rnfully. "You see, trousers are being worn very tight this
summer. And that always makes the feet seem bigger.... My feet can't
look peculiar."

"Then," said Bobby Bobolink, "it must be something else that amuses me.
It must be your mouth!"

"My mouth!" Mr. Frog repeated, as his jaw dropped. "What's the matter
with that?"

"It's so big!" Bobby cried.

Now, Mr. Frog had always been terribly sensitive about the size of his
mouth.

"I'll tell you something about my mouth," he said. "Once it was smaller
than yours. But I've smiled so much it has stretched a bit, though I
hoped nobody had noticed that."

"Well," Bobby Bobolink told him, "I'm better off than you are, Mr. Frog.
For I expect to have a new suit this fall. But how are you going to
change your mouth--or your feet, either?"

That was a question that Mr. Frog couldn't answer. He made no attempt to
reply, but plunged into the water and swam away.

And he never again laughed at anybody's clothes all that summer.

XVIII

TIMOTHY TURTLE'S COMPLAINT

IT happened that the Bobolink family moved to Cedar Swamp just when
Timothy Turtle had arrived there for a short outing. It was Mr. Turtle's
custom to leave his home in Black Creek now and than and spend a few
days in some other neighborhood. He said that after living in the creek
as many years as he had it did him good to get a change once in a while.
About every forty years he paid a visit to the Beaver Pond on the other
side of Blue Mountain. But he visited Cedar Swamp oftener than that,
because it was nearer his home.

There was scarcely anybody that was glad to see Mr. Turtle. He was
a snappish, surly old chap. And he was forever finding fault with
everybody and everything. It seemed as if you couldn't please him,
no matter how much you tried. He had spent less than a week in Cedar
Swamp before every one voted him a nuisance. And he had invitations,
daily, to go back where he came from.

But Timothy Turtle announced in no uncertain tones that he wouldn't go
till he was ready. He said that it was a waste of breath to urge him to
leave, and that those that didn't care for his company might move. He
promised that he wouldn't stop anybody--unless he happened to get hold
of him!

Naturally every one took pains to keep out of Timothy Turtle's reach. It
was well known that when his powerful jaws closed upon a person's leg,
for instance, its unlucky owner might as well not try to get away till
Timoth