Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Frog Princess












Having an empty swimming pool quickly loses it's charms during a heatwave.  Yes, it is rather amusing at first, leaping about the empty swimming pool with the dogs (and surprisingly the cat).  Lying in the swimming pool and enjoying the fact that one's hair isn't getting wet and chlorine-ie... neither is the rest of one getting wet and chlorine-ie for that matter.  However, on days like today when even the birds are slowly melting into little piles of feathers and sweat, having an empty pool is not ideal.

Still, I tried to see the positive in this situation, and I went down into the garden with the thought of going frog rescuing.  Now the frogs in the garden have a funny habit of leaping into the empty swimming pool during the night, and unfortunately, with the heat and no water, dying and turning into mummified frogs (R.I.P little frogs, R.I.P).  However today was different, after the rain the other night, there is a small pool of water in the bottom of the pool.  I wandered down there, in search of more frogs to rescue from a horrible mummified death.

Crouched in the shallow water, I found two frogs, a bigger one, who I will call Daddy Frog, and a littler one, who I shall call Baby Frog.  I quickly scooped Baby Frog up -  he didn't put up much of a fight - and carried him back to the fishpond, where I gently released him into the water.  I had a momentary panic when I wondered if frogs could swim as Baby Frog sank slowly deeper in the water.  He did, however, give a little kick and clung to the wall.  I rushed back to the swimming pool, with the thought to rescue Daddy Frog, who, as it turns out, didn't really want to be rescued.

I persevered however, which did involve me leaping about after Daddy Frog, trying to catch him, with Jack standing near me looking slightly perturbed at the attention I was paying to what he would undoubtedly consider a live squeaky toy.  I managed to gently grab Daddy Frog, remove the soggy leaf from my ear, and make my way to the fishpond to release Daddy Frog into Baby Frog's company.  

I watched with the warm feeling of having done a good deed as Daddy Frog leaped into the water and swam energetically around.  Baby Frog was still attached to the wall, watching Daddy Frog swim to the wall near him, then hop onto the wall, then, much to my surprise, and perhaps his too, leap off the wall and land in an undignified sprawl a few feet from Jack.  Of course Baby Frog began to follow Daddy Frog, but not before I'd realised the error  of my ways and scooped up a slightly concussed Daddy Frog and deposited him, with Baby Frog, in a bucket full of water.

If it was not obvious before, they made it painfully so then; I'd obviously deposited Baby and Daddy Frog in the wrong fishpond, or as I imagine, the fishpond of the rival frog clan.  Not wanting Baby and Daddy Frog to be turned into fish food - or whatever it is rival frog clans to do one another - I quickly rushed them up to the smaller fishpond.  I am still left wondering where Baby and Daddy Frog actually belong, as they did not seem very pleased with their new home.  

Baby Frog simply clung to a plant and watched me warily with his beady eyes as I chased after Daddy Frog.  Daddy Frog quite obviously considers himself to be a daredevil of sorts, as he did a flying leap from the edge of the fishpond to the ground.  Jack was definitely becoming concerned by now as I chased Daddy Frog round and round the fishpond before he hopped towards the bushes in an attempt at freedom.  Alas poor Daddy Frog, it was not to be, as I quickly scooped him up, plopped him in the water and ran away before I could see them try to escape again... and before my moral conscience made me rescue them.  Again.

 

1 comment:

  1. Fwaakksss! NO!! I am glad I wasn't there for that! I would have been turning inside out with fear and feelings of grossness.

    Did you not try KISSING the frogs??

    [Love your writings. [always have a giggle and can the scene perfectly]
    :)

    ReplyDelete