“Hey Joe! Look at what I found,” said Snake Jake excitedly.

Snake Joe crawled over to see what was going on. “What’s that?” he asked.

“I’m not too sure, but I think it is one of those things that people have to help protect themselves and their property.”

“How’s that?” asked Joe.

“There is a pin at the end of this black cord that is stuck in this thing. I think if you pull the cord, the pin comes out, and the thing makes a very loud noise and it almost sounds like a police siren,” explained Jake.

Joe asked, “So where did you find it?”

“Over by the steps over there. Hmmm. Maybe I should put it back,” said Jake.

However, Joe had mischief on his little mind. “Heh, heh! Wait a minute. Let’s have some fun with it first,” said Joe.

“All it will do is make a lot of noise,” said Jake.

“Yeah, and that is a fun way to play a trick on someone,” said Joe.

“Who’s that someone?”

“Heh, heh! Freddy Frog. He is taking a nap under a tree,” said Joe.

“Oooh! Sounds like fun! Like a lot of kicks!” chuckled Jake.

“Come on, let’s go scare the flies out of him,” said Joe.

Jake and Joe slithered over to where Freddy was sleeping.

“Heh, heh! I hear him snoring,” said Joe.

Joe held the alarm as Jake grabbed the cord. “On the count of three I am going to pull the cord. Hold tight Joe,” said Jake. “OK,” said Joe.

Jake gripped the cord in his mouth and said, “One. . ., two . . ., THREE!” Out popped the pin, and the quietude of Ponderings Pond was shattered with very loud “Wheee! Wheee! Wheee! Wheee!”

Freddy was so startled that he hopped as he woke up and hit his head on a tree branch.

Jake and Joe were laughing so hard that they did not hear the branch snap, nor did they hear Freddy say, “OW!”

Freddy landed on the ground, holding his head. He then saw Jake and Joe and heard them laughing. “It’s not funny you guys,” he said, and started to hop home, but Jake and Joe did not hear him. They were laughing too much.

“HA! HA! HA! HA! What fun! What kicks,” said Jake.

“Yeah! Did you see how scared he looked? That was a barrel of laughs,” said Joe.

“It sure was. Hey Freddy!,” Jake called, but when he looked at the tree, Freddy was gone.

“Where did he go?” asked Joe.

Jake looked the other way and saw Freddy hopping away. But, he was not hopping like he usually hopped. He paused before he hopped, like he was in pain and did not want to hop. When he did hop, it was not straight up, but it was sort of off to one side.

“You know, I think he is hurt,” said Joe. “I think so too,” said Jake.

“I feel bad,” said Joe. “Me too,” said Jake.

Together they crawled to Freddy’s house. The door was shut, but as they crawled by his window they saw he was in bed with a bandage on his head.

“Freddy, we’re sorry,” said Joe. “Yeah Freddy, I’m sorry,” said Jake.

“That’s ok guys, I forgive you,” said Freddy.

“You do?” both asked. “Yes,” said Freddy.

As they crawled away, Jake said to Joe, “I still don’t feel right.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Joe. Then he stopped, and said, “I have an idea.”

“What’s that?” asked Jake.

“You put the alarm thing back where you found it. I will go to my restaurant, cook up a bowl of French Flies, then you and I will bring the bowl of French Flies to Freddy,” Joe said.

“Sounds good! Let’s do it! I feel better already,” said Jake, and added that he would help pay for the flies.

Jake put the alarm back, Joe cooked the French Flies, and together they went to Freddy’s house.

“May we come in Freddy?” asked Joe.

“Uh, sure,” said Freddy.

Jake said, “Freddy, we are so sorry for scaring you.”

Joe added, “And we are sorry you bumped your head. We brought you a present.”

“What is it?” asked Freddy.

“French Flies,” said Joe.

“French Flies! That’s one of my favorites,” said Freddy, and added, “I was feeling a little better, but now I feel a whole lot better.”

“So do we,” said Jake and Joe. “So do we.”