The Foolish Frog

Once there was a frog who worried about what other frogs thought. He didn't want other frogs to think he was foolish because of the way he hopped. So, in order that no one would think he was foolish because of the way he hopped, he didn't hop. Instead, he developed this sort of waddle-walk to get around.

In the morning, he would waddle-walk from his little nest on the bank of the pond down to the water to go for a swim. Then he would waddle-walk his way to a rotten log that was his favorite place to catch and eat all sorts of bugs. In the afternoon he would head over to the field to get some sun. Of course he would waddle-walk his way there, because he didn't want anyone to think he was foolish because of the way he hopped.

One day, some of his friends told him about a new pond they discovered over on the other side of the highway. They told him that it had the coolest water and the most fantastic bugs! Then they hopped off to go swimming at their newly found pond.

Of course the frog wanted to go, too. So he began waddle-walking his way toward the highway. It took him quite a while to get there, since waddle-walking was not a particularly fast mode of transportation. But it was the only way the frog was willing to get around because he didn't want anyone to think he was foolish because of the way he hopped.

He finally got to the edge of the highway and looked across the two lanes of blacktop to the grass on the other side. He took a deep breath and began the slow process of waddle-walking his way across. Wow, the road was hot! If only there was a way to keep his feet from touching the ground so much as he waddle-walked his way across. However, he didn't want anyone to think he was foolish because of the way he hopped, so he continued to waddle-walk his way across.

Just then a large truck appeared at the top of the hill and it was coming at him extremely fast! Two large sets of double wide tires bore directly down on the frog, closer, closer, closer... There was no way he would be able to waddle-walk his way to the other side of the highway in time! He began to head back in the direction he came, maybe he could make it to the first side before the truck got to him. WHOOSH! The truck passed directly over the frog, wheels zooming by on either side of him. That was close!

He quickly waddle-walked the rest of the way to the far side of the road. Luckily, there was no more traffic and he made it safely across. That's when he realized that the grass he saw from the other side of the road was separated from the road by a large, rocky ditch. The ditch looked awfully treacherous from the road... lots of loose rocks and stones to get a foot caught in.

Just then, a small rabbit appeared on the far side of the ditch. The bunny launched himself into the air. The frog watched with rapt attention as the bunny sailed through the air, legs outstretched; ears back, streaming in the wind. The bunny effortlessly landed out in the middle of the road. In one hop, the bunny had cleared the ditch and most of one of the lanes of the highway. 'Wow,' thought the frog, 'that was amazing.'

Then a car swerved to miss the bunny and ran over the frog. And so no one ever thought the frog was foolish because of the way he hopped.