Johnny Chuck scratched his head thoughtfully.  “It does seem a funny place,” he admitted.  “It certainly does seem a funny place.  But then, Jerry Muskrat is a funny fellow.  You know how much of the time he stays in the water.  That seems funny to me.  I suppose there is a reason for it, and probably there is a reason for building his house where it is.  I’ve found that there is a reason for most things.  Probably Jerry’s great-great-grandfather built his house that way, and so Jerry does the same thing.”

Peter Rabbit suddenly brightened up.  “I do believe you are right, Johnny Chuck, and if you are, there must be a story about it, and if there is a story, Grandfather Frog will be sure to know it.  There he is, over on his big green lily-pad, and he looks as if he might be feeling very good-natured this morning.  Let’s go ask him why Jerry Muskrat builds his house in the water.”

Grandfather Frog saw them coming, and he guessed right away that they were coming for a story.  He grinned to himself and pretended to go to sleep.

“Good morning, Grandfather Frog,” said Johnny Chuck.  Grandfather Frog didn’t answer.  Johnny tried again, and still no reply.

“He’s asleep,” said Johnny, looking dreadfully disappointed, “and I guess we’d better not disturb him, for he might wake up cross, and of course we wouldn’t get a story if he did.”

Peter looked at Grandfather Frog sharply.  He wasn’t so sure that that was a real nap.  It seemed to him that there was just the least little hint of a smile in the corners of Grandfather Frog’s big mouth.  “You sit here a minute,” he whispered in Johnny Chuck’s ear.

So Johnny Chuck sat down where he was, which was right where Grandfather Frog could see him by lifting one eyelid just the teeniest bit, and Peter hopped along the bank until he was right behind Grandfather Frog.  Now just at that place on the bank was growing a toadstool.  Peter looked over at Johnny Chuck and winked.  Then he turned around, and with one of his long hind-feet, he kicked the toadstool with all his might.  Now toadstools, as you all know, are not very well fastened at the roots, and this one was no different from the rest.  When Peter kicked it it flew out into the air and landed with a great splash in the Smiling Pool, close beside the big green lily-pad on which Grandfather Frog was sitting.  Of course he didn’t see it coming, and of course it gave him a great start.

“Chug-a-rum!” exclaimed Grandfather Frog and dived head first into the water.  A minute later Peter’s sharp eyes saw him peeping out from under a lily-pad to see what had frightened him so.

“Ha, ha, ha!” shouted Peter, dancing about on the bank.  “Ha, ha, ha!  Grandfather Frog, afraid of a toadstool!  Ha, ha, ha!”

At first Grandfather Frog was angry, very angry indeed.  But he is too old and too wise to lose his temper for long over a joke, especially when he has been fairly caught trying to play a joke himself.  So presently he climbed back on to his big green lily-pad, blinking his great, goggly eyes and looking just a wee bit foolish.