I nodded assent, and advancing cautiously, we peeped over the bushes.
The sight that met our eyes was so irresistibly comic that we could
scarcely restrain our laughter.

On a soft grassy spot, close to the warbling stream, lay our friend
Peterkin, on his breast, resting on his elbows, and the forefinger of
his right hand raised. Before him, not more than six inches from his
nose, sat the most gigantic frog I ever beheld, looking inordinately fat
and intensely stupid. My memory instantly flew back to the scene on the
coral island where Jack and I had caught our friend holding a quiet
conversation with the old cat, and I laughed internally as I thought on
the proverb, "The boy is the father of the man."

"Frog," said Peterkin, in a low, earnest voice, at the same time shaking
his finger slowly and fixing his eyes on the plethoric creature before
him--"frog, you may believe it or not as you please, but I do solemnly
assure you that I never did behold such a great, big, fat monster as you
are in all--my--life! What do you mean by it?"

As the frog made no reply to this question, but merely kept up an
incessant puffing motion in its throat, Peterkin continued--

"Now, frog, answer me this one question--and mind that you don't tell
lies--you may not be aware of it, but you can't plead ignorance, for I
now tell you that it is exceedingly wicked to tell lies, whether you be
a frog or only a boy. Now, tell me, did you ever read `Aesop's
Fables?'"

The frog continued to puff, but otherwise took no notice of its
questioner. I could not help fancying that it was beginning to look
sulky at being thus catechised.

"What, you won't speak! Well, I'll answer for you: you have _not_ read
`Aesop's Fables;' if you had you would not go on blowing yourself up in
that way. I'm only a little man, it's true--more's the pity--but if you
imagine that by blowing and puffing like that you can ever come to blow
up as big as me, you'll find yourself mistaken. You can't do it, so you
needn't try. You'll only give yourself rheumatism. Now, _will_ you
stop? If you won't stop you'll burst--there."

Peterkin paused here, and for some time continued to gaze intently in
the face of his new friend. Presently he began again--

"Frog, what are you thinking of? Do you ever think? I don't believe
you do. Tightened up as you seem to be with wind or fat or conceit, if
you were to attempt to think the effort would crack your skin, so you'd