Chapter 1
Either an old idea becomes new, or it ends.
There was a little frog who had a big mouth. First, he would open his mouth. Then he waited to hear what words came out.
In his kitchen was a big bowl. This is where he kept his food. It was full of dead flies.
He looked at the bowl. Then he looked away and opened his mouth. Out came these words: “I am tired of eating flies!”
He hopped outside. “I eat flies for breakfast… (hop), I eat flies for lunch… (hop), I eat flies every… (hop) evening… (hop) for dinner… (hop) and I am tired of it! (plop)”
He laid down in the mud. “What do other animals eat?”
It was an interesting question. So, the frog set out to find answers.
Chapter 2
The frog meets a chicken.
The little frog hopped up the hill to a farm. There he saw a hen pecking at the ground.
“Hello, hen!” he called. “I used to eat flies, but I don’t anymore. What do you like to eat?”
“Worms,” clucked the chicken.
“Worms, how delightful!” The frog was excited now. “Where do you get them?”
“First, you scratch the ground with your claws until you find one. Then you pull it out with your beak.”
“Oh,” sighed the frog, “that’s too bad.” His excitement was gone. “I don’t have any claws for scratching. Even if I did, I don’t have a beak for pulling.”
He hopped away without saying good-bye.
Chapter 3
The frog sees a horse.
Next, the frog saw a horse twitching her ears and swishing her tail. As he got closer, he saw flies circling the horse.
“What a magnificent animal!” he gasped. “She twitches her ears and swishes her tail. Just like that the flies come to her. It’s magic!”
Flies always flew away from the little frog. So, he had to hunt them down. It would take a long time for him to fill the bowl in his kitchen.
“Oh, I wish I had magic powers! If only I had a tail and ears. I used to have a tail, but I don’t anymore. I lost it. I don’t have any ears either. I never had those.”
He sighed, “I’ll never be magic like a horse.”
The little frog was about to feel sad. Then he opened his mouth and heard these words, “That doesn’t matter. I don’t even like flies anymore!”
Chapter 4
The frog greets the horse.
“Hello, horse!” called the frog. “I see you really like flies. I used to eat them, too, but I don’t anymore.”
“Not at all!” protested the horse, “I have never ever eaten a fly!” She stamped her feet and shook her mane. “I only eat the finest hay.”
“Oh, really?” The frog had not expected this. “Where do you get the hay?”
“I have the farmer bring me some in the morning,” she explained. “Then, I have a little more delivered in the evening.”
The frog was impressed. Not only could this horse conjure flies, she could cast spells on the farmer, too!
“I suppose you need big tall teeth to chew up the hay, don’t you?”
“Well, yes, that’s how I always do it.”
The frog grumbled as he hopped away, “No swishy tail… (hop), no twitchy ears… (hop), no big tall teeth… (hop), ‘…and I don’t even eat flies!’”
He was so upset he didn’t even say good-bye.
Chapter 5
The frog meets a pig.
Just a few hops away, the frog saw a pig digging in the dirt. It looked like so much fun! Instantly, he was in a better mood.
“Hello, pig!” cried the frog. “I used to eat flies, but not anymore. I would eat worms, but they are usually underground. I lost my tail, and I never had ears, so I can’t cast a magic spell on the farmer.”
The pig stopped her digging and wrinkled her snout into a knot. It looked like she had a question, but she decided not to ask it. “I see,” grunted the pig. “That’s quite a predicament.”
“It’s OK, I don’t really care,” shrugged the frog. “Hay smells nice, but it tastes bland.”
The pig did not wrinkle her snout at this. “I agree,” she said without hesitation.
Chapter 6
How are worms are like old shoes?
The pig continued digging. Her snout was in the dirt, but her ears were up and listening. So, the frog continued talking.
Occasionally, the pig stopped, looked at the frog, and blinked her eyes. She had questions, but she never asked the frog to explain what he said.
Now and then, the frog was silent. He stared at the dirt the pig was digging up. He was hoping he could grab a worm without the scratching or pecking.
After one of these silent moments, the frog opened his mouth. These words came out: “I’ve never eaten one before, but worms are my new favorite food!”
The pig paused and wrinkled her snout. “I know what you mean,” she said. “I would say the same thing about old shoes.”
Chapter 7
The pig goes to sleep.
It was a warm day. Eventually, the pig grew tired of digging and fell asleep in a cool mud puddle.
The frog kept talking. He thought the pig was still listening. After a while, he saw the pig’s ears were drooping.
“Goodnight sleepyhead,” he whispered. It was not nighttime; it was the middle of the afternoon. Since she was asleep, it seemed better to say ‘goodnight’ than to say ‘good-bye.’
Out on the edge of the farm, a snake was flicking her tongue. She was tasting the air.
The frog did not know it, but the snake had smelled him coming. She was waiting for him to arrive.
Chapter 8
The frog chats up a snake.
“Oh, hey there, snake!” greeted the frog. “I didn’t see you. I was just thinking about how I have no claws for scratching, no snout for digging, no ears for twitching, and absolutely no magic powers. So, if I’m going to get a worm, I’ll have to grab one by surprise.”
“That’s interesting,” hissed the snake.
“Yes,” said the frog. “Well, I guess you and I are a lot alike. You don’t have any ears, claws, or snout either, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” confirmed the snake.
“Although, you do have quite a tail!” remarked the frog. “Did you know that I used to have one of those, too? Then I lost it.“
“How sad,” whispered the snake as she slithered toward the frog.
“Perhaps you could work some magic by swishing that magnificent tail of yours back and forth. That is how the horse does it.”
“What for?” asked the snake.
“To conjure flies, or worms, or whatever else you might like to eat.”
Chapter 9
The frog's mouth stays wide open.
A single question had started this little frog’s adventure: what do other animals eat? He had already asked the chicken, the horse, and the pig.
Now, he could feel the same question working its way into his mouth. However, for some reason, he did not want to ask the snake this question. So, he filled his mouth with other words.
“Just today, I decided worms are my favorite food. I haven’t eaten one yet, but I’m so tired of eating flies. I think worms are the best ever! Now, all I need to do is eat one. What about you, Ms. Snake? Do you prefer worms or flies?”
“Neither one.”
“You and the horse both!” cried the little frog. “Do you remember that magic horse I told you about? The one who swishes her tail? She conjures the flies, but she doesn’t ever eat them! She just waits on the farmer to bring her hay. Have you ever tried hay?”
“No,” said the snake, moving closer to the frog.
Chapter 10
Something is about to happen.
This is the story of a little frog with a big mouth. He would open his mouth first. Then he waited to hear what words came out.
At this moment, however, things were different. His mouth was firmly closed, and he knew exactly what words were about to come out. He tried to stop the words, but he couldn’t.
“What do you like to eat?”
The snake smiled. “I like to eat little frogs with big mouths.”
“Ooh! Really?” stammered the frog. As he spoke, he tried to make his mouth as small as possible.
“You know, I just saw one of those big-mouthed frogs. It was in the farmers tool shed. That’s the place where the angry farmer keeps his shovel, his hoe, and all the other sharp implements that can cut a snake’s head off. You wait here, and I’ll run and get it for us. GOOD-BYE!”