Hoppy Toad was a wee bit of a toad who had only recently seen the light of day.
One day he strayed away from his home—a hole in the ground, at the roots of a tree. In doing so he disobeyed Ma Toad who told him to play close to his home.
He hopped along through the woods, often stopping for a while to eat insects which happened across his path. Coming to the edge of the woods he saw a bull-frog heading his way, though he did not know what it was. He had never seen one before and was quite frightened.
“Guess I’ll turn around and go back home,” he said to himself.
He started hopping back through the woods as fast as he could, but the bull-frog, having seen him, hopped after him.
“Wonder what that young toad is doing around these parts; he is too small to be hopping through these woods,” thought the bull-frog. “Guess I’ll follow him and see what he’s up to.”
Hoppy Toad, not knowing he was followed, hopped along hurriedly. Coming to a neck of the woods where there were paths leading in all directions he became confused.
“I don’t remember coming by these paths,” he mused. “I don’t know which one to take. I wish I had obeyed mamma and played around home.”
Night was fast nearing; in fact the sun was slowly sinking below the tall trees.
The bull-frog, noticing Hoppy Toad hesitate, leaped forward and soon reached the spot where Hoppy Toad was. Hoppy Toad, on seeing him, shook all over with fright.
“Don’t be scared,” said the bull-frog. “I won’t hurt you. What is your name?”
“Hoppy Toad,” was the timid reply.
“Billy Bull-Frog is my name, Hoppy Toad. You seem to be lost. Am I right?”
“Yes! I live close to a pond. My home is a hole in the ground, at the roots of a tree.”
“How did you happen to land way over here?”
“I didn’t obey my mamma; that is how I happened to hop along through the woods. I thought I would be all right.”
“I know where you live, Hoppy Toad. I’ll show you how to get back home.”
“That makes me feel happy, Billy Bull-Frog. I had almost given up hopes of ever getting home again.”
They retraced their hops back through the woods a bit, until an opening was reached.
“There,” said Billy Bull-Frog, “you just scoot along through that opening and follow your nose. It is a short cut to your home. In the future do what your mother asks you to. She knows best.”
“I will, Billy Bull-Frog. Thank you for your kindness in showing me the way back home. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye, Hoppy Toad.”
Hoppy Toad hopped along toward home as fast as he could hop. The hoot of an owl startled him at times, but he kept hopping along, finally reaching his home, tired and seeking forgiveness.
Ma Toad was happy when he hopped into his home as was Pa toad.
“Forgive me, mamma,” said Hoppy Toad.
“I will, Hoppy, but you must obey me in the future. Did you get lost?”
“Yes! If it hadn’t been for Billy Bull-Frog I never would have been back.”
Moral: Obey your parents.
