FINDING NATURE’S TREASURES 
57 
“That is right, Marylee,” agreed Uncle Jack. “And 
by the time his tail is all used up, his legs are large 
enough, so that he can hop. Then he comes out of the 
water to catch insects to eat. He is a real frog now, 
although a very small one. If we keep this tad-frog out 
of the water much longer, he may die just as a fish out 
of water does.” 
“I will put him back,” Marylee said quickly. “Of 
course, I do not want him to die.” 
“He is so scared he can hardly swim,” said Buddy. 
“The trouble is that he is trying to use both his feet 
and his tail,” Uncle Jack explained. “When he was a 
tadpole, he had no legs and swam with his tail. Now 
that he is about to be a frog and has legs, he is trying 
to swim with them. It is as much fun to watch a tad-frog 
swim as it is to watch a baby walk. But the clouds are 
getting darker. It will soon rain. We must be going.” 
