Independence Or Comfort?

Quiet-tartus and the knowlesi look at one another.

Should we remain here, incognito, under this train seat?

Or make our presence known to Pierre-Louis and Arthur? 

Come, says the rana. Or don't you want to? 

It's a toss-up between independence and comfort, says Quiet-tartus.

I vote for independence, says the knowlesi.

So, you're staying here? says Quiet-tartus. Me, I vote for comfort.

There's no comfort, says the rana. I don't even have my own seat.

But you are looked after, says Quiet-tartus.

If you can call it that, says the rana. Why do you think I had to go looking for slugs?

There you go, says the knowlesi.

I'm thinking of the future, says Quiet-tartus. We get off the train in Paris. Then what?

Good point, says the knowlesi.

So are you coming? asks the rana. 

Okay, say Quiet-tartus and the knowlesi. They pick up their papers.

What are those? asks the rana.

The two sides of our poem bag, says the knowlesi. One side has the poem, one doesn't.

Which side has it? asks the rana.

We don't know, says Quiet-tartus.

I wish I had two sides of a poem bag, says the rana.

Quiet-tartus and the knowlesi feel proud.

They amble up the carriage, behind the rana, towards Arthur's feet.

The knowlesi tugs on Arthur's left sock.

Arthur looks down, and sees three frogs, looking up at him. 

And two folded papers.

He thinks he recognises the papers. They were the paper bag that the waiter wrote his poem on.

But now the paper bag is in two parts, neatly folded. How did the frogs do it?

Pierre-Louis notices that Arthur is looking down. 

He too looks down, to see what Arthur is seeing.

O! The missing frogs! The rana has found them.

He leans down to pick up the frogs.

A person across the aisle looks disgusted.

Alors! This train is infested. Earlier, I saw slugs! Now three frogs! And why is that man in the hat with side flaps picking them up? What will he do with them?

The person hopes that an inspector might appear, and deal with the problem.

An inspector does not.