There was Bully¹ 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[Pg 10] 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 spotted² 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 hopping³ 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,” spoke⁵ 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 peppermint⁶ 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[Pg 11] 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.

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