The Story Shell: A Tale of Friendship Bog Read Online Free

them a diving lesson.”
    “But Ma! It’s starting to rain.”
    “It won’t hurt you a bit. Go on.”
    Leeper was still hanging onto the stick, but he looked as if he might fall off.
    No more sounds came from Mrs. Beaver. Was she still watching the beaver kits?
    Finally, her heavy footsteps went past. They stopped.
    “Look how he left that lid,” she said, and she pushed it back into place.
    Pibbin stayed on his branch and waited.
    When he was sure she had gone, he climbed back up to the lid. He pushed and pushed until he had made a space that Leeper would fit through.
    “Wait a second,” he whispered to Leeper. “I’ll go up above and give you a hand.”
    Good thing it was dark in the lodge, or Mrs. Beaver would see him poke his head out.
    He reached down for Leeper.
    His friend was panting, and he moved like a very old frog, but finally he crept out onto the lid.
    “That’s it!” Pibbin said. “Now, can you jump down?”
    “Give me a minute,” Leeper said, and he closed his eyes.
    But this was no time for a nap.
    “We’re going,” Pibbin said. “Soon as we’re down, it’s just a couple of hops to the water. Let the river carry you away from the lodge.”

 

     

Chapter 7
Crazy Black Dog
     
    Rain was still falling. It felt like a soft, cool hand on Pibbin’s face as they floated down the river. Free at last!
    Well, maybe.
    Anybody could see them, swimming along on top of the water.
    They had to find a place to hide.
    He glanced ahead. How about under those branches hanging down from the bank?
     

     
    Leeper hadn’t said anything for a long time, but he crawled slowly out of the water.
    Pibbin let him rest for a few minutes, and then he said, “Come on. Let’s go a little more.”
    Leeper nodded, and he pulled himself through the grass. One of his back legs was dragging.
    They came to a marshy spot with small pools of water and plenty of thick grass. Nearby was a clump of blueberry bushes, and Pibbin hopped toward them.
    Leeper limped behind him, moving more and more slowly. He stopped at the first bush and sank to the ground under its low branches.
    Pibbin gave him a dried-beetle bar, and after he’d eaten it, Leeper looked more alive.
    “Thank you,” he said. “The dog was bad, but that kid almost killed me. He kept calling me his little friend.”
    “Yes. He likes frogs way too much.”
    Pibbin snapped up a mosquito and stretched out beside Leeper. “Tell me about the dog.”
    “Well, from Wild Bog, I came back up the Toop—the long way. I was worn out, for sure.”
    Pibbin nodded. “What a trip!”
    “So, I’m taking a nice little nap,” Leeper said. “And this black dog comes poking along the river. I slide down into the grass to keep out of his way, and he steps on me!”
    “Ouch!” Pibbin said.
    “Next thing I know, he’s sniffing and pawing at me. Then he grabs me in his mouth and tosses me up and down. Crazy. Finally I make a good jump and dive into the water. He follows me!”
    “Water dogs are the worst,” Pibbin said.
    Leeper sat up and looked out at the marsh, as if he thought the dog might still be there, waiting for him.
    Nothing moved, except the grass swaying in the wind. The rain made quiet dripping sounds all around them.
    “So.” Leeper seemed to relax. “So, my leg feels like it’s broken or something. I know I can’t swim faster than the dog. I see this old beaver lodge, and I duck into it. What does that dog do? He climbs on top and starts digging.”
    Leeper shook his head. “I can hardly move, so I just wait. After a while, he gives up and goes away. I fall asleep.”
    He rubbed the side of his leg. “Next thing I know, big ol’ Mama Beaver is crawling into the lodge. She’s saying how she’s going to clean it all up.”
    Leeper sighed. “Beaver kid sees me. I don’t like the look of him so I try to jump, and I can’t. He grabs me in that huge paw of his. ‘Hey!’ he says. ‘Here’s a frog. His spots are way cool.’ ”
    Leeper