IV
AN ODD BARGAIN


While Mr. Frog was swallowing nothing rapidly, he was thinking rapidly,
too. There was something about Solomon Owl’s big, staring eyes that made
Mr. Frog feel uncomfortable. And if he had thought he had any chance of
escaping he would have dived into the brook and swum under the bank.

But Solomon Owl was too near him for that. And Mr. Frog was afraid his
caller would pounce upon him any moment. So he quickly thought of a plan
to save himself. “No doubt——” he began. But Solomon Owl interrupted him.

“There!” cried Solomon. “You _can_ speak, after all. I supposed you’d
swallowed your tongue. And I was just waiting to see what you’d do next. I
thought maybe you would swallow your _head_.”

Mr. Frog managed to laugh at the joke, though, to tell the truth, he felt
more nervous than ever. He saw what was in Solomon Owl’s mind, for Solomon
was thinking of swallowing Mr. Frog’s head himself.

“No doubt—” Mr. Frog resumed—“no doubt you’ve come to ask me to make you a
new suit of clothes.”

Now, Solomon Owl had had no such idea at all. But when it was mentioned to
him, he rather liked it.

“Will you?” he inquired, with a highly interested air.