nce upon a time there was a cricket---a very curious little creature---who lived on the edge of Cattail Pond. Every day he would climb up the stem of a tall cattail and look out across the water toward a little island in the middle, wondering what might be over there. Finally one morning he could stand his wondering no more and set about building a little wooden boat.

As he was busy with his work, a grasshopper hoppened along. "What are you doing?" asked Grasshopper.

"There is an island in the middle of the pond," replied Cricket. "I have seen it from up on the cattail. I am certain it is a very wonderful place, being so difficult to get to. So I am making this little wooden boat."

"Ah!" said Grasshopper. "A noble enterprise!" He could see that most of the work was already done, and he rather liked the idea of traveling to a wonderful place. "May I come with you?"

Cricket thought for a moment. "Of course! I will navigate, and you can row!"

Now it was Grasshopper's turn to think. It was his nature to be lazy and carefree, just as it was the cricket's to be curious. "I am not sure I would be so good at rowing. But the little boat seems big enough for three... Why don't I go find someone else to row? Then you and I can talk about how wonderful the island will be as we make the journey."

"Fair enough!" said Cricket. "It will be a long trip, and it would be good to pass the time talking of the island. I shall be Captain, and you First Mate! But hurry! Our little wooden boat is almost finished, and I can think of nothing but our departure!"

So the grasshopper hopped off. An hour later the sun was high and all was ready. Cricket was very impatient. He was already sitting in the little wooden boat, and could think of nothing but the wonderful island. Just then the grasshopper returned.

"Hurry up!" said Cricket excitedly. "Have you found someone to row for us?"

"Oh yes!" replied Grasshopper. "This is Termite."

And off they went, without another thought . . .

he long night passed slowly on Cattail Pond, but morning came at last, as it always does. Cricket, Grasshopper, and Termite were sitting together on the island in the middle of the pond. The little wooden boat was nowhere to be seen.

"This is all YOUR fault!" said Cricket to Grasshopper. "I never should have let you come with me!"

"My fault?" exclaimed Grasshopper, mustering all the dignity that he could muster. "It wasn't ME, who ate our little wooden boat!"

They both glanced at Termite, who looked quite miserable.

"Well, it certainly wasn't MY fault!" Termite said after a moment. "You both made me row all the way, and rowing is very hungry work! In fact, I am STILL terribly hungry! And a creature who is hungry just can't help himself, you know..."

And so they argued and argued, round and round, and the morning wore slowly on. The little island, it was turning out, was not quite so wonderful a place as Cricket had imagined. "We shall NEVER get off this little island," he said. "There is no wood here to make another little boat."

At that, Termite looked even more dejected. "We shall all starve," he said woefully.

Now all the time they were talking, two big eyes had been watching them from hiding. At that moment the creature they belonged to climbed up out of the shallows, and sat upon a lily pad. It was Frog.

"Hello!" croaked Frog.

Cricket, Grasshopper, and Termite looked around. "Uh, Hello to you!" said Cricket.

"What seems to be the trouble?" asked Frog. "It is SUCH a lovely day! I would think you would all be more cheerful."

"We are stranded on this little island," explained Cricket."

"Why don't you just swim away?" asked Frog.

Grasshopper managed a weak smile. "Well," he said, "we are none of us such good swimmers."

Frog seemed to think for a moment. "I have an idea! Why don't you climb up on my back, and I'll carry you across the water? I was just thinking of swimming over to the edge of the pond anyway, so it would really be no trouble at all."

Cricket, Grasshopper, and Termite looked at one another. But at that precise moment Frog yawned sleepily, and they saw that his mouth was VERY LARGE indeed.

"Quick!" said Cricket. "Let us run up that cattail stem!" And so they did, with Termite bringing up the rear. They looked back down and saw that Frog had hopped off the green lily pad, and was looking up at them from far below.

"I think I shall take a little nap here," said Frog. "It is SUCH a pleasant sunny spot. Wake me when you come down, and I will take you across the water." With that, Frog fell asleep.

"NOW you've done it," said Grasshopper to Cricket.

And so the morning passed on Cattail Pond, and the afternoon too wore on, with Cricket, Grasshopper, and Termite hanging onto the gently swaying cattail, and with Frog sleeping contentedly below.

"I am SO terribly hungry," said Termite sadly. He was looking at the cattail stem.

"Don't you even THINK about it!" said Cricket . . .

ime on Cattail Pond always passes slowly, little ones. Even more so when you are just a tiny creature in a VERY BIG predicament. The sun had gotten a good bit lower by now, and Cricket, Grasshopper, and Termite still hung onto the cattail stem for dear life, not knowing what to do. They had all grown tired of arguing a long time before.

"Perhaps Frog will get so hungry he will go away," Grasshopper said after a long quiet space. "Perhaps we only have to wait a little while more."

"I don't think so," Cricket replied sadly. "I think the hungrier Frog gets, the more he will want to stay."

"I am so weak from hunger I don't know how much longer I can hang onto the cattail," said Termite. "I suppose this IS all my fault, anyway..."

"Oh, Termite!" exclaimed Cricket and Grasshopper together. All thoughts of blame had come to be of very little importance by now. "You simply MUST hang on!"

"I will try," said Termite.

Now, as it sometimes happens, when things seem just as dark as they can possibly be, hope will suddenly appear from an altogether unexpected quarter. So it was that Dragonfly came humming across the water of Cattail Pond, shining brightly in the sunlight like a jewel. He hovered for a moment over Frog, who opened first one sleepy eye, and then the other. Frog's darting tongue was quick indeed, but not so swift as Dragonfly. Quick as a wink, Dragonfly was hovering up near the top of the cattail, and Frog was regarding him sullenly from far below.

"Hello!" said Dragonfly to Cricket. He turned his head as he hovered, so that his big eyes could better see Grasshopper and Termite. "Hello! Hello!"

"Oh, please!" said Cricket. "We are in terrible trouble!"

"I can SEE that," said Dragonfly. He glanced happily down at Frog, who was shifting his weight from foot to foot in fury. "Would you like for me to carry you back across the water?"

"Oh yes, please!" said the three.

It was quickly agreed that Termite should go first, since he was weak from hunger, and since he had been looking again at the cattail stem. Termite climbed on Dragonfly's back and they were off in a flash.

"Where shall I put you down?" asked Dragonfly as they flew. "I saw a big wet log near the water's edge, but it already seems crowded with termites."

"Oh, that would be fine!" said Termite. "After all, I am a very social insect!"

Next Dragonfly fetched Grasshopper, and away they flew. He put Grasshopper down not far from Termite's new home, and left Grasshopper hopping for joy.

At last Dragonfly hovered by the tall cattail as Cricket climbed upon his back.

"Good bye, Frog!" said Cricket happily. But Frog said not a word. He turned away and jumped into the pond with a great KERPLUNK!

"Hang on tight!" said Dragonfly, and off they went in a flash.

The sun was getting low over Cattail Pond and shining brightly on the water. Up and up Dragonfly flew, spiraling higher and higher into the air for the sheer joy of flying. For a moment they hovered, and Cricket was astonished. He had NEVER been so high above the world before, and had NEVER seen so many wonderful things all at one time. At last they dropped downward, as swiftly as a falling raindrop, and Cricket suddenly found himself safe and sound on the bank of Cattail Pond.

"Thank you, kind Dragonfly!" said Cricket. "I shall never forget you for this!"

Dragonfly seemed to smile, and hummed brightly over the water for an instant. Then he was gone.

And here ends our tale, as the sun drops low, and night settles peacefully over the little world of Cattail Pond . . .