Frog and Friends (3 page)

“Mmm,” Possum said. “Let me think.”

She put the scarf on Frog. She tied the long ends around Frog's fat belly. “There,” she said, “now it will stay where you put it.”

“Thank you,” Frog said. “You are so clever.”

Possum nodded. “That is true. I am glad I gave it to you. There is nothing wasted that you give to a friend.”

“That is what I always say,” Frog told her.

When Possum left he sat down and wrote a thank-you note to Raccoon.

“I feel better already,” he wrote. “I am wearing the pretty blue scarf and it is perfect.
Absolutely perfect
.”

Frog was resting on a lily pad when he heard a noise.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CLUMP. CLUMP, CRUNCH, CRUNCH
.

He hopped quickly into his pond and peered over the edge.

Something was coming. Something BIG.

“Hello,” a big voice said.

“Hello,” Frog stammered. “Who are you?”

“I am Hippopotamus.”

Frog quaked. This must be the biggest animal in the world. He had heard of hippopotamus-esssss. But this was the first one he had seen.

Oh no, he thought. He has come for his egg which we killed and buried.

Frog took a deep breath, “If you have come for your egg, Hippopotamus, we killed it. We did not mean to. We are very sorry.”

“I do not know what you mean,” Hippopotamus said. “I do not lay eggs. I am a mammal.”

“Oh.” Frog was not sure what that meant. But he was happy that Hippopotamus was not angry. He was so
BIG
.

“Just call me Hippo,” Hippopotamus said. “I live in town in the Little Zoo. Someone left my cage open. I ran away to see the world. Then I saw your pond. I like ponds. May I join you?”

“Of course.” Frog moved over.

Hippo waddled in. He was so
BIG
he filled the pond.

Hippo closed his eyes. “Lovely!”

Frog could not even stretch his legs. “Will you stay long?” he asked.

“Mmm,” Hippo said. “This is so nice. I think I will stay forever.”

Frog gulped. “But there is not room for both of us.”

“Oh, you are so small. I think we will both fit.”

Frog did not want to share his pond. How could he swim with BIG Hippo in the water? He liked to dance around his pond in the moonlight. With no one to watch. How could he do that if Hippo stayed forever? How could he have quiet time for his nap? He did not want to tell Hippo to go away. That would be rude.

Frog looked up. Geese were flying south for winter.

Oh yes, Frog thought.

“Hippo,” he said, “soon it will be winter. Look! The geese are flying south. The pond will be covered with ice. It will be so cold. I will be having my winter sleep in the mud on the bottom. But you are too big to cover yourself with that mud. There will be ice, ice, ice all around you.”

“Oh my!” Hippo said. “You are right. And I hate to be cold.” He shivered and the pond water sloshed over the side. Ants ran for cover. “They do keep my pond warm at the Little Zoo,” Hippo said. “And they give me warm straw to lie in. It is pretty nice back there.”

“Sometimes you have to run away to see what the world is like,” Frog said. “But sometimes you are happy to go home.”

“That is true,” Hippo said. “I liked being with you. But I think I will go back now.”