Frog and Toad / Квак и Жаб. 3-4 классы - Лобел Арнольд. Страница 5

Frog ran through the woods so that Toad would not see him.

Toad ran through the grass so that Frog would not see him.

Frog came to Toad’s house. He looked in the window.

“Good,” said Frog. “Toad is not here. He will never know who raked his leaves.”

Toad came to Frog’s house. He looked in the window.

“Good,” said Toad. “Frog is not here. He will never know who raked his leaves.”

Frog worked hard. He raked the leaves into a pile. Soon Toad’s lawn was clean. Frog took his rake and went home.

Toad worked hard, too. He raked the leaves into a pile. Soon there were no leaves on Frog’s lawn. Toad took his rake and went home.

A wind came and blew leaves piles across the lawns. The leaves on Frog’s and Toad’s lawns now were everywhere again.

When Frog got home, he said, “How surprised must be Toad now! Tomorrow I will rake the leaves on my lawn.”

When Toad got home, he said, “How surprised must be Frog now! Tomorrow I will rake the leaves on my lawn.”

That night Frog and Toad were both very happy when they turned off the light and went to bed in their little houses.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve Toad cooked a big dinner. He decorated the Christmas tree. Toad looked at his clock. The clock was broken.

“Frog is late,” said Toad.

Toad opened the door. He looked into the night. Frog was not there.

“I am worried,” said Toad. “What if something terrible happened? What if Frog fell into a deep hole and cannot get out? I will never see him again!”

Toad opened the door again. Frog was not there.

“What if Frog is lost in the woods?” said Toad. “What if he is cold and hungry? What if a big animal with big teeth ate Frog? My friend and I will never have another Christmas together!”

Toad found a rope.

“I will pull Frog out of the hole,” said Toad.

Toad found a lantern.

“Frog will see the light. I will show him the way out of the woods,” said Toad.

Toad found a bat.

“I will hit that big animal with the bat. All his big teeth will fall out. Frog, do not worry,” cried Toad. “I am coming to help you!”

Toad ran out of the house. There was Frog.

“Hello, Toad,” he said. “I am very sorry that I am late. I was looking for a present for you.”

“You did not fall in a deep hole?” asked Toad.

“No,” said Frog.

“You were not lost in the woods?” asked Toad.

“No,” said Frog.

“A big animal with big teeth did not eat you?” asked Toad.

“No,” said Frog. “I am so glad to spend Christmas with you!”

Toad opened his present from Frog. It was a beautiful new clock. The two friends sat by the fire. The clock now showed the hours of a merry Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow

Toad woke up.

“Oh!” he said. “This house is a mess. I have so much work to do.”

Frog looked through the window.

“Toad, you are right,” said Frog. “It is a mess.”

Toad pulled the blanket over his head.

“I will do it tomorrow,” said Toad. “Today I will just relax.”

Frog came into the house.

“Toad,” said Frog, “your pants and jacket are on the floor.”

“Tomorrow,” said Toad from under the blanket.

“Your kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes,” said Frog.

“Tomorrow,” said Toad.

“There is dust on your chairs.”

“Tomorrow,” said Toad.

“Your windows need cleaning,” said Frog. “Your plants need water.”

“Tomorrow!” cried Toad. “I will do it all tomorrow!”

Toad sat in his bed.

“Oh,” said Toad. “I feel so sad.”

“Why?” asked Frog.

“I am thinking about tomorrow,” said Toad. “I am thinking about all the things that I will have to do tomorrow.”

“Yes,” said Frog, “tomorrow will be a very hard day for you.”

“But Frog,” said Toad, “if I pick up my pants and jacket right now, then I will not have to pick them up tomorrow, will I?”

“No,” said Frog. “You will not have to.”

Toad picked up his clothes. He put them in the closet.

“Frog,” said Toad, “if I wash my dishes right now, then I will not have to wash them tomorrow, will I?”

“No,” said Frog. “You will not have to.”

Toad washed his dishes. He put them in the cupboard.

“Frog,” said Toad, “if I dust my chairs and clean my windows and water my plants right now, then I will not have to do it tomorrow, will I?”

“No,” said Frog. “You will not have to do any of it.”

Toad dusted his chairs. He cleaned his windows. He watered his plants.

“OK,” said Toad. “Now I feel good. I am not sad anymore.”

“Why?” asked Frog.

“Because I have done all that work,” said Toad. “Now I can save tomorrow for something that I really want to do.”

“What is that?” asked Frog.

“Tomorrow,” said Toad, “I can just relax.”

And Toad went back to bed. He pulled the blanket over his head and fell asleep.

The Kite

Frog and Toad went to fly a kite.

They went to a big meadow where the wind was strong.

“Our kite will fly up and up,” said Frog. “It will fly to the top of the sky.”

“Toad,” said Frog, “I will hold the string. You will hold the kite and run.”

Toad ran across the meadow. He ran very fast on his short legs.

The kite went up in the air and then fell down on the ground.

Toad heard laughter. Three robins were sitting in a bush.

“That kite will not fly,” said the robins. “You should give up.”

Toad ran back to Frog.

“Frog,” said Toad, “this kite will not fly. I give up.”

“We must make a second try,” said Frog. “Wave the kite over your head. Maybe then it will fly.”

Toad ran across the meadow again. He waved the kite over his head.

The kite went up in the air and then fell down on the ground.

“What a joke!” said the robins. “That kite will never fly.”

Toad ran back to Frog.

“This kite is a joke,” he said. “It will never fly.”

“We must make a third try,” said Frog. “Wave the kite over your head and jump up and down. Maybe then it will fly.”

Toad ran across the meadow again. He waved the kite over his head. He jumped up and down.

The kite went up in the air and then fell down on the ground.

“That kite is junk,” said the robins. “It will never fly. Go home.”

Toad ran back to Frog.

“This kite is junk,” he said. “I think we should go home.”

“Toad,” said Frog, “we need one more try. Wave the kite over your head. Jump up and down and shout ‘UP, KITE, UP!’”

Toad ran across the meadow. He waved the kite over his head. He jumped up and down. He shouted, “UP, KITE, UP!”

The kite flew into the air. It went up and up.

“We did it!” cried Toad.