28 STORIES OF EARTH AND SKY 



keep their voices from drowning," said the frog, 

 swelling his throat like a balloon. 



" Sphee-phee-phee-sphee," chirped a hundred 

 little voices. 



" I'm delighted to see you," said Anne, cor- 

 dially ; " are you one of Dahinda's very young 

 children? Do you know I haven't seen or heard 

 of that great frog since last summer ; where did 

 he spend the winter ? " 



" Dahinda, the Bull Frog ? Oh, he stays down 

 in the mud all winter as we do. We do not 

 belong to his family, however ; he is a common 

 Water Frog, a lonely sort of a fellow, while 

 we are Tree Frogs, sociable little chaps, and 

 much more graceful. We have suckers on the 

 ends of our fingers and toes to help us to climb, so 

 we can walk up window-panes even, without slip- 

 ping. In summer we may leave the marshes and 

 go travelling about the trees and gardens, wher- 

 ever we please. Look ! " and the frog held out 

 one of his hands so that Anne could see the 

 " suckers " that looked like hollow blisters upon 

 the ends of his webbed fingers. 



" What do you think, one member of our family 

 that lives in a far-off hot country has such big 

 feet that he uses them for wings, and flies." 



"Really truly?" gasped Anne. 



