Friends

“The Letter” from Frog and Toad Are Friends, by Arnold Lobel

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Toad was sitting on his front porch. Frog came along and said, "What is the matter, Toad? You are looking sad."

"Yes, this my sad time of day. It is the time when I wait for the mail to come. It always makes me very unhappy."

"Why is that?"

"Because I never get any mail."

"Not ever?"

"No never. No one has ever sent me a letter. Every day my mailbox is empty. That is why waiting for the mail is a sad time for me."

Frog and Toad sat on the porch, feeling sad together.

"I have to go home now, Toad. There is something that I must do."

Frog hurried home. He found a pencil and a piece of paper. He wrote on the
paper. He put the paper in an envelope. On the envelope he wrote: “A LETTER
FOR TOAD”. Frog ran out of his house. He saw a snail that he knew.

"Snail, please take this letter to Toad’s house and put it in his mailbox."

"Sure, right away."

Then Frog ran back to Toad’s house. Toad was in bed, taking a nap.

"Toad, I think you should get up and wait for the mail some more."

"No, I am tired of waiting for the mail."

Frog looked out of the window at Toad’s mailbox. The snail was not there yet.

"Toad, you never know when someone may send you a letter."

"No, no. I do not think anyone will ever send me a letter."

Frog looked out of the window. The snail was not there yet.

"But, Toad, someone may send you a letter today."

"Don’t be silly. No one has ever sent me a letter before, and no one will send me a
letter today."

Frog looked out of the window. The snail was still not there.

"Frog, why do you keep looking out of the window?"

"Because now I am waiting for the mail."

"But there will not be any."

"Oh, yes there will, because I have sent you a letter."

"You have? What did you write in the letter?"

"I wrote, 'Dear Toad, I am glad that you are my best friend. Your best friend,
Frog'.”

"Oh, that makes a very good letter."

Then Frog and Toad went out onto the front porch to wait for the mail. They sat
there, feeling happy together.

Frog and Toad waited a long time. Four days later the snail got to Toad’s house and gave him the letter from Frog. Toad was very pleased to have it.