Kerchug, the leap frog, was all the time jumping. He stood every morning on the edge of the pond where he lived, and said to all the birds in the trees above him: “Isn’t it wonderful how I can jump?” Then all the birds would flap their wings and sing a song which began, “Isn’t it a treat to see our leap frog jump so far?”

 

One day Kerchug made a great big jump into the middle of the pool, and then swam back to the stone from which he always made his jumps. He waited for the birds to flap their wings and to sing about his jumping, but not one of them took any notice of him. Instead of that, he found Carrier Pigeon roosting on a log near the pool and looking very solemn.

 

“Wasn’t that a great jump?” asked Kerchug.

 

Carrier Pigeon shook his head, and took out from under his wing a little paper envelope, which he gave to Kerchug. Kerchug opened the letter and when he had looked at it he turned white under the chin.

 

“Read it to me, Carrier Pigeon,” he said, “I’ve just come out of the water, and my goggles¹ are so damp that I can hardly see anything.”

 

So Carrier Pigeon swelled² out his chest and stood on one leg and held the paper in his right claw as he read:

 

“I can leap further and higher and better than anything which wears a speckled skin and goggles. If Kerchug is not a coward he will come away from the water and hop³ right out here in the wood and jump with me.

 

(Signed)

 

“Jumping Jehosophat.”

 

“Are his legs as long as mine?” asked Kerchug, looking very hard at Carrier Pigeon.

 

“He had them curled under him when I saw him sitting in the woods,” answered Carrier Pigeon, “and really I cannot say.”

 

Kerchug, the leap frog, heard all the birds twittering and whispering, up in the trees. He thought they were all laughing at him, so he gulped⁴ and swallowed and then said that he was very glad indeed to see Carrier Pigeon and that it was a very fine morning.

 

“You might say to your friend,” he added, “that I must have time to think this over, and you can come back in an hour.”

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