Frog and Toad Together

by Arnold Lobel: An "I Can Read Book"

 

Frog was in his garden. 

Toad came walking by. 

"What a fine garden you have, Frog," he said. 

"Yes," said Frog. "It is very nice, but it was hard work." 

"I wish I had a garden," said Toad. 

 

"Here are some flower seeds. 

Plant them in the ground," said Frog, "and soon you will have a garden." 

"How soon?" asked Toad. 

"Quite soon," said Frog.

 

Toad ran home. 

He planted the Flower seeds.

"Now seeds," said Toad, "start growing."

Toad walked up and down a few times. 

The seeds did not start to grow.

 

Toad put his head close to the ground and said loudly, 

"Now seeds, start growing!" 

Toad looked at the ground again.

The seeds did not start to grow.

 

Frog came running up the path. 

"What is all this noise?" he asked. 

"My seeds will not grow," said Toad. 

"You are shouting too much," said Frog. 

"These poor seeds are afraid to grow." 

 

"My seeds are afraid to grow?" asked Toad.

"Of course," said Frog. 

"Leave them alone for a few days. 

Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. 

Soon your seeds will start to grow."

 

That night Toad looked out of his window. 

"Drat!" said Toad. "My seeds have not started to grow.

They must be afraid of the dark." 

 

Toad went out to his garden with some candles. 

"I will read the seeds a story," said Toad. 

"Then they will not be afraid."

Toad read a long story to his seeds.

 

All the next day Toad sang songs to his seeds.

And all the next day

Toad read poems to his seeds.

And all the next day

Toad played music for his seeds. 

 

Toad looked at the ground. 

The seeds still did not start to grow. 

"What shall I do?" cried Toad. 

"These must be the most frightened seeds; in the whole world!"

 

Then Toad felt very tired, and he fell asleep.

"Toad, Toad, wake up," said Frog. "Look at your garden!" 

Toad looked at his garden. 

Little green plants were springing up out of the ground.

 

"At last," shouted Toad, "my seeds have stopped being afraid to grow!" 

"And now you will have a nice garden too," said Frog. 

 "Yes," said Toad, "but you were right, Frog. It was very hard work"

 

Some folks work very hard to be good, but like garden flowers and other things that come from God, personal righteousness is a gift that God wants to give you. He will bring it to you little by little and in due time if you keep asking him for it. “For as a garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up...” (Isaiah 61:11).

 

David Roper

6.17.20