Chapter 23

A MERRY SONG



Timothy Turtle made such a noise that the Frog family had to stop singing.

"It's not fair!" he cried. "You're peeping!"

"Well, so are you!" Ferdinand Frog retorted.

"I only opened my eyes to make sure that you were doing as I asked you to," Mr. Turtle replied with an injured air.

"And we didn't shut ours, because we wanted to watch you," said Mr. Frog.

"Can't you trust me?" Timothy snapped.

"Certainly!" Ferdinand Frog replied.

"Oh, yes! We can trust you!" And he winked at his friends.

"You don't want to hurt my feelings, do you?" Timothy Turtle went on.

"No, indeed!" everybody exclaimed.

And then Ferdinand Frog told Timothy that they would sing a special song in his honor.

"Fire away!" Timothy ordered them. And the whole company knew, when he said that, that if he really cared anything at all for singing he never would have spoken of it in that fashion.

They were just about to begin the song when Timothy Turtle stopped them.

"What's this thing called?" he demanded.

"It's known," Ferdinand Frog explained, "as 'A Merry Song.'"

And then the whole Frog family began to bellow their loudest:

Come let us sing a merry song! To you it may sound sad. And if you think it loud and long We think that it's not bad.

"We'll sing about a grumpy one Who snaps and bites all day. And if you call that "having fun" We make reply, "Go 'way!"

He has a glittering, wicked eye And also cruel jaws. And if you ask the reason why, We'll answer you, "Because!"

He'll stretch his neck and grab you quick-- Don't let him come too near! And if you poke him with a stick He'll seize that too--oh, dear!

Now, we'll admit he swims quite well And that he's slow ashore. Don't ask us if he wears a shell Until we tell you more.

Don't ask us if he's fond of fish Nor seek to learn his age. And kindly don't express a wish To see him in a rage!

Don't ask us if his claws are strong And if he has a tail. It might be short and blunt, or long And pointed like a nail.

We do not want to cause you pain. We would not give offense-- But, sir, you'll not come here again If you have any sense.

After the last echo of the song had lost itself in the depths of Cedar Swamp, the singers all turned, smiling, to their listener.

But his face wore no smile. On the contrary, Timothy Turtle frowned darkly.

"You can't fool me!" he cried. "You don't like me! You don't want me here!"

Ferdinand Frog swallowed a few times.

"Well," said he, "of course my manners are so elegant