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Animal Stories Of The North
Translated by Fainna Solasko
freebooksforkids.net
Illustrated by Y.Rachov
Poor Frog
A Nanai Story
There was once a small house on the bank of a big river. An old woman lived in the house. She had a granddaughter, a shaggy dog and a green frog.
The little girl was happy in her grandmothers house. The old woman loved her and cared for her. She dressed her in pretty clothes and cooked her tasty food.
Shaggy Dog was not as lucky, for the old woman did not care for him as much and made him work hard for his food, which was only scraps.
Green Frog was the worst off, for the old woman did not care for her at all. Frog worked hard day and night, carrying water and chopping wood, and she always went to bed feeling hungry.
One day the old woman scolded Green Frog all through the day and then didn't give her a bite to eat. That evening she sent Frog to the river to draw water from a hole in the ice. Frog felt very weak, but she dared not disobey the old woman. She asked Shaggy Dog to go along with her.
They came out to the river, sat down by the hole in the ice and began to cry. They looked up at the Moon and wept.
"Oh, have pity on us. Moon! Croak, croak!" Green Frog wailed. "Come down from the sky! Croak, croak! Take Shaggy Dog and me up to live with you. Croak, croak!"
They wept and wailed, and finally Moon heard them. He felt sorry for them and came down from the sky, right onto ice on the river. Moon picked up Shaggy Dog and Green Frog and flew back to the sky with them.
Meanwhile, the old woman was waiting for Green Frog to bring back some water. At last she went down to the river, but neither Frog nor Shaggy Dog were there. The old woman shouted and called to Shaggy Dog and scolded Green Frog. No one answered her call. Then she glanced up at the sky and saw her dog and her frog on the Moon. They were sitting side by side, playing.
"Dear Froggie! Dear Doggie!" the old woman cried. "I fed you. I cared for you. I cherished you as my own kin, and now you've gone and left me."
But no matter how she wailed, her helpers did not return. She still lives in her house with her granddaughter, but Shaggy Dog and Green Frog have been living on the Moon ever since. If you look up at the Moon you'll see them.
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