tired tim beaver asked mr. frog point-blank how a person might catch up with him in the matter of clothes.
"if you manage to dress in a style that's five years ahead of the times, i should like to know the way to be just as fashionable," tired tim said.
but he got no help—then—from mr. frog. all ferdinand frog would say was that he'd be glad to oblige a friend, but he couldn't—and wouldn't—be hurried.
and though the unhappy, eager tim teased and begged him to tell his secret, mr. frog only smiled the more cheerfully and said nothing.
it was maddening—for tired tim—though mr. frog seemed to be enjoying himself hugely. and the result was that tired tim beaver returned to the village in the pond in a terrible state of mind. since he told everyone else what he had learned about ferdinand frog and his clothes, it was only a short time before the whole beaver family was so stirred up that they couldn't do a stroke of work. ferdinand frog was in everybody's mouth, so to speak. and at last old grandaddy beaver hit upon a plan.
"why don't you get somebody to make you a suit exactly like mr. frog's?" he asked tired tim.
so tired tim took grandaddy's advice. that very night he disappeared, to swagger back in a few days in a cos[58]tume that made him appear almost like mr. frog's twin brother—if one didn't look at his face. and there were some among the villagers who even declared that tired tim's mouth seemed wider than it had been, and more like mr. frog's.
when they asked tired tim if his tailor hadn't stretched his mouth for him he replied no, that he had been smiling a good deal for a day or two, and perhaps that was what made his mouth look different.
well, the whole beaver village was delighted with tired tim's new suit.
"wait till mr. frog sees you!" people cried. "he'll be so surprised!"
mr. frog liked to hear himself sing mr. frog liked to hear himself sing
and somebody swam away in great haste to find mr. frog and ask him to come to the lower end of the pond, where all the houses were. but when ferdinand frog arrived, everybody was disappointed, and especially tired tim, who had felt very proud in his gorgeous new clothes. for he saw at once that mr. frog was arrayed from head to foot in an entirely new outfit. he looked almost like a rainbow, so brilliant were the colors of his costume.
at the same time tired tim put on as brave a front as he could. and drawing near to mr. frog, he said:
"what do you think of my new suit?"
ferdinand frog looked at him as if he hadn't noticed him before.
"your suit's all right," he replied, "for one who isn't particular. but it's not far enough ahead of the times for me. . . . i'd hate to be caught wearing it."
it was a bitter blow for tired tim beaver. in fact, he felt more tired than ever; and he sank to the bottom of the pond to rest, where his friends couldn't see him.
as for the other members of the beaver family, they all went home with a great longing inside them. there wasn't a single one of them that wasn't eager to wear clothes exactly as far ahead of the times as were those of the elegant stranger, ferdinand frog.
