THE FROGS’ CONCERT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 992, 7 June 1930, Page 33

THE FROGS’ CONCERT

Noiselessly Peter and June crept through the window and dropped on to the lawn below. Silently they crossed the lawn toward a shrub in the middle. Beneath the silver of the moonbeam-tinted leaves, in the black, velvety shadow of the shrub. they crouched, listening intently. Peter was wearing only his pyjamas, with a fringed piece of brown paper filing over his shoulders, and a pair of thin, brown-paper moccasins. June wore more, indeed possessing the air of a real Indian princess, but the thin brown paper of which her clothes v. ere made was a poor means of keeping out the cold.

The excitement of the Indian night game allowed no scope for the children’s thoughts to dwell on the chilliness of their surroundings. Suddenly a melodious chorus of deep rich notes filled the air. June’s heart beat quickly as she listened enraptured.

‘‘lt’s coming from the pond near the bottom of the paddock,” she said. “Let’s investigate.” Fxcitedly the two crossed the cold, wet paddock, and were soon crouching among the tall rushes at the edge of the pond. There, peeping through the rushes as though they were green corded-silk curtains, the children saw sights and heard sounds that would have been the envy of many real Indian boys and girls. Seated on a muddy island in the middle of the pond a large, beauti-fully-marked frog was holding a highly-polished stick. while round him, attentively watching with cold, staring, froggy eyes, were scores «.f smaller frogs. The moon silvered the inkiness of the water round the island and lighted up the clear markings of green and yellow in the frogs* beautiful suits, so that even though they were uncomfortably huddled on a squelchv stretch of black mud. the fascinated children could think of nothing but the scene before them.

When the frog in charge raised his stick and proceeded to beat time, that deep melodious chorus filled the air with rich sound once more. For many hours the children listened enraptured, not daring to move, lest the frogs should suspect their presence and dive into the water.

“It must be a frogs’ concert.” whispered June. “Isn’t it sweet?”

Peter did not answer. He was busily engaged in moving his foot from an icy pool. Cautiously he moved, and had almost got the foot lodged in a more comfortable place when, suddenly, he lost his balance, grabbed frantically at the rushes and. with a cry, wallowed on his back in the black, oozy mud. The frogs’ melody suddenly ceased. There were hurried splashings. ripples breaking the silvery surface of the pond—then silence. A little later the moon looked down cn two children silently crossing a besilvered paddock. their ex< v Hushed faces wreathed in happy smiles in spite of the woe-begone appearance of their muddy clothes. In the pond inquisitive frog heads appeared, and goggly. gleaming, froggy eyes stared coldly this way and that way as if asking. “What was it all about?” —Dulc-ie Kidgen. aged 13.