The Mouse and the Frog

A frog, while out walking one day, saw a mouse coming toward him.

"There is that foolish
mouse," said he. "I will play a good joke on him," and he
grinned as he thought how much fun he would have.

As they met, the frog said,
"Good morning, Sir Mouse; I hope I find you well to-day."

"Very well," replied
the mouse. "How are you?"

"My health is not very
good, so I have taken a holiday. If you are not busy, what do you say to our
spending the day together?"

"Good!" answered the
mouse. "I have little to do and nothing would suit me better." So
they started off together.

They had not gone far when the
frog said, "Let me tie one of your front feet to one of my hind legs, so
that I may not lose you."

"All right," replied
the mouse. "We shall surely be fast friends then."

So the frog took a blade of
grass and fastened one of the mouse's front feet to one of his hind legs. When
the frog leaped, the mouse tumbled after. Then they stopped and had a big
laugh; it was

very funny.

They first went to an oat
field, where the frog found many insects, and the mouse plenty of grain.

Beyond this field there was a
pond. The frog had been going toward this pond all of the time, but the mouse
had not noticed it. They were soon on its bank.

When the mouse saw the pond he
cried out, "Oh, you know I do not like the water, Mr. Frog. Let us go to
the barn."

"Nothing would do you so
much good as a cool bath on this hot day. You have never taken one, so you cannot
know how good it will make you feel," and the frog jumped into the water.

The mouse tried to get free,
but the frog only laughed.

A hawk, looking down, saw the
mouse and swooped down upon it. Since the frog was fastened to the mouse, he
too was carried off, and both lost their lives.

When the other frogs heard of
what had happened, they said, "Served him right. Served him right,"
and no frog since that time has ever played a mean joke.