One bright May morning, about the middle of the month, when the air was fragrant with the scent of the swamp-pink, and a few early buttercups fringed the roadway, Old Spot and Master Frisky started for the swamp for frogs, and who should they meet upon the way but Dolly and Dot.
"Oh, there is Master Frisky," cried both of the little girls at once, when they saw him. "Let's pet him." So Master Frisky ran up and stood very still while they patted his head and stroked his long, soft coat. The little girls thought everything of him; for he was always good to them and did not scare them with deep growls, or tear their skirts with his teeth, as some of the other dogs did.
Dolly and Dot were twins; and they looked so much alike, that even their own mother was not always sure which was which.
This morning they had on some new pink and white dresses, bright stockings, and new shoes that their father had gotten them the day before, and each also wore the cutest little white sunbonnet with lace upon it. They were the prettiest little girls in the whole town, and not spoiled a bit by their beauty.
They were carrying a big basket between them, and they were going to the swamp to pick cowslips for their mother. When they all reached the swamp, the two dogs left the little girls to pick cowslips, while they went where the ditch was broad and deep to look for frogs.
When they had found a place that suited Old Spot, they lay down in the grass and kept very still for a long time watching the water. By and by the biggest green old bull-frog that Master Frisky had ever seen, poked his head up from under a lily pad and looked about him. The sunlight made him wink and blink, and he bobbed up and down, and looked very queer.
At a signal from Spot, both dogs dove for him, but quick as a flash he disappeared; and although Master Frisky kept his head under the water until he sputtered and choked, he could see nothing of him; and, finally, they came out dripping and panting. They had hardly shaken themselves, when up he popped again, winking and blinking; and, looking straight at them, he said in the plainest of frog language, "Got wet, got wet."
This was more than the dogs could stand, and so they both dove for him again; but he disappeared as quickly as before. When they came out again, and sat upon the bank to rest, he poked his head up once more, and croaked, "Got wet, got wet."
"What does he say?" asked Old Spot.
"He says we got wet," replied Frisky.
"The old rascal," said Spot with a growl, "we will teach him a lesson; let's make believe go off." So they started away through the grass, barking as they went, that the old frog might hear them. But they went only a short distance, and then crept back very still, and lay quiet in the grass.
Soon the old frog came up again; and, thinking that the dogs were gone, he hopped out upon a log to sun himself and catch flies. Presently mother frog came out too; and father frog told her how he had fooled the dogs, and they both had a good laugh over it. Old Spot was just about to give the signal to spring, when Master Frisky heard a cry that made his breath come quick.
It was, "Oh, Dolly! come and help me; I's drowning."
"Quick, Spot, quick," cried Master Frisky, in his sharp bark; and the friends set off through the grass at a gallop.
Poor Dot had found a fine yellow cowslip upon the bank of the ditch where the water was quite deep, and, in leaning over to pick it, had fallen head first into the water. Dolly ran as fast as she could, and reached down her hand to her sister; but she leaned too far, and with a scream and a splash, she, too, went into the water just as the dogs came racing up.
In they plunged, and each grabbed a little girl by her sash; but the bank was quite steep, and the water deep, so it was a terrible pull to get them out; but the dogs strained and tugged, and the little girls caught at the long grass, and finally Master Frisky got Dolly upon the bank.
He then went to the assistance of Old Spot, who stood on his hind legs, pushing Dot as far up the bank as possible. Frisky got hold of her dress, and pulled and tugged until finally she, too, was safe. Then Dolly hugged and kissed her lots, and they both hugged the dogs.
Dot said, "Dolly, I's so glad the water didn't get you."
"And I's glad the water didn't get you," replied Dolly.
They were all covered with dirty water, and their new dresses were spoiled; but they were so glad that they were safe, that they did not care.
"I don't want to pick cowslips any more," said Dolly.
"Nor I," said Dot; "let's go home."
So they took the basket between them, and started for home, the dogs trotting along by their side.
When they reached home, and told their mother how they had fallen into the water, and that the dogs had saved them, she took them both in her lap, and hugged and kissed them a great deal. And you may be sure that she petted the dogs, and told them, "Good dogs," over and over again. Then she put on her hat, and, with Dollie and Dot and the two dogs, came over to tell me all about it. I knew that something uncommon had happened by the way Master Frisky leaped about and barked; but Old Spot was very dignified as usual.
"What do you think," said their mother to me, as soon as she could speak, for she had hurried so that she was all out of breath, "my dear little girls fell into the ditch this morning, and these brave dogs rescued them."
"Pulled us both out with their teeth, and didn't hurt a bit," said the twins in chorus.
I was much astonished and very pleased; for I loved Dolly and Dot, and at the same time, was glad to have the dogs do them so good a turn. So I patted them both and said, "Good dogs," until they looked proud enough to burst. Then the little girls went home, but soon came back bringing a fine hambone that they gave the dogs.
Master Frisky and Old Spot lay under the elm-tree for a long time, gnawing their bone and talking.
"What a fine day we have had," said Frisky.
"That's so," said Spot; "I am so glad that we happened along when we did. What a terrible thing it would have been if they had been drowned!"
"I wonder what became of the old frog," said Frisky.
"Why, I had forgotten all about him," said Spot, "and I don't much care. It's lots more fun to save little girls, like Dolly and Dot, than it is to hunt frogs."
"That is so," said Frisky, "this is the best day that we have ever had together;" and the friends munched away at their bone with much satisfaction.