w, Striped Chipmunk, that
people were coming to me for advice before you were born. It was just an
accident that Farmer Brown's boy caught me, and I'd like to see him do
it again. Yes, Sir, I'd like to see him do it again!"

Dear me, dear me! Grandfather Frog was boasting. If he had been safe at
home in the Smiling Pool, there might have been some excuse for
boasting, but way over here in the Long Lane, not even knowing the way
back to the Smiling Pool, it was foolish, very foolish indeed. No one
knew that better than Striped Chipmunk, but he has a great deal of
respect for Grandfather Frog, and he knew too that Grandfather Frog was
feeling very much out of sorts and very much mortified to think that he
had been caught in such a scrape, so he put a hand over his mouth to
hide a smile as he said:

"Of course he isn't going to catch you again. I know how wise and smart
you are, but you look to me very tired, and there are so many dangers
out here in the Great World that it seems to me that the very best thing
you can do is to go back to the Smiling Pool."

But Grandfather Frog is stubborn, you know. He had started out to see
the Great World, and he didn't want the little people of the Green
Meadows and the Green Forest to think that he was afraid. The truth is,
Grandfather Frog was more afraid of being laughed at than he was of the
dangers around him, which shows just how foolish wise people can be
sometimes. So he shook his head.

"Chugarum!" said he, "I am going to see the Great World first, and then
I am going back to the Smiling Pool. Do you happen to know where there
is any water? I am very thirsty."

Now over on the other side of the Long Lane was a spring where Farmer
Brown's boy filled his jug with clear cold water to take with him to the
cornfield when he had to work there. Striped Chipmunk knew all about
that spring, for he had been there for a drink many times. So he told
Grandfather Frog just where the spring was and how to get to it. He even
offered to show the way, but Grandfather Frog said that he would rather
go alone.

"Watch out, Grandfather Frog, and don't fall in, because you might not
be able to get out again," warned Striped Chipmunk.

Grandfather Frog looked up sharply to see if Striped Chipmunk was making
fun of him. The very idea of any one thinking that he, who had lived in
the water all his life, couldn't get out when he pleased! But Striped
Chipmunk looked really in earnest, so Grandfat