Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue on Grandpas Farm | Page 9

Bunny and Sue were allowed to go to the clay-pond because it was not deep, and not far away. But Mrs. Brown always told them to be careful not to slip down in the wet and sticky clay or muddy water.
So now, with the net and the tin can to catch frogs, away the two children started. They had not been frog-hunting since Aunt Lu went back to New York.
"There ought to be lots of frogs now," said Bunny.
"Yes," agreed Sue. "I hear them singing every night."
"Frogs don't sing!" her brother said.
"Yes they do too!"
"No they don't!"
"Then what do they do?" Sue wanted to know.
"They croak!" said Bunny. "Frogs can't sing, they just croak."
"Well, they can hop then!" Sue was sure of that. "'Cause the ones George Watson let loose at our party hopped."
"Oh, yes, frogs can hop," Bunny knew that well enough.
"All 'ceptin' pollywoggles," went on Sue. "They jest wiggle."
"That's right," said her brother. "Pollywogs can't hop, 'cause they've got no legs. Come on."
The two children were soon at the frog pond. They could hear the frogs croaking, or "singing," whichever you call it, and with his net Bunny was soon scooping around in the water, to catch some of the hopping, swimming creatures.
"Oh, I've got a big one!" the little boy suddenly cried, as he lifted the net into the air. "Where's your can, Sue?"
"Here it is, Bunny!"
Sue held up an old tomato can, with the cover off, while her brother turned his net upside down over it. Some black mud and water splashed from Bunny's net, some splattering on Sue's dress. She looked eagerly into the can.
"There isn't any frog at all, Bunny!" she exclaimed, much disappointed.
"No frog?" shouted Bunny. "Of course there is!"
With a stick he poked in the mud on the bottom of the can. No frog was there.
"Well, he must have hopped out," he said.
"Maybe you didn't have one, Bunny."
"Yes I did. But he got away. He was a big one, too. But I'll get another."
A little later Bunny did catch two frogs, though they were small ones. He put them in Sue's can. She looked at them for a while and then asked:
"Oh, Bunny, oughtn't I to put some water in the can, so the frogs can swim? They won't like us if we don't let them swim."
"Well, put a little water in," said Bunny.
With the frogs in the can, Sue dipped it into the pond, at the water's edge. Then she gave a sorrowful cry.
"Oh, Bunny! The frogs hopped out! They got away!"
"Oh, dear!" the little boy said. "What made you let 'em go?"
"I didn't. They wented themselves! They swimmed right out!"
"Oh, well, never mind. I can get more." Bunny was real nice and cheerful about it; wasn't he? Some boys would have made a fuss if their sister let their frogs go, but Bunny Brown was different.
Soon he caught four more frogs, and this time he helped Sue put water in the can, scooping it up with his hands. So the frogs did not get out.
But catching frogs gets tiresome after a while, and, after a bit, Bunny and Sue were ready to stop. They looked about for something else to do. Not far from the pond was a high bank of clay, partly dug away. It was like a little hill, and sloped down to the edge of the pond.
"Oh, Sue, I know what let's do!" cried Bunny.
"What?"
"Let's go up to the top of the clay-hill and roll stones down into the water."
"All right--let's!"
Sue set down her can of frogs, and Bunny laid aside his net. The clay-hill was too slippery to climb, so the children went around to the side, on a part where the grass grew. Soon Bunny and Sue stood at the top of the hill. It was not very high, nor very steep, and at the top were a number of stones.
"We'll roll 'em down, and watch 'em splash in the water," said Bunny.
Down the slippery clay slide the children rolled the stones, watching them splash into the little pond at the bottom of the hill.
All of a sudden, as Sue rolled one stone, larger than any of the others she had yet played with, she gave a cry.
"Oh, Bunny! Bunny! I'm slipping! I'm falling!" she called.
Bunny gave a jump toward Sue, hoping he could catch her. But he, too, slipped on the smooth clay at the top of the hill.
And the next second Bunny and Sue went sliding down. Right down the clay-hill toward the shallow pond at the bottom they slid, like Jack and Jill, who went up the hill, after a pail of water, and then tumbled down.
CHAPTER V
OFF TO GRANDPA'S FARM
"Bunny! Bunny!" cried Sue, as she slid along. "Oh, Bunny! I can't stop!"
"I--I can't, either," answered her brother. "But don't be afraid!