Read Ebook: The Frog Who Would A Wooing Go by Bennett Charles H Charles Henry

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Ebook has 83 lines and 5278 words, and 2 pages

"Come, my children, it is a fine day--let us go for a walk. Make haste, for something tells me we shall find some dinner on our way."

And sure enough they did; for after looking after little birds, and trying the windows of all the pantries they knew,--

"B-row!" said the Cat, snuffing the air; "do you know--I'm not quite certain--but--yes, really--I smell mouse."

"Mew!" said the kittens; "we're so glad."

"And I think, also, rat."

"Oh, come along!" said the kittens.

"Don't make a noise," whispered the Cat.

Slowly and cautiously they crept on towards Mrs. Mousey's cottage, till at an unexpected moment, and just as Mrs. Mouse was going to get a fresh mug of beer, in tumbled the Cat and her kittens. Down went the Rat under the Cat's paw--up in a corner the two kittens got the Mouse.

"M-row-ow, fit-z-z!" and Rat and Mouse were killed.

"Holla!" says the Frog; "this won't do! Perhaps they'll be after me in a minute. I must be off home to my mother." And sure enough off he went , but as rapidly as he could. "Oh, why did I ever leave home?" said this foolish Frog: "I should have been safe enough with my mother. I'll never leave home again. Never! never! never!"

"Quack, quack!" observed a Duck who had been watching him.

"Oh, my goodness gracious!" said the Frog; "what shall I do now? There's the very Duck that ate up my uncle who went abroad! Now, if I can't cross over this brook in a single jump, I shall never get home alive. Here goes!"

But, alas! since it must be told, he could not cross the brook in one jump.

In he fell--splash! Up came the Duck.

"Quack, quack! gobble, gobble, gobble!" and the poor Frog never got home at all.

We are all sorry for his untimely end, and wish that the Duck had not gobbled him up: but we must not forget that if he had been less self-willed and obstinate, if he had only paid attention to what his mother told him, he might have been safe at home--perhaps, in due course, married to an amiable Frog, and the father of a large family of innocent little tadpoles.

Transcriber's Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

"What?"

"I were sent out of the way or disposed of for ever."

"Of that title, dearest Basil; neither your grandfather's wicked hatred, nor the cunning of my uncle--alas! that I should have to say so of one so near--can deprive you."

"Between them, however, they have willed away the estates to my cousin Tony Gauntlet, who bids fair to make ducks and drakes of them, even before his succession comes to pass, for he is deeply involved with jockeys and Jew money-lenders. But I care not what happens, if I am not separated, my sweet little love, from you."

I pressed her to my breast long and passionately.

For several nights I visited Ruth's window in this clandestine manner; and became so expert in the matter, that I actually rubbed the sash of my casement with soap, that it might run smoothly and noiselessly. As yet there came no reply from Sir Basil, but Abraham Clod brought a message from Netherwood, that "he had the gout in both feet, and consequently was unable to write."

Dear to us, indeed, were those stolen interviews, and wild and vague were the plans we began to form for the future, plans chiefly drawn from our romances; but one night we were roused from our happiness by an unlooked for catastrophe.

Just as I was approaching Ruth's window, a voice exclaimed--

"A thief--a thief! I see un--dang thee, tak that!"

Then followed a shriek from Ruth, with the explosion of a gun, and a bullet shattered the panes in both sashes, just above my head.

It was the voice of Abraham Clod our Yorkshire groom, who had been out in the evening crowshooting, and had his gun undischarged, and who in a moment of evil had seen me creeping along the roof of the stable, from his attic window, where I saw him peering forth, with a candle in one hand, and his gun in the other.

Fearing that if I attempted to return to my own room he might shoot me in earnest--for I saw the fellow was quickly reloading--fearing also to stay, lest I should place Ruth in a false position, I lingered for a moment irresolutely, and preferred being taken for the housebreaker which I have no doubt honest Clod believed me to be.

At that time I felt that I would rather die than the honour of Ruth should suffer!

I dropped on the roof of the stable just as a second shot broke the tiles under my feet, and confused by this incident, I tumbled heavily to the ground--luckily not into the stable-yard but into a ploughed field.

I rose unhurt, but found that to enter the house by the door, and to regain my attic window, w

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