A family of frogs lived in a little pond. One day some boys threw stones at them. They liked to see them jump and splash about. At last Father Frog said, "Boys, that may be fun for you, but it is death for us." One day a wolf met a dog. The dog was fat. He looked as if he had plenty to eat. He looked as if he had nothing to eat. "You are a lucky dog," said the wolf. "You have plenty to eat. I am half starved." "Come with me," said the dog. "You shall have what you like to eat." As they went along, the dog said, "At night I watch the house, and all day I eat or sleep in the yard." "What is that mark on your neck?" asked the wolf. "Oh, that is where the chain wears the hair off," said the dog. "Chain?" said the wolf. "Do you wear a chain?” "Oh, yes," said the dog. "My master chains me to my kennel during the day, but at night I am free to go where I wish." "Good-bye," said the wolf. "I will not go with you. I may be hungry, but I am free." So all the animals wished to know why he liked the elephant. They met in the forest to talk it over. "If the elephant had a bushy tail like mine,' said the fox, "I should know why the lion liked him." "If the elephant had sharp claws like mine," said the bear, "I should know why the lion liked him." "If the elephant's tusks were like my horns," said the ox, "I should know why the lion liked him.' "It is all very plain to me," said the donkey, shaking his ears. "The lion likes the elephant because his ears are long." |