Birrip settled back comfortably into the puddle of water in the bottom of the bowl. "Protect from danger. Some place men stick frog with spear. Some place heron catch frog. Not here. We tame heron, make carry word to cousins down te brook."
"You look a bit like my dear Lollipop," Maxim said. "Is she one of your grandmothers?"
Birrip said, "No. Our family come from Pillilip. Cousin come from Lollipop. I te only one study Man."
"You study us? How do you manage that?" Maxim asked. "The pond is far from the castle, and you are sitting low on the water. I should think it would be very hard."
"Make lens. Use drop of water to make all look bigger. Make notes on leaf with stick." Birrip pulled a bit of leaf from beneath his armor and showed the scratches that were his notes. "Make signs tat mean words. You do tat?"
Maxim gave a great boom of laughter. He rose and took from one wall a square of color that Birrip recognized. "This is a book," he said. "Those signs inside ... see?" he opened the book and Birrip understood at once why such things held the interest of those who read them ... "are words. Oh, what pleasure to find my offspring so intelligent. I must find ways to help you."
He put the book back on a shelf and opened a drawer in the table. "This is a glass lens. It stays the same, all the time. You won't have to worry with drops of water, if you use this. Just make sure you don't drop it into the water and lose it in the mud. I do recall how thick it is at the bottom of the pond."
Birrip held out his delicate hand and took the slender handle of the glass. It was almost too heavy for him, but not quite. When he held it before his face and lined up one eye, he found that it was very strong. With this he could almost make out the titles on the many books around the room.
He gave a contented croak. With this he could observe the castle and its people as closely as he wanted. He might even learn to recognize words as men wrote them.
He looked up and saw the same thought reflected in the eyes of the Ancestor. "I shall make a dictionary for those in the pond," Maxim said. "Baked onto tiles, I think, so the letters will never wash out and the pieces can easily be found, if dropped. Oh, wonderful!"
He turned and left the room. Birrip was so interested in the things around him that he didn't mind at all. Before his Ancestor could return, however, the other door opened and the Tadpole Malcolm bounced into the room. Behind him came two more, just smaller than he.
"Oh, goody," he whispered. "Grandsir is out. Now we can play with the frog." He snatched Birrip out of the bowl and held him high, spinning fast on one foot so the others couldn't reach his treasure.
"Bullalup!" shouted Birrip, which was frog for, "Help! I am in big trouble!"
Now the child dashed out of the room, chased by the other two, and whirled Birrip so quickly he was dizzy and sick again. "You can't have him. I caught him, and he's mine! You go get your own frogs! Grandsir said he used to be a frog, but that's nonsense! Get nets, and you can catch all you want for yourselves."
"Cousin!" Birrip managed to croak. "Stop!"
The smallest child began to cry. "Malcolm," he blubbered, "That frog said something."
Malcolm stopped spinning and held Birrip close to his face. "Frogs can't ..." he began, but Birrip interrupted with another frantic croak. "Cousin! Grandsir be angry! He my Grandsir, too!"
Malcolm's cheeks went crimson, and his hand opened, dropping Birrip as if he were red-hot. Landing with his usual springiness, Birrip hopped back toward the castle, refusing to leave without his glass. The three children followed him, looking stunned.
"I get word-signs," the frog said aloud. With a long, strong hop, he cleared the window-sill and landed in the library again. There Maxim was looking under the table for his disappearing kin.
"There you are! I have arranged for your dictionary to be made. My secretary has too little to do, anyway. Here is your lens. Now it's time for you to go back to the pond. I fear my grandchildren may injure you, if you stay here too long."
Birrip could hear the children outside, and he knew they listened through the window. He, too, had been young and ignorant, once. He would not tattle on them now, for he had made mistakes of his own, in his youth.
"Tank you, Grandsir," he said, as Maxim caught him up in one big hand. "We talk more, maybe, yes?"
"You may bet on it," the Prince replied. "Now I'll call Malcolm and the other youngsters, and we'll all escort you back to the pond, along with your lens. The dictionary should be ready by the end of the week."
Birrip didn't know what a week was, but it sounded good. He gave another agreeable croak, settled into Malcolm's grubby hands, and looked toward the pond. A line of his family members sat on lily pads, their throats pulsing with croaks of all sizes, calling him to come back.
He flapped a hand to reassure them, as Malcolm carefully eased him into the water. Once he got settled with all his new equipment, he would be able to learn more than anyone had ever learned before. He would educate his own tadpoles. This would become the finest pond in all the river system.
Life was going to be very interesting now, he thought. Malcolm still bent over, watching as he dived beneath the water. Rising to the surface, Birrip waved briskly to the Ancestor and his grandchildren.
He felt a bit sad as the Ancestor smiled down at him and the human tadpoles called, "Goodbye!" Then he set off for his own family, leaving behind a new set of kindred that he would soon be able to study to his heart's content, without any worry about being caught in a net or eaten by a heron.
THE END
SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, HORROR IN PAGETURNER EDITIONS
AWARD WINNING & NOMINEE STORIES AND AUTHORS
People of the Darkness–Ross Rocklynne (Nebulas nominee author)
When They Come From Space–Mark Clifton (Hugo winning author)
What Thin Partitions–Mark Clifton (Hugo winning author)
Eight Keys to Eden–Mark Clifton (Hugo winning author)
The Toymaker & Other SF Stories–Raymond F. Jones
The Alien–Raymond F. Jones
This Island Earth–Raymond F. Jones (Hugo nominee author)
Renaissance–Raymond F. Jones
Rat Race &Other SF Novelettes and Short Novels–Raymond F. Jones (Hugo nominee author)
The Secret People – Raymond F. Jones
Rat in the Skull & Other Off-Trail Science Fiction–Rog Phillips (Hugo nominee author)
The Involuntary Immortals–Rog Phillips (Hugo nominee author)
Inside Man & Other Science Fictions–H. L. Gold (Hugo winner, Nebula nominee)
The Saga of Lost Earths–Emil Petaja (Nebula nominee)
Women of the Wood and Other Stories–A. Merritt (Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame award)
A Martian Odyssey–Stanley G. Weinbaum (SFWA Hall of Fame)
Dawn of Flame–Stanley G. Weinbaum (SFWA Hall of Fame)
Scout–Octavio Ramos, Jr. (Best Original Fiction)
Smoke Signals–Octavio Ramos, Jr. (Best Original Fiction winning author)
The City at World's End–Edmond Hamilton
The Star Kings–Edmond Hamilton (Sense of Wonder Award winning author)
A Yank at Valhalla–Edmond Hamilton (Sense of Wonder Award winning author)
STEFAN VUCAK'S EPPIE NOMINEE SPACE OPERA "THE SHADOW GODS SAGA"
In the Shadow of Death
Against the Gods of Shadow
A Whisper from Shadow, Sequel (2002 EPPIE Award finalist)
With Shadow and Thunder
Through the Valley of Shadow, Sequel
THE AGENT OF TERRA
#1 The Flying Saucer Gambit
#2 The Emerald Elephant Gambit
#3 The Golden Goddess Gambit
#4 The Time Trap Gambit
NEMESIS: THE NEW MAGAZINE OF PULP THRILLS
#1. Featuring Gun Moll, the 1920s Undercover Nemesis of Crime in "Tentacles of Evil," an all-new, complete book-length novel; plus a Nick Bancroft mystery by Bob Liter, "The Greensox Murders" by Jean Marie Stine, and a
classic mystery short reprinted from the heyday of the pulps.
#2 Featuring Rachel Rocket, the 1930s Winged Nemesis of Foreign Terror in "Hell Wings Over Manhattan," an all-new, complete book-length novel, plus spine-tingling science fiction stories, including EPPIE nominee Stefan Vucak's "Hunger," author J. D. Crayne's disturbing "Point of View," Hugo Award winner Larry Niven's "No Exit," written with Jean Marie Stine, and a classic novelette of space ship mystery by the king of space opera, Edmond Hamilton. Illustrated. (Illustrations not available in Palm).
#3 Featuring Victory Rose, the 1940s Nemesis of Axis Tyranny, in Hitler's Final Trumpet," an all-new, complete book-length novel, plus classic jungle pulp tales, including a complete Ki-Gor novel.
# 4 Featuring Femme Noir, the 1950s Nemesis of Hell's Restless Spirits, in an all new, book length novel, plus all new and classic pulp shudder tales, including "The Summons from Beyond" the legendary round-robin novelette of cosmic horror by H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, C.L. Moore, A. Merritt, and Frank Belknap Long.
OTHER FINE CONTEMPORARY & CLASSIC SF/F/H
A Million Years to Conquer–Henry Kuttner
Arcadia – Tabitha Bradley
Backdoor to Heaven – Vicki McElfresh
Buck Rogers #1: Armageddon 2419 A.D.–Philip Francis Nowlan
Chaka: Zulu King–Book I. The Curse of Baleka–H. R. Haggard
Chaka: Zulu King–Book II. Umpslopogass' Revenge–H. R. Haggard
Claimed!–Francis Stevens
Darby O'Gill: The Classic Irish Fantasy–Hermine Templeton
Dracula's Daughters–Ed. Jean Marie Stine
Dwellers in the Mirage–A. Merritt
From Beyond & 16 Other Macabre Masterpieces–H. P. Lovecraft
Future Eves: Classic Science Fiction about Women by Women–(ed) Jean Marie Stine
Ghost Hunters and Psychic Detectives: 8 Classic Tales of Sleuthing and the Supernatural–(ed.) J. M. Stine
Horrors!: Rarely Reprinted Classic Terror Tales–(ed.) J. M. Stine. J.L. Hill
House on the Borderland–William Hope Hodgson
Invisible Encounter and Other SF Stories – J. D. Crayne
Ki-Gor, Lord of the Jungle–John Peter Drummond
Lost Stars: Forgotten SF from the "Best of Anthologies"–(ed.) J. M. Stine
Metropolis–Thea von Harbou
Mistress of the Djinn–Geoff St. Reynard
Nightmare!–Francis Stevens
Possessed!–Francis Stevens
Ralph 124c41+ Hugo Gernsback
The Cosmic Wheel–J. D. Crayne
The Forbidden Garden–John Taine
The City at World's End–Edmond Hamilton
The Ghost Pirates–W. H. Hodgson
The Girl in the Golden Atom – Ray Cummings
The House on the Borderland–William Hope Hodgson
The Insidious Fu Manchu–Sax Rohmer
The Interplanetary Huntress–Arthur K. Barnes
The Interplanetary Huntress Returns–Arthur K. Barnes
The Interplanetary Huntress Last Case–Arthur K. Barnes
The Lightning Witch, or The Metal Monster–A. Merritt
The Thief of Bagdad–Achmed Abdullah
Women of the Wood and Other Stories–A. Merritt
BARGAIN SF/F EBOOKS IN OMNIBUS EDITIONS
(Complete & Unabridged)
The First Lord Dunsany Omnibus: 5 Complete Books – Lord Dunsany
The First William Morris Omnibus: 4 Complete Classic Fantasy Books
The Barsoom Omnibus: A Princess of Mars; The Gods of Mars; The Warlord of Mars–Burroughs
The Second Barsoom Omnibus: Thuvia, Maid of Mars; The Chessmen of Mars–Burroughs
The Third Barsoom Omnibus: The Mastermind of Mars; A Fighting Man of Mars–Burroughs
The First Tarzan Omnibus: Tarzan of the Apes; The Return of Tarzan; Jungle Tales of Tarzan–Burroughs
The Second Tarzan Omnibus: The Beasts of Tarzan; The Son of Tarzan; Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar–Burroughs
The Third Tarzan Omnibus: Tarzan the Untamed; Tarzan the Terrible; Tarzan and the Golden Lion–Burroughs
The Pellucidar Omnibus: At the Earth's Core; Pellucidar–Burroughs
The Caspak Omnibus: The Land that Time Forgot; The People that Time Forgot; Out of Time's Abyss–Burroughs
The First H. G. Wells Omnibus: The Invisible Man: War of the Worlds; The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Second H. G. Wells Omnibus: The Time Machine; The First Men in the Moon; When the Sleeper Wakes
The Third H. G. Wells Omnibus: The Food of the Gods; Shape of Things to Come; In the Days of the Comet
The First Jules Verne Omnibus: Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea; The Mysterious Island; From the Earth to the Moon
The Homer Eon Flint: All 4 of the Clasic "Dr. Kenney" Novels: The Lord of Death; The Queen of Life; The Devolutionist; The Emancipatrix
The Second Jules Verne Omnibus: Around the World in 80 Days; A Journey to the Center of the Earth; Off on a Comet
Three Great Horror Novels: Dracula; Frankenstein; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Darkness and Dawn Omnibus: The Classic Science Fiction Trilogy–George Allan England
The Garrett P. Serviss Omnibus: The Second Deluge; The Moon Metal; A Columbus of Space
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THE TWILIGHT DANCER Page 14