should follow Burly Boary’s tracks along the well-trodden path. You will pass the leaning tree, where Robin the Elder has built his nest at the very tippy top. Then you will see a thicket of burdock, where Loppy the Bunny has dug his den. After that, you will come out into a large field that has been completely turned over by Sir Mole. Lots of sweet potatoes and wild strawberries grow there.”
Snoutie and Michelle thanked Turtle and happily ran on down the stream. They soon heard the splashing of water and a loud croaking coming from somewhere behind a growth of ferns.
They had already reached the stream and were preparing to walk into the water when they suddenly heard someone quite nearby croak out in a singsong voice:
“Don’t cross the stream there! Do-o-o-on’t! Cro-o-o-a-a-a-k-k-k! It’s deep there.”
Snoutie and Michelle looked over to the place where they had heard this croaked warning coming from and saw an enormous frog rocking back and forth on a yellow water lily. His cheeks were puffed out and he looked very important and serious. When he saw our travelers, he jumped up high in air and plopped down into the water, but then he neatly emerged from the stream and made his way up to where they were standing on the shore.
“Thank you very much,” said Snoutie. “You know, I am slightly acquainted with your relatives, the green frogs.”
“Some relatives!” snorted their new acquaintance self-importantly. “I am much bigger and stronger than any other frog. I am Croaky the Feel Good Froggy! And, if you have noticed, I am not just green like they are; I am green with brown spots. And what’s more, no one else croaks as loudly as I do. Cro-o-o-a-a-a-k-k-k!” Croaky the Feel Good Froggy showed off his skill with pride, causing Michelle to hide behind Snoutie’s back.
“Might you tell me where you are going? I would be happy to assist you! Cro-o-o-a-a-a-k-k-k!” proposed Croaky helpfully.
Snoutie and Michelle explained how they came to find themselves in the Big Forest and how they were searching for a magical white flower.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this flower,” said Croaky, thinking hard.
He showed them the best place to cross the stream, how to get back to the edge of the woods, and where the sweetest wild strawberries grew.
“Have a safe trip,” he croaked after the friends.
After crossing the stream without any problems any problems, they headed straight for the field that Turtle had told them about. Snoutie caught sight of the green sprouts he knew so well and, squealing and wagging his tail in anticipation of the enjoyment he would get from filling up his tummy, he started digging up sweet potatoes, just like the expert his father had taught him to be. Michelle picked lots of ripe, red strawberries.
The satisfied travelers had just sat down on the green grass to rest, when all of a sudden they heard someone’s desperate cries for help coming from the direction of the stream. The friends jumped up and ran quickly in the direction of the cries. When they reached the stream, they saw red Little Squirrel struggling in the water as he tried as hard as he could to grab hold of some branches hanging above him. Snoutie walked into the cold water and, standing firm against the strong current, stretched out his snunk to drowning Little Squirrel. Little Squirrel grabbed it tightly with his front paws, but the current was so strong that Snoutie could not make his way back to the shore.
“Help! Please hurry!” cried Michelle loudly.
“I’m coming!” sounded someone’s voice.
And right then and there Hedgie the Valiant ran out onto the shore. He was known by this name to all forest residents because one day he saved Robin the Elder’s chicks from an attacking snake. After making sure that the chicks were safe, Hedgie drove that snake out of the Big Forest once and for all.
Now, standing on the very edge of the shore, Hedgie stretched out his walking stick to Snoutie. Snoutie grabbed it, clambered up onto the shore, and then easily dragged wet, frightened Little Squirrel out of the water.
“Thank you, brave Snoutie! Thank you, Hedgie the Valiant!” they heard someone say behind their backs.
It was breathless Mama Squirrel, hurrying as fast as she could towards the cries of her Little Squirrel and looking terribly afraid.
“Where are you heading?” Squirrel asked, once she caught her breath.
Upon learning that Snoutie and Michelle were looking for a magical white flower, Squirrel ran off somewhere and soon returned with a basket overflowing with fresh mushrooms.
“You have a long trip ahead of you,” she said, handing the basket to the travelers. “Take these mushrooms with you so that you can snack on them during your trip.”
After wishing Snoutie and Michelle bon voyage, Mama Squirrel and Little Squirrel scampered up a tree and disappeared into their hollow. Meanwhile, the friends set off farther along the river in search of the magical flower.
“What on earth could this be?” wondered Michelle, pointing to a large, ash-grey ball at the foot of the trunk of an old tree.
“Let’s find out,” said Snoutie, and he started prodding the strange ball with his snunk.
Well, let’s just say it would have been better if he had never tried that, because suddenly a cloud of angry wasps descended on Snoutie and Michelle with a terrible buzzing.
“A wasp’s nest!” shrieked Michelle, very frightened. She grabbed Snoutie’s paw, and they took to their heels without even trying to find the path.
The wasps quickly caught up with the fleeing Snoutie and Michelle, circled over their heads, and tried to sting them. Snoutie and Michelle were already getting tired from this race through the forest. They started tripping over roots and rocks and feeling more and more out of breath.
Just when they thought they could not go any farther, they noticed a small, long-eared, fluffy, grey creature waving its paw at them from under a large burdock leaf. Desperate to escape from the wasps that were catching up with them, Snoutie and Michelle rushed over to the leaf at full speed. They hid themselves away beneath it and then suddenly fell down into a hole and found themselves in someone’s den.
“That’s it, you can come out now. The wasps have flown by,” the owner of the den said from above and then introduced himself to the panting and frightened travelers. “I am Loppy the Believing Bunny.”
“Thank you ever so much,” said Michelle as soon as she caught her breath.
“Yes, thank you! You saved us!” chimed in Snoutie. “But why are you called that?” he asked curiously.
“Because…because that’s what I’m called…because my den is under a big burdock leaf, which is lop-eared just like me,” answered their savior somewhat slowly. “Well, and probably also for some other reasons as well,” he added, avoiding their question as he stroked his long, grey ears with his paws.
Then he noticed that Snoutie had swollen up from the wasp bites and that Michelle had scratches on her legs. He got very worried and even started shaking out his ears.
“Oh, oh, oh! You need some emergency medical assistance!” he exclaimed, happy to change the subject.
Loppy
