"Why, I couldn't do that!" he exclaimed right out loud.

"Do what?" demanded Jerry Muskrat, who happened along just then.

"Why, grow a new tail like that pollywog," replied Peter, and told Jerry
all that he had seen. Jerry laughed.

"You'll see queerer things than that if you watch those pollywogs long
enough," said he. "They are a queer lot of babies, and very interesting to
watch if you've got the time for it. I haven't. This Smiling Pool is a
great kindergarten, and there's something happening here every minute.
There's no place like it."

"Are those great big fat pollywogs Grandfather Frog's children, or Old Mr.
Toad's?" asked Peter.

"Grandfather Frog's last year's children," replied Jerry. "They'll grow
into real Frogs this summer, if nothing happens to them."

"Where are Old Mr. Toad's last year's children?" asked Peter.

"Don't ask me," replied Jerry. "They hopped away last summer. Never saw
anything like the way those Toad youngsters grow. Those Toad pollywogs you
see now will turn into real Toads, and be leaving the Smiling Pool in a few
weeks. People think Old Mr. Toad is slow, but there is nothing slow about
his children. Look at that little fellow over there; he's begun to grow
legs already."

Peter looked, and sure enough there was a pollywog with a pair of legs
sprouting out. They were his fore legs, and they certainly did make him