pulled some dead grass out of it, plunged the 

 frog in, and began to scrub it— began to scrub 

 tlie frog in the oozy contents of that tub, when 

 the poor amphibian had been soaking in spring- 

 water ever since it was a tadpole ! 



No matter. The frog must be washed. And 

 washed it was. It was scoured first with all his 

 might, then placed in the bottom of the tub, 

 under water, held down by one fore paw, until 

 the maniac could get in with his hind feet upon 

 it, and then danced upon ; from here it was laid 

 upon the floor of the cage and kneaded until as 

 limp as a lump of dough ; then lifted daintily, it 

 was shaken round and round in the water, rinsed 

 and wrung, and minutely inspected, and— swal- 

 lowed. 



I felt justified in keeping this animal caged. 

 He was not fit to run loose even in the Bear 

 Swamp. Perhaps I have done him wrong in 

 this story of the frog. Frogs may need washing, 

 after all, despite the fact that they are never out 

 of the bath-tub long enough to dry off once in 

 their whole lives. Mux knew more about frogs 

 than I, doubtless. But Mux insisted upon wash- 

 ing oysters. 



[117] 



