The picture of the hippopotamus¹ on Farmer Green's barn did not please Ferdinand Frog. But in a few moments he began to smile again.  
"You've made a mistake," he told old Mr. Crow with a snicker. "When Aunt Polly Woodchuck said I was as pretty as a picture she never could have had this one in mind."
 
"Why not?" Mr. Crow inquired. "The eyes and the mouth——"
 
"Yes! Yes—I know!" Ferdinand interrupted. "But this creature has a tail! And tails are terribly out of fashion. I haven't worn one since I was a tadpole²."
 
That was enough for old Mr. Crow. He had a tail——or tail feathers, at least. And he at once flew into a terrible rage.
 
"You've insulted me!" he shouted.
 
Ferdinand Frog knew then that he had blundered. So he hastened to mend matters.
 
"There, there!" he said in a soothing³ tone. "Having a tail is not so bad, after all; for you can always cut it off, if you want to be in style." And he was surprised to find that his remark only made Mr. Crow angrier than ever.
 
"Cut off my tail, indeed!" the old gentleman snorted. "I'd be a pretty sight, if I did. Why, I wouldn't part with a single tail-feather, on any account." He continued to scold Ferdinand Frog at the top of his lungs, telling him that he was a silly fellow, and that nobody—unless it was a few foolish young creatures—thought he was the least bit handsome.
 
Now, old Mr. Crow was in such a temper that he forgot that Farmer Green was inside the barn. And he made so much noise that Farmer Green heard him and peeped around the corner of the barn to see what was going on.
 
A moment later the old shot-gun went off with a terrific roar. Ferdinand Frog saw Mr. Crow spring up and go tearing off towards the woods. And a long, black tail-feather floated slowly down out of the air and settled on the ground near the place where Mr. Crow had been standing⁴.
 
After shaking his fist in Mr. Crow's direction, Farmer Green disappeared.
 
"That's a pity," Mr. Frog thought. "Mr. Crow has parted with one of his tail-feathers. And I must find him as soon as I can and tell him how sorry I am."
 
Then Mr. Frog turned to look at the other pictures, which covered the whole side of the big barn. He beheld⁵ many strange creatures—some with necks of enormous length, some with humps on their backs, and all of them of amazing colors.
 
But whether they were ringed, streaked⁶ or striped, not one of them was—in Mr. Frog's opinion—one-half as beautiful as the hippopotamus.
 
"Even he——" Mr. Frog decided——"even he couldn't be called half as handsome as I am. For once old Mr. Crow certainly was mistaken."
 
And he began to laugh. And while he was laughing, Farmer Green came out of the barn with a pail of milk in each hand.
 
Then Ferdinand Frog had a happy thought. Why not ask Farmer Green to shoot off the tail of the hippopotamus? The loss of that ugly tail would improve the creature's looks, and make him appear still more like Mr. Frog himself.
 
At least, that was Mr. Frog's own opinion.
 
And he called to Farmer Green and suggested to him that he step out behind the barn and take a shot at the tail of the hippopotamus.
 
"Try your luck!" Mr. Frog coaxed⁷. "It's plain to see that you need practice, or you'd have made Mr. Crow part with all his tail-feathers, instead of only one." And he laughed harder than ever.
 
But Farmer Green paid little heed⁸ to Ferdinand Frog's wheedling⁹, although he did smile and say:
 
"I declare, I believe that bull frog's jeering¹⁰ at me because I missed the old crow!"