Read Online Jennifer Murdley's Toad (Magic Shop Books) by Bruce Coville - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bruce Coville
Tags: Fiction, Children's Books, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Children: Grades 4-6, Children: Grades 3-4, toads
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you said the pretty one was mean and nasty."
"But she was pretty, which seems to count for a lot with human beings. Besides, the mother was mean and nasty, too. They were a real pair."
"I don't think I like this story," said Jennifer.
"I'm not telling it to make you happy, I'm telling it because you wanted to know where I came from. Now stop interrupting."
Jennifer fell silent.
85
"So, once when they were trying to make life miserable for the ugly sister, the mother and the beautiful daughter sent the poor girl out in the snow to gather strawberries, or something stupid like that. So off she goes, in her bare feet, her toes starting to freeze the minute she goes out the door, and before you know it she meets this weird old woman, who asks her for some food. So the kid gives her the only crust of bread she has, and the old woman tells her where to find some strawberries in the snow and that she will have a great blessing when she gets home. Well, the poor ugly girl finds the strawberries, heads for home, and when the mother and the sister ask where she got them, she opens her mouth to speak. And with every word a diamond or a ruby or a chunk of gold, or something like that, comes tumbling out of her mouth. Stop me if you've heard this before."
Though she had once heard a story something like it, Jennifer remained silent.
"Well, they think this is a good deal, so they bundle up the good-looking sister and send her out in the snow, too. Only this one gets plenty of food. And shoes. Naturally, she meets the old woman, too--and don't ask me why the old woman was standing around in the winter begging for bread, especially when she already had the bread that belonged to the first girl. Anyway, when young-and-lovely meets the old woman, she asks her where to find the strawberries, and the old woman says she will tell her, but won't she please spare some food.
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So the girl says, first you tell me, then I'll feed you. But when the old woman tells her where to go, then holds out her hand for the bread, the girl just laughs at her, which goes to show you what kind of a creep she was to begin with.
"She finds the strawberries, picks until she gets bored, which was probably about three minutes, then heads for home. But when she gets there the strawberries are all rotten. And when she opens her mouth to tell her mother the whole story, with every word out pops a snake, a lizard, a rat, or some other animal that humans seem to find particularly despicable."
"And that's where you came from?" cried Jennifer.
"Don't interrupt! Anyway, as you can imagine, the young wretch finds this situation most unpleasant. Being too dumb to realize that the flood of vermin is her cue to shut up, she starts screaming for help. Of course, with every cry of 'Help!' out pops another critter--including, eventually, me. I was the first toad, and one of the very few to arrive that day." Bufo grinned. "I've always felt that our relatively small numbers in that crowd indicated that we toads are more rare and precious than those other beasties."
Jennifer tried to snort, but it came out as a croak.
"I'll ignore that," said Bufo. "Now, this arriving was a strange sensation, I want to tell you. I mean, one minute I wasn't, next minute I was --by which I mean I existed. I materialized in what felt like a
87
dark, wet cave. Actually, it was the girl's mouth. When she opened it to scream, I was nearly blinded by the light that flooded over her lips. Suddenly I found myself hurtling toward some white rocks-- her teeth--then shooting out into the air. I landed on the floor in the middle of a writhing mass of critters, all of which had come out of her mouth over the last few minutes.
"After a moment, I looked around. In the corner was this ugly girl, sitting on a table and looking oddly amused. Beside me, standing on a chair, was a nice-looking middle-aged woman, screaming at her daughter to shut up. And behind me was this gorgeous girl, dumb as a brick, eyes
"But she was pretty, which seems to count for a lot with human beings. Besides, the mother was mean and nasty, too. They were a real pair."
"I don't think I like this story," said Jennifer.
"I'm not telling it to make you happy, I'm telling it because you wanted to know where I came from. Now stop interrupting."
Jennifer fell silent.
85
"So, once when they were trying to make life miserable for the ugly sister, the mother and the beautiful daughter sent the poor girl out in the snow to gather strawberries, or something stupid like that. So off she goes, in her bare feet, her toes starting to freeze the minute she goes out the door, and before you know it she meets this weird old woman, who asks her for some food. So the kid gives her the only crust of bread she has, and the old woman tells her where to find some strawberries in the snow and that she will have a great blessing when she gets home. Well, the poor ugly girl finds the strawberries, heads for home, and when the mother and the sister ask where she got them, she opens her mouth to speak. And with every word a diamond or a ruby or a chunk of gold, or something like that, comes tumbling out of her mouth. Stop me if you've heard this before."
Though she had once heard a story something like it, Jennifer remained silent.
"Well, they think this is a good deal, so they bundle up the good-looking sister and send her out in the snow, too. Only this one gets plenty of food. And shoes. Naturally, she meets the old woman, too--and don't ask me why the old woman was standing around in the winter begging for bread, especially when she already had the bread that belonged to the first girl. Anyway, when young-and-lovely meets the old woman, she asks her where to find the strawberries, and the old woman says she will tell her, but won't she please spare some food.
86
So the girl says, first you tell me, then I'll feed you. But when the old woman tells her where to go, then holds out her hand for the bread, the girl just laughs at her, which goes to show you what kind of a creep she was to begin with.
"She finds the strawberries, picks until she gets bored, which was probably about three minutes, then heads for home. But when she gets there the strawberries are all rotten. And when she opens her mouth to tell her mother the whole story, with every word out pops a snake, a lizard, a rat, or some other animal that humans seem to find particularly despicable."
"And that's where you came from?" cried Jennifer.
"Don't interrupt! Anyway, as you can imagine, the young wretch finds this situation most unpleasant. Being too dumb to realize that the flood of vermin is her cue to shut up, she starts screaming for help. Of course, with every cry of 'Help!' out pops another critter--including, eventually, me. I was the first toad, and one of the very few to arrive that day." Bufo grinned. "I've always felt that our relatively small numbers in that crowd indicated that we toads are more rare and precious than those other beasties."
Jennifer tried to snort, but it came out as a croak.
"I'll ignore that," said Bufo. "Now, this arriving was a strange sensation, I want to tell you. I mean, one minute I wasn't, next minute I was --by which I mean I existed. I materialized in what felt like a
87
dark, wet cave. Actually, it was the girl's mouth. When she opened it to scream, I was nearly blinded by the light that flooded over her lips. Suddenly I found myself hurtling toward some white rocks-- her teeth--then shooting out into the air. I landed on the floor in the middle of a writhing mass of critters, all of which had come out of her mouth over the last few minutes.
"After a moment, I looked around. In the corner was this ugly girl, sitting on a table and looking oddly amused. Beside me, standing on a chair, was a nice-looking middle-aged woman, screaming at her daughter to shut up. And behind me was this gorgeous girl, dumb as a brick, eyes
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