Snoutie and His Friends - страница 6
They had already reached the stream and were preparing to walk into the water when they suddenly heard someone quite nearby croak out in a singsong voice:
“Don’t cross the stream there! Do-o-o-on’t! Cro-o-o-a-a-a-k-k-k! It’s deep there.”
Snoutie and Michelle looked over to the place where they had heard this croaked warning coming from and saw an enormous frog rocking back and forth on a yellow water lily. His cheeks were puffed out and he looked very important and serious. When he saw our travelers, he jumped up high in air and plopped down into the water, but then he neatly emerged from the stream and made his way up to where they were standing on the shore.
“Thank you very much,” said Snoutie. “You know, I am slightly acquainted with your relatives, the green frogs.”
“Some relatives!” snorted their new acquaintance self-importantly. “I am much bigger and stronger than any other frog. I am Croaky the Feel Good Froggy! And, if you have noticed, I am not just green like they are; I am green with brown spots. And what’s more, no one else croaks as loudly as I do. Cro-o-o-a-a-a-k-k-k!” Croaky the Feel Good Froggy showed off his skill with pride, causing Michelle to hide behind Snoutie’s back.
“Might you tell me where you are going? I would be happy to assist you! Cro-o-o-a-a-a-k-k-k!” proposed Croaky helpfully.
Snoutie and Michelle explained how they came to find themselves in the Big Forest and how they were searching for a magical white flower.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this flower,” said Croaky, thinking hard.
He showed them the best place to cross the stream, how to get back to the edge of the woods, and where the sweetest wild strawberries grew.
“Have a safe trip,” he croaked after the friends.
After crossing the stream without any problems any problems, they headed straight for the field that Turtle had told them about. Snoutie caught sight of the green sprouts he knew so well and, squealing and wagging his tail in anticipation of the enjoyment he would get from filling up his tummy, he started digging up sweet potatoes, just like the expert his father had taught him to be. Michelle picked lots of ripe, red strawberries.
The satisfied travelers had just sat down on the green grass to rest, when all of a sudden they heard someone’s desperate cries for help coming from the direction of the stream. The friends jumped up and ran quickly in the direction of the cries. When they reached the stream, they saw red Little Squirrel struggling in the water as he tried as hard as he could to grab hold of some branches hanging above him. Snoutie walked into the cold water and, standing firm against the strong current, stretched out his snunk to drowning Little Squirrel. Little Squirrel grabbed it tightly with his front paws, but the current was so strong that Snoutie could not make his way back to the shore.