Why the Frog Hops
By: Mitch S.

The Moon When the Hot Weather Begins, and all of the animals were hot. There were lots of flies flying around. Frog wanted to eat some. The only problem is that Frog was short and the flies liked to fly high. Since the flies fly so high, Frog started looking around for something that he could use to help himself get higher.


He saw a tree, a stick, a leaf, and a plant. Frog knew that the stick would be too heavy for him and that the tree would be too wide. Frog decided to use the plant to get himself higher. But, just as Frog reached the top of the plant it collapsed under his weight and he fell to the ground.


Frog knew now that he should not climb plants. He thought for a while and decided to go ask the hawk for help. Frog asked the hawk, "Hawk, will you lift me up high so I can catch some flies?"


With a mischievous look on his face the hawk replied, "Yes Frog, I will help you."


And with that he grabbed the frog in his beak and flew away. Frog asked the hawk, "Why don't you carry me with your feet? I am sure that it is more comfortable down there."


In a thoughtful voice the hawk replied to the frog, "Yes, but you seem to taste better up here." At once the frog started to kick and squirm as hard as he could but it was no use. The grip on him was too strong. Only a miracle could save him now, when all of a sudden a bird appeared out of nowhere and was heading straight for the hawk. The hawk dropped the frog immediately and went into a nose dive. The frog almost fell on to a rock but he fell into a puddle.


Now the frog knew that he could not climb and he also knew not to ask birds to help him. It seemed hopeless now. Frog would never eat a fly again, except for the dead one which tasted like nothing. Then the frog decided to go look for someone to help him. He heard voices ahead.


Frog walked and walked, following the voices as his only objective. Finally he reacheed a thicket. Just beyond the thicket was a small stream. Standing next to the stream were Beaver and Raccoon. The frog decided to ask them to help him. He asked, "Beaver, Raccoon, I need to catch some flies because I am hungry. Will you lift me up high so I can catch some?"


The Raccoon got up from eating his fish and replied to the frog, "Frog, we will help you but you have to tell us how we should help you."


The whole party sat and thought, sat and thought, when at the same time everybody yelled, "I know what we should do!"


The beaver said, "We should pull Frog's legs backward so they stretch and slingshot him forward."


"Hey, you took my idea."


So the raccoon and the beaver took the frog to a nice big clearing in the middle of the woods. They picked him up, pulled him back, and let go.


"Wwwhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" When the frog fell down his legs were all stretched out. They felt like glop. They were bouncy. He could jump. He could jump high too. He could jump this way and that way and every way that you could think of.


The frog was very tired. He decided to take a long nap. Then he would catch some flies. Ever since the beaver and raccoon stretched out the frog's legs they were bouncy. They still are to this day.

Return to Student Index