Frog ran to Toad’s house. He knocked on the door. There was no answer.
“Toad, Toad,” cried Frog, “wake up! It is spring!”
“No,” said Toad from inside the house.
“Toad, Toad,” cried Frog. “The sun is shining! The snow is melting. Wake up!”
“I am not here,” said the Toad.
Frog walked into the house. It was dark. All the windows were closed.
“Toad, where are you?” cried Frog.
“Go away,” said Toad from a corner of the room.
Toad was sleeping in bed. He pulled the blanket over his head. Frog pushed Toad out of bed. He pushed him out of the house. Toad looked at the bright sun.
“Help!” said Toad. “I cannot see anything.”
“Don’t be silly,” said Frog. “What you see is the warm sun of April. And we begin a new year together, Toad! We will jump through the meadows and run through the woods and swim in the river. In the evenings we will sit here and look at the stars.”
“You can look at them, Frog,” said Toad. “I am too tired. I am going back to bed.”
Toad went back into the house. He got into the bed and pulled the blanket over his head again.
“But, Toad,” cried Frog, “you will miss all the fun!”
“Listen, Frog,” said Toad. “How long did I sleep?”
“You slept since November,” said Frog.
“Well,” said Toad, “then I need a little more sleep. Come back and wake me up in May. Good night, Frog.”
“But, Toad,” said Frog, “I will be lonely until May.”
Toad did not answer. He was already asleep.
Frog looked at Toad’s calendar. There was still the November page. Frog tore off the November page. He tore off the December page. And the January page, the February page, and the March page. Then there was the April page. Frog tore off the April page, too.
Then Frog ran back to Toad’s bed.
“Toad, Toad, wake up. It is May now!”
“What?” said Toad. “How can it be May so soon?”
“Yes,” said Frog. “Look at your calendar!”
Toad looked at the calendar. There was the May page.
“Oh, it really is May!” said Toad and got out of bed.
Then he and Frog ran outside to see how the world looked in the spring.
One day in summer Frog was ill.
Toad said, “Frog, you look green.”
“But I always look green,” said Frog. “I am a frog.”
“Today you look very green even for a frog,” said Toad. “Get into bed and rest.”
Toad made Frog a cup of hot tea. Frog drank the tea, and then he said, “Tell me a story while I am in bed.”
