The Jumping Hat

By Marilyn Kratz • Illustrated by Sal Murdocca

One sunny spring day, Harry plopped his old straw hat on his head and went for a walk in the woods.


When he had walked for a long time, he sat on a big rock to rest.

He took off his hat and laid it on the grass beside him.

POP! Up jumped his hat.

Up jumped Harry, but he did not catch his hat.

The hat jumped over a toadstool.

Harry jumped over the toadstool and chased his hat down the path.

The hat jumped through a patch of violets.

Harry jumped through the violets and followed his hat to a stream.

The hat jumped across the stream on three flat rocks.

Harry jumped on the first two flat rocks, but he missed the last one. SPLASH! went Harry, into the stream.

Harry saw his hat disappear into a hollow log.

He ran around to the other end of the log and waited.

Out came the hat—jump! jump! jump!—right into Harry’s hands.

Harry looked under his hat. He laughed. “I’m sorry, frog,” he said. “You can’t have my hat. You will have to find one of your own.”

And the fat green frog hopped away, jump! jump!