TODDY'S SHIRT

Toddy Toad got a new shirt.

"This is my favorite shirt," he said. "I will wear it all the time."

Toddy wore his favorite shirt every day. He washed it every night.

Summer came.

"It is too hot to wear my favorite shirt," said Toddy. "I will put it away for now."

Then fall came. The weather was cool.

"I can wear my favorite shirt again!" said Toddy. He took it out. He put it on. It only went half-way!

Toddy had grown. His shirt did not fit anymore. It would not go on. It would not come off.

"Help!" yelled Toddy. "I am stuck!"

Toddy ran outside.

"I will go to Ned Newt's house," he said. "He will know what to do."

So Toddy went to Ned's house.

"Why, Toddy!" said Ned. "What is wrong?"

"I am stuck in my favorite shirt," said Toddy.

Ned went and got a pair of scissors. "I will cut it off," he said.

"Never!" cried Toddy. "You will not cut up my favorite shirt!"

"We will go to Portly Snail's house," said Ned. "He will know what to do."

So Ned and Toddy went to Portly's house.

"Hello, Ned," said Portly. "What is wrong with Toddy?"

"We have to help him," said Ned. "He is stuck in his favorite shirt."

Portly went and got a pot of grease. "I will slide it off," he said.

"What!" shouted Toddy. "This favorite shirt would never be clean again!"

"Well then," said Portly, "we will have to go to Thurmond Turtle's house. He will know what to do."

So Portly and Ned and Toddy went to Thurmond's house.

"Toddy!" said Thurmond. "You look very strange!"

"Thurmond," said Portly. "Toddy Toad is stuck in his favorite shirt."

Thurmond grabbed Toddy's sleeves. "I will pull it off," he said.

"NO!" yelled Toddy. "That would rip my favorite shirt!"

So they all sat down to think and think. After a while, Ned whispered something to Portly. Portly whispered to Thurmond. Then they all started to tickle Toddy.

"Hee, hee, hee!" giggled Toddy. "Ho, ho, ho! Stop!" he cried.

But Ned and Portly and Thurmond kept right on tickling Toddy.

Toddy laughed and laughed. He squirmed and wiggled. He wriggled and jumped.

Toddy squirmed and wiggled and wriggled and jumped so much that...he squirmed and wiggled and wriggled and jumped right out of his favorite shirt!

"I am free!" cried Toddy. "Thank you so much!" He picked up his shirt. "Now I am sad," said Toddy.

"Why are you sad?" asked Ned.

"I am sad because I have grown too big to wear my favorite shirt," said Toddy.

"But Toddy," said Ned, "you can still keep it."

"That is true," said Toddy. "It will always remind me of my very good friends."