TOAD WILL NOW DANCE, AND HE WILL BE WONDERFUL.

“It’s an avalanche!” cried Toad. Frog and Toad jumped away. Frog was trembling. “I am not afraid!” he shouted.

Toad took a deep bow. Frog looked smaller as he shouted, “Hooray for Toad!” “TOAD WILL NOW PLAY THE PIANO VERY WELL,” said the strange voice. Toad played the piano, and he did not miss a note.

A wind came. It blew across the land. The pile of leaves that Frog had raked for Toad blew everywhere. The pile of leaves that Toad had raked for Frog blew everywhere.

“Was it there?” asked Toad. “No,” said Frog.

“I saw the sun coming out,” said Frog. “I saw the birds sitting and singing in the tree. I saw my mother and father working in their garden. I saw flowers in the garden.”

“We are not afraid!” screamed Frog and Toad at the same time.

Toad looked around. He saw that Frog was not there. “I AM ALL ALONE!” screamed Toad.

Toad looked at the ground. The seeds still did not want to grow. “What shall I do?” cried Toad. “These must be the most frightened seeds in the whole world!” Then Toad felt very tired and he fell asleep.

They climbed higher, and they heard a loud noise. Many large stones were rolling down the mountain.

“I will go to Toad’s house,” said Frog. “I will rake all of the leaves that have fallen on his lawn. Toad will be surprised.” Frog took a rake out of the garden shed.

Frog took the box outside. He shouted in a loud voice, “HEY, BIRDS! HERE ARE COOKIES!” Birds came from everywhere. They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and flew away.

Toad opened his present from Frog. It was a beautiful new clock.

On Toad’s birthday Frog gave him a hat. Toad was delighted. “Happy birthday,” said Frog. Toad put on the hat. It fell down over his eyes.

“Why are you banging your head against the wall?” asked Frog. “I hope that if I bang my head against the wall, it will help me to think of a story,” said Toad.

The next day Toad gave his jacket to Frog. Frog thought that it was beautiful. He put it on and jumped for joy. None of the buttons fell off. Toad had sewed them on very well.

“Shut up!” screamed Toad.

Frog came into Toad’s house. He came in quietly.

Frog came running down the hill. He pulled Toad out of the snow. “I saw everything,” said Frog, “You did very well by yourself.”

Then Toad began to bang his head against the wall

Frog ate one of the cookies, “These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” said Frog.

“Here is your button!” cried Frog.

Frog and Toad were caught in the rain. They ran to Frog’s house.

A wind came. It blew across the land.

“Shut up!” screamed Toad. “Frog, Frog, where have you gone?”

Toad took all of the buttons out of his pocket. He took his sewing box down from the shelf. Toad sewed the buttons all over his jacket.

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

They climbed higher, and they heard a loud noise. Many large stones were rolling down the mountain.

Toad ran out of his house. There was Frog.

A crow flew nearby. “Hello, Crow,” shouted Toad.

“Our lunch is spoiled,” said Toad. “I made it for you, Frog, so that you would be happy.” “But Toad,” said Frog, “I AM happy. I am very happy. This morning when I woke up, I felt good because the sun was shining. I felt good because I was a frog. And I felt good because I have you for a friend.”

Toad put his head very close to the ground and shouted, “NOW SEEDS, START GROWING!”

There was a bump. Frog fell off the sled. Toad rushed past trees and rocks. “Frog, I am glad that you are here,” said Toad. Toad leaped over a snowbank. “I could not steer the sled without you, Frog,” he said. “You are right. Winter is fun!”

Frog pulled Toad up onto the island. Toad looked in the basket. The sandwiches were wet. The pitcher of iced tea was empty.

The night was cold and dark. “Listen to the wind howling in the trees,” said Frog. “What a fine time for a ghost story.” Toad moved deeper into his chair.

Toad heard laughter. Three robins were sitting in a bush. “That kite will not fly,” said the robins. “You may as well give up.”

Frog came into the house. “I have brought you some things to wear,” he said. Frog pushed a coat down over the top of Toad. Frog pulled snowpants up over the bottom of Toad. He put a hat and scarf on Toad’s head.

“Toad, Toad, wake up,” said Frog. “Look at your garden!” Toad looked at his garden. Little green plants were coming up out of the ground.

“Don’t be silly,” said Frog.

“No,” said Frog. “There was only some wet mud and a lizard who was chasing his tail.”

Toad looked out of his window. “These messy leaves have covered everything,” said Toad. He took a rake out of the closet. “I will run over to Frog’s house. I will rake all of his leaves. Frog will be very pleased.”

“I hope that if I bang my head against the wall, it will help me to think of a story,” said Toad.

The kite flew into the air. It climbed higher and higher. “We did it!” cried Toad. “Yes,” said Frog.

“Help!” cried Toad. “My list is blowing away. What will I do without my list?”

“What is will power?” asked Toad. “Will power is trying hard NOT to do something that you really want to do,” said Frog.

Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

Frog and Toad went outside. They tramped through the snow. “We will ride down this big hill on my sled,” said Frog. “Not me,” said Toad. “Do not be afraid,” said Frog. “I will be with you on the sled.”

“It’s an avalanche!” cried Toad. Frog and Toad jumped away. Frog was trembling. “I am not afraid!” he shouted.

Toad wrote on a piece of paper: A LIST OF THINGS TO DO TODAY. Then he wrote: WAKE UP

Frog came to Toad’s house. He looked in the window. “Good,” said Frog. “Toad is out. He will never know who raked his leaves.”