Timothy Toad
Timothy Toad
One morning when Janet was riding down the lane on her bicycle she saw something crawling in the road. She got off her bicycle and went to see what it was – and she saw that it was a big toad, whose hind foot had been squashed by a passing car Janet looked at the hurt toad and the toad looked back. He had the loveliest coppery eyes, like jewels, and as Janet looked at him he put up his front hand and rubbed his nose.
‘You seem quite tame!’ said Janet, who wasn’t altogether sure that she liked toads. She looked at him again, and really, it did seem as if he were just about to speak to her. But he didn’t, of course. He gave a deep croak and tried to crawl away again, dragging his leg behind him.
‘You’ll get turn over by a car,’ said Janet, ‘You shouldn’t walk in the road. Your poor leg is already squashed by something.’
The little girl didn’t girl didn’t like to leave the toad there. She felt sure he would be run over. So she took her handkerchief out of her pocket, wrapped the toad up in it and carefully put it on the side of the road.
The toad stretched out its leg as if so show her that it was hurt. Janet, who was a very kind- hearted child, wondered if she ought to do something for its leg. So she picked it up in her handkerchief and carried it home. Her daddy was working in the garden and called out to find out what she had.
‘A hurt toad!’ said Janet.
‘Let’s see,’ said Daddy. So the little girl showed him.
‘Dear, dear!’ said Daddy. ‘He has hurt his foot, hasn’t he!’ Let’s put some ointment on it. That will help it to get better.’
So they doctored the toad’s foot. He was very good. He sat on Daddy’s hand, looking up with his fine, copper eyes, and then, when they had finished with him he crawled away into the flower bed.
‘Will he eat the flowers, Daddy?’ asked Janet. ‘The tortoise ate our violas, you know.’
‘No, he won’t touch the planets,’ said Daddy. ‘He likes an insect dinner!’
Janet looked for the toad the next day, but she couldn’t find him. He seemed to be gone. She wondered if his foot was better, and was glad that she had brought him home so that Daddy could see to him.
Daddy was always gardening. He grew such a lot of flowers and vegetables. The broad beans were full of fine pods. The early peas were flowering. The goose berries were ripe enough to pick. Daddy was very pleased with his garden - except for just one thing.
And that was his lettuces! He had planted out a long row of small plants – and then two days later nearly all of them had gone! Daddy was upset.
‘The slugs have had them,’ he told Janet. ‘They really are a pest this year. You might help me this evening, Janet. We’ll hunt for them and catch as many as we can. Then I’ll plant out another row of lettuces.’
So Janet and Daddy hunted for slugs, and they found a great many. As we can. Then I’ll plant out another row of lettuces – nice little plants with two or three leaves each.
‘In a few weeks’ time they will be fine big lettuces,’ said Daddy. ‘Then we can take them in for tea. They will be lovely with new bread – and butter!’
For a few days the lettuces grew well – and then came a wet day and night. In the night the slugs crept out again from the hiding places under the stone edgings and beneath the pebbles on the bed – and how they feasted on those lettuces!
Really, when Daddy and Janet came to look at them the next day they could hardly believe their eyes! Only about nine miserable little half-eaten plants remained. It was too bad.
‘Well, I shall only try once again,’ said If the slugs get at those I shall have to give up.’
So once more he and Janet planted them out in near rows. They sprinkled soot round them to keep off the slugs, but when the rain came it washed the soot all away!
‘I don’t expect these will escape the slugs,’ said Daddy.
But, you know, they did! Day after day Daddy and Janet went to look at the lettuces, expecting to see them eaten up. But not a single lettuce died. All of them shot up strong and green and began to make fine plants.
‘It’s strange,’ said Daddy, in surprise, looking in vain for slugs. ‘I wonder where all those slugs have gone to.’
‘Oh, Daddy, look!’ cried Janet, suddenly. She pointed to a pig lettuce – and what do you think was behind it? A great fat toad! As Daddy and Janet looked at him he shot out his tongue and caught a big blue-bottle fly that was sitting on a nearby leaf.
‘Why, Janet, there’s the fellow who’s got rid of all those slugs for us!’ said Daddy. ‘A toad is a good friend in the garden – he eats all kinds of insects, and loves a meal of slugs. He has certainly saved our lettuces for us.’
Janet bent down to look at him. He stared up at her, his bright eyes gleaming.
‘Do you know, Daddy,’ said Janet, excited. ‘It’s the toad whose foot was hurt! Look, it’s better now, but you can see where it was hurt. Oh, Daddy! Just think! We were friends to him and now he’s a friend to us! He’s saved our lettuces. Do you suppose he knew?’
‘I can’t tell,’ said Daddy, ‘but I shouldn’t be surprised. You never know what a minute’s kindness will bring you in return! Good old toad, we’ll can you Timothy and you shall live in our garden all your life!’
He’s still there, because I’ve seen him!
