 107]</a></span>Well, +Bawly begged and pleaded, but it was of no use. That alligator +simply would not let him go, but held him tightly in his claws, and made +ugly faces at him, just like the masks on Hallowe’en night.</p> + +<p>All this while Sammie Littletail sat on the bank of the pond, too +frightened, at the sight of the alligator, to hop away. He was afraid +the savage creature might, at any moment, spring out and grab him also, +and the rabbit boy just sat there, not knowing what to do.</p> + +<p>“I wish I could save Bawly,” thought Sammie, “but how can I? I can’t +fight a big alligator, and if I throw stones at him it will only make +him more angry. Oh, if only there was a fireman or a policeman in the +woods, I’d tell him, and he’d hit the alligator, and make him go away. +But there isn’t a policeman or a fireman here!”</p> + +<p>Then the alligator started to swim away with poor Bawly, to take him off +to his deep, dark, dismal den, when, all of a sudden, Sammie happened to +think of the two willow whistles he had—his own and Bawly’s.</p> + +<p>“I wonder if I could scare the alligator with them, and make him let +Bawly go?” Sammie<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_108' id='Page_108'>[Pg 108]</a></span> thought. Then he made up a plan. He crept softly to +one side, and he hid behind a stump. Then he took the two whistles and +he put them into his mouth.</p> + +<p>Next, the rabbit boy gathered up a whole lot of little stones in a pile. +And the next thing he did was to build a little fire out of dry sticks. +Then he hunted up an old tin can that had once held baked beans, but +which now didn’t have anything in it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll make that alligator wish he’d never caught Bawly!” exclaimed +Sammie, working very quickly, for the savage reptile was fast swimming +away with the frog boy.</p> + +<p>Sammie put the stones in the tin can, together with some water, and he +set the can on the fire to boil, and he knew the stones would get hot, +too, as well as the water. And, surely enough, soon the water in the can +was bubbling and the stones were very hot.</p> + +<p>Then Sammie took a long breath and he blew on those whistles, both at +the same time as hard as ever he could. Then he took some wet moss and +wrapped it around the hot can, so it wouldn’t burn his paws, and he +tossed everything—hot water, hot stones, hot can and all—over into the +pond, close to where the alligator was. Then Sammie blew on the whistles +some more. “Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_109' id='Page_109'>[Pg 109]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Splash!” Into the water went the hot stones, hissing like snakes.</p> + +<p>“Buzz! Bubble! Fizz!” went the hot water all over the alligator.</p> + +<p>“Toot! Toot!” went the whistles which Sammie was blowing.</p> + +<p>“Skizz! Skizz!” went the hot fire-ashes that also fell into the pond.</p> + +<p>“Oh, it’s a fire engine after me! It’s a terrible fire engine after me! +It’s spouting hot water and sparks on me!” cried the alligator, real +frightened like, and then he was so scared that he let go of Bawly, and +sank away down to the bottom of the pond to get out of the way of the +hot stones and the hot water and the hot sparks, and where he couldn’t +hear the screechy whistles which he thought came from fire engines. And +Bawly swam safely to shore, and he thanked Sammie Littletail very kindly +for saving his life, and they went on a little farther and had a nice +game of tag together until supper time.</p> + +<p>So that’s how the whistles that Bawly made did him a good service, and +next, if it stops raining long enough so the moon can come out without +getting wet, and go to the moving pictures, I’ll tell you about Grandpa +Croaker and Uncle Wiggily Longears.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XVII' id='STORY_XVII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_110' id='Page_110'>[Pg 110]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XVII</h2><h3>GRANDPA CROAKER AND UNCLE WIGGILY</h3> +</div> + +<p>After the trick which Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy, played on the +alligator, making him believe a fire engine was after him, it was some +time before Bully or Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, went near that pond +again, where the savage creature with the long tail lived, after he had +escaped from the circus.</p> + +<p>“Because it isn’t safe to go near that water,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” agreed his brother. “Some day we’ll get a pump and pump +all the water out of the pond, and that will make the alligator go +away.”</p> + +<p>Well, it was about a week after this that Grandpa Croaker, the old +gentleman frog, put on his best dress. Oh, dear me! Just listen to that, +would you! I mean he put on his best suit and started out, taking his +gold-headed cane with him.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_111' id='Page_111'>[Pg 111]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Where are you going?” asked Mrs. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh! I think I’ll go over and play a game of checkers with Uncle Wiggily +Longears,” replied the old gentleman frog. “The last game we played he +won, but I think I can win this time.”</p> + +<p>“Well, whatever you do, Grandpa,” spoke Bully, “please don’t go past the +pond where the bad alligator is.”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed, for he might bite you,” said Bawly, and their Grandpa +promised that he would be careful.</p> + +<p>Well, he went along through the woods, Grandpa Croaker did, and pretty +soon, after a while, not so very long, he came to where Uncle Wiggily +lived, with Sammie and Susie Littletail, and their papa and mamma and +Miss Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat nurse. But to-day only Uncle Wiggily +was home alone, for every one else had gone to the circus.</p> + +<p>So the old gentleman goat—I mean frog—and the old gentleman rabbit sat +down and played a game of checkers. And after they had played one game +they played another, and another still, for Uncle Wiggily won the first +game, and Grandpa Croaker won the second, and they wanted to see who +would win the third.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_112' id='Page_112'>[Pg 112]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, they were playing away, moving the red and black round checkers +back and forth on the red and black checker board, and they were talking +about the weather, and whether there’d be any more rain, and all things +like that, when, all of a sudden Uncle Wiggily heard a noise at the +window.</p> + +<p>“Hello! What’s that?” he cried, looking up.</p> + +<p>“It sounded like some one breaking the glass,” answered Grandpa Croaker. +“I hope it wasn’t Bawly and Bully playing ball.”</p> + +<p>Then he looked up, and he saw the same thing that Uncle Wiggily saw, and +the funny part of it was that Uncle Wiggily saw the same thing Grandpa +Croaker saw. And what do you think this was?</p> + +<p>Why it was that savage skillery, scalery alligator chap who had poked +his ugly nose right in through the window, breaking the glass!</p> + +<p>“Ha! What do you want here?” cried Uncle Wiggily, as he made his ears +wave back and forth like palm leaf fans, and twinkled his nose like two +stars on a frosty night.</p> + +<p>“Yes, get right away from here, if you please!” said Grandpa Croaker in +his deepest, hoarsest, rumbling, grumbling, thunder-voice. “Get away, we +want to play checkers.”</p> + +<p>But he couldn’t scare the alligator that way,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_113' id='Page_113'>[Pg 113]</a></span> and the first thing he +and Uncle Wiggily knew, that savage creature poked his nose still +farther into the room.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho!” the alligator cried. “Checkers; eh? Now, do you know I am very +fond of checkers?” And with that, what did he do but put out his long +tongue, and with one sweep he licked up the red checkers and the black +checkers and the red and black squared checker board at one swallow, and +down his throat it went, like a sled going down hill.</p> + +<p>“Ah, ha!” exclaimed the alligator. “Those were very fine checkers. I +think I won that game!” he said, smiling a very big smile.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I guess you did,” said Uncle Wiggily, sadly, as he looked for his +cornstalk crutch. When he had it he was just going to hop away, and +Grandpa Croaker was going with him, for they were afraid to stay there +any more, when the alligator suddenly cried:</p> + +<p>“Where are you going?”</p> + +<p>“Away,” said Uncle Wiggily.</p> + +<p>“Far, far away,” said Grandpa Croaker, for it made him sad to think of +all the nice red and black checkers, and the board also, being eaten up.</p> + +<p>“Oh, no! I think you are going to stay right<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_114' id='Page_114'>[Pg 114]</a></span> here,” snapped the +alligator. “You’ll stay here, and as soon as I feel hungry again I’ll +eat you.”</p> + +<p>And with that the savage creature with the double-jointed tail put out +his claws, and in one claw he grabbed Uncle Wiggily and in the other he +caught Grandpa Croaker, and there he had them both.</p> + +<p>Now, it so happened that a little while before this, Bully and Bawly +No-Tail, the frog boys, had started out for a walk in the woods.</p> + +<p>“Dear me,” said Bully, after a while, “do you know I am afraid that +something has happened to Grandpa Croaker.”</p> + +<p>“What makes you think so?” asked his brother.</p> + +<p>“Because I think he went past the pond where the alligator was, and that +the bad creature got him.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hope not,” replied Bawly. “But let’s walk along and see.” So they +walked past the pond, and they saw that it was all calm and peaceful, +and they knew the alligator wasn’t in it.</p> + +<p>So they kept on to Uncle Wiggily’s house, thinking they would walk home +with Grandpa Croaker, and when they came to where the old gentleman +rabbit lived, they saw the alligator standing on his tail outside with +his head in through the window.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_115' id='Page_115'>[Pg 115]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I knew it!” cried Bully. “I knew that alligator would be up to some +tricks! Perhaps he has already eaten Grandpa Croaker and Uncle Wiggily.”</p> + +<p>Just then they heard both the old animal gentlemen squealing inside the +house, for the alligator was squeezing them.</p> + +<p>“They’re alive! They’re still alive!” cried Bawly. “We must save them!”</p> + +<p>“How?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“Let’s build a fire under the alligator’s tail,” suggested Bawly. “He +can’t see us, for his head is inside the room.”</p> + +<p>So what did those two brave frog boys do but make a fire of leaves under +the alligator’s long tail. And he was so surprised at feeling the heat, +that he turned suddenly around, dropped Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa +Croaker on the table cloth, and then, pulling his head out of the +window, he turned it over toward the fire, and he cried great big +alligator tears on the flames and put them out. Oh, what a lot of big +tears he cried.</p> + +<p>Then he tried to catch Bully and Bawly, but the frog boys hopped away, +and the alligator ran after them. Just then the man from the circus +came, with a long rope and caught the savage beast and put him back in +the cage and made<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_116' id='Page_116'>[Pg 116]</a></span> him go to sleep, after he put some vaseline on his +burns.</p> + +<p>So that’s how Bully and Bawly saved Uncle Wiggily and Grandpa Croaker, +by building a fire under the alligator’s long tail.</p> + +<p>And in case some one sends me a nice ring for my finger, or thumb, with +a big orange in it instead of a diamond, I’ll tell you next about Mrs. +No-Tail and Mrs. Longtail.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XVIII' id='STORY_XVIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_117' id='Page_117'>[Pg 117]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XVIII</h2><h3>MRS. NO-TAIL AND MRS. LONGTAIL</h3> +</div> + +<p>“Now, boys,” said Mrs. No-Tail, the frog lady, to Bully and Bawly one +day, as she put on her best bonnet and shawl and started out, “I hope +you will be good while I am away.”</p> + +<p>“Where are you going, mamma?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“I am going over to call on Mrs. Longtail, the mouse,” replied Mrs. +No-Tail. “She is the mother of the mice children, Jollie and Jillie +Longtail, you know, and she has been ill with mouse-trap fever. So I am +taking her some custard pie, and a bit of toasted cheese.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, of course we’ll be good,” promised Bawly. “But if you don’t come +home in time for supper, mamma, what shall we eat?”</p> + +<p>“I have made up a cold supper for you and your papa and Grandpa +Croaker,” said Mrs. No-tail. “You will find it in the oven of the stove. +You may eat at 5 o’clock, but I think I’ll be back before then.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_118' id='Page_118'>[Pg 118]</a></span></p> + +<p>Poor Mrs. No-Tail didn’t know what was going to happen to her, nor how +near she was to never coming home at all again. But there, wait, if you +please, I’ll tell you all about it.</p> + +<p>Away hopped Mrs. No-Tail through the woods, carrying the custard pie and +the toasted cheese for Mrs. Longtail in a little basket. And when she +got there, I mean to the mouse house, she found the mouse lady home all +alone, for Jollie and Jillie and Squeaky-Eaky, the little cousin mouse, +had gone to a surprise party, given by Nellie Chip-Chip, the sparrow +girl.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so glad to see you,” said Mrs. Longtail. “Come right in, if you +please, Mrs. No-Tail. I’ll make you a cup of tea.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, are you able to be about?” asked Bully’s mamma.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” replied Jollie’s mamma. “I am much better, thank you. I am so +glad you brought me a custard pie. But now sit right down by the window, +where you can smell the flowers in the garden, and I’ll make tea.”</p> + +<p>Well in a little while, about forty-’leven seconds, Mrs. Longtail had +the tea made, and she and Mrs. No-Tail sat in the dining-room eating +it—I mean sipping it—for it was quite hot. And they were talking about +spring housecleaning, and about moths getting in the closets, and +eating<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_119' id='Page_119'>[Pg 119]</a></span> up the blankets and the piano, and about whether there would be +many mosquitoes this year, after Bawly had killed such numbers of them +with his bean shooter. They talked of many other things, and finally +Mrs. Longtail said:</p> + +<p>“Let me get you another cup of tea, Mrs. No-Tail.”</p> + +<p>So the lady mouse went out in the kitchen to get the tea off the stove, +and when she got there, what do you think she saw? Why, a great, big, +ugly, savage cat had, somehow or other, gotten into the room and there +he sat in front of the fire, washing his face, which was very dirty.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho!” exclaimed the cat, blinking his yellow eyes, “I was wondering +whether anybody was at home here.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I am at home!” exclaimed the mouse lady, “and I want you to get +right out of my house, Mr. Cat.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” replied the cat, licking his whiskers with his red tongue, “I’m +not going! That’s all there is to it. I am glad I found you at home, but +you are not going to be at home long.”</p> + +<p>“Why not?” asked Mrs. Longtail, suspicious like.</p> + +<p>“Because,” answered that bad cat, “I am going to eat you up, and I think +I’ll start right in!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_120' id='Page_120'>[Pg 120]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t!” begged Mrs. Longtail, as she tried to run back into the +dining-room, where Mrs. No-Tail was sitting. But the savage cat was too +quick for her, and in an instant he had her in his paws, and was glaring +at her with his yellowish-green eyes.</p> + +<p>“I don’t know whether to eat you head first or tail first,” said the +cat, as he looked at the poor mouse lady. “I must make up my mind before +I begin.”</p> + +<p>Now while he was making up his mind Mrs. No-Tail sat in the other room, +wondering what kept Mrs. Longtail such a long time away, getting the +second cup of tea.</p> + +<p>“Perhaps I had better go and see what’s keeping her,” Mrs. No-Tail +thought. “She may have burned herself on the hot stove, or teapot.” So +she went toward the kitchen, and there she saw a dreadful sight, for +there was that bad cat, holding poor Mrs. Longtail in his claws and +opening his mouth to eat her.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me go! Please let me go!” the mouse lady begged.</p> + +<p>“No, I’ll not,” answered the cat, and once more he licked his whiskers +with his red tongue.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I must do something to that cat!” thought Mrs. No-Tail. “I must +make him let Mrs. Longtail go.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_121' id='Page_121'>[Pg 121]</a></span></p> + +<p>So she thought and thought, and finally the frog lady saw a sprinkling +can hanging on a nail in the dining-room, where Mrs. Longtail kept it to +water the flowers with.</p> + +<p>“I think that will do,” said Mrs. No-Tail. So she very quietly and +carefully took it off the nail, and then she went softly out of the +front door, and around to the side of the house to the rain-water +barrel, where she filled the watering can. Then she came back with it +into the house.</p> + +<p>“Now,” she thought, “if I can only get up behind the cat and pour the +water on him, he’ll think it’s raining, and as cats don’t like rain he +may run away, and let Mrs. Longtail go.”</p> + +<p>So Mrs. No-Tail tip-toed out into the kitchen as quietly as she could, +for she didn’t want the cat to see her. But the savage animal, who had +made his tail as big as a skyrocket, was getting ready to eat Mrs. +Longtail, and he was going to begin head first. So he didn’t notice Mrs. +No-Tail.</p> + +<p>Up she went behind him, on her tippiest tiptoes, and she held the +watering can above his head. Then she tilted it up, and suddenly out +came the water—drip! drip! drip! splash! splash!</p> + +<p>Upon the cat’s furry back it fell, and my, you should have seen how +surprised that cat was!</p> + +<p>“Why, it’s raining in the house,” he cried.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_122' id='Page_122'>[Pg 122]</a></span> “The roof must leak. The +water is coming in! Get a plumber! Get a plumber!”</p> + +<p>Then he gave a big jump, and bumped his head on the mantelpiece, and +this so startled him that he dropped Mrs. Longtail, and she scampered +off down in a deep, dark hole and hid safely away. Then the cat saw Mrs. +No-Tail pouring water from the can, and he knew he had been fooled.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll get you!” he cried, and he jumped at her, but the frog lady +threw the sprinkling can at the cat, and it went right over his head +like a bonnet, and frightened him so that he jumped out of the window +and ran away. And he didn’t come back for a week or more. So that’s how +Mrs. No-Tail saved Mrs. Longtail.</p> + +<p>Now in case the baker man doesn’t take the front door bell away to put +it on the rag doll’s carriage, I’ll tell you next about Bawly and +Arabella Chick.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XIX' id='STORY_XIX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_123' id='Page_123'>[Pg 123]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIX</h2><h3>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, had been kept in after school one day for +whispering. It was something he very seldom did in class, and I’m quite +surprised that he did it this time.</p> + +<p>You see, he was very anxious to play in a ball game, and when teacher +went to the blackboard to draw a picture of a cat, so the pupils could +spell the word better, Bawly leaned over and asked Sammie Littletail, +the rabbit boy, in a whisper:</p> + +<p>“Say, Sammie, will you have a game of ball after school?”</p> + +<p>Sammie shook his head “yes,” but he didn’t talk. And the lady mouse +teacher heard Bawly whispering, and she made him stay in. But he was +sorry for it, and promised not to do it again, and so he wasn’t kept in +very late.</p> + +<p>Well, after a while the nice mouse teacher said Bawly could go, and soon +he was on his way home, and he was wondering if he would meet Sammie or +any of his friends, but he didn’t, as<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_124' id='Page_124'>[Pg 124]</a></span> they had hurried down to the +vacant lots, where the circus tents were being put up for a show.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my, how lonesome it is!” exclaimed Bawly. “I wish I had some one to +play with. I wonder where all the boys are?”</p> + +<p>“I don’t know where they are,” suddenly answered a voice, “but if you +like, Bawly, I will play house with you. I have my doll, and we can have +lots of fun.”</p> + +<p>Bawly looked around, to make sure it wasn’t a wolf or a bad owl trying +to fool him, and there he saw Arabella Chick, the little chicken girl, +standing by a big pie-plant. It wasn’t a plant that pies grow on, you +understand, but the kind of plant that mamma makes pies from.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you want to play house?” asked Arabella, kindly, of Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No—no thank you, I—I guess not,” answered Bawly, bashfully standing +first on one leg, and then on the other. “I—er—that is—well, you +know, only girls play house,” the frog boy said, for, though he liked +Arabella very much, he was afraid that if he played house with her some +of his friends might come along and laugh at him.</p> + +<p>“Some boys play house,” answered the little chicken girl. “But no +matter. Perhaps you would like to come to the store with me.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_125' id='Page_125'>[Pg 125]</a></span></p> + +<p>“What are you going to get?” asked Bawly, curious like.</p> + +<p>“Some kernels of corn for supper,” answered Arabella, “and I also have a +penny to spend for myself. I am going to get some watercress candy, +and—”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’ll gladly come to the store with you,” cried Bawly, real excited +like. “I’ll go right along. I don’t care very much about playing ball +with the boys. I’d rather go with you.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll give you some of my candy if you come,” went on Arabella, who +didn’t like to go alone.</p> + +<p>“I thought—that is, I hoped you would,” spoke Bawly, shyly-like. Well, +the frog boy and the chicken girl went on to the store, and Arabella got +the corn, and also a penny’s worth of nice candy flavored with +watercress, which is almost as good as spearmint gum.</p> + +<p>The two friends were walking along toward home, each one taking a bite +of candy now and then, and Bawly was carrying the basket of corn. He was +taking a nice bite off the stick of candy that Arabella held out to him, +and he was thinking how kind she was, when, all of a sudden the frog boy +stumbled and fell, and before he knew it the basket of corn slipped from +his paw, and into a pond of water it fell—ker-splash!</p> + +<p>“Oh dear!” cried Arabella.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_126' id='Page_126'>[Pg 126]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh dear!” also cried Bawly. “Now I have gone and done it; haven’t I?”</p> + +<p>“But—but I guess you didn’t mean to,” spoke Arabella, kindly.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied Bawly, “I certainly did not. But perhaps I can get the +corn up for you. I’ll reach down and try.”</p> + +<p>So he stretched out on the bank of the pond, and reached his front leg +down into the water as far as it would go, but he couldn’t touch the +corn, for it was scattered out of the basket, all over the floor, or +bottom, of the pond.</p> + +<p>“That will never do!” cried Bawly. “I guess I’ll have to dive down for +that corn.”</p> + +<p>“Dive down!” exclaimed Arabella. “Oh, if you dive down under water +you’ll get all wet. Wait, and perhaps the water will all run out of the +pond and we can then get the corn.”</p> + +<p>“Oh I don’t mind the wet,” replied the frog boy. “My clothes are made +purposely for that. I’m so sorry I spilled the corn.” So into the water +Bawly popped, clothes and all, just as when you fall out of a boat, and +down to the bottom he went. But when he tried to pick up the corn he had +trouble. For the kernels were all wet and slippery and Bawly couldn’t +very well hold his paw full of corn, and swim at the same time. So he +had to let go of the corn, and up he popped.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_127' id='Page_127'>[Pg 127]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh!” cried Arabella, when she saw he didn’t have any corn. “I’m so +sorry! What shall we do? We need the corn for supper.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll try again,” promised Bawly, and he did, again and again, but still +he couldn’t get any of the corn up from under the water. And he felt +badly, and so did Arabella, and even eating what they had left of the +candy didn’t make them feel any better.</p> + +<p>“I tell you what it is!” cried Bawly, after he had tried forty-’leven +times to dive down after the corn, “what I need is something like an ash +sieve. Then I could scoop up the corn and water, and the water would run +out, and leave the corn there.”</p> + +<p>“But you haven’t any sieve,” said Arabella, “and so you can never get +the corn, and we won’t have any supper, and—— Oh, dear! Boo-hoo! +Hoo-boo!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, please don’t cry,” begged Bawly, who felt badly enough himself. +“Here, wait, I’ll see if I can’t drink all the water out of the pond, +and that will leave the ground dry so we can get the corn.”</p> + +<p>Well, he tried, but, bless you, he couldn’t begin to drink all the water +in the pond. And he didn’t know what to do, until, all of a sudden, he +saw, coming along the road, Aunt Lettie, the nice old lady goat. And +what do you think she had? Why, a coffee strainer, that she had bought +at the five-and-ten-cent store. As soon as Bawly saw that strainer he +asked Aunt Lettie if he could take it.</p> + +<p>She said he could, and pretty soon down he dived under the water again, +and with the coffee strainer it was very easy to scoop up the corn from +the bottom of the pond, and soon Bawly got it all back again, and the +water hadn’t hurt it a bit, only making it more tender and juicy for +cooking.</p> + +<p>And just as Bawly got up the last of the corn in the coffee strainer, +down swooped a big owl, and he tried to grab Bawly and Arabella and the +corn and sieve and Aunt Lettie, all at the same time. But the old lady +goat drove him away with her sharp horns, and then Bawly and Arabella +thanked her very kindly and went home, the frog boy carrying the corn he +had gotten up from the pond, and taking care not to spill it again. And +so every one was happy but the owl.</p> + +<p>Now in case the fish man doesn’t paint the glass of the parlor windows +sky-blue pink, so I can’t see Uncle Wiggily Longears when he rings the +door bell, I’ll tell you next about Bully and Dottie Trot.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-007' id='illus-007'></a> +<img src='images/illus-128.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XX' id='STORY_XX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_128' id='Page_128'>[Pg 128]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XX</h2><h3>BAWLY AND ARABELLA CHICK.</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_129' id='Page_129'>[Pg 129]</a></span>One day Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along through the +woods, and he felt so very fine, and it was such a nice day, that, when +he came to a place where some flowers grew up near an old stump, nodding +their pretty heads in the wind, the frog boy sang a little song.</p> + +<p style='margin-left: 4em;'> +“I love to skip and jump and hop,<br /> +I love to hear firecrackers pop,<br /> +I love to play<br /> +The whole long day,<br /> +I love to spin my humming top.”<br /> +</p> + +<p>That’s what Bully sang, and if there had been a second, or a third, or a +forty-’leventh verse he would have sung that too, as he felt so good. +Well, after he had sung the one verse he hopped on some more, and pretty +soon he came to the place where the mouse lady lived, whose basket of +chips Bully had once picked up, when she hurt<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_130' id='Page_130'>[Pg 130]</a></span> her foot on a thorn. I +guess you remember about that story.</p> + +<p>“Ah, how to you do, Bully?” asked the mouse lady, as the frog boy hopped +along.</p> + +<p>“Thank you, I am very well,” he answered politely. “I hope you are +feeling pretty good.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” she made answer, “I might feel better. I have a little touch of +cat-and-mouse-trap fever, but I think if I stay in my hole and take +plenty of toasted cheese, I’ll be better. But here is a nice sugar +cookie for you,” and with that the nice mouse lady went to the cupboard, +got a cookie, and gave it to the frog boy.</p> + +<p>Bully ate it without getting a single crumb on the floor, which was very +good of him, and then, saving a piece of the cookie for his brother +Bawly, he hopped on, after bidding the mouse lady good-by and hoping +that she would soon be better.</p> + +<p>Along and along hopped Bully, and all of a sudden the big giant jumped +out of the bushes—Oh, excuse me, if you please! there is no giant in +this story. The giant went back to the circus, but I’ll tell you a story +about him as soon as I may. As Bully was hopping along, all of a sudden +out from behind a bush there jumped a savage, ugly wolf, and he had +gotten out of his circus cage again, and was looking around for +something to eat.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_131' id='Page_131'>[Pg 131]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Ah, ha! At last I have found something!” cried the wolf, as he made a +spring for Bully, and he caught the frog boy under his paws and held him +down to the earth, just like a cat catches a mouse.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let me go! Please let me go! You are squeezing the breath out of +me!” cried poor Bully.</p> + +<p>“Indeed I will not let you go!” replied the wolf, real unpleasant-like. +“I have been looking for something to eat all day and now that I’ve +found it I’m not going to let you go. No, indeed, and some horseradish +in a bottle besides.”</p> + +<p>“Are you really going to eat me?” asked Bully, sorrowfully.</p> + +<p>“I certainly am,” replied the wolf. “You just watch me. Oh, no, I +forgot. You can’t see me eat you, but you can feel me, which is much the +same thing.”</p> + +<p>Then the wolf sharpened his teeth on a sharpening stone, and he got +ready to eat up the frog boy. Now Bully didn’t want to be eaten, and I +don’t blame him a bit; do you? He wanted to go play ball, and have a lot +of fun with his friends, and he was thinking what a queer world this is, +where you can be happy and singing a song, and eating a sugar cookie one +minute, and the next<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_132' id='Page_132'>[Pg 132]</a></span> minute be caught by a wolf. But that’s the way it +generally is.</p> + +<p>Then, as Bully thought of how good the sugar cookie was he asked the +wolf:</p> + +<p>“Will you let me go for a piece of cookie, Mr. Wolf?”</p> + +<p>“Let me see the cookie,” spoke the savage creature.</p> + +<p>So Bully reached in his pocket, and took out the piece of cookie that he +was saving for Bawly. He knew Bawly would only be too glad to have the +wolf take it, if he let his brother Bully go.</p> + +<p>But, would you ever believe it? That unpleasant and most extraordinary +wolf animal snatched the cookie from Bully’s paw, ate it up with one +mouthful, and only smiled.</p> + +<p>“Well, now, are you going to let me go?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“No,” said the wolf. “That cookie only made me more hungry. I guess I’ll +eat you now, and then go look for your brother and eat him, too.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, will no one save me?” cried Bully in despair, and just then he +heard a rustling in the bushes. He looked up and there he saw Dottie +Trot, the little pony girl. She waved her hoof at Bully, and then the +frog boy knew she would save him if she could. So he thought of a plan, +while Dottie, with her new red hair ribbon tied<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_133' id='Page_133'>[Pg 133]</a></span> in a pink bow, hid in +the bushes, where the wolf couldn’t see her, and waited.</p> + +<p>“Well, if you are going to eat me, Mr. Wolf,” said Bully, most politely, +after a while, “will you grant me one favor before you do so?”</p> + +<p>“What is it?” asked the wolf, still sharpening his teeth.</p> + +<p>“Let me take one last hop before I die?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“Very well,” answered the wolf. “One hop and only one, remember. And +don’t think you can get away, for I can run faster than you can hop.”</p> + +<p>Bully knew that, but he was thinking of Dottie Trot. So the wolf took +his paws off Bully, and the frog boy got ready to take a last big hop. +He looked over through the bushes, and saw the pony girl, and then he +gave a great, big, most tremendous and extraordinarily strenuous jump, +and landed right on Dottie’s back!</p> + +<p>“Here we go!” cried the pony girl. “Here is where I save Bully No-Tail! +Good-by bad Mr. Wolf.” And away she trotted as fast as the wind.</p> + +<p>“Here, come back with my supper! Come back with my supper!” cried the +disappointed wolf, and off he ran after Dottie, who had Bully safely on +her back.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_134' id='Page_134'>[Pg 134]</a></span></p> + +<p>Faster and faster ran the wolf, but faster and faster ran Dottie, and no +wolf could ever catch her, no matter how fast he ran. And Dottie +galloped and trotted and cantered, and went on and on, and on, and the +wolf came after her, but he kept on being left farther and farther +behind, and at last Dottie was out of the woods, and she and Bully were +safe, for the wolf didn’t dare go any nearer, for fear the circus men +would catch him.</p> + +<p>“Oh, thank you so much, Dottie, for saving me,” said Bully. “I’ll give +you this other piece of cookie I was saving for Bawly. He won’t mind.”</p> + +<p>So he gave it to Dottie, and she liked it very much indeed, and that +wolf was so angry and disappointed about not having any supper that he +bit his claw nails almost off, and went back into the woods, and +growled, and growled, and growled all night, worse than a buzzing +mosquito.</p> + +<p>But Bully and Dottie didn’t care a bit and they went on home and they +met Uncle Wiggily Longears, the rabbit gentleman, who bought them an ice +cream soda flavored with carrots.</p> + +<p>Now in case my little bunny rabbit doesn’t bite a hole in the back steps +so the milkman drops a bottle down it when he comes in the morning, I’ll +tell you in the following story about Grandpa Croaker and Brighteyes +Pigg.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXI' id='STORY_XXI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_135' id='Page_135'>[Pg 135]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXI</h2><h3>GRANDPA AND BRIGHTEYES PIGG</h3> +</div> + +<p>One nice warm day, right after he had eaten a breakfast of watercress +oatmeal, with sweet-flag-root-sugar and milk on it, Grandpa Croaker, the +nice old gentleman frog, started out for a hop around the woods near the +pond. And he took with him his cane with the crook on the handle, +hanging it over his paw.</p> + +<p>“Where are you going, Grandpa?” asked Bully No-Tail, as he and his +brother Bawly started for school.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hardly know,” said the old frog gentleman in his hoarsest, +deepest, thundering, croaking voice. “Perhaps I may meet with a fairy or +a big giant, or even the alligator bird.”</p> + +<p>“The alligator isn’t a bird, Grandpa,” spoke Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh no, to be sure,” agreed the old gentleman rabbit—I mean frog—“no +more it is. I was thinking of the Pelican. Well, anyhow I am going out +for a walk, and if you didn’t have to go<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_136' id='Page_136'>[Pg 136]</a></span> to school you could come with +me. But I’ll take you next time, and we may go to the Wild West show +together.”</p> + +<p>“Oh fine!” cried Bully, as he hopped away with his school books under +his front leg.</p> + +<p>“Oh fine and dandy!” exclaimed Bawly, as he looked in his spelling book +to see how to spell “cow.”</p> + +<p>Well, the frog boys hopped on to school, and Grandpa Croaker hopped off +to the woods. He went on and on, and he was wondering what sort of an +adventure he would have, when he heard a little noise up in the trees. +He looked up through his glasses, and he saw Jennie Chipmunk there.</p> + +<p>She was a little late for school, but she was hurrying all she could. +She called “good morning” to Grandpa Croaker, and he tossed her up a +sugar cookie that he happened to have in his pocket. Wasn’t he the nice +old Grandpa, though? Well, I just guess he was!</p> + +<p>So he went on a little farther, and pretty soon he came to the place +where Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg lived. Only Buddy wasn’t at home, being +at school. But Brighteyes, the little guinea pig girl, was there in the +house, and she was suffering from the toothache, I’m sorry to say.</p> + +<p>Oh! the poor little guinea pig girl was in great pain, and that’s why +she couldn’t go to school.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_137' id='Page_137'>[Pg 137]</a></span> Her face was all tied up in a towel with a +bag of hot salt on it, but even that didn’t seem to do any good.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so sorry for you, Brighteyes!” exclaimed Grandpa. “Have you had +Dr. Possum? Where is your mamma?”</p> + +<p>“Mamma has gone to the doctor’s now to get me something to stop the +pain,” answered Brighteyes, “and to-morrow I am going to have the tooth +pulled. We tried mustard and cloves and all things like that but nothing +would stop the pain.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps if I tell you a little story it will make you forget it until +mamma comes with the doctor’s medicine,” suggested Grandpa, and then and +there he told Brighteyes a funny story about a little white rabbit that +lived in a garden and had carrots to eat, and it ate so many that its +white hair turned red and it looked too cute for anything, and then it +went to the circus.</p> + +<p>Well, the story made Brighteyes forget the pain for a time, but the +story couldn’t last forever, and soon the pain came back. Then Grandpa +thought of something else.</p> + +<p>“Why are all the ladders, and boards, and cans, and brushes piled +outside your house?” he asked Brighteyes, for he had noticed them as he +came in.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_138' id='Page_138'>[Pg 138]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh! we are having the house painted,” said Brighteyes.</p> + +<p>“But where is the painter monkey?” asked Grandpa. “I didn’t see him.”</p> + +<p>“Oh! he forgot to bring some red paint to make the blinds green or blue +or some color like that,” answered the little guinea pig girl, “so he +went home to get it. He’ll be back soon.”</p> + +<p>“Suppose you come outside and show me how he paints the house,” +suggested Grandpa, thinking perhaps that might make Brighteyes forget +her pain.</p> + +<p>“Of course I will, Grandpa Croaker,” said the little creature. “I know +just how he paints, for I watched him just before you came, and when I +saw him put on the bright colors it made me forget my toothache. Come, +I’ll show you how he does it.”</p> + +<p>So Brighteyes took Grandpa’s paw, and led him outside where there were +ladders and scaffolds and pots of paint and lumps of putty, and spots of +bright colors all over, and lots of brushes, little and big, and more +putty and paint, and oh! I don’t know what all.</p> + +<p>“Now this is how the painter monkey does it,” said Brighteyes. “He takes +a brush, and he dips it in the paint pot, and then he lets some of the +loose paint fall off, and then he wiggles the brush<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_139' id='Page_139'>[Pg 139]</a></span> up and down and +sideways and across the middle on the boards of the house, and—it’s +painted.”</p> + +<p>“I see,” said Grandpa, and then, before he could stop her, Brighteyes +took one of the painter monkey’s brushes, and dipped it into a pot of +the pink paint. And she leaned over too far, and the first thing you +know she fell right into that pink paint pot, clothes, toothache and +all! What do you think of that?</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! Oh!” she cried, as soon as she could get her breath. “This is +awful—terrible!”</p> + +<p>“It certainly is!” said Grandpa Croaker. “But never mind, Brighteyes. +I’ll help you out. Don’t cry.” So he fished her out with his cane, and +he took some rags, and some turpentine, and he cleaned off the pink +paint as best he could, and then he took Brighteyes into the house, and +the little guinea pig girl put on clean clothes, and then she looked as +good as ever, except that there were some spots of pink paint on her +nose.</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said Grandpa, as he gave her a sugar cookie, and just then +Mrs. Pigg came back with the doctor’s medicine.</p> + +<p>“Why—why!” exclaimed Brighteyes as she kissed her mother, “my toothache +has all stopped!” and, surely enough it had. I guess it<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_140' id='Page_140'>[Pg 140]</a></span> got scared +because of the pink paint and went away.</p> + +<p>Anyhow the tooth didn’t ache any more, and the next day Brighteyes went +to the dentist’s and had it pulled. And the painter monkey didn’t mind +about the paint that was spilled, and Mrs. Pigg didn’t mind about +Brighteyes’s dress being spoiled, and they all thought Grandpa Croaker +was as kind as he could be, and he didn’t mind because his cane was +colored pink, where he fished out the little guinea pig girl with it. So +everybody was happy.</p> + +<p>Now in case our cat doesn’t fall into the red paint pot and then go to +sleep on my typewriter paper and make it look blue, I’ll tell you next +about Papa No-Tail and Nannie Goat.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXII' id='STORY_XXII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_141' id='Page_141'>[Pg 141]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXII</h2><h3>PAPA NO-TAIL AND NANNIE GOAT</h3> +</div> + +<p>One morning, bright and early, Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, started +for the wallpaper factory where he worked at making patterns on the +paper by dipping his feet in the different colored inks and jumping up +and down. And when he got there he saw, standing outside the factory, +the man who made the engines go, and this man said:</p> + +<p>“There is no work to-day for you, Mr. No-Tail.”</p> + +<p>“Ah ha! What is the matter?” asked Bully’s papa.</p> + +<p>“That bad Pelican bird came again in the night and chewed up all the +ink,” said the engine man. “So you may have a vacation until we get some +more ink.”</p> + +<p>“This is very unexpected—very,” spoke Papa No-Tail. “But I will enjoy +myself. I’ll go take a nice long hop, and perhaps I will see something I +can bring home to Bully and Bawly.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_142' id='Page_142'>[Pg 142]</a></span> So off he started, and he had no +more idea what was going to happen to him than you have what you’re +going to get for next Christmas.</p> + +<p>Papa No-Tail was hopping along, thinking what a fine day it was when, +all of a sudden, he came to a place in the woods where there were some +nice flowers.</p> + +<p>“Ha! I will take these home to my wife,” thought Mr. No-Tail, as he +picked the pretty blossoms. Then he hopped on some more, and he came to +a place where there were some nice round stones, as white as milk.</p> + +<p>“Ah! I will take these home for Bully and Bawly to play marbles with,” +said the frog papa. Then he hopped on a little farther and he came to a +place in the woods where was growing a nice big stick with a crooked +handle.</p> + +<p>“Ho! I will take that home to Grandpa Croaker for a cane that he can use +when he gets tired of carrying the one with the pink paint on it,” spoke +Mr. No-Tail, and he pulled up the cane-stick, and went on with that and +the flowers and the round white stones, as white as molasses—Oh, there +I go again! I mean milk, of course.</p> + +<p>Well, it was still quite early, and as he hopped along through the woods +Papa No-Tail heard the school bell ring to call the boy and girl animals +to their classes.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_143' id='Page_143'>[Pg 143]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I hope Bully and Bawly are not late,” thought their father. “When one +goes to school one must be on time, and always try to have one’s +lessons.” Still he felt pretty sure that his two little boys were on +time, for they were usually very good.</p> + +<p>On hopped Mr. No-Tail, wishing he could see the bad Pelican bird, and +make him give up the wallpaper-printing ink, when all of a sudden, as +quickly as you can tie your shoe lace, or your hair ribbon, Papa No-Tail +heard a great crashing in the bushes, and then he heard a growling and +then presto-changeo! out popped Nannie Goat, and after her came running +a black, savage bear! Oh, he was a most unpleasant fellow, that bear +was, with a long, red tongue, and long, sharp, white teeth, and long +claws, bigger than a cat’s claws, and he had shaggy fur like an +automobile coat.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! Oh! Stop! Stop! Stop! Don’t catch me! Don’t catch me! Don’t +catch me!” cried Nannie, the goat girl, running on and crashing through +the bushes. But the bear never minded. On he came, right after Nannie, +for he wanted to catch and eat her. You see he used to be in a cage in a +big animal park, but he got loose and he was now very hungry, for no one +had fed him in some time.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_144' id='Page_144'>[Pg 144]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, Papa No-Tail was so surprised that, for a moment, he didn’t know +what to do. He just sat still under a big cabbage leaf, and looked at +the bear chasing after Nannie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, will no one save me?” cried the poor little goat girl. “Will no one +save me from this savage bear?”</p> + +<p>“No; no one will save you,” answered the shaggy creature, as he cleaned +his white teeth with his red tongue for a brush. “I am going to eat you +up.”</p> + +<p>“No, you are not!” cried Papa No-Tail, boldly.</p> + +<p>“Ha! Who says I am not going to eat her?” asked the bear, surly-like.</p> + +<p>“I do!” went on Papa No-Tail, hopping a bit nearer. “You shall never eat +her as long as I am alive!”</p> + +<p>“And who are you, if I may be so bold as to ask,” went on the bear, +stopping so he could laugh.</p> + +<p>“I am the brave Mr. No-Tail, who works in the wallpaper factory, but I +can’t work to-day as the bad Pelican bird took the ink,” replied Bully’s +and Bawly’s papa.</p> + +<p>“Oh, fiddlesticks!” cried the bear, real impolite-like. “Now, just for +that I will eat you both!” He made a rush for Nannie, but with a<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_145' id='Page_145'>[Pg 145]</a></span> scream +she gave a big jump, and then something terrible happened. For she +jumped right into a sand bank, which she didn’t notice, and there she +stuck fast by her horns, which jabbed right into the hard sand and dirt. +There she was held fast, and the bear, seeing her, called out:</p> + +<p>“Now I can get you without any trouble. You can’t get away from me, so +I’ll just eat this frog gentleman first.”</p> + +<p>Oh, but that bear was savage, and hungry, and several other kinds of +unpleasant things. He made a big jump for the frog, but what do you +think Bully’s papa did? Why he took the bunch of flowers, and he tickled +that bear so tickily-ickly under the chin, that the bear first sneezed, +and then he laughed and as Papa No-Tail kept on tickling him, that bear +just had to sit down and laugh and sneeze at the same time, and he +couldn’t chase even a snail.</p> + +<p>“Now for the next act!” bravely cried Mr. No-Tail, and with that he took +the stick he intended for Grandpa Croaker’s cane, and put it under the +bear’s legs, and he twisted the stick, Papa No-Tail did, and the first +thing that bear knew he had been tripped up and turned over just like a +pancake, and he fell on his nose and bumped it real hard.</p> + +<p>Then, before he could get up, Papa No-Tail<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_146' id='Page_146'>[Pg 146]</a></span> pelted him with the round +stones as white as milk, and the bear thought it was snowing and +hailing, and he was as frightened as anything, and as soon as he could +get up, away he ran through the woods, crying big, salty bear tears.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so glad you drove that bear away! You are very brave, Mr. +No-Tail,” said Nannie Goat. “But how am I to get loose in time to get to +school without being late?” For she was still fast by her horns in the +sand bank.</p> + +<p>“Never fear, leave it to me,” said Papa No-Tail. So Nannie never feared, +and Papa No-Tail tried to pull her horns out of the sand bank, but he +couldn’t, because the ground was too hard. So what did he do but go to +the pond, and get some water in his hat, and he threw the water on the +sand, and made it soft, like mud pies, and then Nannie could pull out +her own horns.</p> + +<p>After thanking Mr. No-Tail she ran on to school, and got there just as +the last bell rang, and wasn’t late. And the teacher and all the pupils +were very much surprised when Nannie told them what had happened. Bully +and Bawly were afraid the bear might come back and hurt their papa, but +nothing like that happened I’m glad to say.</p> + +<p>Now in case the tea kettle doesn’t sing a funny<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_147' id='Page_147'>[Pg 147]</a></span> song and waken the +white rabbit with the pink eyes that’s in a cage out in our yard, I’ll +tell you to-morrow night about Mamma No-Tail and Nellie Chip-Chip.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXIII' id='STORY_XXIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_148' id='Page_148'>[Pg 148]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXIII</h2><h3>MRS. NO-TAIL AND NELLIE CHIP-CHIP</h3> +</div> + +<p>Nellie Chip-Chip, the little sparrow girl, flew along over the trees +after school was out, with a box of chocolate under her wing. And under +her other wing was a purse, with some money in it that rattled like +sleigh bells.</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do with that chocolate?” asked Bully No-Tail, the +frog boy, as he and his brother, who were hopping to a ball game, +happened to see Nellie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess she’s going to eat it,” said Bawly. “If you want us to help +you, we will, won’t we, Bully?” he added.</p> + +<p>“Sure,” said Bully, hungry like.</p> + +<p>“Oh, indeed, that’s very kind of you boys,” replied Nellie, politely, +“but you see I’m not eating this chocolate. I am selling it for our +school. We want to get some nice pictures to put in the rooms, and so +I’m trying to help get the money to buy them by selling cakes of +chocolate.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_149' id='Page_149'>[Pg 149]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Ha! That’s a good idea,” said Bully. “Say, Nellie, if you go to our +house maybe our mamma will buy some chocolate.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll fly right over there,” declared the little sparrow girl, “for I +want very much to sell my chocolate, and, so far, very few persons have +bought any of me.”</p> + +<p>“I guess our mamma will,” said Bawly, and, then when Nellie had flown on +with her chocolate, Bawly winked both his eyes and spoke thusly: “Say, +Bully, if mamma buys the chocolate from Nellie I guess she’ll give us +some.”</p> + +<p>“I hope so,” replied his brother, and then they went on to the ball game +and had a good time. Well, as I was telling you, Nellie flew over to +Mrs. No-Tail’s house, and knocked at the door with her little bill.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you want to buy some chocolate so I can make money to get +pictures for our school?” the sparrow girl politely asked.</p> + +<p>“Indeed I do,” replied Mrs. No-Tail. “I just need some chocolate for a +cake I’m baking. And if you would like to come in, and help me make the +cake, and put the chocolate on, I’ll give you some, and you can take a +piece home to Dickie.”</p> + +<p>“Indeed, I’ll be very glad to help,” said Nellie, so she went in the +house, and Mrs. No-Tail<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_150' id='Page_150'>[Pg 150]</a></span> paid her for some of the chocolate, and then +Nellie took off her hat, and put on an apron, and she helped make the +cake.</p> + +<p>Oh, it was a most delicious one! with about forty-’leven layers, and +chocolate between each one, and then on top! Oh, it just makes me hungry +even to typewrite about it! Why the chocolate on top of that cake was as +thick as a board, and then on top of the chocolate was sprinkled +cocoanut until you would have thought there had been a snow storm! Talk +about a delicious cake! Oh, dear me! Well, I just don’t dare write any +more about it, for it makes me so impatient.</p> + +<p>“Now,” said Mrs. No-Tail, after the baking was over, “we’ll just set the +cake on the table by the open window to cool, Nellie, and we’ll wash up +the dishes.”</p> + +<p>So they were working away, talking of different things, and Nellie was a +great help to Mrs. No-Tail. Every once in a while, however, Nellie would +look over to the cake, because it was so nice she just couldn’t keep her +eyes away from it. She was just wishing it was time for her to have some +to take home, but it wasn’t, quite yet.</p> + +<p>Well, all of a sudden, when Nellie looked over for about the +twenty-two-thirteenth time, she saw that all the chocolate was gone from +the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_151' id='Page_151'>[Pg 151]</a></span> top of the cake. All the chocolate and the cocoanut was missing.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh!” cried the little sparrow girl.</p> + +<p>“What’s the matter?” asked Mrs. No-Tail quickly.</p> + +<p>“Look!” exclaimed Nellie, pointing to the cake.</p> + +<p>“Well, of all things!” cried Mrs. No-Tail. “That chocolate must have +disappeared. It must have gone up like a balloon. I will have to buy +some more of you, and put that on.” Then she went over and looked at the +cake, and she wondered at the queer scratches in the top, just as if a +cat had clawed off the chocolate. But there were no cats around.</p> + +<p>So Mrs. No-Tail and Nellie put more chocolate and cocoanut on the cake, +and they went on washing up the dishes, and pretty soon, not so very +long, in a little while Nellie looked at the cake again. And, would you +believe me, the chocolate was all off once more.</p> + +<p>“This is very strange,” said Mrs. No-Tail. “That must be queer chocolate +to disappear that way. Perhaps a fairy is taking it.”</p> + +<p>“Maybe Bully and Bawly are doing it for a joke,” said Nellie. So she and +Mrs. No-Tail looked from the window but they could see no one, not even +a fairy, and, anyhow, Mrs. No-Tail<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_152' id='Page_152'>[Pg 152]</a></span> knew the boys wouldn’t be so +impolite as to do such a thing.</p> + +<p>“It is very strange,” said the frog boys’ mamma. “But we will put the +chocolate and cocoanut on once more, and then we’ll watch to see who +takes it.”</p> + +<p>So they did, making the cake even better than before. Oh, with such +thick chocolate and cocoanut on! and then they hid down behind the +stove, and watched the window.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon a big, shaggy paw, with long, sharp claws on it, was put in +the open window, and the paw went right on top of the cake, and scraped +off some of the chocolate and cocoanut.</p> + +<p>“Ah! Yum-yum! That is most delicious!” exclaimed a grumbling, rumbling +voice, and the paw, all covered with the cake chocolate, just as a +lollypop stick is covered with candy, went out of the window, and the +paw was all cleaned off somehow, when it came back again. More chocolate +was then scraped off the cake by those sharp claws.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho! This is simply scrumptious!” went on the voice, as the paw was +pulled back. Then a third time it came, and scraped off what was left of +the chocolate and cocoanut.</p> + +<p>“Oh, how perfectly delightful and proper this<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_153' id='Page_153'>[Pg 153]</a></span> sweet stuff is!” cried +the voice. “I wish there was more!”</p> + +<p>Then a great, big, shaggy, ugly bear, the same one that once chased +Nannie Goat, stuck his head in the window.</p> + +<p>“Oh, did you scrape the chocolate off my cake?” asked Mrs. No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“I did,” the bear said, “have you any more?”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” she answered. “But you are a bold, bad creature, and if +you don’t get away from here I’ll have you arrested.”</p> + +<p>“I am not a bit afraid,” answered the bear impolitely, “and as there is +no more chocolate I’ll take the cake.”</p> + +<p>Well, he was just reaching for it with his sharp clawy-paws, and Mrs. +No-Tail and Nellie were very much frightened, fearing the beast would +get them. But just then a man’s voice cried out:</p> + +<p>“Ah, ha! You bad animal! So I’ve caught you, have I? And you are up to +your tricks as usual! Now you come with me!” And who should appear but +the man from the animal park where the bear once lived. And he had a +whip and a rope, and he tied the rope around the bear’s neck and whipped +him for being so bad, and took him back to his cage. And Mrs. No-Tail +and Nellie were very glad. And I guess you’d be also. Eh?</p> + +<p>There was some chocolate left, and some cocoanut, and soon the cake was +even better than before, and Nellie had sold all her chocolate to Mrs. +No-Tail, and she could buy lots of pictures for the school. And Nellie +took home a big piece of the cake for Dickie, her brother, and of course +some for herself. So it all came out right after all, and that bear was +very sorry for what he did.</p> + +<p>Now, in the story after this one, if the fish we’re going to have for +supper doesn’t swim away with my new soft hat and get it all wet, I’ll +tell you about Bully No-Tail and Alice Wibblewobble.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-008' id='illus-008'></a> +<img src='images/illus-154.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXIV' id='STORY_XXIV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_154' id='Page_154'>[Pg 154]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXIV</h2><h3>BULLY AND ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_155' id='Page_155'>[Pg 155]</a></span>“Bully,” said the frog boy’s mamma to him one Saturday morning, when +there wasn’t any school, “I wish you would go on an errand for me.”</p> + +<p>“Of course I will, mother,” he said. “Do you want me to go to the store +for some lemons, or some sugar?”</p> + +<p>“Neither one, Bully. I wish you would go to Mrs. Wibblewobble’s house +and tell the nice duck lady I can’t come over to-day to help her sew +carpet rags, and piece-out the bedquilt. I have to put away the winter +flannels so the moths won’t get in them, and then, too, it is so rainy +and foggy that we couldn’t see to sew carpet rags very well. Tell her +I’ll be over the first pleasant day.”</p> + +<p>“Very well,” answered Bully, “and may I stay a while and play with +Jimmie Wibblewobble?”</p> + +<p>“You may,” said his mother, and off Bully<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_156' id='Page_156'>[Pg 156]</a></span> hopped all alone, for his +brother Bawly had gone fishing.</p> + +<p>It was a very unpleasant day for any one except ducks or frogs. For +sometimes it rained, and when it wasn’t rainy it was misty, and moisty, +and foggy. And it was wet all over. The water dripped down off the trees +and bushes, and even the ponds and little brooks were wetter than usual, +for the rain rained into them, and splished and splashed.</p> + +<p>But Bully didn’t mind, not in the least. Away he hopped in his rubber +suit, that water couldn’t hurt, and he felt very fine. Soon he was at +Mrs. Wibblewobble’s house, and he delivered the message his mother had +given him.</p> + +<p>“And now I’ll go play with Jimmie,” said Bully. “Where is he, and where +are Lulu and Alice, Mrs. Wibblewobble?”</p> + +<p>“Oh! the girls went over to see Grandfather Goosey Gander,” replied +their mamma. “As for Jimmie, you’ll find him out somewhere on the pond. +But be careful you don’t get lost, for the fog is very thick to-day.”</p> + +<p>“I should think it was,” replied Bully as he hopped away, “it’s almost +as thick as molasses.” Well, pretty soon he came to the edge of the +pond, and in he plumped, and began swimming about.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_157' id='Page_157'>[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Jimmie! Hey, Jimmie! Where are you, Jimmie?” he called.</p> + +<p>“Over here, making a water wheel,” answered the boy duck, and though the +frog chap couldn’t see him, he could tell, by Jimmie’s voice, where he +was, and soon he had hopped to the right place.</p> + +<p>Well, Bully and Jimmie had a fine time, making the water wheel, that +went splash-splash around in the water. And when they became tired of +playing that, they played water-tag with the water-spiders, and then +they played hop-skip-and-jump, at which game Bully was very good.</p> + +<p>“Now let’s go up to the house,” proposed Jimmie, “and I’m sure mother +will give us some cornmeal sandwiches with jam and bread and butter on.”</p> + +<p>Off they went through the fog, and it was now so thick that they +couldn’t see their way, and by mistake they went to the barn instead of +the house. I don’t know what they would have done, only just then along +came Old Percival, the circus dog, and he could smell his way through +the misty fog up to the house. Maybe he could smell the sandwiches, with +jam and bread and butter on. I don’t know, but anyhow Mrs. Wibblewobble +gave him one when she made some for Bully and Jimmie.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_158' id='Page_158'>[Pg 158]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, now I’m coming to the Alice part of the story. As Jimmie and Bully +were eating their sandwiches on the back porch, not minding the rain in +the least, all at once Lulu Wibblewobble came waddling along. As soon as +she got to the steps she called out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, is Alice home yet?”</p> + +<p>“Alice home?” exclaimed Mrs. Wibblewobble. “Why, didn’t she come from +Grandfather Goosey Gander’s house with you?”</p> + +<p>“No, she started on ahead, some time ago,” said Lulu. “She said she +wanted to put on her new hair ribbon for dinner. She ought to have been +here some time ago. Are you sure she isn’t here?”</p> + +<p>“No, she isn’t,” answered Jimmie. “She must be lost in the fog!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! That’s exactly what has happened!” cried the mamma duck. “Oh, +this dreadful fog! What shall I do?”</p> + +<p>“Don’t worry, Mrs. Wibblewobble,” spoke Bully. “Jimmie and I will go and +hunt her. We can find her in the fog.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, you may get lost yourselves!” said the duck lady. “It’s bad enough +as it is, but that would be dreadful. Oh, what shall I do?”</p> + +<p>“I’ll tell you,” said Lulu. “We’ll all hunt for her, and so that we will +not become lost in the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_159' id='Page_159'>[Pg 159]</a></span> fog, we’ll tie several strings to our house, and +then each of us will keep hold of one string, and when we go off in the +fog we can follow the string back again, and we won’t get lost.”</p> + +<p>“That’s a good idea!” cried Bully, and they all thought it was. So they +each tied a long string to the front porch rail, and, keeping hold of +the other end, started off in the fog, Mrs. Wibblewobble, Jimmie, Bully +and Lulu. Off into the fog they went, and the white mist was now thicker +than ever; thicker than molasses, I guess.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Wibblewobble looked one way, and Jimmie another, and Lulu another, +and Bully still another. And for a long time neither one of them could +find Alice.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to call out loud, and perhaps she’ll hear me,” said Bully. +“She probably wandered off on the wrong path coming from Grandfather +Goosey Gander’s house.” So he cried as loudly as he could: “Alice! +Alice! Where are you, Alice?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, here I am!” the duck girl suddenly cried, though Bully couldn’t see +her on account of the fog. “Oh, I’m so glad you came to find me, for +I’ve been lost a long time.”</p> + +<p>“Walk right over this way!” called Bully, “and I’ll take you home by the +string. Come over here!”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_160' id='Page_160'>[Pg 160]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Yes, come over here!” called another voice, and Bully looked and what +should he see but a savage alligator, hiding in the fog, with his mouth +wide open. The alligator hoped Alice would, by mistake, walk right into +his mouth so he could eat her. And he kept calling right after Bully, +and poor Alice got so confused with the two of them shouting that she +didn’t know what to do.</p> + +<p>Bully was afraid the alligator would get her, so what did he do but take +up a big stone, and, hiding in the fog, he threw the rock into the +alligator’s mouth.</p> + +<p>“There! Chew on that!” called Bully, and the alligator was so angry that +he crawled right away, taking his scaly, double-jointed tail with him.</p> + +<p>Then Bully called again, and this time Alice found where he was in the +fog, and she waddled up to him, and she wasn’t lost any more, and Bully +took her home by following the string. Then the fog blew away and they +were all happy, and had some more jam sandwiches.</p> + +<p>Now, in case it doesn’t rain and wet my new umbrella so that the pussy +cat can go to school, and learn how to make a mouse trap, I’ll tell you +next about Bawly No-Tail and Lulu Wibblewobble.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXV' id='STORY_XXV'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_161' id='Page_161'>[Pg 161]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXV</h2><h3>BAWLY AND LULU WIBBLEWOBBLE</h3> +</div> + +<p>Bawly No-Tail, the frog boy, was hopping along one day whistling a +little tune about a yellow-spotted doggie, who found a juicy bone, and +sold it to a ragman for a penny ice cream cone. After the little frog +boy had finished his song he hopped into a pond of water and swam about, +standing on his head and wiggling his toes in the air, just as when the +boys go in bathing.</p> + +<p>Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly bounced up out of the water +to catch his breath, which nearly ran away from him down to the +five-and-ten-cent-store—when Bawly bounced up, I say, who should he see +but Lulu Wibblewobble, the duck girl, swimming around on the pond.</p> + +<p>“Hello, Lulu!” called Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Hello!” answered Lulu. “Come on, Bawly, let’s see who can throw a stone +the farthest; you or I.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, pooh!” cried the frog boy. “I can, of course. You’re only a girl.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_162' id='Page_162'>[Pg 162]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, would you ever believe it? When Bawly and Lulu were out on the +shore of the pond and had thrown their stones, Lulu’s went ever so much +farther than did Bawly’s. Oh! she was a good thrower, Lulu was!</p> + +<p>“Well, anyhow, I can beat you jumping!” cried Bawly. “Now, let’s try +that game.”</p> + +<p>So they tried that, and, of course, Bawly won, being a very good jumper. +He jumped over two stones, three sticks, a little black ant and also a +big one, a hump of dirt, two flies and a grain of sand. And, as for +Lulu, she only jumped over a brown leaf, a bit of straw, part of a stone +and a little fuzzy bug.</p> + +<p>“Now we’re even,” said Bawly, who felt good-natured again. “Let’s go for +a walk in the woods and we’ll get some wild flowers and maybe something +will happen. Who knows?”</p> + +<p>“Who knows?” agreed Lulu. So off they started together, talking about +the weather and ice cream cones and Fourth of July and all things like +that. For it was Saturday, you see, and there was no school.</p> + +<p>Well, pretty soon, in a little while, not so very long, as Bawly was +hopping, and Lulu was wobbling along, they heard a noise in the bushes. +Now, of course, when you’re in the woods there is always likely to be a +noise in the bushes. Sometimes<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_163' id='Page_163'>[Pg 163]</a></span> it’s made by a fairy, and sometimes by a +giant and sometimes by a squirrel or a rabbit, or a doggie, or a kittie, +and sometimes only by the wind blowing in the treetops. And you can +never tell what makes the noise until you look. So Bawly and Lulu looked +to see what made the noise in the bushes.</p> + +<p>“Maybe it’s a giant!” exclaimed Lulu.</p> + +<p>“Maybe it’s a fairy,” said Bawly, and they looked and looked and pretty +soon, in a jiffy, out came a man—just a plain, ordinary man.</p> + +<p>“Oh, me!” cried Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my!” exclaimed Lulu.</p> + +<p>Then they both started to run away, for they were afraid they might be +hurt. But the man saw them going off, and he called after them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, pray don’t be frightened, little ones. I wouldn’t hurt you for the +world. I was just looking for a frog and a duck, and here you are.”</p> + +<p>“Are—are you going to eat us?” asked Bawly, blinking his eyes.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” replied the man, kindly.</p> + +<p>“Are you going to carry us away in a bag?” asked Lulu, wiggling her +feet.</p> + +<p>“Oh, never, never, never!” cried the man, quickly. “I will put you in my +pockets if you will let me, and I will do a funny trick with you.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_164' id='Page_164'>[Pg 164]</a></span></p> + +<p>“A trick?” asked Bawly, for he was very fond of them. “What kind?”</p> + +<p>“A good trick,” replied the man. “You see, I am a magician in a +show—that is I do all sorts of funny tricks, such as making a rabbit +come out of a hat, or shutting a pig up in a box and changing it to a +bird, and making a boy or girl disappear.</p> + +<p>“I also do tricks with ducks and frogs, but the other day the pet frog +and duck which I have got sick, and I can’t do any more tricks with them +until they are better. But if you would come with me, I could do some +tricks with you in the show, and I wouldn’t hurt you a bit, and I’d give +you each ten cents, and you could have a nice time. Will you come with +me? I took a walk out in the woods specially to-day, hoping I could find +a new duck or frog to use in my tricks.”</p> + +<p>Well, Lulu and Bawly thought about it, and as the man looked very kind +they decided to go with him. So he put Lulu in one of his big pockets +and Bawly in the other, and off he started through the woods.</p> + +<p>And pretty soon he came to the place where he did the tricks. It was a +big building, and there was a whole crowd of people there waiting for<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_165' id='Page_165'>[Pg 165]</a></span> +the magician—men and women and boys and girls.</p> + +<p>“Now, don’t be afraid, Bawly and Lulu,” said the man kindly, for he +could talk duck and frog language. “No one will hurt you.”</p> + +<p>So he put Bawly and Lulu down on a soft table, where the people couldn’t +see them, and then that man did the most surprising and extraordinary +tricks. He made fire come out of a pail of water, and he opened a box, +and there was nothing in it, and he opened it again, and there was a +rabbit in it. Then he took a man’s hat, and he said:</p> + +<p>“Now, there is nothing in his hat but in a moment I am going to make a +little frog come in it. Watch me closely.”</p> + +<p>Well, of course, the people hardly believed him, but what do you think +that man did? Why, he took the hat and turned around, and when nobody +was looking he slipped Bawly off from the table and put him inside +it—inside the hat, I mean, and then the magician said:</p> + +<p>“Presto-changeo! Froggie! Froggie! Come into the hat!”</p> + +<p>Then he put his hand in, and lifted out Bawly, who made a polite little +bow, and the frog wasn’t a bit afraid. And, my! How those people did +clap their hands and stamp their feet!<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_166' id='Page_166'>[Pg 166]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Now if some lady will lend me her handbag, I’ll make a duck come in +it,” said the magician. So a lady in the audience gave him her handbag, +and after the magician had taken out ten handkerchiefs, and a purse with +no money in it, and a looking-glass, and some feathers all done up in a +puff ball, and some peppermint candies, and two postage stamps and some +chewing gum and five keys, why he went back on the stage. And as quick +as a wink, when no one was looking, with his back to the people, he +slipped Lulu Wibblewobble into the empty handbag, and she kept very +quiet for she didn’t want to spoil the trick.</p> + +<p>And then the magician turned to the audience, and he said:</p> + +<p>“Behold! Behold!” and he lifted out the duck girl. Oh my! how those +people did clap; and the lady that owned the handbag was as surprised as +anything. Then the man did lots more tricks, and he called a boy, and +told him to take Lulu and Bawly back home, after he had given them each +ten cents. For his regular trick duck and frog were all well again, and +he could do magic with them. So that’s how Lulu and Bawly were in a +magical show, and they told all their friends about it and everyone was +so surprised that they said: “Oh! Oh! Oh!” more than forty-’leven +times.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_167' id='Page_167'>[Pg 167]</a></span></p> + +<p>And next, if our new kitten, whose name is Peter, doesn’t fall into a +basket of soap bubbles and wet his tail so he can’t go to the moving +picture show, I’ll tell you about Bully No-Tail and Kittie Kat.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXVI' id='STORY_XXVI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_168' id='Page_168'>[Pg 168]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXVI</h2><h3>BULLY NO-TAIL AND KITTIE KAT</h3> +</div> + +<p>“Bully, what are you doing?” the frog boy’s mother called to him one +day, as she heard him making a funny noise.</p> + +<p>“Oh, mother, I am just counting to see how many marbles I have,” he +answered.</p> + +<p>“Well, would you mind going to the store for me?” asked Mrs. No-Tail. “I +was going to make a cake, but I find I have no cocoanut to put on top.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, indeed, I’ll go for you, mother, right away!” cried Bully, quickly, +for he was very fond of cocoanut cake. But I guess he would have gone to +the store anyhow, even if his mamma had only wanted vinegar, or lemons, +or a yeast cake.</p> + +<p>So off he started, whistling a little tune about a fuzzy-wuzzy pussy +cat, who drank a lot of milk and had a crinkly Sunday dress, made out of +yellow silk.</p> + +<p>“Well, I feel better after that!” exclaimed<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_169' id='Page_169'>[Pg 169]</a></span> Bully, as he hopped along, +sailing high in the air, above the clouds. Oh, there I go again! I was +thinking of Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow. No, Bully hopped along on the +ground, and pretty soon he came to the store and bought the cocoanut for +the cake.</p> + +<p>He was hopping home, hoping his mamma would give him and his brother +Bawly some of the cake when it was baked, when, just as he came near a +pond of water he heard some one crying. Oh, such a sad, pitiful cry as +it was, and at first Bully thought it might be some bad wolf, or fox, or +owl, crying because it hadn’t any dinner, and didn’t see anything to +catch to eat for supper.</p> + +<p>“I must look out that they don’t catch me,” thought Bully, and he took +tight hold of the cocoanut, and peeked through the bushes. And what did +he see but poor Kittie Kat—you remember her, I dare say; she was a +sister to Joie and Tommie Kat—there was Kittie Kat, crying as if her +heart would break, and right in front of her was a savage fox, wiggling +his bushy tail to and fro, and snapping his cruel jaws and sharp teeth.</p> + +<p>“Now I’ve caught you!” cried the fox. “I’ve been waiting a good while, +but I have you now.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I—I guess you have,” said poor Kittie,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_170' id='Page_170'>[Pg 170]</a></span> for the fox had hold of +the handle of a little basket that Kittie was carrying, and wouldn’t let +go. In the basket was a nice cornmeal pie that Kittie was taking to +Grandfather Goosey Gander, when the fox caught her. “Will you please let +me go?” begged poor Kittie Kat.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied the bad fox. “I’m going to eat you up—all up!”</p> + +<p>Well, Kittie cried harder than ever at that, but she still kept hold of +the basket with the cornmeal pie in it, and the fox also had hold of it. +And Bully was hiding behind the bushes where neither of them could see +him—hiding and waiting.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I must save Kittie from that fox!” he thought. “How can I do it?”</p> + +<p>So Bully thought and thought, and thought of a plan. Then he leaned +forward and whispered in Kittie’s ear, so low that the fox couldn’t hear +him:</p> + +<p>“Let go of the basket, Kittie,” he told her, “and then give a big jump +and run up a tree.”</p> + +<p>Well, Kittie was quite surprised to hear Bully whispering out of the +bushes to her, for she didn’t know that he was around, but she did as he +told her to. She suddenly let go of the basket handle, and the fox was +so surprised that he nearly fell over sideways. And before he could<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_171' id='Page_171'>[Pg 171]</a></span> +straighten himself up Kittie Kat jumped back, and up a tree she +scrambled before you could shake a stick at her, even if you wanted to. +You see, she never thought of going up a tree until Bully told her to.</p> + +<p>“Here! You come back!” cried the fox, real surprised like.</p> + +<p>“Tell him you are not going to,” whispered Bully, and that’s what Kittie +called to the fox from up in the tree, for, you see, he couldn’t climb +up to her, and he still had hold of her basket.</p> + +<p>“If you don’t come down I’ll throw this basket of yours in the water!” +threatened the bad fox, gnashing his teeth.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I don’t want him to do that!” said Kittie.</p> + +<p>“Never mind, perhaps he won’t,” suggested Bully. “Wait and see.”</p> + +<p>“Are you coming down and let me eat you?” asked the fox of the little +kitten girl, for the savage animal did not yet know that Bully was +hiding there. “Are you coming down, I ask you?”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed!” exclaimed Kittie.</p> + +<p>“Then here goes the basket!” cried the fox, and, just to be mean he +threw the nice basket, containing the cornmeal pudding—I mean pie—into +the pond of water.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh! Oh dear!” cried Kittie Kat.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_172' id='Page_172'>[Pg 172]</a></span> “What will Grandfather Goosey +Gander do now?”</p> + +<p>“Never mind, I’ll get it for you, as I don’t mind water in the least,” +spoke Bully, bravely.</p> + +<p>So he started to hop out, to jump into the water to save the kittie +girl’s basket, for he knew the fox wouldn’t dare go in the pond after +him, as the fox doesn’t like to wet his feet and catch cold.</p> + +<p>Well, Bully was just about to hop into the pond, when he happened to +think of the package of cocoanut his mamma had sent him to get at the +store.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I never can get that wet in the water or it will be spoiled!” +he thought. “What can I do? If I leave it on the shore here while I go +after Kittie’s basket the fox will eat it, and we’ll have no cake. I +guess I’m in trouble, all right, for I must get the basket.”</p> + +<p>Well, he didn’t know what to do, and the fox was just sneaking up to eat +him when Kittie Kat cried out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, be careful, Bully. Jump! Jump into the water so the fox can’t get +you!”</p> + +<p>“What about the cocoanut?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“Here, give it to me, and I’ll hold it,” said Kittie, and she reached +down with her sharp claws, and hooked them into the pink string<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_173' id='Page_173'>[Pg 173]</a></span> around +the package of cocoanut and pulled it up on the tree branch where she +sat, and then the fox couldn’t get it. And oh! how disappointed he was +and how he did gnash his teeth.</p> + +<p>And then, before he could grab Bully and eat him up, the frog boy leaped +into the pond and swam out and got Kittie’s basket and the cornmeal pie +before it sank. And then Bully swam to a floating log, and crawled out +on it with the basket, which wasn’t harmed in the least, nor was the +pie, either.</p> + +<p>And the fox sat upon the shore of the pond, and first he looked at +Bully, and wished he could eat him, and then he looked at Kittie, and he +wished he could eat her, and then he looked at the cocoanut, which +Kittie held in her claws, and he couldn’t eat that, and he couldn’t eat +the cornmeal pie—in fact, he had nothing to eat.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, along came Percival, the kind old circus dog, and +he barked at that fox, and nipped his tail and the fox ran away, and +Kittie and Bully were then safe. Bully came off the log, and Kittie came +down out of the tree and they both went on home after thanking Percival +most kindly.</p> + +<p>Now, in case my little girl’s tricycle doesn’t roll down hill and bunk +into the peanut man and make him spill his ice cream, I’ll tell you next +about Bawly helping his teacher.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXVII' id='STORY_XXVII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_174' id='Page_174'>[Pg 174]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXVII</h2><h3>HOW BAWLY HELPED HIS TEACHER</h3> +</div> + +<p>It was quite warm in the schoolroom one day, and the teacher of the +animal children, who was a nice young lady robin, had all the windows +open. But even then it was still warm, and the pupils, including Bully +and Bawly No-Tail, the frog boys, and Lulu and Alice and Jimmie +Wibblewobble, the ducks, weren’t doing much studying.</p> + +<p>Every now and then they would look out of the window toward the green +fields, and the cool, pleasant woods, where the yellow and purple +violets were growing, and they wished they were out there instead of in +school.</p> + +<p>“My, it’s hot!” whispered Bully to Bawly, and of course it was wrong to +whisper in school, but perhaps he didn’t think.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I wish we could go swimming,” answered Bawly, and the teacher +heard the frog brothers talking together.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Bully and Bawly,” she said, as she turned around from the +blackboard, where she<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_175' id='Page_175'>[Pg 175]</a></span> was drawing a picture of a house, so the children +could better learn how to spell it, “I am sorry to hear you whispering. +You will both have to stay in after school.”</p> + +<p>Well, of course Bully and Bawly didn’t like that, but when you do wrong +you have to suffer for it, and when the other animal boys and girls ran +out after school, to play marbles and baseball, and skip rope, and jump +hop-scotch and other games, the frog boys had to stay in.</p> + +<p>They sat in the quiet schoolroom, and the robin teacher did some writing +in her books. And Bawly looked out of the window over at the baseball +game. And Bully looked out of the window over toward the swimming pond. +And the teacher looked out of the window at the cool woods, where those +queer flowered Jack-in-the-pulpits grew, and she too, wished she was out +there instead of in the schoolroom.</p> + +<p>“Well, if you two boys are sorry you whispered, and promise that you +won’t do it again, you may go,” said the teacher after a while, when she +had looked out of the window once more. “You know it isn’t really wicked +to whisper in school, only it makes you forget to study, and sometimes +it makes other children forget to study, and that’s where the wrong part +comes in.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_176' id='Page_176'>[Pg 176]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I’m sorry, teacher,” said Bully.</p> + +<p>“You may go,” said the young robin lady with a smile. “How about you, +Bawly?”</p> + +<p>“I’m not!” he exclaimed, real cross-like, “and I’ll whisper again,” for +all the while Bawly had been thinking how mean the teacher was to keep +him in when he wanted to go out and play ball.</p> + +<p>The robin lady teacher looked very much surprised at the frog boy, but +she only said, “Very well, Bawly. Then you can’t go.”</p> + +<p>So Bully hurried out, and Bawly and the teacher stayed there.</p> + +<p>Bawly kept feeling worse and worse, and he began to wish that he had +said he was sorry. He looked at the teacher, and he saw that she was +gazing out of the window again, toward the woods, where there were +little white flowers, like stars, growing by the cool, green ferns. And +Bawly noticed how tired the teacher looked, and as he watched he was +sure he saw a tear in each of her bright eyes. And finally she turned to +him and said:</p> + +<p>“It is so nice out of doors, Bawly, that I can’t keep you here any +longer, no matter whether you are sorry or not. But I hope you’ll be +sorry to-morrow, and won’t whisper again. For it helps me when boys and +girls don’t whisper. Run out now, and have a good time. I wish I could +go,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_177' id='Page_177'>[Pg 177]</a></span> but I have some work to do,” and then with her wing she patted +Bawly on his little green head, and opened the door for him.</p> + +<p>Bawly felt rather queer as he hopped out, and he didn’t feel like +playing ball, after all. Instead he hopped off to the woods, and sat +down under a big Jack-in-the-pulpit to think. And he thought of how his +teacher couldn’t live in the nice green country as he did, for she had +to stay in a boarding-house in the city, to be near her school, and she +couldn’t see the flowers growing in the woods as often as could Bawly, +for she nearly always had to stay in after school to write in the +report-books.</p> + +<p>“I—I wish I hadn’t whispered,” Bawly said to himself. “I—I’m going to +help teacher after this. I’ll tell her I’m sorry, and—and I guess I’ll +bring her some flowers for her desk.”</p> + +<p>Every one wondered what made Bawly so quiet that evening at home. He +studied his lessons, and he didn’t want to go out and play ball with +Bully.</p> + +<p>“I hope he isn’t going to be sick,” said his mamma, anxious-like.</p> + +<p>“Oh! I guess maybe he’s got a touch of water-lily fever,” said Grandpa +Croaker. “A few days of swimming will make him all right again.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_178' id='Page_178'>[Pg 178]</a></span></p> + +<p>Bawly got up very early the next morning, and without telling any one +where he was going he hopped over to the woods, and gathered a lot of +flowers.</p> + +<p>Oh, such a quantity as he picked! There were purple violets, and yellow +ones, and white ones, and some wild, purple asters, and some blue +fringed gentian, and some lovely light-purple wild geraniums, and +several Jacks-in-the-pulpit, and many other kinds of flowers. And he +made them into a nice bouquet with some ferns on the outside.</p> + +<p>Then, just as he was hopping to school, what should happen but that a +great big alligator jumped out of the bushes at him.</p> + +<p>“Ha! What are you doing in my woods,” asked the alligator, crossly.</p> + +<p>“If—if you please, I’m getting some flowers for my teacher, because I +whispered,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Oh, in that case it’s all right,” said the alligator, smacking his +jaws. “I like school teachers. Give her my regards,” and would you +believe it? the savage creature crawled off, taking his double-jointed +tail with him, and didn’t hurt Bawly a bit. The flowers made the +alligator feel kind and happy.</p> + +<p>Well, Bawly got to school all right, before any of the other children +did, and he put the flowers<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_179' id='Page_179'>[Pg 179]</a></span> on teacher’s desk, and he wrote a little +note, saying:</p> + +<div class='blockquot'><p>“Dear teacher, I’m sorry I whispered, but I’m going to help you +to-day, and not talk.”</p></div> + +<p>And Bawly didn’t. It was quite hard in school that day, but at last it +was over. And, just when the children were going home, the robin lady +teacher said:</p> + +<p>“Boys and girls, you have all helped me very much to-day by being good, +and I thank you. And something else helped me. It was these flowers that +Bawly brought me, for they remind me of the woods where I used to play +when I was a little girl,” and then she smelled of the flowers, and +Bawly saw something like two drops of water fall from the teacher’s eyes +right into one of the Jacks-in-the-pulpit. I wonder if it was water?</p> + +<p>And then school was over and all the children ran out to play and Bawly +thought he never had had so much fun in all his life as when he and +Bully and some of the others had a ball game, and Bawly knocked a fine +home run.</p> + +<p>Now, in case the cuckoo clock doesn’t fall down off the wall and spatter +the rice pudding all over the parlor carpet, I’ll tell you in the story +after this one about Bully and Sammie Littletail.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXVIII' id='STORY_XXVIII'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_180' id='Page_180'>[Pg 180]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXVIII</h2><h3>BULLY AND SAMMIE LITTLETAIL</h3> +</div> + +<p>One day when the nice young lady robin school teacher, about whom I told +you last night, called the roll of her class, to see if all the animal +children were there, Samuel Littletail, the rabbit boy, didn’t answer.</p> + +<p>“Why, I wonder where Sammie can be?” asked the teacher. “Has anyone seen +him this morning?”</p> + +<p>They all shook their heads, and Bully No-Tail, the frog boy, answered:</p> + +<p>“If you please, teacher, perhaps his sister, Susie, knows.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, of course! Why didn’t I think to ask her?” said the teacher. So she +looked over on the girls’ side of the room, but, would you believe it? +Susie, the rabbit girl, wasn’t there either.</p> + +<p>“That is very odd,” said the teacher, “both Sammie and Susie out! I hope +they haven’t the epizootic, or the mumps, or carrot fever, or anything<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_181' id='Page_181'>[Pg 181]</a></span> +like that. Well, we’ll go on with our lessons, and perhaps they will +come in later.”</p> + +<p>So the first thing the pupils did was to sing a little song, and though +I can’t make up very nice ones, I’ll do the best I can to give you an +idea of it. This is how it went, to the tune, “Tum-Tum-Tum, Tiddle +De-um!”</p> + +<p style='margin-left:4em'> +Good morning! How are you?<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>We hope you’re quite well.</span><br /> +We’re feeling most jolly,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>So hark to us spell.</span><br /> +<br /> +C-A and a T, with<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>A dot on the eye.</span><br /> +Makes cat, dog or rat,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Or a bird in the sky.</span><br /> +<br /> +Take two and two more.<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>What have you? ’Tis five!</span><br /> +What? Four? Oh, of course,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>See the B in the hive.</span><br /> +<br /> +Now sing the last verse,<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Ah, isn’t it pretty?</span><br /> +We’re glad that you like<br /> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Our dear little kittie.</span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_182' id='Page_182'>[Pg 182]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, after the children had sung that they all looked around to see if +Sammie or Susie had come in, but they hadn’t, and then the lessons +began, and everyone got a perfect mark. Still the rabbit children didn’t +come, and after school Bully No-Tail said:</p> + +<p>“I think I’ll stop at Sammie’s house and see what is the matter.”</p> + +<p>“I wish you would,” spoke the teacher, “and then you can tell us +to-morrow. I hope he is not ill.”</p> + +<p>But Sammie was worse than ill, as Bully very soon found out when he got +to the house. He found Mr. and Mrs. Littletail very much excited. Mrs. +Littletail was crying, and so was Susie, and as for Nurse Jane +Fuzzy-Wuzzy, the muskrat lady, she was washing up the dishes so fast +that she broke a cup and saucer and dropped a knife and spoon. And Uncle +Wiggily Longears was limping around on his crutch, striped red, white +and blue like a barber pole, and saying: “Oh dear! Oh dear me! Oh hum +suz dud.”</p> + +<p>“Why, whatever has happened?” asked Bully. “Is Sammie dead?”</p> + +<p>“Worse than that,” said Susie, wiping her eyes on her apron.</p> + +<p>“Much worse,” chimed in Uncle Wiggily. “Just think, Bully, when Sammie +was starting<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_183' id='Page_183'>[Pg 183]</a></span> off for school this morning, he went off in the woods a +little way to see if he could find a wild carrot, when a big boy rushed +up, grabbed him, and put him in a bag before any of us could save him! +And now he’s gone! Completely gone!”</p> + +<p>“So that’s why he didn’t come to school to-day,” said Nurse Jane sadly.</p> + +<p>“And I didn’t feel like coming either,” spoke Susie, crying some more. +“I tried to find Sammie, but I couldn’t. Oh dear! Boo hoo!”</p> + +<p>“We all tried to find him,” said Mr. Littletail sadly.</p> + +<p>“But we can’t,” added Mrs. Littletail still more sadly. “Our Sammie is +gone! The bad boy has him!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that is awful!” cried Bully. “But I’ll see if I can’t find him for +you.”</p> + +<p>So Bully hopped off through the woods, hoping he could find where the +boy lived who had taken Sammie away with him.</p> + +<p>“And if I find him I’ll help Sammie to get away,” thought Bully. So he +went on and on, but for a long time he couldn’t find Sammie. For, +listen, the boy who had caught the little rabbit had taken Sammie home, +and had made a cage for him.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to keep you forever,” said the boy, looking in through the +wire cage at Sammie.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_184' id='Page_184'>[Pg 184]</a></span> “I’ve always wanted a rabbit and now I have one.” +Well, poor Sammie asked the boy to let him go, but the boy didn’t +understand rabbit language, and maybe he wouldn’t have let the bunny go, +anyhow.</p> + +<p>Well, it was getting dark, and Sammie was very much frightened in his +cage, and he was wondering whether any of his friends would find him, +and help him escape.</p> + +<p>“I’ll call out loud, so they’ll know where to look for me,” he said, and +he grunted as loudly as he could and whistled through his twinkling +nose.</p> + +<p>Well, it happened that just then Bully was hopping up a little hill, and +he heard Sammie calling.</p> + +<p>“That’s Sammie!” exclaimed Bully. “Now, if I can only rescue him!”</p> + +<p>So the frog boy hopped on farther, and pretty soon he came to the yard +of the house where the boy lived. And Bully peeped in through a knothole +in the fence, and he saw Sammie in the cage.</p> + +<p>“I’m here, Sammie!” cried Bully through the hole. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll +get you out of there.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Sammie, clapping his paws.</p> + +<p>But, after he had said it, Bully saw that it wasn’t going to be very +easy to get Sammie out,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_185' id='Page_185'>[Pg 185]</a></span> for the cage was very strong. The boy was in +the house cutting up some cabbage for the rabbit, and the little frog +knew he would have to work very quickly if he was to rescue Sammie.</p> + +<p>So Bully hunted until he found a place where he could crawl under the +fence, and he went close up to the cage, and what did he do but hop +inside, thinking he could unlock the door for Sammie. For Bully was +little enough to hop through between the holes in the wire, but Sammie +was too big to get out that way.</p> + +<p>But Bully couldn’t open the door because the lock was too strong, and +the frog boy couldn’t break the wire.</p> + +<p>“Oh, if Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy were only here!” he exclaimed, “she could +get us out of this trap very soon. But she isn’t.”</p> + +<p>“Let’s both together try to break it,” proposed Sammie, but they +couldn’t do it. I don’t know what they would have done, and perhaps +Sammie would have had to stay there forever, but at that moment along +came the old alligator. He looked through the knothole in the fence, and +he saw Sammie and Bully in the cage.</p> + +<p>“Ah, here is where I get a good dinner!” thought the alligator, so with +one savage and swooping sweep of his big, scaly tail, he smashed down +the fence and broke the cage all to pieces, but he didn’t hurt Bully or +Sammie, very luckily, for they were in a far corner.</p> + +<p>“Now’s our chance!” cried the frog. “Run, Sammie, run!” And they both +scudded away as fast as they could before the alligator could catch +them, or even before the boy could run out to see what the noise was. +And when the alligator saw the boy the savage creature flurried and +scurried away, taking his scalery-ailery tail with him, and the boy was +very much surprised when he saw that the rabbit was gone.</p> + +<p>But Sammie and Bully got safely home, and the next day Sammie went to +school as usual, just as if nothing had happened, and every one said +Bully was very brave to help him.</p> + +<p>So that’s all for to-night, if you please, and in case the housecleaning +man gets all the ice cream up from under the sitting-room matting, and +makes a snowball of it for the poll parrot to play horse with, I’ll tell +you next about Bully and Bawly going to the circus.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='illus-009' id='illus-009'></a> +<img src='images/illus-186.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXIX' id='STORY_XXIX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_186' id='Page_186'>[Pg 186]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXIX</h2><h3>BULLY AND BAWLY AT THE CIRCUS</h3> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_187' id='Page_187'>[Pg 187]</a></span>“Oh, mamma, may we go?” exclaimed Bawly No-Tail one day as he came home +from school, and hopped into the house with such a big hop, that he +hopped right up into the frog lady’s lap.</p> + +<p>“Go where?” asked Bawly’s mother, wondering if the alligator were after +her son.</p> + +<p>“Oh, do please let us go!” cried Bully, hopping in after his brother. +Bully tried to stand on his head, but his foot slipped and he nearly +fell into the ink bottle. “Please let us go, mother?”</p> + +<p>“Where? Where?” she asked again, as Bawly hopped out of her lap.</p> + +<p>“To the circus!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“It’s coming!” exclaimed Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Down in the vacant lots,” went on Bully.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you ought to see the posters! Lions and tigers and elephants, and +men jumping in the air, and horses and—and—”</p> + +<p>Bawly had to stop for breath then, and so he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_188' id='Page_188'>[Pg 188]</a></span> couldn’t say any more. +Neither could Bully. Oh, but they were excited, let me tell you.</p> + +<p>“May we go?” they both cried out again.</p> + +<p>“Well, I’ll see,” began their mother slowly. “I don’t know—”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess you’d better let them go,” spoke up Grandpa Croaker in his +deepest, rumbling voice. “I—I think I can spare the time to look after +them. I don’t really want to go, you know, as I was going to play a game +of checkers with Uncle Wiggily Longears, but I guess I can take the boys +to the circus. Ahem!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Bawly, jumping up and down.</p> + +<p>“Where are you going?” asked their papa, just then coming in from the +wallpaper factory.</p> + +<p>“To the circus,” said Bawly. “Grandpa Croaker will take us.”</p> + +<p>“Ha! Hum!” exclaimed Papa No-Tail. “I am very busy, but I guess I can +spare the time to take you. We won’t bother Grandpa.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, it’s no bother—none at all, I assure you,” quickly spoke the +grandpa frog, in a thundering, rumbling voice. “We can both take them.”</p> + +<p>“Well, I never heard of such a thing!” exclaimed Mamma No-Tail. “Any one +would think you two old men frogs wanted to go as<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_189' id='Page_189'>[Pg 189]</a></span> much as the boys do. +But I guess it will be all right.”</p> + +<p>So Bully and Bawly and their papa and their grandpa went to the circus +next day. And what do you think? Just as they were buying their tickets +if they didn’t meet Uncle Wiggily Longears! And he had Sammie and Susie, +the rabbits, with him, and there was Aunt Lettie, the old lady goat, +with the three Wibblewobble children, and many other little friends of +Bully and Bawly.</p> + +<p>Well, that was a fine circus! There were lots of tents with flags on, +and outside were men selling pink lemonade and peanuts for the elephant, +and toy balloons, only those weren’t for the elephant, you know, and +there were men shouting, and lots of excitement, and there was a side +show, with pictures outside the tent of a man swallowing swords by the +dozen, and also knives and forks, and another picture of a lady wrapping +a fat snake around her neck, because she was cold, I guess, and then you +could hear the lions roaring and the elephants trumpeting, and the band +was playing, and the peanut wagons were whistling like teakettles, +and—and—Oh! why, if I write any more about that circus I’ll want to +take my typewriter, and put it away in a dark closet, and go to the show +myself!<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_190' id='Page_190'>[Pg 190]</a></span></p> + +<p>But anyhow it was very fine, and pretty soon Bully and Bawly and their +papa and grandpa were in the tent looking at the animals. They fed the +elephant peanuts until they had none for themselves, and they looked at +the camel with two humps, and at the one with only one hump, because I +s’pose he didn’t have money enough to buy two, and then they went in the +tent where the real show was.</p> + +<p>Well it went off very fine. The big parade was over, and the men were +doing acts on the trapeze, and the trained seals were playing ball with +their noses, and the clowns were cutting up funny capers. And all at +once a man, with a shiny hat on, came out in the middle of the ring, and +said:</p> + +<p>“Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to call your attention to our jumping +dog, Nero. He is the greatest jumping dog in the world, and he will jump +over an elephant’s back!”</p> + +<p>Well, the people clapped like anything after that, and a clown came out, +leading a dog. Everybody was all excited, especially when another clown +led out a big elephant. Then it was the turn of the dog to jump over the +elephant. Well, he tried it, but he didn’t go over. The clown petted +him, and gave him a sweet cracker, and the dog tried it again, but he<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_191' id='Page_191'>[Pg 191]</a></span> +couldn’t do it. Then he tried once more and he fell right down under the +elephant, and the elephant lifted Nero up in his trunk, and set him +gently down on some straw.</p> + +<p>Then the clown took off his funny, pointed hat and said:</p> + +<p>“Ladies and gentlemen, I am very sorry, but my poor dog is sick and he +can’t jump to-day, and I have nothing else that can jump over the +elephant’s back.”</p> + +<p>Every one felt quite disappointed at that, but still they were sorry for +the poor dog. The clown led him away, and the other clown was leading +the elephant off, when Bully said to Bawly:</p> + +<p>“Don’t you think we could do that jump? We once did a big jump to get +away from the alligator, you know.”</p> + +<p>“Let’s try it,” said Bawly. “Then the people won’t be disappointed. Come +on.” So they slipped from their seats, when their papa and grandpa were +talking to Uncle Wiggily about the trained seals, and those two frog +boys just hopped right into the middle of the circus ring. At first a +monkey policeman was going to put them out, but they made motions that +they wanted to jump over the elephant, for they couldn’t speak policeman +talk, you know.</p> + +<p>“Ah ha! I see what they want,” said the kind<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_192' id='Page_192'>[Pg 192]</a></span> clown. “Well, I don’t +believe they can do it, but let them try. It may amuse the people.” So +he made the elephant go back to his place, and every one became +interested in what Bully and Bawly were going to do.</p> + +<p>“Are you already?” asked Bully of his brother.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” answered Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Then take a long breath, and jump as hard as you can,” said Bully. So +they both took long breaths, crouched down on their hind legs, and then +both together, simultaneously and most extraordinarily, they jumped. My, +what a jump it was! Bigger than the time when they got away from the +alligator. Right over the elephant’s back they jumped, and they landed +on a pile of soft straw so they weren’t hurt a bit. My! You should have +heard the people cheer and clap!</p> + +<p>“Good!” cried the clown. “That was a great jump! Will you stay in the +circus with me? I will pay you as much as I pay my dog.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no! They must go home,” said their papa, as Bully and Bawly went +back to their seats. “That is, after the circus is over,” said Mr. +No-Tail.</p> + +<p>So the frog boys saw the rest of the show, and afterward all their +friends told them how brave it was to do what they had done.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_193' id='Page_193'>[Pg 193]</a></span></p> + +<p>And for a long time after that whenever any one mentioned what good +jumpers Bully and Bawly were, Sammie Littletail would say:</p> + +<p>“Ah, but you should have seen them in the circus one day.”</p> + +<p>And on the next page, if the lilac bush in our back yard doesn’t reach +in through the window, and take off my typewriter ribbon to wear to +Sunday school, I’ll tell you about Bully and Bawly playing Indian.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXX' id='STORY_XXX'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_194' id='Page_194'>[Pg 194]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXX</h2><h3>BULLY AND BAWLY PLAY INDIAN</h3> +</div> + +<p>It happened, once upon a time, after the circus had gone away from the +place where Bully and Bawly No-Tail, the frogs, lived that a Wild West +show came along.</p> + +<p>And my goodness! There were cowboys and cowgirls, and buffaloes and +steers and men with lassos, and Mexicans and Cossacks, and Indians! Real +Indians, mind you, that used to be wild, and scalp people, which was +very impolite to do, but they didn’t know any better; the Indians didn’t +I mean. Then they got tame and didn’t scalp people any more. Yes, sir, +they were real Indians, and they had real feathers on them!</p> + +<p>Of course the feathers didn’t belong to the Indians, the same as a +chicken’s feathers, or a turkey’s feathers belong to them. That is, the +feathers didn’t grow on the Indians, even if they did seem to. No, the +Indians put them on for ornaments, just as ladies put plumes on their +hats with long hatpins.</p> + +<p>Well, of course, Bully and Bawly and the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_195' id='Page_195'>[Pg 195]</a></span> other boys all went to the +Wild West show, and when they got home about all they did for several +days was to play cowboys or Indians. Indians mostly, for they liked them +the best. And the boys gave regular warwhoop cries.</p> + +<p>“We’ll have a new game,” said Bully to Bawly one day. “We’ll dress up +like the Indians did, and we’ll go off in the woods, and we’ll see if we +can capture white people.”</p> + +<p>“Real?” asked Bawly.</p> + +<p>“No, only make-believe ones. And we’ll build a camp fire, and take our +lunch, and sleep in the woods.”</p> + +<p>“After dark?” asked Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Sure. Why not? Don’t Indians sleep in the woods after dark?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but they have real guns and knives to kill the bears with,” +objected Bawly, “and our guns and knives will only be wooden.”</p> + +<p>“Well, maybe it will be better to only pretend it’s night in the woods,” +agreed Bully. “We can go in a dark place under the trees, and make +believe it’s night, and that will do just as well.”</p> + +<p>So they agreed to do that way, and for the next few days the frog boys +were busy making themselves up to look like Indians. Their mother let +them take some old blankets, and they got some red and green chalk to +put on their faces<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_196' id='Page_196'>[Pg 196]</a></span> for war paint, and they found a lot of feathers over +at the homes of Charlie and Arabella Chick, and the three Wibblewobble +duck children. These feathers they put around their heads, and down +their backs, as the Indians in the Wild West show did.</p> + +<p>“Now I guess we’re ready to start off and hunt make-believe white +people,” said Bawly one Saturday morning when there wasn’t any school.</p> + +<p>“Have you the lunch? We mustn’t forget that,” spoke Bully.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I have it,” his brother replied. “Take your bow and arrow, and +I’ll carry the wooden gun.”</p> + +<p>Off they started as brave as an elephant when he has a bag of peanuts in +his trunk. They hurried to the woods, so none of their friends would see +them, for Bully and Bawly wanted to have it all a surprise. And pretty +soon they were under the trees where it was quite dark. Bawly gave a big +hop, and landed up front beside his brother.</p> + +<p>“You mustn’t walk here,” said Bully. “Indians always go in single file, +one behind the other. Get behind me.”</p> + +<p>“I—I’m afraid,” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“Of what?” asked his brother. “Indians are never afraid.”<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_197' id='Page_197'>[Pg 197]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I—I’m afraid I might scare somebody,” said Bawly. “I—I look so fierce +you know. I just saw myself reflected back there in a pond of water that +was like a looking-glass and I’m enough to scare anybody.”</p> + +<p>“So much the better,” said his brother. “You can scare the make-believe +white people whom we are going to capture and scalp. Get in behind me.”</p> + +<p>“Wouldn’t it be just as well if I pretended to walk behind you, and +still stayed up front here, beside you?” asked Bawly, looking behind +him.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess so,” answered his brother. So the two frog boys, who looked +just like Indians, went on side by side though the woods. They looked +all around them for something to capture, but all that they saw was an +old lady hoptoad, going home from market.</p> + +<p>“Shall we capture her?” asked Bawly, getting his bow and arrow ready.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied his brother. “She might tell mamma, and, anyhow, we +wouldn’t want to hurt any of mamma’s friends. We’ll capture some of the +fellows.” But Bully and Bawly couldn’t seem to find any one, not even a +make-believe white person, and they were just going to sit down and eat +their lunch, anyhow, when they heard some one shouting:<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_198' id='Page_198'>[Pg 198]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Help! Help! Oh, some one please help me!” called a voice.</p> + +<p>“Some one’s in trouble!” cried Bully. “Let’s help them!”</p> + +<p>So he and his brother bravely hurried on through the woods, and soon +they came to a place where they could hear the voice more plainly. Then +they looked between the bushes, and what should they see but poor +Arabella Chick, and a big hand-organ monkey had hold of her, and the +monkey was slowly pulling all the feathers from Arabella’s tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t, please!” begged the little chicken girl. “Leave my feathers +alone.”</p> + +<p>“No, I shan’t!” answered the monkey. “I want the feathers to make a +feather duster, to dust off my master’s hand-organ,” and with that he +yanked out another handful.</p> + +<p>“Oh, will no one help me?” cried poor Arabella, trying to get away. +“I’ll lose all my feathers!”</p> + +<p>“We must help her,” said Bawly to Bully.</p> + +<p>“We surely must,” agreed Bully. “Get all ready, and we’ll shoot our +arrows at that monkey, and then we’ll go out with our make-believe guns, +and shoot bang-bang-pretend-bullets at him, and then we’ll holler like +the wild Indians, and the monkey will be so frightened that he’ll run +away.”</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_199' id='Page_199'>[Pg 199]</a></span>Well, they did that. Zip-whizz! went two make-believe arrows at the +monkey. One hit him on the nose, and one on the leg, and the pain was +real, not make-believe. Then out from the bushes jumped Bully and Bawly, +firing their make-believe guns as fast as they could.</p> + +<p>Then they yelled like real Indians and when the monkey saw the red and +green and yellow and purple and pink and red feathers on the frog +Indians and saw their colored-chalk faces he was so frightened that he +wiggled his tail, blinked his eyes, clattered his teeth together, and, +dropping Arabella Chick, off he scrambled up a tree after a make-believe +cocoanut.</p> + +<p>“Now, you’re safe!” cried Bully to the chicken girl.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” said Bawly, “being Indians was some good after all, even if we +didn’t capture any make-believe white people to scalp.”</p> + +<p>So they sat down under the trees, and Arabella very kindly helped them +to eat the lunch, and she said she thought Indians were just fine, and +as brave as soldiers.</p> + +<p>So now we’ve reached the end of this story, and as you’re sleepy you’d +better go to bed, and in case the piano key doesn’t open the front door, +and go out to play hop-scotch on the sidewalk, I’ll tell you next about +the Frogs’ farewell hop.</p> + + +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name='STORY_XXXI' id='STORY_XXXI'></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_200' id='Page_200'>[Pg 200]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XXXI</h2><h3>THE FROGS’ FAREWELL HOP</h3> +</div> + + +<p>One night Papa No-Tail, the frog gentleman, came home from his work in +the wallpaper factory with a bundle of something under his left front +leg.</p> + +<p>“What have you there, papa?” asked Bawly, as he scratched his nose on a +rough stone; “is it ice cream cones for us?”</p> + +<p>“No,” said Mr. No-Tail, “it is not anything like that; but, anyhow, the +weather is almost warm enough for ice cream.”</p> + +<p>“Is it some new kind of wallpaper that you hopped on to-day after you +dipped your feet in red and green ink?” asked Bully.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied his papa. “I have here some wire to tack over the windows, +to keep out the flies and mosquitoes, for it is getting to be summer +now, and those insects will soon be flying and buzzing around.”</p> + +<p>So after supper Mr. No-Tail, and his two boys, Bully and Bawly, tacked +the wire mosquito netting on the windows, and when they were all<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_201' id='Page_201'>[Pg 201]</a></span> done +Mr. No-Tail went down to the corner drug store and he bought a quart of +ice cream, the kind all striped like a sofa cushion, and he and his wife +and Bully and Bawly sat out on the porch eating it with spoons out of a +dish, just as real as anything.</p> + +<p>“Oh dear me! There’s a mosquito buzzing around!” suddenly exclaimed +Mamma No-Tail, as she ate the last of her cream. “They are on hand early +this year. I’m going in the house.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll go get my bean shooter, and see if I can kill that mosquito!” +exclaimed Bawly, who once went hunting after the buzzers, and shot quite +a number. But land sakes! it was so dark on the porch that he couldn’t +see the buzzing mosquitoes though he blew a number of beans about, and +one hit Uncle Wiggily Longears on the nose, just as the old gentleman +rabbit was hopping over to play checkers with Grandpa Croaker. But Uncle +Wiggily forgave Bawly, as it was an accident, and as there was a little +ice cream left, the old gentleman rabbit and Grandpa Croaker ate it up.</p> + +<p>Well, something happened that night when they had all gone to bed. Along +about 12 o’clock, when it was all still and quiet, and when the little +mice were just coming out to play hide and seek and look for some +crackers and cheese,<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_202' id='Page_202'>[Pg 202]</a></span> Bawly No-Tail felt some one pulling him out of +bed.</p> + +<p>“Here! Hold on! Don’t do that, Bully!” he cried.</p> + +<p>“What’s the matter?” asked his brother. “Are you dreaming or talking in +your sleep? I’m not doing anything.”</p> + +<p>“Aren’t you pulling me out of bed?” asked Bawly, and he had to grab hold +of the bedpost to prevent himself falling to the floor.</p> + +<p>“Why, no, I’m in my own bed,” answered Bully. “Oh, dear me! Oh, suz dud! +Some one’s pulling me, too!” And he let out such a yell that Mamma +No-Tail came running in with a light. And what do you think she saw?</p> + +<p>Why two, great, big buzzing mosquitoes flew out of the window through a +hole in the wire netting, and it was those mosquitoes who had been +trying to pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, so they could fly away with +them to eat them up.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! How bold those mosquitoes are this year!” exclaimed the mamma +frog. “They actually bit a hole in the wire screen.”</p> + +<p>“They did, eh?” cried Papa No-Tail. “Well, I’ll fix that!” So he got a +hammer and some more wire, and he mended the hole which the mosquitoes +had made. Then Bully and Bawly went to sleep again. They were afraid the +mosquitoes<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_203' id='Page_203'>[Pg 203]</a></span> would come in once more, but though the savage insects +buzzed around outside for quite a while, the screen was too strong for +them this time, and they didn’t get in the house.</p> + +<p>“If this keeps on,” said Papa No-Tail, as he hopped off to work next +morning, “we’ll have to go to a place where there are no mosquitoes.”</p> + +<p>Well, that night the same thing happened. Along about 1 o’clock Bully +felt some one pulling him out of bed, and he cried, and his mamma came +with a light, and there was another mosquito, twice as big as before, +with a long sharp bill, and long, dingly-dangly legs, and buzzy-uzzy +wings, just skeddadling out of the window.</p> + +<p>“There! They’ve bitten another hole in the screen!” cried Mrs. No-Tail. +“Oh, this is getting terrible!”</p> + +<p>“I’ll put double screens on to-morrow,” said Papa No-Tail, and he did. +But would you believe it? Those mosquitoes still came. The big ones +couldn’t make their way through the two nets, but lots of the little +ones came in. One would manage to get his head through the wire, and +then all his friends would push and pull on him until he was inside, +then another would wiggle in, and that’s how they did it. Then they went +and hid down cellar, until they grew big enough to bite.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_204' id='Page_204'>[Pg 204]</a></span></p> + +<p>And, though these mosquitoes couldn’t pull Bully and Bawly out of bed, +for the pestiferous insects weren’t strong enough, they nipped the frog +boys all over, until their legs and arms and faces and noses and ears +smarted and burned terribly, and their mamma had to put witch hazel and +talcum powder on the bites.</p> + +<p>“I can see that we’ll soon have to get away from here,” said Papa +No-Tail, one morning, when the mosquitoes had been very bad and +troublesome in the night. “They come right through the screens,” he +said. “Now we’ll hop off to the mountains or seashore, where there are +no mosquitoes.”</p> + +<p>“Don’t you s’pose Bully and I could sit up some night and kill them with +our bean shooters?” said Bawly.</p> + +<p>“You may try,” said his papa. So the two frog boys tried it that night. +They sat up real late, and they shot at several mosquitoes that came in, +and they hit some. And then Bully and Bawly fell asleep, and the first +thing you know the mosquitoes buzzing outside heard them snoring, and +they bit a big hole right through the double screen this time, and were +just pulling Bully and Bawly out of bed, when the frog boys’ mamma heard +them crying, and came with the lamp, scaring the savage insects away.<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_205' id='Page_205'>[Pg 205]</a></span></p> + +<p>“There is no use talking!” said Papa No-Tail. “We will hop off in the +morning. We’ll say good-by to this place.”</p> + +<p>So the next morning the frogs packed up, and they sent word to all their +friends that they were going to take their farewell hop to the +mountains, where there were no more mosquitoes.</p> + +<p>Oh such a crowd as gathered to see them hop away! There was Sammie and +Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, and Lulu and Alice +and Jimmie Wibblewobble, and Munchie and Dottie Trot, and Peetie and +Jackie Bow Wow, and Uncle Wiggily Longears and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy +and Buddy Pigg and all the other animal friends.</p> + +<p>Away hopped Papa No-Tail, and away hopped Mamma No-Tail, and then +Grandpa Croaker and Bully and Bawly hopped after them, calling good-bys +to all their friends. Every one waved his handkerchief and Susie +Littletail and Jennie Chipmunk cried a little bit, for they liked Bully +and Bawly very much, and didn’t like to see them hop away.</p> + +<p>And what do you think? Some of the mosquitoes were so mean that they +flew out of the woods and tried to bite the frogs as they were hopping +away. But Bully and Bawly had their bean shooters and they shot a number +of the<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_206' id='Page_206'>[Pg 206]</a></span> creatures, so the rest soon flew off and hid in a hollow tree.</p> + +<p>“I’m coming to see you some time!” called Uncle Wiggily Longears to +Bully and Bawly. “Be good boys!”</p> + +<p>“Yes, we’ll be good!” promised Bully.</p> + +<p>“As good as we can,” added his brother Bawly, as he tickled Grandpa +Croaker with the bean shooter.</p> + +<p>Then the No-Tail family of frogs hopped on and on, until they came to a +nice place in the woods, where there was a little pond, covered with +duck weed, in which they could swim.</p> + +<p>“Here is where we will make our new home,” said Papa No-Tail.</p> + +<p>“Oh, how lovely it is,” said Mrs. No-Tail, as she sat down to rest under +a toadstool umbrella, for the sun was shining.</p> + +<p>“Ger-umph! Ger-umph!” said Grandpa Croaker, in his deep, bass voice. +“Very nice indeed.”</p> + +<p>“Fine!” cried Bully.</p> + +<p>“Dandy!” said Bawly. “Come on in for a swim,” and into the pond jumped +the two frog boys. And they lived happily there in the woods for ever +after.</p> + +<p>So now we have come to the end of this book. But, if you would like to +hear them, I have more<span class='pagenum'><a name='Page_207' id='Page_207'>[Pg 207]</a></span> stories to tell you. And I think I will make the +next book about some goat children. Nannie and Billie Wagtail were their +names, and the book will be called after them—“Nannie and Billie +Wagtail.” The goat children wagged their little, short tails, and did +the funniest things; eating pictures off tin cans, and nibbling +bill-board circus posters of elephants and lions and tigers. And there +was Uncle Butter, the goat gentleman, who pasted wallpaper, and Aunt +Lettie, the old lady goat, and——</p> + +<p>But there, I will let you read the book yourself and find out all that +happened to Nannie and Billie Wagtail. And until you do read that, I +will just say good-bye, for a little while.</p> + +<p style='text-align:center;margin-top:3em'>THE END</p> + +<hr class='full'/> + +<table width='80%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <table width='90%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='0'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <p style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:150%'>The Broncho Rider Boys Series</span><br/> + By FRANK FOWLER</p> + <hr class='minor' /> + <p style='text-align:center'>Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid</p> + <p>A series of stirring stories for boys, breathing the adventurous + spirit that lives in the wide plains and lofty mountain ranges of + the great West. These tales will delight every lad who loves to + read of pleasing adventure in the open; yet at the same time the + most careful parent need not hesitate to place them in the hands of + the boy.</p><br/> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ; or, Upholding the + Honor of the Stars and Stripes.</b></p> + <p>When trouble breaks out between this country and Mexico, the boys are + eager to join the American troops under General Funston. Their attempts + to reach Vera Cruz are fraught with danger, but after many difficulties, + they manage to reach the trouble zone, where their real adventures + begin.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS AT KEYSTONE RANCH; or, Three Chums of the Saddle + and Lariat.</b></p> + <p>In this story the reader makes the acquaintance of three devoted chums. + The book begins in rapid action, and there is “something doing” up to + the very time you lay it down.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS DOWN IN ARIZONA; or A Struggle for the Great + Copper Lode.</b></p> + <p>The Broncho Rider Boys find themselves impelled to make a brave fight + against heavy odds, in order to retain possession of a valuable mine + that is claimed by some of their relatives. They meet with numerous + strange and thrilling perils and every wide-awake boy will be pleased to + learn how the boys finally managed to outwit their enemies.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER; or, The Hidden Treasure of the + Zuni Medicine Man.</b></p> + <p>Once more the tried and true comrades of camp and trail are in the + saddle. In the strangest possible way they are drawn into a series of + exciting happenings among the Zuni Indians. Certainly no lad will lay + this book down, save with regret.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ON THE WYOMING TRAIL; or, A Mystery of the + Prairie Stampede.</b></p> + <p>The three prairie pards finally find a chance to visit the Wyoming ranch + belonging to Adrian, but managed for him by an unscrupulous relative. Of + course, they become entangled in a maze of adventurous doings while in + the Northern cattle country. How the Broncho Rider Boys carried + themselves through this nerve-testing period makes intensely interesting + reading.</p> + <p><b>THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS; or, The Smugglers of the + Rio Grande.</b></p> + <p>In this volume, the Broncho Rider Boys get mixed up in the Mexican + troubles, and become acquainted with General Villa. In their efforts to + prevent smuggling across the border, they naturally make many enemies, + but finally succeed in their mission.</p> + </td></tr> + </table> + </td></tr> +</table> + +<hr class='full'/> + + + <table width='80%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='1'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <table width='90%' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='' border='0'> + <col style='width:100%;' /> + <tr><td> + <p style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:150%'>The Boy Scouts Series</span><br/> + By HERBERT CARTER</p> + <hr class='minor' /> + <p style='text-align:center'>Price, 40 Cents per Volume, Postpaid</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; or, Caught Between the Hostile +Armies.</b> In this volume we follow the thrilling adventures of the boys in +the midst of the exciting struggle abroad.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Secret of Alligator Swamp.</b> +Startling experiences awaited the comrades when they visited the +Southland. But their knowledge of woodcraft enabled them to overcome all +difficulties.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA.</b> A story of Burgoyne’s defeat +in 1777.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS’ FIRST CAMP FIRE; or, Scouting with the Silver Fox +Patrol.</b> This book brims over with woods lore and the thrilling adventure +that befell the Boy Scouts during their vacation in the wilderness.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE BLUE RIDGE; or, Marooned Among the Moonshiners.</b> +This story tells of the strange and mysterious adventures that happened +to the Patrol in their trip among the moonshiners of North Carolina.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting through the Big Game Country.</b> +The story recites the adventures of the members of the Silver Fox Patrol +with wild animals of the forest trails and the desperate men who had +sought a refuge in this lonely country.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or, The New Test for the Silver Fox +Patrol.</b> Thad and his chums have a wonderful experience when they are +employed by the State of Maine to act as Fire Wardens.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; or, The Search for the Lost +Tenderfoot.</b> A serious calamity threatens the Silver Fox Patrol. How +apparent disaster is bravely met and overcome by Thad and his friends, +forms the main theme of the story.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret of the Hidden Silver Mine.</b> +The boys’ tour takes them into the wildest region of the great Rocky +Mountains and here they meet with many strange adventures.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or, Marooned Among the Game Fish +Poachers.</b> Thad Brewster and his comrades find themselves in the +predicament that confronted old Robinson Crusoe; only it is on the Great +Lakes that they are wrecked instead of the salty sea.</p> + +<p><b>THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; or, The Silver Fox Patrol Caught +in a Flood.</b> The boys of the Silver Fox Patrol, after successfully +braving a terrific flood, become entangled in a mystery that carries +them through many exciting adventures.</p> + </td></tr> + </table> + </td></tr> +</table> + +<hr class='full' /> + +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber’s Notes</h3> +<p>1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.</p> +<p>2. Typographic errors corrected in original:<br/> + p. 50 though to thought (“Bully thought of his bag”)<br/> + p. 62 “out out” to “out” (“life out of me”)<br/> + p. 204 think to thing (“first thing you know”)</p> +</div> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Bully and Bawly No-Tail, by Howard R. 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