AFTER the first shock, Father Frog became very angry with Pinkie Whiskers. His legs began to move once more and he made long hops and jumps until he stood beside Pinkie Whiskers. He puffed out his white throat and croaked:

“Chug-e-rum! chug-e-rum! What are you doing with my son and why did you pull him out of the water?”

Pinkie Whiskers looked at Father Frog and when he saw how big he was, felt rather small and timid himself, but he raised up to his full height and said:

“Is this little tadpole your son? I fished for him just for the sport of it and I did intend to take him home with me.”

“Chug-e-rum! chug-e-rum!” roared Father Frog, “drop my son at once.”

The way Father Frog demanded Pinkie Whiskers to drop the tadpole made him very determined not to do so. It was very naughty of Pinkie Whiskers, and afterwards he was most sorry for having been so rude, unkind and stubborn, but then it was too late.

Pinkie Whiskers said to Father Frog, “I will not drop your son. He is my little tadpole now and I am going to take him home and fry him for my breakfast.”

“Chug-e-rum! chug-e-rum!” growled Father Frog. “You shall do nothing of the kind. Don’t you know that frogs and tadpoles have feelings and hearts as well as yourself?”

“Poof! poof!” scoffed Pinkie Whiskers. “I don’t care. I am going to take my tadpole home with me anyway.”

Father Frog did not say a word. He just jumped against Pinkie Whiskers with such force that the rod flew out of his hand and the little tadpole went flop back into his watery home.

Pinkie Whiskers fell flat upon the stone and when he scrambled to his feet, there beside him stood Father Frog. In his hand he held a long green reed, which he had pulled out of the creek.

Pinkie Whiskers thought that Father Frog intended to whip him with the reed and he begged, “Please do not whip me. I will never touch your little tadpoles again.”

“Indeed you will not touch them again, for you will not be here to fish for them.”

With these words, the Frog grabbed Pinkie Whiskers and threw him up onto his back. He then put the reed around him so that he could not possibly get away.

Pinkie Whiskers kicked and kicked. He jerked and jerked, but the reed was so strong that he could not break it. He tried to bite it with his teeth, but he could not reach around far enough.

Father Frog hopped up onto a big rock that was hanging right over the creek. Pinkie Whiskers screamed and kicked some more, but it was of no use.

“Oh, please put me down, Mr. Frog,” begged Pinkie Whiskers.

“Indeed, I will not. You showed my son no mercy and now you cannot expect me to show you any kindness,” replied Father Frog.

“But he is back in the creek with his brothers and sisters now,” said Pinkie Whiskers.

“Yes, he is back home with a fish hook in his mouth and I will have a hard time to get it out. Besides it was not you or your kindness that put him back home. It was because I made you drop him,” growled Father Frog.

“What are you going to do to me?” cried Pinkie Whiskers.

“I am going to dump you into the water,” replied Father Frog.

“Oh, mother! mother! father! father! help me! Come quick and help me!” screamed Pinkie Whiskers.

Mother Gray and all of the others heard him scream and they ran as fast as they could to his aid. Billy Jay could fly faster than the others could run, and he flew as fast as he could, but even he was too late.

Right before their very eyes, Father Frog leaped into the creek with Pinkie Whiskers on his back.

The last they saw of Pinkie Whiskers was his feet kicking the air and his little red coat-tails flying.

Mother Gray threw herself down on the rock and sobbed, “My dear Pinkie Whiskers, I will never see him again.”

Winkle, Twinkle and Billy Jay all cried, too, but Father Gray blew his nose and wiped a tear from his eye as Uncle Whiskers said, “That boy will come back all safe and sound.”