All this time Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter had not been so far away
as Longlegs supposed. They had been hiding where they could watch him,
and the instant he spread his wings, they started back up the Laughing
Brook towards the Smiling Pool to see what would happen there. You see
they knew perfectly well that Longlegs was flying up to the Smiling Pool
in the hope that he could catch Grandfather Frog for his breakfast. They
didn't really mean that any harm should come to Grandfather Frog, but
they meant that he should have a great fright. You see, they were like a
great many other people, so heedless and thoughtless that they thought
it fun to frighten others.

"Of course we'll waken Grandfather Frog in time for him to get away with
nothing more than a great scare," said Little Joe Otter, as they hurried
along. "It will be such fun to see his big goggly eyes pop out when he
opens them and sees Longlegs just ready to gobble him up! And won't
Longlegs be hopping mad when we cheat him out of the breakfast he is so
sure he is going to have!"

They reached the Smiling Pool before Longlegs, who had taken a
roundabout way, and they hid among the bulrushes where they could see
and not be seen.

"There's the old fellow just as I left him, fast asleep," whispered
Billy Mink.

Sure enough, there on his big green lily-pad sat Grandfather Frog with
his eyes shut. At least, they seemed to be shut. And over on top of his
big house sat Jerry Muskrat. Jerry seemed to be too busy opening a
fresh-water clam to notice anything else; but the truth is he was