The creek that runs through Camp Jumping Mouse was named after the (fictitious?) river -- the Yankety-Yank in Pete Seeger's story THE FOOLISH FROG.

In the story, a farmer is on his way to the store when he crosses a bridge over the Yankety-Yank River. He looks down from the bridge and sees a frog jumping back and forth from bank to bank. Eventually, the frog falls into the water and the farmer is inspired to write a little song about him:

Way down south on the Yankety-Yank,
A bullfrog jumped from bank to bank,
Just 'cause he had nothing better for to do.
He stubbed his toe and fell in the water,
You could hear him holler for a mile and a quarter...
Just 'cause he had nothing better for to do.

The farmer goes on to the store, and insists on singing his song for the town folk who have stopped at the store to eat soda crackers and drink soda pop. Eventually everything and everyone in the whole world -- the farmer's family, the animals from the farm, the grass in the field -- come to the store, sing the song, dance, eat soda crackers, and drink soda pop.

The only one NOT in the store is the foolish frog and when he hears everyone singing about him, he puffs up with pride... bigger, and bigger and bigger -- until he explodes and sends every one sailing back to where they should be.

This is a delightfully tellable story. It adds a fun dimension to the story if you can play the banjo, but even singing unaccompanied works.

To find other frog stories and references on this web site click on the picture of the frog.