best story EVER

(Read the whole thing. Please.)

"A Swim" by Arnold Lobel

Toad and Frog went down to the river. "What a day for a swim," said frog.

"Yes," said Toad. "I will go behind these rocks and put on my bathing suit."

"I don't wear a bathing suit," said Frog.

"Well, I do," said Toad. "After I put on my bathing suit, you must not look at me until I get into the water."

"Why not?" asked Frog.

"Because I look funny in my bathing suit. That is why," said Toad.

Frog closed his eyes when Toad came out from behind the rocks. Toad was wearing his bathing suit. "Don't peek," he said.

Frog and Toad jumped into the water. They swam all afternoon. Frog swam fast and made big splashes. Toad swam slowly and made smaller splashes.

A turtle came along the riverbank. "Frog, tell that turtle to go away," said Toad. "I do not want him to see me in my bathing suit when I come out of the river."

Frog swam over to the turtle. "Turtle," said Frog, "you will have to go away."

"Why should I?" asked the turtle.

"Because Toad thinks that he looks funny in his bathing suit, and he does not want you to see him," said Frog.

Some lizards were sitting nearby. "Does Toad really look funny in his bathing suit?" they asked.

A snake crawled out of the grass. "If Toad looks funny in his bathing suit," said the snake, "then I, for one, want to see him."

"We want to see him too," said two dragonflies.

"Me too," said a field mouse. "I have not seen anything funny in a long time."

Frog swam back to Toad. "I am sorry, Toad," he said. "Everyone wants to see how you will look."

"Then I will stay right here until they go away," said Toad.

The turtle and the lizards and the snake and the dragonflies and the field mouse all sat on the riverbank. They waited for Toad to come out of the water.

"Please," cried Frog, "please go away!" But no one went away.

Toad was getting colder and colder. He was beginning to shiver and sneeze. "I will have to come out of the water," said Toad. "I am catching a cold."

Toad climbed out of the river. The water dripped out of his bathing suit and down onto his feet.

The turtle laughed. The lizards laughed. The snake laughed. The field mouse laughed, and Frog laughed.

"What are you laughing at, Frog?" said Toad.

"I am laughing at you, Toad," said Frog, "because you do look funny in your bathing suit."

"Of course I do," said Toad. Then he picked up his clothes and went home.