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.”
“OK,” said Toad. “Let me think of a story to tell you.”
Toad thought and thought. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog.
“I will go out and walk a little,” said Toad. “Maybe that will help me to think of a story.”
Toad walked for a long time. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog. Then Toad went into the house and stood on his head.
“Why are you standing on your head?” asked Frog.
“I think that if I stand on my head, it will help me to think of a story,” said Toad.
Toad stood on his head for a long time. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog. Then Toad poured water over his head.
“Why are you pouring water over your head?” asked Frog.
“I hope that if I pour water over my head, it will help me to think of a story,” said Toad.
Toad poured a lot of water over his head. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog. Then Toad began to bang his head against the wall.