f the lake. He it is
who always sings, "Kerdunk!" when he condescends to sing at all.

This learned hermit, after clearing his throat repeatedly, thus
explained himself:

"There is a legend, connected with our race, that runs in this wise:"

* * * * *

"Ahem!"

Upon a time, in a certain valley, where once flowed a considerable
stream, the waters suddenly failed and the stream died away.

Upon the unfortunate frogs who dwelt there, in vast numbers, the hot
summer sun shone its fiercest rays unhindered.

* * * * *

"Dreadful!" piped Miss Frog.

"Yes, it did!" said the Sage, reproachfully, "and if you wish to hear
this story, you must be careful not to interrupt me again, thoughtless
girl!"

As Miss Frog was very desirous, indeed, of hearing the story, she
remained quiet, and the hermit frog continued:

* * * * *

The waters dried away, and hundreds of wretched frogs died on those
scorching fields. Dying fishes gasped with their last breath for a drop
of cool water, and joined their wails to those of our suffering kindred.

At length, one old trout, who had held out to the last, confessed:

"Miserable I! and wicked! _I_ have caused this drouth! And now I have no
power to remedy the evil I have done!"

At this, all of the frogs who were not yet dead gathered around the
tough old trout, and listened to his words.

"That was an evil day," gasped the speckled sinner, "when I poked my
nose out of water to dare a saucy kingfisher, who was mocking the whole
fish tribe in his usual dashing manner. 'Catch me, if you can!' I cried,
darting about at my ease.

"But the bird beguiled me. He made me believe that, if I would only work
a little hole through that dam there, I could descend with the escaping
waters to the stream below, and make my way to the sea, where, as I
heard, the fishes were all kings, and ate nothing but diamonds for
dinner.

[Illustration: "OH-H-H! BOO-HOO-HOO!"]

"I enticed all the trout that I could influence to assist me, and we
wriggled and wriggled our noses into the gravel for a long time,
apparently to no purpose.

"But, at last, a little leak started, and our water dripped away, drop
by drop; but not in sufficient volume to carry us with it.

"When the waters had receded, so as to make the stream very low, back
came that artful kingfisher, to dive for us in the shallow pools.

"And now, w