Writers' Corner: A Hoppy Ending

Nov 02, 2023

It was late autumn, and my grandson was celebrating his birthday with a family party at my home. The buffet sandwich bar sprawled across the table, along with a variety of veggies and chips. Giving the layout one final inspection before guests arrived, I noticed a tiny, broken corner of a dark corn chip on the table. A perfectionist, I reached to pluck it away. To my astonishment, the "chip" wiggled! Staring up at me, wide-eyed and undoubtedly terrified, crouched a teeny, dime-sized tree frog! I don't know who was more startled.

I tried not to imagine he’d been climbing through the sandwiches or crawling around in a bowl of chips. He was cute after all, so what harm could he have done? Maybe, pee?

Swiftly, I nudged the tiny frog onto a paper plate and headed for the door, assuring the little intruder, he’d soon be free. I never suspected he had other plans. Who knew a bitty frog could leap so far and immediately vanish behind a table in the hallway? He was gone! After a futile search through nearby floor plants, I decided to hunt for him later. Guests were arriving.

Arthur, as I’d affectionately named the absent amphibian, was AOL for six weeks. Then, one day in December, with winter winds howling, he suddenly reappeared. Arthur was spread-eagle-suctioned on the wall, hoping to catch an unsuspecting stink bug. His size had doubled, so he was dining well.

After snapping his picture, I called my critter-smart friend. If anyone could provide stray frog advice, she could. Would Arthur hibernate if I put him outdoors during winter? She explained the temperature would shock his system and he’d croak for sure, a frozen frog. A vision of poor little Arthur frozen into a frogsicle, flashed before my eyes. Never! He’d remain inside. I’d let him wander. He could be my robobug vac.

I shouldn't have been surprised Arthur didn't come when called. After several weeks with no sign of him, I grabbed my computer and googled frog mating calls, turning up the volume, so Arthur might be enticed. He never gave the faintest ribbit in reply.

Mid-March arrived. Reaching for the handle on my fridge as I went for a midnight snack, I nearly jumped out of my pajamas. Arthur was perched in the cavity of the refrigerator water dispenser! No way would he escape again. I found a wide, transparent glass vase and quickly lowered him to the bottom. Then, I filled a jar lid with water and placed it in the makeshift aquarium.

Certain Arthur was hungry, I pattered barefoot into the garage, hopping foot to foot, to avoid contact with the frigid cement floor. Spying an insect, I bent down to inspect it. Frogs only eat moving prey because that's how they identify food. The critter waved a leg, barely clinging to life. I scooped it up and dropped my gift into the vase. Arthur instantly pounced, then sucked his prey down whole. Amazing, (and somewhat gross) since the insect was more than half his size!

Arthur began living in the lap of luxury. A trip to Walmart provided him with a sixteen-dollar frog hotel. Another seven dollars bought floor pebbles. Four dollars bought meal worms and another fifteen was spent purchasing thousands of crickets, which regularly escaped in my kitchen. In addition, a miniature ceramic park bench seated by two, cross-legged frogs, added décor to his domicile. This isn't the end of the story. I had recently fed Arthur when I glanced back at his "home." Arthur was outside his hotel, looking in. Had I not closed the lid? I instantly realized this fat froggy was not Arthur. Instead, Arthur had a guest! Of course, we invited "Alvin" to stay in the frog hotel until spring, too.

Other old ladies collect cats. Apparently, this old lady unintentionally collects frogs. Needless to say, as soon as the weather became consistently warm, the guests were politely evicted. Now they dine under the porch light each evening at a scrumptious bug buffet; a hoppy ending for all! (Well, maybe not for the bugs.)

Author's Bio: Suzy Garner enjoys frog-song serenades each evening as she relaxes on her deck. Not only do Arthur and Alvin visit, but several other happy hoppers have joined the party. Share your wildlife experiences with Suzy at: [email protected].

Writers’ Tip: Writing is simply telling "what happened" on paper for others to read and enjoy. You may discover you like playing with words. Or, you may discover you like frogs.

— Sturgis Writers’ Mill is a community of writers who constructively encourage, support and challenge each other as they discover their unique voices. Any opinion expressed is solely that of the author.