The Lilypad

Fred the frog sat on his old mushroom, very tired of his surroundings. He wished for a new home; but he could think of none better than his mushroom.

One day, a turtle walked slowly by his mushroom. Fred saw this as a chance for travel, so he jumped on the turtle’s back. While on the turtle’s back Fred saw many new things. He saw a giant, red flower, a huge tree, and many different animals.

Fred watched the squirrel returning to her home in the bough of the huge tree. "It has a very nice view," thought Fred, "but I bet that climb would get old day after day." Fred decided that a tree house was not for him.

Fred noticed a nice worm looking up at the turtle from his hole. The worm’s hole looked convenient, no climbing a tree to get to his front door. "I don’t think I’d fit in that kind of hole though," mused Fred, "I’m way too big."

Fred turned around on the turtle to watch the rabbits playing outside their warren. "Now that is spacious and easy to get to," Fred observed. Unfortunately, while Fred loved to have visitors, he did not really want roommates. A rabbit warren was definitely not the place for Fred.

Later that day the turtle came to the edge of a huge pond. In the middle of the pond lay many lilypads. "What a great home that would be," thought Fred, "if only I could reach them." Fred saw a very large (and very hungry looking) fish swimming along the shore. "It might be friendly," thought Fred, "but then again, it might be hungry for some frog legs!"

The turtle started to go into the pond, so Fred jumped off his back. Fred looked out across the pond trying to see a way to reach the lilypads. As Fred scanned the area he noticed a snake creeping up on an unprotected bird’s nest full of chicks. "I must save them," thought Fred, "but how?"

Fred noticed that above the snake hung a large, juicy peach. "If I could reach that peach," considered Fred, "I might be able to drop it on that snake." Fred hopped quickly to the tree and began to climb. Once Fred reached the peach, the snake was directly below it. Fred knocked the peach off of the limb.

The peach’s weight had been pulling the limb down, so when Fred knocked it off, the limb flew up in the air hurling Fred to the center of the pond. Fred looked back, the snake was hurrying back into the reeds (snakes are not fond of flying peaches.) Fred landed with a loud PLOP! He was sitting on one of the lilypads. "I think I’ll stay here," announced Fred, "this is a perfect home." He lived there happily ever after.

Story created by Eric Owen.