ceeding
wisdom renders me superior to menial duties."

"It's a great wonder to me," remarked the woman, carrying her sticks to
the house, "that your wisdom doesn't inform you that you'll get no
breakfast here," and she went in and slammed the door behind her.

The Frogman felt he had been insulted, so he gave a loud croak of
indignation and turned away. After going a short distance he came upon a
faint path which led across a meadow in the direction of a grove of
pretty trees, and thinking this circle of evergreens must surround a
house--where perhaps he would be kindly received--he decided to follow
the path. And by and by he came to the trees, which were set close
together, and pushing aside some branches he found no house inside the
circle, but instead a very beautiful pond of clear water.

Now the Frogman, although he was so big and so well educated and now
aped the ways and customs of human beings, was still a frog. As he gazed
at this solitary, deserted pond, his love for water returned to him with
irresistible force.

"If I cannot get a breakfast I may at least have a fine swim," said he,
and pushing his way between the trees he reached the bank. There he took
off his fine clothing, laying his shiny purple hat and his gold-headed
cane beside it. A moment later he sprang with one leap into the water
and dived to the very bottom of the pond.

The water was deliciously cool and grateful to his thick, rough skin,
and the Frogman swam around the pond several times before he stopped to
rest. Then he floated upon the surface and examined the pond with some
curiosity. The bottom and sides were all lined with glossy tiles of a
light pink color; just one place in the bottom, where the water bubbled
up from a hidden spring, had been left free. On the banks the green
grass grew to the edge of the pink tiling.

And now, as the Frogman examined the place, he found that on one side
the pool, just above the water line, had been set a golden plate on
which some words were deeply engraved. He swam toward this plate and on
reaching it read the following inscription:

_This is_
THE TRUTH POND
_Whoever bathes in this
water must always
afterward tell_
THE TRUTH

This statement startled the Frogman. It even worried him, so that he
leaped upon the bank and hurriedly began to dress himself.

"A great misfortune has befallen me," he told himself, "for hereafter I
cannot tell people I am wise, since it is not the truth. The t