Author of Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, The Wish Express, "King, King! Double King!", etc.
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, March 14, 1920.
One day a frog, who was invited to a party, took off his skin to mend a tear in the back. It was such a drowsy day that he fell fast asleep, and along came a bad little fairy.
Now, this little fairy had heard all about the big froggie party and wanted to go very much; but, of course, she had not been invited, so when she saw the frog's skin she gave a little chuckle, and then she flew away with it. The whirr of her wings awakened the frog, and when he found his skin gone you can imagine his state of mind. It's a terrible thing to sit around without any skin. Wrapping himself up in a damp leaf, he hurried home and told his family. But not being able to fly after the fairy, they could not help him, and so he was obliged to go to bed instead of going to the party.
The little fairy meanwhile slipped on the frog's skin and practiced hopping, and when 8 o'clock came she went leaping to the pond bank where the party was to be held. First they danced all round and the fairy just loved it, but next thing, while they were all in a big ring, they all dived under water, and before the fairy could let go hands she almost drowned. Wet and miserable, she managed to rise to the top of the water, but an old bullfrog ran after her and insisted that she eat a plate of worm salad, holding firmly to her hand until she finished. Then he serenaded her in a horrible voice. While he was singing, with his eyes closed and his head thrown back, she managed to slip away. Tearing off the frog skin, she threw it under a big weed and ran home as fast as she could patter. All of which leads me to observe that what is pleasing to a frog is extremely distasteful to a fairy. Never steal another's skin. The poor frog found his skin, but he never felt the same toward fairies, and he never took it off again, so far as I know.
THE FORGETFUL POET
By Ruth Plumly Thompson
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, October 13, 1918.
The Forgetful Poet Again
I am sure I do not know what the dear fellow will be up to next. For a man of his years he is surely active. These verses are interesting but incomplete. I can get them all but one - maybe you can guess them all.
Riding
I'm taking riding lessons -
I need the exercise;
In fact, the doctor recommended
Such a course as ------
Among a lot of other things
About it I have found,
As noted by an esteemed friend,
The hardest part's the ------
Quite suddenly I found this out
One day while going hence.
I was unseated violently
While trying to take a ------
Though many bruises I've sustained
I still will persevere,
An maybe will be expert
At the sport another ------
Copyright © 2008 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
