Bully and Bawly No-Tail

Excerpt

STORY I

BULLY AND BAWLY GO SWIMMING

Once upon a time, not so very many years ago, there were two little frog boys who lived in a little pond near a nice big farm. It wasn’t very far from where Peetie and Jackie Bow-Wow, the puppy dogs, had their home, and the frogs’ house was right next door to the pen where Lulu and Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble the ducks lived.

There was Bully No-Tail, and his brother Bawly No-Tail, and the reason Bawly had such a funny name was because when he was a little baby he used to cry a good bit. And once he cried so much that he made a lot more water in the pond than should have been there, and it ran over, just like when you put too much milk in your glass, and made the ground all wet.

The last name of the frogs was “No-Tail,” because, being frogs, you see, they had no tails.

But now Bawly was larger, and he didn’t cry so much, I’m glad to say. And with the frog boys lived their papa and mamma, and also a nice, big, green and yellow spotted frog who was named Grandpa Croaker. Oh, he was one of the nicest frogs I have ever known, and I have met quite a number.

One day when Bully and Bawly were hopping along on the ground, close to the edge of the pond, Bully suddenly said:

“Bawly, I think I can beat you in a swimming race.”

“I don’t believe you can,” spoke Bawly, as he thoughtfully scratched his left front leg on a piece of hickory bark.

“Well, we’ll try,” said Bully. “We’ll see who can first swim to the other side of the pond, and whoever does it will get a stick of peppermint candy.”

“Where can we get the candy?” asked Bawly. “Have you got it? For if you have I wish you’d give me a bite before we jump in the water, Bully.”

“No, I haven’t it,” replied his brother. “But I know Grandpa Croaker will give it to us after the race. Come on, let’s jump in.”

So the next minute into the pond jumped those two frog boys, and they didn’t take off their shoes or their stockings, nor even their coats or waists, nor yet their neckties. For you see they wore the kind of clothes which water couldn’t hurt, as they were made of rubber, like a raincoat. Their mamma had to make them that kind, because they went in the water so often.

Into the pond the frogs jumped, and they began swimming as fast as they could. First Bully was a little distance ahead, and then Bawly would kick out his front legs and his hind legs, and he would be in the lead.

“I’m going to win! I’ll get the peppermint candy!” Bawly called to his brother, winking his two eyes right in the water, as easily as you can put your doll to sleep, or play a game of marbles.

“No. I’ll beat!” declared Bully. “But if I get the candy I’ll give you some.”

So they swam on, faster and faster, making the water splash up all around them like a steamboat going to a picnic.

Well, the frogs were almost half way across the pond, when Lulu and Alice Wibblewobble, the duck girls, came out of their pen. They had just washed their faces and their yellow bills, and had put on their new hair ribbons, so they looked very nice, and proper....