"kiddie katydid doesn't sing!" freddie firefly told mr. frog hurriedly.

and mr. frog was so surprised that he almost sat right down in the mud.

"what do you mean?" he cried. "you must be crazy! for there isn't a single person in all pleasant valley that hasn't heard kiddie katydid singing his tiresome song on a fine midsummer night."

"that—" replied freddie firefly—"that is just where you're mistaken, mr. frog. and that's where everybody else is mistaken, too. to-night i was lucky enough to learn that kiddie katydid has been fooling us all this time."

"you don't say so!" said mr. frog. "then who is it that sings that everlasting chorus?"

"nobody!"

"nonsense!" mr. frog scoffed. "i can be fooled once, maybe. but i'm not to be fooled twice. and you needn't think for a moment that you can make me believe any such thing."

"i don't care whether you believe it or not," freddie firefly declared. "all i ask you to do is to tell the story to mr. crow."

"he won't believe it, either," the tailor retorted.

"perhaps he will when he hears the rest of the message," freddie answered. "i was just going to explain that kiddie katydid has a trick of rubbing his wing covers together to make that katy did sound."

"for the land's sake!" cried mr. frog, as he leaped into the water, convinced at last of the truth of freddie firefly's claim. "i must hurry home at once, for dawn's already breaking. and mr. crow may come sailing over my place at any moment." he landed with a splash in the creek and started to swim rapidly away. but after a few strokes he paused and turned around. "you might almost say that kiddie katydid is a fiddler, mightn't you?" he called.

"something like that!" freddie firefly agreed a bit doubtfully.

"i'll tell mr. crow that, anyhow," said the tailor. "it will make the story more interesting, at least. and so far as i can see, it can't do any harm."

and then he hastened away, leaving freddie firefly to get home as best he could in the gray of the early morning.

"you may as well put out your light!" mr. frog shouted back, as he disappeared among the reeds. but he didn't wait to see whether freddie took his advice. he was too much excited over the strange news. and as he swam easily along with practiced strokes he kept talking to himself.

"i'm a pretty clever chap, i am!" he chuckled. "i've discovered a great secret this night. and old mr. crow will be glad to hear all about it. perhaps he'll want me to help him with his newspaper after this.

"and for all i know i'll have so much to do that i won't be able to make any more clothes for my customers."

he hadn't swum far before he had entirely forgotten that it was really freddie[44] firefly who had discovered the secret and told it to him.

no doubt if anybody had reminded mr. frog of that fact he would have been very indignant.