A/N: This chapter was inspired by the last chapter and also my one shot Days of Christmas Past although you needn't have read those to make sense of this.

How could it be that one little act could cause such a ruckus or, as Sybil might say in her new penchant for expanding her vocabulary, a brouhaha? It had on Sybil's part, as she would so adamantly vocalize later, begun quite innocently enough. As for her sisters … well … that could not quite be said of Mary who as Sybil would explain started the whole thing.

Sybil sat down on the large log that had fallen some time ago across this narrow strip of water and shook her head as she rubbed her hands on her dress leaving a trail of muddy stains on the pale blue cloth. I should have worn something dark she thought as she looked at her dress. Who knew how hard it would be to catch a frog?

She sighed deeply as she looked at the narrow stream where the gurgling water flowed unevenly over rocks heading from the smaller pond on to the bigger and deeper part of the lake. Why isn't a frog out sunning himself on a rock? I'll bring him back just as soon as Edith kisses him. I just can't give up. I need to do something nice for Edith.

It had been hard work but she had accomplished her mission. Even now she struggled as she carried the pail back to the house, ever so careful not to trip and lose her precious cargo. For deep in the pail underneath a plate she used as a lid there was a nice sized frog. At least of I think it's a frog and not a toad. Needing a rest, Sybil stopped and set the pail on the ground but she was too scared of losing the frog to take a peek at him. What if it's a toad? She was sure Edith wouldn't know the difference but… she ran a hand across her forehead. But if Edith kissed a toad? If only Father Christmas had left me that book on animals I wanted then I'd be sure it's a frog. And I still don't know what a wombat looks like. Sybil chuckled just thinking of the word wombat. Wombat. She wished she could find a way to use that word.

"I'm bumfuzzled why you're blaming me" a defiant Sybil stood in the library facing her father.

Robert's eyes widened "bumfuzzled!" he repeated as Sybil vigorously shook her head.

"It's a rather funny word isn't it Papa" Sybil laughed.

"Whatever does-" Robert took a deep breath before waving his hand in the air. "We'll get back to that later. Now about this frog business."

"Papa it's not really my fault."

"Not your fault!" Robert couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Didn't you bring the frog into the house?"

"Yes but only because of Mary." All eyes turned to look at Mary.

"Me!" Mary jumped up from the sofa and glared at her sister. "I never said anything about frogs."

"Yes you did Mary." Mary shook her head as Sybil continued "you said …" she paused and looked at her father.

"I was trying to do something nice for Edith." Sybil, her arms folded across her chest, stood defiantly. Edith couldn't help admiring how her little sister stood undaunted in front of their parents although she didn't understand what Sybil was talking about.

"Really you should be thanking me."

"Just how" an incredulous Robert began "just how was throwing a frog in Edith's face doing something good for her?"

"I didn't throw the frog in her face Papa. I was actually holding it and she just … well she-" Sybil looked over to Edith who was sitting meekly on the sofa. "She … she-" Sybil leaned in towards her father and lowered her voice almost to a whisper "you know how Edith can sometimes be she" Sybil scrunched up her face trying to think of that word but alas it escaped her.

Sybil leaned backed and shrugged her shoulders. "If she hadn't screamed I wouldn't have dropped the frog but she scared me."

"She scared you!" Mary piped up from her seat on the opposite sofa as Edith also shouted "I scared you!"

Left unsaid was that the melee that followed as the frog jumped across the room landing on Mary's foot who screamed before she wildly jumped on to her bed causing it to collapse. The screams brought two of the housemaids who were working nearby as well as the nanny rushing into the room and then pandemonium ensued as the frog continued jumping around the room. In the confusion as the women ran around the small room trying to either catch the frog or run away from it and Mary and Edith continued screaming, the bucket was overturned spilling pond water all over the floor, the bedside table was knocked over, its lamp crashing onto the floor shattering into a million pieces, a picture was knocked off the wall, a pillow was torn causing feathers to fly around the room and … well … in the end the room looked as if a battle had taken place there.

"Now girls" Cora gently chided her older daughters before turning towards Sybil. "Sybil just what nice thing were you trying to do for Edith?"

"You know how Edith is always reading those fairy stories and talking about meeting a prince." Sybil glanced over at Edith before looking at her mother. "And Mary seems to know so much and she told Edith the only way she could ever meet a prince was if she kissed a frog and since I know how much Edith wants to meet a prince I thought I'd find a frog for her."

At this Robert stifled a chuckled as he glanced up at the library's coffered ceiling and shook his head while the anger on Cora's face faded into a bemused smile.

"Oh Sybil darling" Cora's reached out her hand and gently caressed Sybil's forehead. "Kissing a frog to find a prince is just a-" Cora grappled with trying to find an explanation her six year old daughter could understand. "It's just a saying. Like when it's raining really hard and you say it's raining cats and dogs although of course cats and dogs aren't really coming down from the sky."

"So kissing a frog won't really bring you a prince?"

"Of course not my darling."

"But why did Mary say it?"

"Because she's mean" Edith pouted causing Mary to retort. "That comes from living with-".

"Girls!" Robert barked as Cora sighed deeply.