Willie, the Frog Prince Quotes

“Two weeks had passed when Willie got home from school one day to find a letter postmarked Tyler, Texas. “Dear Willie,” Marla wrote,

Dad was right. I love it here. I’ve got three girl cousins I go to school with. One’s in my grade, and one’s ahead of me and one behind. And my aunts are neat. They’re so kind to Mama. Oh, and Dad got a job right away that he likes so far.
Anyway, what I want to tell you is how sorry I am. I mean, I wasn’t nice when I first met you because I thought you were a goofball and you’d mess up my life. How was I to know you were really my frog prince?
Write me, Willie. I miss you a lot.
Your friend,
Marla.

“Nice letter?” Mom asked.
“Yeah,” Willie said. “She says I’m her frog prince.”
“Of course you’re a prince. Didn’t I always tell you?” Mom asked.
Willie laughed. It didn’t matter if she had; she was his mother, so he knew better than to believe her.
“I’m going to write and tell Marla how Booboo’s doing,” Willie said.
He’d tell her that since Booboo was back in Willie’s bed at night he was quiet--most of the time. And Booboo hadn’t wet on any more crossword puzzles, either. Of course, Dad hadn’t left any on the floor now that he was back at work and happy being busy again, but still Booboo deserved some credit.
Instead of a signature at the end of the letter, he’d draw a picture of a frog with his own face and a crown. Yeah, that’d be good. He bet it would make Marla laugh, and even if he couldn’t hear her, he’d like that.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Marla came to school the next day, but it was just to say good-bye.
“Why, Marla,” Mrs. Tealso said, “I’m sorry to lose you.”
“Me, too, Mrs. Tealso,” Marla said. “I liked it here, and I--” Before she could finish she burst into tears and cried so hard that Mrs. Tealso had to send her to the girls’ room to get control of herself.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“You said you were sending him to the pound.”
“But you didn’t mean it, did you, Harold?” Mom asked.
Dad thought for a while before he said, “I did mean it, but I certainly can’t return Booboo to the pound now, can I?”
“You can’t? You mean, you love him, too, Dad?” Willie asked.
“No, I do not love Booboo,” Dad said. “That foolish I’m not. But it seems from what Mrs. Tealso tells me that you’re putting forth some effort in school, and I wouldn’t want to discourage you from that. Besides, what your mother says is true, Willie. You’re not like me, but you’re fine as you are…and I am proud of you.”
With a nod meant to confirm what he’d just said, Dad turned on his heel and retreated to his newspaper in the living room.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Mom said. “See, Willie? And you thought he didn’t care.”
Willie stood there with a grin stuck on his face and let his mother hug him.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Dad, what are you going to do about Booboo?”
“Do?” Dad frowned at Booboo, who was sitting at the kitchen table as if he were waiting to be served. “Well, I suppose he can sleep in your bedroom tonight.”
“About the pound,” Willie said. “You said you were sending him to the pound.”
“But you didn’t mean it, did you, Harold?” Mom asked.
Dad thought for a while before he said, “I did mean it, but I certainly can’t return Booboo to the pound now, can I?”
“You can’t? You mean, you love him, too, Dad?” Willie asked.
“No, I do not love Booboo,” Dad said. “That foolish I’m not.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“My darling, my angel boy!” she kept crying. “We didn’t know what happened to you.”
“Mom, I’m fine. Nothing happened to me. It was Marla and Booboo who were in trouble.”
Dad was standing straight backed with an embarrassed grin on his face, listening to Mr. Carter, who was saying, “…I just need to tell you what you probably already know. Your son is a real prince. My daughter says he’s the kindest and most understanding kid she’s ever met. You must be very proud of him.”
“Yes,” Dad said. “Yes, Willie’s a good boy.”
Willie blinked, hardly believing his ears.
“Well, I’d better get home to my girls,” Mr. Carter said. “Willie--” He extended his hand and shook Willie’s firmly. “Thanks for all you’ve done for us.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“You know what I’ll miss even if it does turn out to be nice in Texas?” she said finally.
“What?”
“You. I never had a friend as good as you, Willie. You make me laugh.”
Embarrassed, he said, “Yeah, well, that’s what a goofup is good for.”
She stood up then, and in the dark before the smoky fire, she put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. “There,” she said. “Now you’re not a goofup anymore. I’ve transformed you.”
“Wow!” he said. “Wow!” He was so overwhelmed, he didn’t even help her douse the fire or collect the bundle of things she’d brought with her. And when she’d finished and told him to come, he followed her back to her house like a robot while Booboo pranced beside him enjoying the adventure.
Willie was still in a daze, but when Mr. Carter insisted on driving him home he said, “You don’t have to. I can walk.”
“The ladies would never allow that. You get in the car, Willie.”
“Bye, Willie. See you in school,” Marla said.
“Yeah,” he said. “See you. Bye, Mrs. Carter.”
Booboo followed Willie into the car without waiting for an invitation. He settled on the seat with his paws on Willie’s lap and promptly fell asleep. Willie stroked the dog’s fur. It was so good to have Booboo back.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“When he entered the main room upstairs, he saw a dark jump in front of an anemic fire in the fireplace. “Marla,” he said just as a pair of paws hit him hard in the stomach. Booboo was wriggling glad to see his master and as noisy as ever.
“How come you wouldn’t let me in, Marla?” Willie asked after he’d quieted Booboo down. That was when he realized she was sobbing. He touched her heaving shoulders. “Marla, it’s all right. Come on. Listen to me. You’re going to like this move. Really. Now listen.” To the back of her head, he explained what her parents had told him to tell her. “Are you listening?” Willie asked her.
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“Well, so it sounds good, doesn’t it?”
“Dad always makes moves sound good.”
“But you’ll have family to help you take care of your mother so you won’t have to stay home from school. That’ll be good, won’t it?”
“Maybe.”
“Marla, he’s the only father you’ve got. You have to trust him.”
“Why?”
“Well--” Willie was thinking about Dad. “That’s the thing about being a kid. We have to keep trusting them even when they mess up, because they’re the adults and we need them.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Let’s slide some more,” Willie suggested to wipe away her sadness.
They were holding hands and slide-skating on the ice with Booboo at their heels when Marla suddenly said, “Oops, it’s over an hour. I’ve got to go.”
“Like Cinderella,” he said.
“So? Aren’t you the frog prince?”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Willie took a running start and skidded sideways in wild abandon all the way across. Marla came onto the ice timidly, with small sliding steps. Booboo stood at the edge and barked. “Aren’t you scared you’ll fall, Willie?” Marla asked.
“No,” he said. “If I crack my head open, so what? There’s nothing inside it.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“You sure can sleep anywhere,” she said. “It’s freezing in here.”
“I was tired. See, I slept in Booboo’s doghouse with him last night.”
“You’re kidding! You really slept in a doghouse?...You are a nut cake, Willie.”
He wanted to ask her if that was better than a goofball, but for once he didn’t feel like joking.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Dad, I’m sorry about the report card and all that, but I didn’t do anything bad to Mrs. Lima. She told Jackson and me to do the walk and the driveway, but then she wouldn’t pay us for the walk, even though we did a good job. So we just put the snow back. That’s all.”
“According to Mrs. Lima,” Dad said, “she never told you to do the walk because she doesn’t use it. She goes through her garage. And you wouldn’t take her word for it. That’s what upset her the most, that you acted as if she meant to cheat you.”
“But she did, Dad.”
“Willie--” Dad hesitated. Then he shook his head and said, “I don’t know who to believe.”
“Me. I’m your son, and I don’t lie. Much,” Willie amended carefully to cover any white lies he might have told.
“That’s true,” Mom said. “You know that’s true, Harold.”
Dad lifted his bony shoulders and let them drop. “All right. It’s possible Mrs. Lima’s getting forgetful and thinks she told you just the driveway. In any case, I want to satisfy her, especially after we kept her up last night with the dog barking. So you just return the money for the walk and say you’re sorry. Say you must have misunderstood her.”
“That’s not fair,” Willie said.
“Fair or not, it’s foolish to make bad feelings with a neighbor over three dollars.”
“But Dad--” Willie couldn’t find the words for it, but he knew there was a flaw in his father’s reasoning. Wasn’t Dad holding out for an admission from his boss that he’d been wrong?
“Here.” Dad took three dollars out of his own wallet and handed it to Willie. “Go. Just give her this money and say you didn’t mean to upset her…Put on your shoes and your jacket first.”
Willie looked at Mom, who shrugged her shoulders.
It wasn’t fair, Willie thought resentfully as he marched down his driveway and up Mrs. Lima’s with Dad’s three dollars pinched between his thumb and index finger.
Mrs. Lima answered her door, dressed in a wool suit with a lot of gold chains. “Here’s your three dollars back,” Willie said. And he added, “I’m sorry my dog kept you awake last night.”
“You can keep the three dollars,” she said stiffly. “I just wanted to teach you a little respect for your elders, Willie.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He turned to leave.
“Willie,” she called. “You can do my driveway and walk again next time it snows.”
“No, thank you, Mrs. Lima,” he called back politely.
Her eyes went wide with surprise. Then she shut her door fast.
She might have won, but that didn’t mean he was ever going to let her trick him again, Willie told himself. He went back home and returned Dad’s three dollars to him.
“So, you and Mrs. Lima made friends?”
“No,” Willie said. “But I did what you told me.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Dad, I’m sorry about the report card and all that, but I didn’t do anything bad to Mrs. Lima. She told Jackson and me to do the walk and the driveway, but then she wouldn’t pay us for the walk, even though we did a good job. So we just put the snow back. That’s all.”
“According to Mrs. Lima,” Dad said, “she never told you to do the walk because she doesn’t use it. She goes through her garage. And you wouldn’t take her word for it. That’s what upset her the most, that you acted as if she meant to cheat you.”
“But she did, Dad.”
“Willie--” Dad hesitated. Then he shook his head and said, “I don’t know who to believe.”
“Me. I’m your son, and I don’t lie. Much,” Willie amended carefully to cover any white lies he might have told.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“What would six dollars and fifty cents buy? Not a tape deck for Marla. Maybe a Christmas flower arrangement special for Mom. But she loved roses. He’d buy her one long-stemmed rose and get Dad a cactus plant. Something with prickers that you better not touch should suit him.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Know what we should do, Willie? We should do what Milton did; put the snow back.”
Willie groaned. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Come on, Willie. We can’t let that mean old lady get away with cheating us.”
Willie took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.”
It didn’t take long, mostly because before they’d shoveled half the snow back on the walk, the door flew open and Mrs. Lima demanded to know what they were doing.
“You didn’t want us to do your walk, so we’re putting it back the way it was,” Jackson said.
“Fresh-mouth kid!” the woman snapped. “What’s your last name?”
“You can call my father,” Jackson said. “He’s a policeman and he doesn’t like people who cheat.”
The door slammed hard. Mrs. Lima was stronger than she looked. A minute later it opened again and there she was with two dollars in her hand. “Now I want you to shovel the walk,” she said.
“The price has gone up a dollar,” Jackson said.
Willie gulped. Mrs. Lima didn’t say a word. She paid the extra dollar and shut the door. When they’d cleaned off the walk for the second time, they left. Willie waved at the window from which she was watching them, but she didn’t wave back.
“Think she’s going to call our parents?” Jackson asked.
“I don’t know. Probably she’ll call mine,” Willie said. “My dad’s already mad at me and Booboo.” He could feel the tangled knot of worry growing in his chest.
“But we didn’t do anything wrong to that lady.”
“Maybe not, but she’s an adult.”
“Yeah, I see what you mean,” Jackson said.
Willie invited him to come in to play, but Jackson said he’d better get home. He gave Willie the extra dollar and told him he could pay the fifty cents when he had the change. “Or you can keep it,” Jackson said. “I mean, you’re the one’s in trouble.”
“Thanks, Jackson,” Willie said gratefully. He and Jackson gave each other a high five.
The phone was already ringing when Willie walked into the house. “Yes,” he heard his father’s voice answering in the kitchen.
Willie pulled off his jacket and boots in the hall. He had no doubt it was Mrs. Lima calling to complain.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“You better be on your way, young man, or I’ll call your parents and tell them you’re harassing me,” she said. Before he could get a word out, she shut the door again.
Jackson scowled. He stood there with his arms folded and his big brown eyes glaring. “Know what we should do, Willie? We should do what Milton did; put the snow back.”
Willie groaned. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Come on, Willie. We can’t let that mean old lady get away with cheating us.”
Willie took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.”
It didn’t take long, mostly because before they’d shoveled half the snow back on the walk, the door flew open and Mrs. Lima demanded to know what they were doing.
“You didn’t want us to do your walk, so we’re putting it back the way it was,” Jackson said.
“Fresh-mouth kid!” the woman snapped. “What’s your last name?”
“You can call my father,” Jackson said. “He’s a policeman and he doesn’t like people who cheat.”
The door slammed hard. Mrs. Lima was stronger than she looked. A minute later it opened again and there she was with two dollars in her hand. “Now I want you to shovel the walk,” she said.
“The price has gone up a dollar,” Jackson said.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Maybe she’ll give us a tip,” Jackson said. “Twelve dollars isn’t much for the ton of snow we shoveled.”
“I don’t know,” Willie said doubtfully. “She had a big fight with my mom for cutting some roses off a bush that was growing over the fence into our yard. Mom says Mrs. Lima’s stingy.”
How stingy they found out when Mrs. Lima returned and handed them each a five-dollar bill.
“It was ten for the driveway and two for the walk, that’s twelve,” Jackson said. “You owe us two more.”
“I never said I’d pay you for cleaning my walk.”
“Yes, you did,” Jackson said.
“I certainly did not, and ten is all you’ll get from me.” Mrs. Lima shut the door. Period. End of discussion.
Willie rang the bell. The door whipped open. “You better be on your way, young man, or I’ll call your parents and tell them you’re harassing me,” she said. Before he could get a word out, she shut the door again.
Jackson scowled. He stood there with his arms folded and his big brown eyes glaring. “Know what we should do, Willie? We should do what Milton did; put the snow back.”
Willie groaned. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Come on, Willie. We can’t let that mean old lady get away with cheating us.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“At the twenty-second house, which was right next door to Willie’s, the elderly widow, Mrs. Lima, answered the door. Yes, she would hire them to do both the walk and the driveway, she said, and she nodded at the price when Jackson mentioned it.
“She’s not poor, is she?” Jackson asked uneasily after Mrs. Lima went back inside.
“I don’t think so. Her husband owned the department store in the mall. She’s pretty crabby, though. We better do a good job.”
They did a fine job, getting every bit of snow off right to the edges of the walk and driveway. When they finished they rang the doorbell, sweaty but pleased with themselves.
Casually Mrs. Lima glanced at the driveway and sighted along the walk. “Just a minute,” she said. She dipped back inside her house.
“Maybe she’ll give us a tip,” Jackson said. “Twelve dollars isn’t much for the ton of snow we shoveled.”
“I don’t know,” Willie said doubtfully. “She had a big fight with my mom for cutting some roses off a bush that was growing over the fence into our yard. Mom says Mrs. Lima’s stingy.”
How stingy they found out when Mrs. Lima returned and handed them each a five-dollar bill.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Willie considered taking Booboo along, but Booboo would only get in the way. Better leave him in the basement to sleep off his exhaustion from last night’s concert.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Were your parents happy with your report card?” Dad was asking Jackson when Willie got back with the shovel.
“Yeah. I got an A in math. Last quarter I got a B. My dad gave me a dollar.”
“Good for you,” Dad said. “An A is worth a dollar in my book.”
“How about fifty cents for Cs?” Willie suggested hopefully. He had Cs in social studies and science, Mr. Grey’s courses.
“Fine, minus a dollar for every D. That would leave you owing me how much, Willie?”
“See you later,” Willie said and pushed Jackson out the door.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Sleep was a bumpy road for Willie that night. In between dozing and leaning out the window to plead with Booboo to be quiet, Willie was kept awake by his dog’s howls, yowls, whines, whimpers, barks, yips, and moans. Booboo’s range of loud noises was impressive.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Willie bundled the comforter into the doghouse in a pillowy heap. “There, that’ll keep you warm,” he told Booboo and shoved him back into the house. This time Booboo seemed to get the idea. He lay down. Willie ducked back through the gate and locked it behind him.
The whining had started by the time Willie finished his shower and climbed into bed. Soon afterward, the whine became a bark. For an hour Booboo barked. Dad yelled out a window, “QUIET, BOOBOO! QUIET!”
More barking. More commands from Dad. Next Dad appeared in Willie’s bedroom. “Are you asleep yet?”
With Booboo barking in his ear how could he be?”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“We’re almost finished, Willie,” Dad said in cheerful greeting. “Soon as we get these boards nailed on, your dog can move in. It’s too cold to paint the house until spring. Think he’ll like it?”
“I don’t know, Dad,” Willie said cautiously. “It’s not heated.”
“Hated?” Dad said indignantly. “Don’t be ridiculous. What do you expect for the mutt, hot and cold running water?”
“Maybe we could run a heating pad from the house to the yard,” Willie suggested helpfully.
Dad snorted.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“If Willie hadn’t known the man working on the doghouse in the garage must be his father, he might not have recognized him. Dad’s nose was red from the cold, and he was wearing a grease-streaked red-and-black-checked lumberman’s jacket and a red flannel hat with floppy earflaps. He looked a lot more dignified in a business suit and tie, Willie thought.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“His only defense for now was not to think about it until he had to. But everywhere he turned kids were whispering, “Report card, report card.” So much anxiety in the air made it hard to breathe.
The end of the day came far too quickly and there it was in his hand--a report card that spelled disaster in Ds and Cs.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Willie wrote one asking her when she was going to meet him at the barn. At the bottom of the note, he drew a really neat spider in a web. Then he folded the sheet up small, addressed it, and passed it to the kid next to him. Milton was sitting along the postal route. The note got to him just as Mrs. Tealso stepped out of the room to talk to the teacher across the hall. Willie couldn’t believe it when he saw Milton unfolding the note.
“Hey, Marla,” Milton said loud enough to get the whole class’s attention. “Willie wants to know if you’ll meet him in the barn. Will ya, huh?”
Boys hooted as if the question meant something dirty. When Willie saw Marla cringing in her seat, he went berserk. He hurdled a desk and jumped Milton to grab the note away from him, but Milton turned and hunched over so that Willie found himself hoisted onto Milton’s back with his feet off the ground. Just then Mrs. Tealso returned. She caught Willie clinging to Milton as if he were stuck midway in a leapfrog game.
“Willie Feldman! What has gotten into you? Step outside in the hall and stay there until I finish taking attendance.”
Out in the hall, Willie leaned against the door, which Mrs. Tealso had firmly shut behind him. Some friend Milton was turning out to be! Boy, would Willie be in trouble if Dad heard about this. The instant Mrs. Tealso gave him a chance, before she could decide it was all his fault, Willie had better spit out a convincing explanation.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Friday was a bad-news day. First Mrs. Tealso announced report cards were ready and everybody would return to homeroom for the last ten minutes of the day to receive theirs. Lots of kids groaned. Willie’s stomach flip-flopped like a fish out of water. His marks might be as bad as last time. They could even be worse. Unless he’d done good work that he wasn’t remembering. Or unless his teachers had gotten the Christmas spirit early.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“I hope it snows all day and night,” Milton said. “My dad’s letting me borrow his snowblower this winter. I figure I can clean up fifty, sixty bucks after school doing driveways.”
“You’re lucky,” Willie said. “My father’d never let me borrow his blower. He thinks I’ll get my fingers or toes sliced off with it.”
“You probably would,” Milton said. “You gotta be strong to wrestle a snowblower around.”
“I shovel my neighbor’s walk for a dollar,” Jackson said, “and she gives me three dollars to do her driveway.”
“That’s all you get for a whole driveway? Boy, are you getting rooked,” Milton said.
“Well, she’s old. It’s like doing her a favor.”
“I could shovel driveways,” Willie said. “I bet I could.” The idea excited him. That’s how he could earn money.
“Finding customers’s not that easy,” Milton advised him. “Everybody’s signed up with a plowing service already. And if they do hire you, they’ll try to rook you because you’re just a kid.”
“You mean they don’t pay?” Jackson asked.
“I mean--like one guy told me I didn’t do a good enough job, so he was only giving me half. But I fixed him. I blew half the snow right back on his driveway.”
“Was he mad?” Jackson asked.
“Sure, but so what?” Milton said.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“So you got a girlfriend, huh?” Milton sounded impressed.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Willie said. “I don’t even know if she likes me.”
“Oh yeah? Well, that’s how it goes, kid.” Milton offered him a pickle. Willie shook his head. “The girls you like don’t like you back, and you don’t like the ones that like you,” Milton said. “That’s what my big brother says, and he’s got plenty of experience.”
“Your big brother works at the body shop on Nott Terrace, doesn’t he?” Jackson asked.
“Yeah. How do you know?” Milton asked.
“I saw him there. He looks just like you.”
“Yeah.” Milton sounded flattered. “And we both look like my dad. You know him? He works for the highway department.”
Jackson shook his head and asked, “Does everybody in your family pump iron?”
“Everybody but my mom,” Milton said. “I got Patrick working out with me, too. Patrick, show them your muscle.” Patrick exhibited a walnut-sized bicep. They examined it respectfully.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“I promised this girl I’d bring her my tape player so she could dance to it, but Dad won’t let me.”
“A girl? You have a girlfriend?” Mom sounded delighted.
“She isn’t my girlfriend,” Willie said. “She already thinks I’m a goofball, and now she’ll be mad at me about the tape player.”
“Call her and apologize.”
“I don’t know her telephone number.”
“What’s her last name?”
“I forget. She’s new.”
“Well, where does she live?”
“I don’t know the address exactly.”
“Oh, Willie!” Mom laughed. “What a way to conduct your love life.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince

“Mom’s car pulled up in front of the open garage. Dad was using her parking space for the bench saw. “My, my, my,” she said out the car window. “Look at you two covered in sawdust.”
She stepped out of the car, keeping well away from the pale particles blanketing the area in front of her. “Are you having fun?” She laughed and took several shopping bags from the trunk.
“What did you buy?” Dad asked, brushing sawdust from his rolled-up sleeves.
“Nothing major; just this and that…I’ll have dinner ready in a half hour. Or are you too busy to eat?”
“Is it dinnertime?” Dad sounded surprised. Willie wasn’t. He was tired enough for it to have been bedtime.”
― C.S. Adler, Willie, the Frog Prince