In the great wild garden lived a frog named Tad.
He was a tiny little frog, so tiny that he was still called the ‘Tad’pole.
None of the other young frogs wanted to play with him, and poor Tad spent many a days all alone.
One day Tad decided to go out exploring.
Hippety-hop hippety-hop, off he went, jumping on his tiny legs…
Until suddenly he stumbled upon a grasshopper.
Now Tad knew that frogs ate grasshoppers, so in his most fearsome voice he croaked, “Who are you? Why have you come near the frog colony? Don’t you know that I can gobble you with a flick of my tongue.”
“I’m Rusty,” replied the terrified grasshopper. “I have no friends and my family is ashamed of me because I’m a dull brown and not a leafy green. Even if you eat me, no one will care.”
No friends! Tad knew that terrible feeling.
“I’m not going to eat you,” he replied, and from that day on, Tad the frog and Rusty the grasshopper became the best of friends.
“You shouldn’t be friends with a grasshopper. They are just meat. You should eat him,” admonished the other frogs.
But Tad would not listen.
***
One day Rusty was awakened by the clamouring of many wings. “Fly away, fly away, the great wild garden is on fire.”
Off Rusty catapulted – towards the frog colony. He was going to save his friend.
Despite the mayhem, Tad soon found Rusty. “Quick, hop on my back,” he instructed. With another big catapult, Rusty flew them to safety.
The fire raged on until all the grass was burnt. Most of the frogs died.
“I wouldn’t be alive if it were not for you,” exclaimed Tad.
“I wouldn’t be alive if it were not for you,” exclaimed Rusty.
“Hooray for friendship,” cheered everyone else.
Written in response to Michelle’s Photo-Fiction #101 challenge
Leaking Ink 