Once upon a time there was a frog called Mr. Jeremy Fisher; he lived in a
little damp house amongst the buttercups at the edge of a pond.

The water was all slippy-sloppy in the larder and in the back passage.

But Mr. Jeremy liked getting his feet wet; nobody ever scolded him, and he
never caught a cold!


He was quite pleased when he looked out and saw large drops of rain,
splashing in the pond--

"I will get some worms and go fishing and catch a dish of minnows for my
dinner," said Mr. Jeremy Fisher. "If I catch more than five fish, I will
invite my friends Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise and Sir Isaac Newton. The
Alderman, however, eats salad."

Mr. Jeremy put on a macintosh, and a pair of shiny goloshes; he took his
rod and basket, and set off with enormous hops to the place where he kept
his boat.

The boat was round and green, and very like the other lily-leaves. It was
tied to a water-plant in the middle of the pond.

Mr. Jeremy took a reed pole, and pushed the boat out into open water. "I
know a good place for minnows," said Mr. Jeremy Fisher.