"
"We won't do that!" said Button-Bright indignantly. "Can't we fight
the frogs?"
"Fight!" cried Trot. "Why, see how big they are. They could eat up
our whole army if they wanted to."
But just then, while they stood dismayed at this unfortunate
position, a queer thing happened. The umbrella in Button-Bright's
hand began to tremble and shake. He looked down at the handle and
saw that the red eyes of the carved elephant's head were rolling
fiercely and sending out red sparks of anger in all directions. The
trunk swayed from side to side, and the entire head began to swell
and grow larger.
In his fright, the boy sprang backward a step and dropped the
umbrella to the ground, and as he did so, it took the form of a
complete elephant, growing rapidly to a monstrous size. Then,
flapping its ears and wagging its tail--which was merely the covered
frame of the umbrella--the huge elephant lifted its trunk and
charged the line of astonished frogs.
In a twinkling the frogs all turned and made the longest leaps their
powerful legs enabled them to. The King jumped first of all, and in
a panic of fear the others followed his example. They were out of
sight in an instant, and then the elephant turned its head and
looked at Button-Bright and at once trotted into the depths of the
fog.
"He wants us to follow," said the boy, gasping in amazement at this
wonderful transformation.
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