what Longlegs was
watching so intently. It was, as you know, Grandfather Frog sitting on
his big green lily-pad. Old Whitetail gave a great sigh of satisfaction.
Grandfather Frog certainly would be very filling, very filling, indeed.

Now Longlegs the Blue Heron was so intently watching Grandfather Frog
that he saw nothing else, and Grandfather Frog was so busy watching
Longlegs that he quite forgot that there might be other dangers.
Besides, his back was toward old Whitetail. Of course Whitetail saw
this, and it made him almost chuckle aloud. Ever so many times he had
tried to catch Grandfather Frog, but always Grandfather Frog had seen
him long before he could get near him.

Now, with all his keen sight, old Whitetail had failed to see some one
else who was sitting right in plain sight. He had failed because his
mind was so full of Grandfather Frog and Longlegs that he forgot to look
around, as he usually does. Just skimming the tops of the bulrushes he
sailed swiftly out over the Smiling Pool and reached down with his
great, cruel claws to clutch Grandfather Frog, who sat there pretending
to be asleep, but all the time watching Longlegs and deep down inside
chuckling to think how he was fooling Longlegs.

Slap! That was the tail of Jerry Muskrat hitting the water. Grandfather
Frog knew what that meant--danger! He didn't know what the danger was,
and he didn't wait to find out. There would be time enough for that
later. When Jerry Muskrat slapped the water with his tail that way,
danger was very near indeed. With a frightened "Chugarum!" Grandfather
Frog dived head first into the Smiling Pool, and so close was old
Whitetail that the water was splashed right in his face. He clutched
frantically with his great claws, but all he got was a piece of the big
green lily-pad on which Grandfather Frog had been sitting, and of course
this was of no use for an empty stomach.

With a scream of disappointment and anger, he whirled in the air and
made straight for Jerry Muskrat. But Jerry just laughed in the most
provoking way and ducked under water.

VI

LONGLEGS AND WHITETAIL QUARREL

"You did!" "I didn't! I didn't!" "You did!"
Such a terrible fuss when Grandfather hid!

You see Longlegs the Blue Heron had stood very patiently on one foot all
the long morning waiting for Grandfather Frog to go to sleep on his big
green lily-pad. He had felt sure he was to have Grandfather Frog for his
breakfast and lunch, fo